Qaisar’s breathes new life into Robbie’s location

• Name + address: Qaisar’s, 1531 St. Laurent Blvd.

• Diet: Seafood, meat, vegetarian

• Appetizers: $6-$20

• Mains:$21-$49

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

• Licensed: Bring your own wine or beer only. No corkage

• Other: Kid’s menu, lunch specials, menu for two

• Website: www.restaurantqaisars.com

From time to time we hear of institutions from our youth disappearing from the landscape. American diners come to mind. There’s a nostalgia that people sometimes indulge in at the passing of these institutions, whether they’ve experienced them or not. Perhaps it’s not a mourning of what’s passed but the experience of nostalgia as an emotion that becomes the main point.

I’d only experienced it a few times, but in the case of Kristy’s Family Restaurant I do genuinely miss the place.

I miss the servers, sometimes well into retirement, who called you “dear” or “sweetheart”. I miss the familiarity that staff had with their regulars and how it spoke to the best of the community. I miss the families, same-sex or not, that were served with warmth and generosity. I also miss their home-cooking.

Home-cooking is most definitely on the menu at Qaisar’s, the newly opened location of the Quebec-based chain operated by founders Qaisar Choudry and Rashid Quddoos.

They’ve taken over the restaurant that was once Robbie’s, an institution for family get-togethers with a little Canadian-Italian flair. 

Seated and perusing the menu I wondered about the 80s music being played but looking around, it made a kind of sense. Red and black were the chief colours to the design accented by panels of frosted glass. Heading down the staircase to the banquet rooms I watched myself descend via the dozens of narrow mirrored panels. It might well have been a disco at some point.

Having ordered, I was quickly brought a chicken noodle soup. It was golden, piping hot and loaded with fresh vegetables, noodles and black-eyed peas. This was home-made chicken stock and it was properly concentrated albeit verging on being a little salty. Nothing an extra litre of water wouldn’t fix.

Arriving next was the house salad (you may also choose caesar salad instead) that accompanied the main dish. 

It was a standard enough affair but it was the freshness of the ingredients and the lovely mild creamy dressing that made it standout. While I typically go for the more savoury caesar salad, I was happy with my choice on this night.

I’d been in conversation with Rashid and mentioned how common it is for restaurants to get the cooking of calamari so spectacularly wrong. It certainly hadn’t been my intention but he wanted to demonstrate the skill his kitchen brings to this appetizer and he returned with a small sampling.

The batter was well-seasoned and the squid tender and sweet, giving no resistance in the eating. Nicely done and cooked from fresh, not frozen.

The Trio Delices was a surf and turf arrangement with a skewer of ten grilled shrimp puncturing the heart of a foil-wrapped baked potato. Shades of 90s tall food.

The bacon wrapped filet mignon as an idea, was from another era but was properly executed. It was served medium-well, as I neglected to ask for medium-rare, and required no extra seasoning. A very nicely grilled steak.

The kitchen managed to surprise me as well with that most odious of cuts of meat: the chicken breast. It had been marinated in lemon and garlic and expertly salted. It was juicy, not dry in the slightest and super tender. Good job.

The baked russet potato exuded a glorious roasted aroma from its pulpy flesh and was deliciously fluffy when paired with butter and salt.

Everything on this $36 plate was on point including the house made mushroom gravy and cocktail sauce. Only the shrimp showed signs of having spent just 30 seconds too long on the grill but they were by no means “rubbery”.

Their desserts are made for them by a commercial bakery in Montreal and you can choose one of a dozen from the paper placemat before you. Much as you would choose a cocktail at a restaurant in the 60s.

I opted for the latest addition: a baklava cheesecake. It was a fun idea that actually worked. The cake itself was rather dense but delicious.

Qaisar’s has a menu that takes inspiration from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe,  North America and from decades past. It wants to be many things to many people and ordinarily I’d worry but they’ve been in business seven years now and they’re growing. Besides, their kitchen team demonstrates real experience with the dishes that come out.

Something truly unique to Qaisar’s is their drinks menu. They’re licensed but offer no alcoholic beverages. Instead, you’re invited to bring (only) your own wine or beer. The real surprise: no corkage fee. That’s the kind of restaurant I want to support.

This is a very large establishment with a banquet area that can accommodate up to 250 guests and they have three large dining areas, one perfectly suited for corporate meetings. Thinking even of their smaller guests, they also offer a kid’s menu.

When I first walked in I was greeted by Asif Saeed and owner Rashid. I’m a little old school and seeing Asif in a suit and tie, inspired confidence that I was at the right address. Being served by the smartly dressed Adil and Zishan further enhanced the experience. This is how it’s done folks. 

Qaisar’s has many elements of fine dining: fresh ingredients, an experienced kitchen team that can deliver well prepared meals on time and a service staff that is smart, hospitable and gracious.

Ultimately, this informal restaurant may become an oasis for me. An unpretentious experience where I know I’ll receive well prepared food by people who care. 

It will also become that oasis for multi-generational families who want to celebrate their togetherness. No special occasion required.