hof kelsten

i've been here a couple of times, it's primarily a bakery selling loaves, pastries and good coffee but they also have a sandwich and soup menu, and on weekends a few brunch selections on a handwritten menu. i really liked my challah french toast with bacon, poached egg and maple syrup. really really good. i want to get back down there and try the salmon sandwich and matzo soup of which i hear very good things.

growing up in a family obsessed with good food, i quickly learnt the difference between fresh baked bread and day old stale bread. on a daily basis, my dad or mom would come home with fresh bread and once we ate what we needed that day, we would immediately freeze it to ensure freshness. call me crazy, but i for one still cannot eat day old bread. a few weeks ago on a chilly sunday morning, my best friend and her fiancée invited me to grab a quick bite and then some shopping. as i jumped into their car, they both informed me they wanted schwartz’s, without hesitation we set off towards st. laurent blvd. arriving at schwartz’s, the line up was huge and we decided not to wait. i immediately suggested hof kelsten as i had been dying to try their gravlax sandwich and of course buy some bread. we headed up st. laurent blvd and found parking right in front of hof kelsten. the un-finished decor at hof kelsten provides for a laid back casual and comfortable vibe. the staff is very friendly and

you may have heard about hof kelsten. in a short time, the legend has grown about the bread guy, jeffrey finkelstein. he is montreal’s prodigal son, who has worked at some of the top restaurants around world. his list includes toque, french laundry, per se, and even el bulli. now back in montreal he has been making bread over at hof kelsten and also has some other items that are a little more than just bread. simply put hof kelsten does brunch. so one saturday morning, the montreal food divas were miraculously awake and not hungover so it seemed logical to do brunch. now finding a spot that will impress the divas is not always an easy task but we knew that hof kelsten would not disappoint. hof klesten is an un-assuming place, not too fancy, with a long table on the right, some smaller tables on the left and a counter by the window. lots of people come in for take-out as the space available is limited and you may have to wait a while to get a spot. the process is that you place your order, pay, they take your name and call it when it’s ready so you can pick it up and seat yourself. food brunch is available saturday and sundays from 10am to 4pm. the menu has a handful of items each priced at around $12-$14 with coffee at $3.75. so your bill will get to a little under $20 when you factor in taxes. there is no filter coffee so no refills, and payment is by cash or debit card , so no credit card. the menu draws inspiration from an historical montreal jewish breakfast food scene – the use of challah , schnitzel and salmon has the old school eastern european influence you can still find after all these years, and the shakshuka has that north african (morrocan) flavour that we are seeing more and more of in brunch menus which is great for mixing things up on the menu. shakshuka $12 schnitzel $14 salmon croquettes $12 french toast $12 we started with the french toast $12 which uses challah bread and is topped with a fried egg and veal pancetta and maple syrup. using challah

hof kelsten is another boulangerie that's been on my hit list since i first heard about them. they're nearby melbourne cafe. 

the inside is chic and they play some chill indie pop music. i messed up and came on a thursday afternoon (friday they have challah bread). fyi, you can reserve their speciality breads ahead of time. 

they have bread, pastries, sandwiches and brunch (only on weekends). lots of people came in and grabbed baguettes to go. 

- bialis ($1.50) - apparently, they only make a handful each day but i was able to snag the last one. great chewy bagel like texture with some sweet grilled onions. the touch of salt sprinkled on top is fantastic. 
- pain au chocolat ($2.75) - flaky in touch and tastes better after your first bite. 

man, people are so lucky if they live in this area. so many quality boulangeries within a 5 minute walking radius.

their cookies are out of this world! must try 
chocolate croissant-type pastry was a little too overwhelmingly chocolatey and sweet though

ordered cafe latte and they were of excellent quality coffee and well presented. had an apple cake, very yummy. place is very nice and chairs are comfortable. will be coming beck for sure.

after a year of sampling the shit out of hof and doing my little taste test, this awesome jewish bakery that, imo, redefined the game on many things.

yes, it can be pricey and yes, some of the goods are misses but damn, angels sing whenever i'm there.

the hof is a bakery that provides tables and chairs if you want to sit down to eat which is nice if you want to relax a bit. alongside baked goods, breads and brunch, you have coffee from parlor coffee, a roaster from brooklyn new york.

the coffee, for me, is on point. not the best in town but still a good damn cup of joe and strong like i like them.

and finally, every time i go there, i get this huge craving and the only prescription is more challah or babka so i try not to go too often. its seriously fattening.

now, excuse me while i go lick the pictures of the goods i took

when you walk in and see the head chef of les 400 coups ordering at the counter, you know you are at the right place. hof kelsten is well known for their bread. as such, it became one of the major suppliers for top restaurants in the city. so don’t be surprised if the bread you ordered tastes exactly like last night’s dinner at some restaurant!

excellent brunch! j'ai essayé le pain doré (fait avec du challah aka pain aux oeufs) servi avec de la pancetta de veau, salé et croustillant à souhait, puis j'ai goûté au schnitzel fait avec du poulet. je pourrais recommander les 2 plats! par contre, quoique maison, le thé glacé et le jus d'orange sont juste corrects. ensuite, si vous êtes fatigués, profitez-en pour boire un succulent espresso, ils sont très forts! j'ai adoré toutes les viennoiseries que j'ai achetées! la danoise au chocolat et les croissants sont incroyables (un au citron-pavot et un autre aux amandes-sésame), mes préférés! le suisse fond dans la bouche. le bialis (salé) est bon, mais un peu sec. la torsade (également salée), est délicieuse! pour finir, le pain au seigne et carvi est autant recommandable que le reste du menu! bref, je dois y retourner prochainement!

we tried all the products. the best is "seigle et carvi". it goes well with foie gras. the baguette is a bit plasticy. the pastry is good too. the brunch is a little rustic.

tout est d'excellente qualité. croissants croustillants à souhait, sublime! que dire de leur pain... le meilleur en ville. tout est bon. ambiance relaxe et sympa.

the place where i get my bread fix all the time! offer a variety of pastries that you definitely make you walk out with more than one item. personally, i like their pumpernickel bread and spelt bread. good coffee (beans from parlor coffee). one of the best sandwiches in town too (i love their gravlax).

if i have to choose one bakery to buy bread, hof kelsten is my top pick. we bought 3 loaves of his signature rye bread with caraway seeds along with a container of dill cream cheese. we also had their famous babka - a sweet swirly chocolate jewish cake. everyone who grabbed a slice enjoyed its soft chocolate taste.

wanted to like their bread but... knowing quite a bit about all the hype, i've tried it twice
tried gravlax sandwich, plain croissant, levain bread ,pain de mie, and babka au chocolat .

on a side note, i loved the toast sold by dispatch coffee (pain de mie from hofkelsten and jam from ..i am not sure where but it was so good~) but that's about it.

ummmmm... all in all, i wouldn't say i like it as much as many people did.
it's a cool bakery but for the future, probably, i will pass.

i got the beef brisket sandwich and an iced latte. sandwiched in between were some purple cabbage slaw, moist and tender beef, and thin slices of roasted apples. the slaw was too “wet” , which made the bread a little soggy, but other than that every bite was enjoyable. my friend got the  gravlax  sandwich . the thick slices of salmon were fresh and well-seasoned. together with the cream cheese and slices of onions, this was one refreshing sandwich. to be honest, i preferred this to the brisket, due to its milder overall taste. despite already feeling full, my friend insisted on getting the babka and hell yea, it was a good call. despite being on the buttery side it still retained the gooey and dense chocolate-y essence. i have yet to try their brunch menu but for those who want something more than just sandwich and pastries, try the shakshuka, schnitzel, or salmon cakes.