Restaurant review | The Red Tiger: winning formula

Rising stars in the restaurant industry, institutions that stand the test of time, hidden gems… Our critics dig in and help you make informed choices. This week, visit to the new Red Tiger branch in Angus.

Posted at 11:00 a.m.

The name Lucky Belly Group may not mean anything to you, but it’s a safe bet that you’ve set foot in one of its restaurants or counters (at Central, at Time Out Market Montreal or even at the new Fou Fou of Royalmount). The dynamic group of young entrepreneurs even recently launched into a new field at DIX30: SuperSuper, an amusement concept focused on doggie machines!

No doubt, this band has energy to spare, even if I found them over the years sometimes scattered, always looking for a new concept that would hit the mark. There is Italian meets Japanese (Tiramisu), poké bowls (Kamé), “neo-Japanese” (Le Blossom), fried chicken (Ho Lee Chix)… What do they have in common? The Asian “twist”. But their concept that has stood the test of time is their very first, Le Red Tiger, a Vietnamese pub born in the Village in 2015 and which is celebrating its 10^e birthday this year. The Red Tiger has its counter in the Time Out Market and, for several months, a second location in the Technopôle Angus.

PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Beef carpaccio, topped with peanuts and accompanied by shrimp chips
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The imperial rolls are surrounded by lettuce leaves and rice.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Cocktails are a must. In the photo: Carlito’s Way and Thai Colada, with a Vietnamese coffee in the center (without alcohol, this one!).
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
There are three flavors of skewer grills on the menu.

1/4

Since its opening, Le Red Tiger Angus has been able to rally local residents, particularly families (unlike its establishment in the Village, 18 and over only, this one welcomes children). This is also one of the main assets of this address. In summary: beautiful, good, inexpensive, fast, all in a nice setting with atmosphere.

You don’t have to worry about it on a weeknight and you can also extend the pleasure thanks to a festive cocktail menu. There are revisited classics (Ba Den lemonade 2.0, Thai Colada) and other original creations all integrating Asian or exotic elements; for example, the very convincing Carlito’s Way, made with mezcal, Martino Fiero Aperitivo, tamarind syrup with cinnamon and spicy honey and grapefruit juice, or the Pitaya, a sour made with gin, passion fruit, aloe water, dragon fruit and jasmine green tea syrup. For the less adventurous, there are a few choices of beers on tap, including a house lager by the Silo microbrewery. The wine list is quite short, but offers a nevertheless interesting selection, between some more classic vintages and other natural ones (Épaulé Jeté, Mother Rock, Nicolas Potel, etc.).

The cuisine is inspired by Vietnamese street food. The dining room, with its industrial look with its high ceilings, bright colors and neon lights, bears the signature of Atelier MRDK. The owners are all of Vietnamese origin, third generation, and their recipes are inspired by those of their grandparents and parents. The idea is not to reinvent the wheel, but to offer classics of the genre, which have an irresistible taste to come back to: imperial rolls (served wrapped in a crispy lettuce leaf and a rice paper, for more freshness), impeccable; green papaya salad, an excellent palate cleanser; the beef carpaccio, accompanied by shrimp chips, also successful and full of textures with its fresh herbs and grilled peanuts.

We were two families of four adults and three children. So we tasted almost everything on the menu. I expected it to be good, but we actually enjoyed it.

PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
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The vast dining room, with its industrial and eclectic decor by Atelier MRDK, can accommodate up to 90 people.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
From left to right: Phong Thach (executive chef), Gabriel Huynh-Lapointe (partner), Mateo Martinez (manager), Ibrahima Balde (sous chef), Justin Daoust (marketing director), Dan Pham (partner) and Carlos Ortiz ( partner)
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The Red Tiger Angus bar
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The facade of Red Tiger Angus

1/4

The cuisine at Red Tiger seems to have reached its full maturity. The dishes, flavors, textures are mastered, not to mention the very friendly, fast service, perfect for hungry and impatient children!

The small skewers (lemongrass beef, coconut satay chicken, sesame barbecue pork) are well grilled, but nevertheless juicy, tasty, we could eat lots of them! The five-spice braised pork ribs, which stick to your fingers, were devoured in no time. The only disappointment was the shrimp and chicken fried rice, dry and quite ordinary, which we could have easily done without in favor of the white jasmine rice with coconut milk, offered on the side.

We skip the dessert, because there are tired children to put to bed – who had fun outside, in the public square which has grown with this new district now welcoming several restaurants (Annette, Hoogan and Beaufort, No 900 or even The Blossom, another concept of the group…) while the adults quietly finished their drinks. Who needs a babysitter with that?

Prix

Dishes range from $10 (imperial rolls or pork and shrimp wontons) to $22 (beef pho tonkinese), but most retail for around fifteen dollars. Cocktails are between $15 and $18; count around $10 for a pint of beer or a glass of wine.