I had the opposite experience in Montreal. I liked it when the wait staff pretended not to know a word of English, I would point to an item on the menu that seemed like a word I could figure out, said “see vooplay”. Every time the meal was good. I would say “mare see” and it was all good đź‘Ť.
LOL LOL
I think you meant Mare Sea LOL
You brought up something that completely annoyed me about an incredible number of people in Montreal—the feigning of not understanding English.
I was there multiple times, over a week each time. This was when everyone still had to be 100% proficient in English. The percentage of people I “had” to repeat, then pantomime, to, was over 60% of all initial contacts at restaurants and stores.
I couldn’t prove they had any proficiency in English and I was a guest in their establishment, so I put up with it.
It’s like liberals in restaurants here, but I didn’t notice spit in anything.