February 2025 – The Jewish Standard Magazine

By Mike Cohen

In 1987 Howard Szalavetz and his late father Dave purchased a property at the corner of Decarie and Vezina which housed an auto mechanics garage and a car wash. Over the years Howard tried to add a culinary mix to the building, first with a coffee shop and then a REAL Bagel franchise. Neither succeeded.

Now, with a growing empire of some 100 buildings under his company’s wing it is safe to say that the food component on Decarie was hardly top of mind. Then last spring the telephone rang. Brothers-in-law Meir Azerad and Ynon Cohen wanted to open a polished sit-down kosher restaurant there. Howard had to think long and hard, trying to figure out how a business model like that could succeed in what was essentially the waiting room for people as their cars were being washed. Meyer and Ynon were convincing and he agreed to a lease. The duo proceeded to create a model from scratch, dubbing it Nöam Restaurant in the memory of a family member who had passed away a number of years ago, and undertaking significant renovations.

Interestingly, a wood oven remained from the REAL Bagel experiment. Meir and Ynon were able to repurpose it to make pizza at up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit in two minutes. The place opened last summer. I must admit I only found out about it recently while chatting with Howard, who encouraged me to come by. I did and what I found was one of the trendiest new spots in Montreal. Yes, this is a kosher restaurant. But the menu here is for everyone, regardless of whether you are kosher or even Jewish.

The place is open every night except Friday, as well as Sunday for brunch. There are only 60 seats and reservations are strongly recommended. You can do so via Open Table, where Nöam Restaurant has already been listed on their top 100 list in Canada. The night I went there people were still coming in the door after 9 pm. This was a Wednesday and it was snowing heavily out. There are effectively three sittings here. Immediately upon opening and then two and four hours later.

If anything this place is overstaffed, so service is quick and excellent. You constantly have a server at your table. Since the garage and car wash are closed during most restaurant hours, there are some 30 parking spots available and plenty more on Decarie and side streets. Meir and Ynon are already in discussions with Howard to add a party room at the upstairs level of the building.

The menu here has many options: soups, salads, appetizers, pasta, pizza, fish, decadent desserts and a full liquor and wine menu as well as smoothies and milkshakes. If it is your birthday be prepared to be serenaded as loud Israeli music plays and the servers bring over a yummy dessert with sparklers in it. There were three such occasions the night I was there.

Howard was my dining partner and we had an opportunity to share many items on the menu.

Ynon was particularly proud to showcase the Beet Carpaccio made from roasted beets with feta cheese, balsamic reduction and topped with glazed nut mix and the fried olives.

For the main course I went for the pan-seared tuna steak, beautifully cooked with side orders of potatoes and risotto. Howard ordered one of their amazing pasta dishes and a Napoletano pizza, piping hot out of their special oven. Of course I tried a few pieces and Howard insisted I take back what was left.

For dessert we shared their homemade chocolate lava cake, which came with some vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

There are plenty of other selections I will have to try another time: cod tacos, grilled salmon, fish and chips, European bass, Baladi eggplant, mushroom hummus, soups, fresh salads and smoothies.

Ynon came into this venture with experience as the owner of Coco Pralin, a kosher bakery and caterer based in Dollard des Ormeaux. Meir meanwhile, has worked as a deejay and knows how to market a product. “We are working very hard the both of us to make something different in the city and a big, big vibe,” said Meir . “That is really what we are focusing on.”

Nöam Restaurant is open Monday to Thursday from 5 pm to 11:30 pm, Saturday from 9:30 pm to 2 pm and Sunday for brunch from Noon to 3 pm and then 5 pm to 11 pm. It is located at 6647 Blvd. Décarie. You can call 514-564-6626 or log on to www.noamrestaurant.com for the menu and delivery options.

By Mike Cohen

After much anticipation, Red Chopstix Restaurant, Sports Bar & Lounge has opened at Decarie Square and the wait for the return of a kosher Chinese dining establishment appears to have been worth it. This indeed appears to be a true successor to the once iconic Ernie and Ellie’s.

I was invited for lunch by owners Heidi Chenoy and William Dahan. Heidi’s sister Elana is the hostess. Chenoy spent the past seven years as a manager next door at Jilly’s Bar and Salon Blue Bonnets. When the latter two establishments merged and a large slice of their space became available, Dahan took notice. He operates the popular Café O’Lait, another neighbor, and he believed that kosher Chinese cuisine was a good fit. Step one was convincing Chenoy to partner with him in the venture. Once she agreed the duo embarked upon the construction process. It was two months of hard work, but the end result is an attractive design.

**William Dahan, Heidi Chenoy and her sister Elana.**

As for the name, Chenoy was drawn to “Chopstix” and added “Red” because it was her late mom’s favorite color. “And she also loved Chinese food,” she added.

The seating capacity is 112 in the main dining room. There is also a sports bar that can accommodate 95 more people. It has bar, tables and some large flatscreen televisions to watch the big games.

As for the chefs, Chenoy and Dahan were able to recruit a team of four experienced Chinese chefs, some of whom have shared family recipes that go back generations. They also had to hire a full-time mashgiach (a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment).

Joining me for lunch was my good friend Warren Perley. He has operated his Ponctuation Grafix company at Decarie Square for over 30 years and he was a regular at Ernie and Ellies. It was time for a tasting. We started off by sharing some delicious and crispy chicken egg rolls, followed by perfectly prepared chicken peanut butter dumplings and piping hot bowls of wonton soup. The latter had a very sweet taste to it. Warren compared it to chicken soup that bubbie used to make. There is a generous selection of more Asian cuisine.

Next came a plate of General Tao chicken, accompanied by rice and vegetables. It was dotted with sesame seeds and cut like butter. Some sesame garlic beef also arrived at our table, garnished with vegetables.

From the grill, Warren and I also shared a chicken schnitzel sandwich with French fries on the side. You can also burgers, lamb chops, a smoked meat sandwich and stir fried meals.

The lunch specials are a real bargain. For $25 you can get a soft drink, ice tea or perrier, a chicken eggroll or wonton soup and a choice of one main dish with white rice. There is also an option from the grill for the same price, a burger or chicken schnitzel with fries. Kids can eat for $10.

The kids menu includes beef sliders, wings and pasta. Chenoy was thrilled to tell us about a creative art contest, with the winners’ work being featured each month on the actual kids menu. Young students should create a drawing inspired by the restaurant for its Chinese and American cuisine. which will have Chinese cuisine and American dishes,
Artwork must be original and created by the student and drawn, colored, or painted on a standard white sheet of paper. The student’s first name and age may be printed alongside or under the artwork on the menu. Not only will the winner have their creation appear on the menu, social menu and the website, but they will also receive a certificate for a free meal, as well as a small gift. You can e-mail redchopstix@hotmail.com.

There is a separate bar menu and they have some yummy desserts. I had a decadent piece of a double chocolate tart.

Red Chopstix is located near the main side entrance to Decarie Square, on Vezina and the ground floor before the escalators. You can call 514-903-STIX(7849) or log on to Kosherredchopstix.com . Remember there is heated indoor parking here, which makes the location all the more convenient.

Listen to my podcast interview with Chenoy, Dahan and Perley at: https://soundcloud.com/themikecohenpodcast/red-chopstix-kosher-chinese

The Jewish Standard Magazine

Month: February 2025

Upstart Nöam Restaurant has gained a loyal following on Decarie

Red Chopstix is the new kosher Chinese restaurant at Decarie Square