ontrealers beware, there's a new hotspot on the front burner. Citizen Grill, located at 801 De Maisonneuve across from the Eaton Centre, is the latest installment of Asian cuisine at its finest. The Citizen Grill ownership group (which includes five partners) is so serious about the quality of food and presentation, that they went around the world - to Taiwan to be precise - to recruit several famous chefs to help show them the ropes.

For the record, the name Citizen Grill is a play on the idea of a state of zen in the city; a place of tranquility and relaxation evoked through the simple-yet-comforting décor and undeniably original cuisine.

“We have such a strong team and it's really started to come together,” says Loic Vanasse, Citizen's assistant manager. “By having a specialty chef for each type of food, our kitchen is definitely unmatched in quality, creativity, diversity and presentation.”

In a locale that once housed a French restaurant appropriately named La Nouvelle France, the management of Citizen renovated every square foot. Long hardwood floors with wooden walls and marble mosaics highlight the design of space. Booths run along the walls and Teppanyaki style seating covers the majority of the floor, whereas a private room can seat 25 comfortably while holding 75 standing. The lighting is soothing, with ultra-dim lights from the ceiling and wall-panel lighting behind the butterscotch-color marble artwork.

Currently in the midst of their soft opening, Citizen is piecing together a menu so fresh that a nightlife and party atmosphere will definitely come soon enough. It's only a matter of time before a DJ booth is installed and Citizen becomes another hot commodity on the supperclub/lounge circuit of Montreal.