Ravioli Manchuria: spouting off photo: Alexandre Choquette

Tucked beside the old fire station on St-Mathieu, Ravioli Manchuria is the latest addition to what's beginning to feel like a burgeoning second Chinatown. The greasy noodle pits of Ste-Catherine have paved the way for more interesting Chinese grocers and snack joints on the side streets, offering everything from bubble tea to bok choy.

Fat orange lanterns alert you to the location of Ravioli Manchuria. Go up the stairs to enter a basic and tidy room, with a hi-tech digital clock on the wall. At the back, you can select plates of cold meat to start with, such as slices of pork studded with cucumber, chicken feet, pig feet and tripe. They're good to snack on while you wait for your dumplings, I'm told. Or you can just nibble on wasabi-flavoured chips or sweet-salty sunflower seeds that the waiter will pop on the table while you check out the menu.

To my knowledge, Montreal hasn't had a proper dumpling house since Joz in NDG closed down years ago. Here, you can see the chef in the back pounding out dough, preparing it to be filled with blends of meat and vegetables. The dumplings you buy in grocery stores are machine-made, not expertly turned out by hand, plump with love and pork.

Dumplings come by the dozen and a half at this joint, steamed or fried. Although 18 sounds like a lot of dumplings to share, you may be asked if that's enough. Pour vinegar into a dipping dish, add a bit of soy sauce if you like, maybe some chili paste.

One lunch I shared a plate of the pale beauties with a gossip-mate, ate the rightfully popular "fish-fragrance shredded meat pork" (a spicy and goopy pea and pork mix) and slurped a soup of pickled cabbage and pork blood with glass noodles (called rice noodles on the menu).

The evening I went with my dumpling-eager partner, we ordered the slightly sour pork and chive plumpies along with a dish of thin slices of lamb with loads of cumin seeds and a lovely gingery cabbage, and a garlic-mushroom combo. The scent of garlic lingered in the air, the dumplings were hot and toothsome. It's far too easy to overeat here. But just ask for some of the eight-ingredient tea to set your digestive system right and to witness the spectacle of the peculiar pot.

Ravioli Manchuria

1441 St-Mathieu

935-2321

Meal for two, no tax, no tip: $12-$25

 
 

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Asian goodness !!!!     Next to sushi and tempura, Chinese dumplings are on my top ten list of favorite foods. Being of half Asian origin, I have had the pleasure of enjoying a vast array of Chinese and other Asian dishes, ranging from extremely spicy misiam, to the stinky, but very tasty, Durian fruit. With friends and family, I have shared the ever-popular Won ton soup and I have happily enjoyed every last drop of the hot and delightful sugary red beans dessert. It is a fact: Asian people love food. They go out of their way to gather family and friends to sit around and enjoy a morning dim sum, or better still, a more elaborate ten-course dinner. The choice of restaurant depends on the taste, the variety of dishes offered, the general atmosphere and the proportion of the servings. Quality should not be sacrificed for quantity. One thing that I immediately took notice of when I entered Ravioli Manchuria, was the general cleanliness of the restaurant. One of the fastest ways to make me lose my appetite is to enter a dirty/stinky place... A note to Chinatown: Clean up your flours/ bathrooms and kitchens! At R.M. the prices were fairly reasonable, and they offered a vast selection of ingredients. I definitely recommend the pork dumplings!!! All in all, if you are ever hungry, or if you are in search of a nice, clean Asian spot to take your friends, Ravioli Manchuria is the place to be!
Genevieve Roy	{24 votes}	February 3rd, 2004
Adding to my repertoire of Chinese food in Mtl     Nice to hear about another good spot to get Chinese food in Montreal. I have eaten at the Beijing in China town so often I know the numbers on the menu by heart. I LOVE the Beijing but have grown tired of it. When in the mood for Sichuan- I order in from Luck Hop Foo (on St-Laurent just above Fairmount). Luck Hop Foo is a treat despite the fact that it is rarely full, normally not a good sign, however it is a good place to eat. The MuShu Pork is very good and the General Tao Chicken is perfect. But again- I have eaten their food on many, many occasions. Sometimes I wander into Cafe Mei, a favorite Dim Sum haunt of mine from years ago. The lovely thing about Cafe Mei is that you can have Dim Sum any time. I guess when I find a good thing I enjoy it often. So gone are the days when I would eat at Cafe Mei once a week. Kam Shing on Cote-des-Neiges offers some lovely noodle dishes, and Peiking Duck! Although their Hot and Sour soup is not in the same family as that of the Beijing they can still cook up a storm. [ok I have yet to find another Hot & Sour soup any where near as good as that of Beijing]. And Dim Sum in china town on Sundays requires patience. A fun treat but I only have the emotional and gastronomical endurance for such an event a couple times a year. Looking forward to over-indulging at Ravioli Manchuria.
Ada Mullett	{16 votes}	January 29th, 2004
Mmmmm dumplings.     If you're like me, and occasionally get the must-be-satiated-or-else cravings for dumplings, Ravioli Manchuria is the place for you! Enough dumplings for a meal for under $10, and of all varieties (though I preferred the shrimp and pork dumplings). A nice homey environment with little pretensions, but ample dumplings - good for a snack, meal, or to take home to eat later!
Quynh Nguyen		August 5th, 2004
Very very good!!     I have eaten there twice and i was glad to know that the quality of the food is much superior than any restaurants next to Guy station. Concerning the price......what else to say than WOW! Very cheap. Always clean and a good smell comes from the oven. If you are with your boyfriend or your girlfriend, it is an excellent occasion to go out with.
Simone Rigaud	{4 votes}	February 4th, 2004
Oh Yum!     I can't believe it there is a place here serves dumplings! I must go and see it, being of Irish decent, dumplings are one of the more delicious foods that can be served to a person. To top it all off they serve tea as well which means I am in double heaven because I am a tea nut. Can't drink coffee but I do love a good cup of tea to help calm the nerves and sooth the troubled mind into relaxation.
Joshua Martin		February 4th, 2004
Dumpling fiend!     My god, your writer makes these dumplings sound so amazing! Also, think about it, dumplings are really fun to eat and to share. Even someting different to do on Valentine's day! And they are so easy to eat, 50 later and you're still not full!! Just kidding. I'm surprise thought that she mentions that that part of the city is becoming a 2nd chinatown. It might be interesting to write an article about that. Being a dumpling fiend, I'm off to check it out. Thanks for the tip!
Christine Théoret		February 2nd, 2004
On: Dough boys     Everyone seem to agree that Ravioli Manchuria is worth to check out. I mean, there are ZERO negative comment on this dumpling house. Not even one ruffled customer to say that the place ain't that great. That kind of unchallenged praises kind of make me doubt the true quality of the establishment. That say, everytime I read this dawn column, I end up wishing I could go stuff my face at the restaurant your journalist have just be in. That fish-fragrance shredded meat pork sounds totally DIVINE, and the price also sounds right. Man, I wish I didn't read that article, 'cause, as of right now, I have to check out Ravioli Manchuria. Forn the trek I have to make to get there, it better be THAT good...
Joseph Belizaire	{24 votes}	January 31st, 2004
Manchuria: so far and yet so near...     Maeve Haldane's colorful and incisive reviews of some of our town's little-known restaurant experiences usually make my mouth water and by belly rumble. "Ravioli Manchuria" is no exception. This place sounds so exotic! And the photograph of that tea-pot, which looks like an oilcan for filling your Cessna's reservoir in preparation for take-off definitely adds to the place's allure. Mmm... I wonder if they're open at 1:23 in the morning?
Francisco Uribe	{2 votes}	January 31st, 2004
Wow!     Okay, I admit that I wouldn't normally consider dumplings as anything but a snack or an appetizer, but this sounds too good to be true! Some of those combinations seem truly enticing, and I love the idea of dipping dishes for ravioli! I'll definitely have to mark this place down as a resto to try out in the near future...
Ben Kalman	{2 votes}	January 31st, 2004
I live next to this restaurant......     I am lucky to live in downtown next to Guy station. I agree with Maeve Haldane when you say that the price is very cheap. The problem is the following... no sooner had i entered to this restaurant than the employee ran in my direction with harshness. Concerning the food...i have nothing to say...very good quality and the floors are clean. The only fault is: they speak too much!!
Mathieu Romero	{3 votes}	January 30th, 2004
Dumpling with kick!     Freakin' Jesus, does this place sound cool or what?! Unlike many restaurants that aim to glitz up the joint and *not* the menu in any significant way this place actually tries to (gasp!) actually give you a full eating experience in a freakin' realistic price range!!! Truth be told, this city is woefully lacking in decent dumpling establishments so any new entry to the Montreal eatery database if very, very welcome. I've eaten at some places over the years and it's been my considered opinion that people come back based on the quality of the menu and the overall atmosphere, not the snooty attitude or the re-modeled ceilings with the pricy gaudy fans. Look at the picture on the side of the article...does this look like the sort of place that's out to snooker you with a glossy finish? This is just the sort of place you actually *want* to go to. I haven't been there (yet) so I can't really judge the quality of the menu or the service but the cuisine we're talking about is almost impossible to mess up so I'm more than willing to risk my tastebuds on it.
Pedro Eggers	{34 votes}	January 29th, 2004
Mmmm mmm and mmm     The tea descriptions alone make me want to check this place out! You're right thought, there hasn't been a decent dumpling joint since Joz closed - it's about time! Thanks for filling us dumpling-cravers in!
Marisa Crockett	{7 votes}	January 30th, 2004

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