The first bakery with an Arab inflection on Jean-Talon, Salem has been a neighbourhood anchor for nearly three decades. Owner Mohssene runs a long display case stacked with rolled cakes, layered entremets, and cookies — his favourite being the almond petit four. The bread program is equally serious: hoagie buns that end up in merguez sandwiches across the strip and bánh mì in Vietnamese households across the city, and now in grocery stores citywide. The offering spans Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian traditions, and the spicy tuna patties, served warm from the oven, are worth the trip alone.