Arepas in Montreal’s Plateau

One of my favourite new restaurants of 2011 is Arepera du Plateau. It’s a great weeknight place where you can get a tasty meal for under $10 in my hood. An arepa is a round unleavened bread made from cornmeal, found in Venezuela, Colombia and a couple of other South American countries. Grilled or fried, it is usually served stuffed or topped with a variety of fillings including meat, fish, eggs and vegetables. At the Arepera du Plateau, the arepas are stuffed and served sandwich-style with a side of corn salsa, an avocado cream sauce and a hot sauce.

There are something like 30 filling choices, some of which are displayed in piles around the open kitchen, all between $5-10, falling under the meat/fish/vegetarian/vegan and even gluten free categories, like the Pabellón (black beans, shredded stewed beef, plantains and cheese), Cazón (minced stewed shark in tomato sauce), or ‘plantains, avocados, beans and cheese’. Other choices involve boar chorizo, pork chops, chicharrón (crackling), and sardines. Flavours are bright and fresh, and biting into the crispy exterior of the arepa bread is extremely satisfying. While the concept of an arepa is heavy, it doesn’t feel so, maybe because the portion size is extremely manageable and there are no carb-heavy sides typical of South-American cuisine (though there are ‘extras’ on the menu like plantains, salads, and homemade yuca chips). Throw in a couple of their daily fresh juices (soursop, guava, passionfruit, tamarind) and you’re good to go.

The Arepera du Plateau is located at 4050 de Bullion St. (At Duluth Ave.).