Every time I go to Montreal, I make a promise to myself: this time, I am going to try somewhere new.

Montreal has an almost embarrassing number of great restaurants. I have a list. I have recommendations. I have friends who send me messages that begin with, “You have to try this place.” There is no shortage of places to eat.

And yet, sooner or later, I find myself at Ma Poule Mouillée eating chicken.

At this point, it is less a restaurant visit than a failure of character.

Ma Poule Mouillée has been serving Portuguese charcoal grilled chicken in the Plateau Mont Royal since 2013. It is famous, there is almost always a lineup, and nobody seems particularly concerned about keeping it a secret. You stand outside with everyone else, watching people walk out carrying enough food to feed a small wedding, and think, yes, this is probably where I belong.

The chicken is the reason.

Charcoal does a lot of heavy lifting here, in the best possible way. The skin gets smoky and deeply seasoned while the meat stays juicy, and then there is the sauce. The restaurant makes a big deal about its house spicy sauce, and for once the promotional copy is not lying. Chef Tony Alves has said that anyone can grill a chicken, but it is the sauce that makes the difference.

He is right. (more…)