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| A very nice atmosphere awaits at The Bowhead Pub Photos © Melina Ghio, 2019 |
FRANÇAIS app de traduction à gauche
• The Bowhead Pub: Montreal Blog advertised it as the first Vegan Pub in Montreal, which I am pretty sure it is. But in this world where the word "vegan" can mean so much, and evoke such different images to so many of us, I was really curious: what was this bar's take?
I arrived at the pub, walked in and was warmly greeted by the PR team and waiting staff. There were smiling faces all around, decent lighting, very little decor, some food to the side for influencers and journalists to sample. I waltzed around, got a feel for the place, tried some food (more about his later), and had the chance to speak with one of the owners, Sahar Cohen. Now here is an amazing dude if I ever met one.
• The first big question, of course: why a vegan pub? The short of the long is that Sahar essentially wanted to create a regular pub where people could enjoy a beer and the game, and where the food just so happens to be vegan. "You won't find green smoothies here!" Something kind of liberating here, I thought. When you go to the Bowhead, you're basically just going to a really cool bar in a trendy neighbourhood.
So why is it so important to this man to have a vegan bar? What is his take on Veganism? On the surface, the Bowhead is a bar with some big TVs and a few decorations on the wall. Scratch a little and you encounter a plethora of carefully thought out details that would make my vegan-activist friends proud.
First of all, the pub itself is named after a whale that WAS endangered (congratulations to those who strived to save this creature!). This would explain the seafaring theme you will note in the minimalist decor. Sahar has such an appreciation for animals, now would probably be a good time to tell you he wants to open an animal sanctuary one day.
• Secondly, the upholstery is made of vegan leather. So it isn't even only the food but the seat you're sitting on was carefully chosen to abide by vegan principles.
And finally, we turn to the food. I was perhaps a little disappointed to see that the burgers were pre-bought and not homemade (Beyond Meat makes for a delicious, albeit not necessarily the healthiest burger), but when I asked about palm oil, Sahar made a face which I related to all too well.
"Ah, the problem with palm!"* Entirely consistent with his love for animals, he told me there were serious efforts to reduce the consumption of palm oil in the Bowhead. He could not guarantee a palm-free environment, but I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise to see that he cared enough about the issue to make a conscious effort to significantly reduce the amount of palm oil used.
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| Poutine, burgers, appetizers that will definitely please! Photos © Melina Ghio, 2019 |
I also had a chance to speak with chef Diem Tong whose previous experience was at the fancy Italian restaurant Richmond and seafood spectacular Jellyfish. The Bowhead gave her the opportunity to design a menu and with this chance, she encapsulated the vision and the subtle yet strong vegan presence the bar projects. If you look at the menu, you won't see anything different from any other bar-- you have your beer, your burgers, your variation of fried potatoes. The only thing is that it's all meatless.
She had also worked in graphic design and worked on the Bowhead's logo. The look and feel of this pub is clean and cool, everything you would expect from a new bar in the Plateau.
Although the Bowhead does not cater to the gluten-free, they do offer the option to order your burger with a lettuce bun. And their sauces are GENIUS. I'm a stickler for the finer details which fine-tune my experience in a new place, and as much as the food is typical bar food, the sauces are punchy and the added peppers here and there really add a fun twist to the dishes. And the poutine is so cheesy you wouldn't believe it wasn't cheese.
Insofar as pricing goes, even if you are paying a little more for your drink, is it nice to know that your money is supporting a place that encourages animal conservation. People often wonder what kind of change one person can really make in this crazy world we live in-- I'd like to suggest that buying a drink in at the Bowhead is a great place to start! Otherwise, you are literally just enjoying a night out in an awesome atmosphere.
THE BOWHEAD PUB
Address: 3723 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2X 2V7
Phone: (514) 977-0838
*palm oil production is a major contributor to the demise of the orang-utang population in Malaysia
-MELINA GHIO
for PARADOX
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