Persian Delight
NocochiMontreal
(Jan.25.07)
Mom only visits us in Montreal once a year, so we like to make her stay a special one. We go shopping at Ogilvy, a bastion of Anglo wealth and we putter through the Old Port. It's wise to keep mom busy so she doesn't grill us about marriage prospects and the wisdom of getting an M.B.A. at McGill.
Nocochi. An all-white pastry shop and eatery on the edge of Concordia's downtown campus, Nocochi is elegant and simple with foreign-looking pastries that pack tremendous appeal. (They're teeny-tiny in size, which only makes them look more exquisite.) The shop's namesake is a mini soft cookie ($0.50 each or six for $3) made of roasted chickpea powder and cardamom. It comes in chocolate, too, alongside Turkish Delight, macaroons, marzipan, jellies, fruit paste cookies, muffins and more. The pastry's presentation behind the counter is notably artful, with curvy plates and careful attention to colour.
To keep Mom in awe, we ordered afternoon tea ($9.95 each). It's served, grandly, in a Persian tea set and comes with scones and mini Mediterranean sandwiches. We couldn't resist and ordered fistfuls of chocolate Nocochi for dessert.
One final thing to make mom's day? We picked up the bill.
Nocochi
2156 Mackay St.
(just south of Sherbrooke St.)
514-989-7514