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.

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