Royalmount is quickly becoming Montreal’s “go-to” place for dining out.
When I interviewed Andrew Lutfy recently, the CEO of Carbonleo and owner of the giant Royalmount shopping complex, he singled out a new Italian dining establishment called Siamo Noi. He was so excited for me to try it out that he brought it in for a look and introduced me to the owner.
With decades of experience, the Novantuno has been an industry captain, previously establishing such dining hotspots as Globe, Buonanotte and Fiorellino. A year and a half ago, the team of Chef Marco Bertoldini, Alfie Mangione, Jade Gazaille, Massimo Lecas and Robbie Pesut began working on the concept to bring a brand new restaurant to life. Siamo Noi translates into “This is Us.” They got a prime location just off the parking lot for the main entrance and engaged designer Kayla Pongrac to bring their concept to life. The result was a bright 160-seat dining room with an open kitchen. At the lower level is an attractive bar area. Clients can access the dining room from there via an elevator or from the side steps leading to the outdoor oasis and restaurant village.
This place became an overnight sensation. They are welcoming about 300 diners nightly and the lunch crowd continues to grow.
Recently, my friend Pela and I sampled their much-talked-about lunch service. It was a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to go back for dinner.
Inspired by his many years in the industry, Chef Marco pays homage to classic Italian dishes while integrating a contemporary influence, bringing to life an experience that boasts both nostalgia and reverie. Specializing in handmade pastas, they have crafted their menu with the finest ingredients sourced from Italy and Europe, balanced with locally seasonal produce, culminating in the ultimate “Montreal” experience. You can even watch them prepare the pasta from scratch through that large window in the dining room, which also features an open kitchen.
“Our fresh pasta is made from morning until night and all of the clients can see that for themselves,” says Chef Marco, who got his training at the St. Pius X Career Centre in Ahuntsic’s Culinary Institute in Ahuntsic
Lunch specials start at $45 per person, including an appetizer, main course and dessert.
After some warm bread was brought to the table, I started with Yellowfin tuna, with olivata sauce and pistachio. Pela opted for the leafy greens, with Italian dressing and saba.
For the main course, Pela liked the Bucatini Vongoli, pasta with PEI littleneck clams, garlic, tomato, fresh chillies and parsley. I favored the Tagliolini Al Limone E Basilico with Parmigiano cheese, fresh lemon and basil. Tagliolini is a type of pasta that is long, thin, and cylindrical in shape. It is similar to spaghetti, but it is slightly thinner. We both loved our choices. The small pizzas on the menu caught our eye as well, so we decided to share the Margherita, topped with tomato and delicious Stracciatella cheese.
Some of the other lunch options include grilled organic chicken breast, a fish of the day, Alberta prime lamb chops and a12 oz Alberta prime beef strip loin.
For dessert, Pela had the gelato and I savored every morsel of the extraordinary key lime pie.
Siamo Noi has an extensive wine and cocktail list.
The dinner menu is much more extensive.
“We were looking to open an Italian resto on a grand scale,” says Chef Marco. “Everything here is made in-house. It is all good that has been sourced carefully.”
Alfie added that the menu consists of modern Italian cuisine with traditional classics. “It is taking off beautifully,” he said of the restaurant. “ We can see it growing,’
See my Instagram interview with Chef Marco and Alfie
Siamo Noi is open Monday to Friday from 11:30 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 11 pm, as well as Saturday, from 5 pm to 11 pm and Saturday and Sunday, from 5 pm to 11 pm. E-mail Reservations@siamonoi.ca, call 514 344 8484 and you can also log on to https://siamonoi.ca/