The Perfect Croque Monsieur

One winter night, I was hungry at a hotel in San Francisco. The restaurant's room service came from a French restaurant. Given that Croque Monsieur originated in France, I figured they will serve a really good one. While they tried to make it the elaborate way - coated in Mornay sauce, they (a) coated it with a cheese/egg batter and (b) deep fried it. This is what I had.

Back in Vancouver, I was determined to find me the perfect Croque Monsieur. The first challenge was locating places that have it on their menu. I shortlisted two kitty corner hangouts on Main Street and 21st that offered it.

Shaktea's Croque Monsieur was made with Black Forest ham along with emmental cheese that the French use for this. The sandwich was enhanced with a touch of German mustard and organic Lapsang Souchong dressing. Heavenly!

The competition, on the other hand, offered me a baguette with ham and the shredded pizza cheese (orange and white) you buy pre-packaged in supermarkets. The cheese was barely melted in the grilled sandwich. Thrown on a plate and served as Croque Monsieur!

Should I say more?