Vin Papillon

One of my most memorable meals I had in Montreal the last time I was here in 2023 was at Joe Beef.  Now that I'm back again, I decided to go for another restaurant from the same team and on the same block in Vin Papillon.  It is mainly a wine bar with share plates to compliment.  They have a farm-to-table theme where seasonal vegetables are at the forefront of the menu.  We made our way to Little Burgundy from our hotel to check it out.

Our first dish was the Couteaux de Mer or Razor Clams that were nicely presented atop some rock salt.   The sliced-up razor clam was combined with herbs including cilantro and chives served atop crème fraîche in its shell.  The bouncy and sweet clams were complimented by a tangy and bright vinaigrette that had a balanced amount of herbaceous cilantro.  There was some added crunch from the cucumber.

A bit under-the-radar, the Maïs du Québec & Radis Grillés or Québec Corn & Grilled Radish was fantastic.  Those sweet niblets were aggressively charred where the smokiness was direct and impactful.  Sure, some of them looked burnt, but let me assure you that it really intensified the sweetness as well.  The salt levels were really good where the corn was also dressed in a bright dressing with chives.  I thought that the grilled radishes could've been seasoned with something as they were pretty plain.  Good crunch and natural earthiness with them though.

One of the specials of the night was the Brochette d'Onglet with chimichurri.  This was fantastic with a smoky char from the charcoals.  It formed a crispy exterior that was also well-salted.  Inside, the meat was medium-rare and juicy with plenty of natural beef flavour.  Underneath, we found a bright and tangy chimichurri which kept things from being too heavy.  We liked how there wasn't a strong cilantro presence as it was quite balanced.

One of our favourite dishes of the night was the Poisson au Charbon.  In this case, it was the Charcoal Grilled Arctic Char with white bean sauce.  The cook on the fish was absolutely flawless featuring well-salted crispy skin with tender and flaky meat.  Once again, there was pleasant smokiness to the dish.  That white bean sauce underneath was smooth and well-seasoned.

Their charcoal flame-grilled game at Vin Papillon is strong where the Maïtakes aux Champignons was another beneficiary of charring.  These maitakes had some crispy parts at the top that were smoky and aromatic.  It was tossed in a mushroom cream sauce that was earthy and woodsy.  It was almost like a café au lait sauce without the coffee.  So creamy and rich, the sauce was properly salted too.

At the end we also added the Plateau de Fruits de Mer for good measure.  This also included the same razor clams and added little neck clams, mackerel and baby shrimp.  These were all served on ice and accompanied by an aioli.  I found the clams to be super plump and sweet.  There was some brininess and plenty of tender chewiness.  As for the shrimp, they were tender and sweet.  The best thing on the plate was the raw mackerel that tasted like the sea.  It was dressed in a tangy sauce.

For dessert, we had the Sundae Maïs, Miso & Bleuets or Corn Sundae with miso and blueberries.  This was surprisingly good with a creamy corn soft serve that was spiked with salty miso.  This heightened the sweetness and had a great deal of saltiness.  I was deciding whether this was savoury or sweet.  On top, we had some caramel corn for some crunch.  Huge and sweet blueberries finished the dessert.  In the end, we enjoyed the food, which was the beneficiary of their charcoal grill.  Nicely executed and full-flavoured.

The Good:

- That smokiness from the charcoal grill

- Fresh in-season ingredients

- Energetic vibe

The Bad:

- Dishes are small, so you either order lots, or may need to plan on eating more before or after

- Service was proficient, but not particularly engaging