Canada Trip Day 19: A terrible experience at Sushi Crescent, Montreal

1 July 2010 - After the parade, we were walking along Rue Sainte Catherine looking for Subway to have lunch at. A lady overheard us and tried to help even though she was not quite sure where exactly it is. After giving us some possible directions, she took off. She came back to us a few minutes later with more definite directions. We turned into Rue Crescent and got tempted by the menu posted outside Sushi Crescent for an all-you-can-eat buffet. We enjoyed the meal for the first hour but after that, everything went terribly wrong. The tempura prawns we had did not come with sauce and the service became horrible. The waitresses were rude, wearing looks of unhappiness and contempt, carelessly flinging dishes on the table when they served us. When we wanted to make more orders, the waitress was giving us attitude. We were being asked for the bill when we were still eating. The management seemed to want to shoo us away. The green tea ice cream tasted horrible. Overall, the food was not great. The ambiance would have been nice if not for the horrid manners of the staff.

While I was paying the bill, the manager punched in an additional 15% charge. When asked, he explained it was the tip and that the usual charge is 10%. I asked why was it 15% and had it changed to 10% since he too was awfully rude. He spoke rudely and shoved the bill at the counter. When I asked for the 10% change, his showed a scowl. In the end, we left the restaurant feeling cheated and extremely dissatisfied.

I got the impression that Sushi Crescent serves a fake all-you-can-eat buffet to attract customers by offering lower cost. You do not serve an all-you-can-eat buffet and expect your customer not to eat all they can, just because you are worried of making a loss. Back at a similar type of restaurant in Surrey, we had the utmost enjoyment of staying as long as we wish, making as many orders we like for a price a little higher than Sushi Crescent. Not to mention, they had many more choices including different sashimis which was offered none in Sushi Crescent's menu.  I would rather pay more to avoid such a terrible experience of the worst service in a restaurant than be cheated into thinking this restaurant is genuinely offering such a buffet for that price. And charging their customer tips at any rates they decide without consulting them is so wrong. Apparently, we were not the only unhappy customers.

My experience at Sushi Crescent was the worst ever in my trip to Canada, and in my whole life of going to any eateries, food stalls included. There are plenty of nice all-you-can-eat Japanese buffets in Canada to help anyone interested with their choices. Sushi Crescent should not be considered a choice at all.

The entrance to Sushi Crescent at Rue Crescent. Any pretty food pictures can fool a famished passerby

Canada Trip Day 19: Canada Day at Rue Sainte Catherine

1 July 2010 - Today celebrates the national day of Canada and we caught wind of a parade happening but did not have a clue where it was being held. As we were walking along Boulevard René-Lévesque, we saw some people dressed in colourful costumes and a few were heading westward along the street. We decided to follow them until we came to a road block patrolled by the police who only allowed people involving in the parade to pass. We met two ladies in Chinese costumes who claimed to be members of the Falun Gong. Immediately, my mind was screaming the word "cult" and God knows how my face had expressed my reaction. Many years ago, I remembered hearing news of Falun Gong members being prosecuted by the Chinese government because they were practising cult. The two ladies were friendly and started talking to us about Falun Gong before we were informed that the parade was going to take place at Rue Sainte Catherine.

It was after my meeting with the two ladies that I read up more on Falun Gong, which based some of its principles on Buddhism. Articles here and here, both written by founder of Falun Gong, Li Hongzhi, will shed more light about this.

Rue Saint Catherine was quite empty when we got there but, people were slowing filling the streets, taking comfortable spots to view the parade. Canada flags were being handed out.

The parade was modest and brief compared what I expected. Still, there were many colourful costumes and many smiling people to watch.


This is mum trying to ask people in costumes the whereabouts of the parade

A person handing out Canada flags

Rue Sainte Catherine still quite empty

A family sitting across us

Soon, the place was filling up with more people

Man cleaning the street while people were getting comfortable in their spots

Lady with a toddler in a stroller looking for their spot

People sitting by the side of the street waiting for the parade to start

Daughter carrying tiny Canada flags with her father sitting right across us

The parade started with two police men on horses taking the lead

An elderly man in army attire, perhaps an army veteran?

Men playing bagpipes

Elderly man stretching his arms to the crowd with a waving flag of Ghana

The Karnak band

A clown waving his Canada flag

Elderly couple happily enjoying the parade

Man in arabic clothes

Karnak Oriental Band

Karnak Shriners in mini automobiles

Another Karnak Shriners member in mini automobile happily waving to me

Karnak Shriners on miniboat with wheels

Lady with a big bass drum from Montreal Piping & Drumming School, with Karnak Shriners as sponsor.

Quebec Goan Association

Young Academy of Irish Dance

Another piping and drumming band

Representing India

MAGD Stars International Dance in Baton Rythmique

Ladies in traditional Hungarian costumes waving Hungary's flag

Man representing Indonesia by wearing demonic mask

Men wearing traditional Indonesian attire, playing traditional Indonesian instruments in a decorated truck

Girl wearing traditional Ukranian attire

Man playing big bass drum, representing Les Éclairs de Québec

A bit of masquerade with ladies in masks and colourful costumes

Representing Panama is this amazingly colourful costume

A winner of a beauty pageant

More Canadian beauties with their tiaras

Representing the Filipino community

Band from the Filipino community

Elderly man in colourful traditional attire carrying a big flag of Canada

Elderly Filipino ladies full of smiles, waving Canada flag

Falun Dafa

Falun Dafa had the biggest group with a long marching band

On the baritone horn and trombone

As finishing to the parade were these street and vacuum sweepers, that came washing and cleaning the streets

Vacuum truck that goes around the street sucking trash

Street sweeper washing the street

Lastly, an array of police men in motorcycles passed. I was taking pictures of mum and sis with the passing policemen when one stopped and ushered us to take pictures with him.

Vacuum sweepers

Someone was handing out Puma promotional discount flyers and soon, a beeline was forming outside Puma