Montreal 2026 - Day 4: Yum Yum Soup Dumpling, Bar le Mal Nécessaire, Au Pied de Cochon

For our final day of the trip, Leah and I enjoyed a relaxed afternoon strolling through the city, followed by one last evening outing. 


Yum Yum Soup Dumpling
3887 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC

We wanted to do something casual and less over-the-top for lunch, so Leah and I visited the fantastic Yum Yum Soup Dumplings for a perfect (and shockingly affordable vs NYC prices) lunch. 

Kimchi

Soup Dumplings
Pork & Chive
Beef & Cilantro

Bar le Mal Nécessaire
1015 Rue St-Alexandre, Montreal, QC

The Necessary Evil repeatedly came up as another must-visit cocktail bar, so we added it to our itinerary for this evening. It was an early night out, so we arrived just as they opened and had the whole place to ourselves. The cocktails were very creative and very delicious. 

Drinks - Round 1
Masala Mule: Bombay Sapphire Gin, Green Apple Juice, House Curry Blend, Ginger, Lacroix Lot 300 Apple Cider
Strong Water: Hennessy Cognac VS, Saint James Rhum Agricole, Licor 43, Chai, Macadamia Nuts, Lime


Snacks
Pretzels & Peanuts
Olives

Drinks - Round 2
Le Mal Nécessaire: Pike Creek 10-Year Rye, Drambuie, Fernet Branca, Pineapple, Lime, Coriander Seed, Bowmore 12-Year Scotch
MNOF: Appleton Estate 8-Year Rum, Havana Club 7-Year Rum, Bumbu Original Spiced Rum, Fermented Hot Honey, Falernum Bitters

Drinks - Round 3
Coco Supremo: Leblon Cachaça, Bacardi Superior Rum, Coconut Cream, Mango, Horchata

Au Pied de Cochon
536 Duluth Est, Montreal, QC

Our final stop of the trip was at probably my favorite restaurant in the world, the OG Au Pied de Cochon. The food is always crazy and we love the lively atmosphere. 

Gnocco Frito
Porchetta, Gribiche Sauce, Anchovy

Cromesqui
Foie Gras, Truffle

Stuffed Cabbage "à la Royale"
Offal, Foie Gras, Sauce Civet, Berries

Veal Brain
Lemon Butter, Potatoes, Parsley, Bread

This was my third time eating brain and it was very much my least favorite instance. I love unusual food but this was a bit of a bridge too far even for me. The flavor was great, but I couldn't get over the texture, which was very soft - almost seemingly raw. The other two times I've had brain, the texture was closer to soft scrambled eggs, whereas this was almost gelatinous. It didn't help that Leah was completely uninterested, so I was left to finish this whole plate myself - which I did of course.

Paccheri
Tuna Puttanesca, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Breadcrumbs

This insane tuna dish might be the best thing we ate all trip. I know it's not uncommon to make tuna into Bolognese-style sauce before, but this was really above and beyond anything like it I've ever eaten. 

Dessert - Round 1
Beignets: Sugar Cream, Maple Syrup
Maple Pudding Chômeur: Foie Gras, Cheddar

Dessert - Round 2
Maple Tartelette: Blue Cheese

I had seen other tables getting this blue cheese tart throughout the evening and had my heart set on getting it. Leah doesn't love blue cheese though, so I insisted we get one to go. I'm glad we did, as it was absolutely spectacular - even Leah ended up loving it!