Monarque

So how much French food (whether it be French or French Canadian) can we handle over a week?  Apparently a lot because we moved onto Monarque for lunch after 5 meals already!  There are 2 options for lunch service at Monarque with one being the bustling Brasserie and the other in the Salle de Manger (Dining Room).  We went for the more casual Brasserie where we were surrounded by business people doing their power lunches.

To start, we went for something a bit lighter in the Ocean Trout Tartare with miso eggplant puree, puffed rice, roe, daikon and radish.  This was beautifully plated with buttery trout that was cut up into manageable pieces.  Even though the sweetness of the trout was prevalent, the dish was shoyu-forward being just a touch salty.  However, that didn't mean the miso eggplant puree wasn't welcomed though.  Really enjoyed the fermented saltiness that added depth and another layer of flavour.  Crispy and nutty, the puffed rice added the necessary textural contrast while the radish did the same thing but in a bright and refreshing manner.

We also had the Ricotta Ravioli with basil and tomato beurre monte.  Featuring a thin exterior, the raviolis were delicate yet still had a nice chew with our initial bites.  Inside, the ricotta was not packed in too tight.  As a result, it was light and airy with a herb-forward taste.  The sauce was buttery and super bright.  It was also clean with a pronounced fresh tomato flavour with both tang and sweetness. 

Onto the mains, we had 3 of them including the Monarque Burger.  This IPE housemade patty was nicely seared to rare and the meat was plenty juicy.  It didn't eat like a tartare though as it was cooked enough for the texture to tighten up, but it was not shy about leaking meat juices all over the place.  Fortunately, the heavily buttered and toasted brioche soaked up all of the meat juices and still held together.  To make this even better, we found meaty and crispy bacon as well as 12-month aged cheddar for smoky saltiness.   Really solid burger.  The frites were slightly crispy with lots of natural potato texture.

I finally got to order a Duck Confit after many opportunities at the other meals in Montreal and this one didn't disappoint.  It featured a duck leg that had some crispy skin which was mostly rendered.  I found the fall apart meat to be flavourful and gelatinous without being overly salty.  Plenty of duck flavour that was pretty intense.  This was further enhanced by the silky duck jus (which was a bit salty, but needed as the rest of the items were not).  Underneath, we found tender pieces of radish and zucchini that still had a bite.  The fingerling potatoes were also tender, but still firm.

Our last large dish was the Half Lobster Thermidor served with a Jardin du Monarque Salade.  Impressively plated with the half lobster acting as the serving vessel for the meat, spinach and Hollandaise sauce, this dish was rather filling.  I guess the silky and buttery Hollandaise helped in that respect, but really, it was delicious and complimented the buttery lobster expertly.  Even the spinach was cooked beautifully being wilted but not mushy.  It was well-seasoned too.  The side salad was excellent too with a variety of fresh crispy greens and sweet tomatoes in a tangy vinaigrette.

As if we didn't have enough meringues on this trip already, we had the Passion Fruit Pavlova.  Arriving at our table, it certainly looked massive, but in reality, the crispy meringue was only a thin layer compared to the airy and eggy meringue in the middle.  To balance the sweetness, we found real passionfruit (with the seeds) providing a considerable amount of tang.  In addition to this, we had some passionfruit cream (that resembled a sabayon) for further effect.  Overall, Monarque met our expectations and was a good meal.  Definitely a great option if you are around Old Montreal.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- The service we had was friendly
- Loved the bustling atmosphere

The Bad:
- Some things were a touch salty

Mastard

Here we go with my only Michelin-star restaurant for this trip to Montreal.  I was lucky enough to snag a reservation for Mastard but not Sabayon.  I didn't even bother with Europea as their reviews are all over the place.  As for Mastard, Chef Simon Mathys is at the helm and he uses as many local ingredients as he can.  He is also the master of sauces where each dish is composed and flavours are thoughtful.  We were excited to experience their reasonably-priced tasting menu (available in 5 and 7 courses).   Go big or go home, there was no hesitation in deciding for the 7 course tasting menu.

It started with an Amuse Bouche consisting of fry bread stuffed with cream cheese and topped with coppa.  A very nice start to the meal with varied textures including the crispy and light fry bread.  It was contrasted by the creamy cheese in terms of temperature and texture.  The heavy-lifting was provided by the coppa as it added a sweet savouriness with a touch of spice.  That in itself also offered up a different texture with its pleasant chewiness.

Onto the blind tasting menu, we began with the Nova Scotia Scallop.  It was hard seared on one side and sliced into 3 pieces.  Hence, we were treated to a progression of flavours and textures.  Buttery and rare, the 2 bottom slices were the soft introduction to the sweet scallop.  When we got to the top slice, it was crispy on the top while still soft on the bottom.  Best of all, the caramelization afforded an intense brininess.  Very clever.  We found a corn puree and white onion foam that offered up different types of natural sweetness to further supercharge the dish.  There was also a white wine sauce with trout eggs on top. On the side, we found some charred bread with butter and what I thought was lettuce custard (from his famed tart).

If the scallop wasn't a great enough start, the hits kept coming with the Braised Cabbage with an emulsion of smoked clams with guanciale.  Delicate and packed with flavour, the cabbage was salty and smoky.  With some ying and yang, we found 2 different sauces including a emulsified matsutake-infused sauce and sea urchin & pepper sauce.  Both sauces were packed with umami.  I found that they complimented each other well where we had an oxymoron of effects - subtly impactful.  Completing the dish, the 2 pieces of buttery sweet sea urchin added fresh sea vibes and raw thinly sliced matsutake with its natural woodsiness bite.

A little surf & turf followed but not in the traditional sense.  Instead of steak and lobster, we had Braised Rabbit with 2 smoky oysters.  Tender and sweet, the rabbit was presented in its own juices.  Exhibiting briny smokiness, the buttery oysters provided a gentle jolt of the sea to its land-based partner on the dish.  Adding some bright sea sweetness and tanginess, we found a prosecco and oyster seafoam on top.  Adding some texture and a vessel to soak up the delicious sauces, a crispy and flaky feuilletée sat atop the dish.

As a supplement to our tasting menu, we really didn't hesitate to add Chef Mathys signature dish, the Bluefin Tuna with lettuce tart.  It featured a beautiful and large piece of fresh bluefin atop his famed lettuce tart.  Creamy and almost airy, the lettuce custard shone in a bright green.  It was subtle tasting with some sweetness.  Contrasting the custard, the crispy tart shell was flaky and buttery.  Ah yes, then we had the beautiful bluefin from Gaspé with its meaty butteriness.  The inherent sweetness exuded bright and clean sea vibes.  Just a touch of salt on top and it helped highlight those flavours.  Finished off with a nutty camelina oil, it meshed well with the salt to give the dish some silkiness and flavour.  There was a hit of acidity for balance as well.

At this point, we were thoroughly impressed with the intricate and thoughtful execution of our dishes.  That was further reinforced by the Nova Scotia Swordfish that was cooked to perfection.  Just a touch rare in the middle, the fish was tender and soft.   On top, the miso and koji sauce was silky and full of depth.  It had a rich saltiness that was balanced off by its creaminess.  Accenting the components, we found eggplant and a zucchini puree with a basil curry.  Combined together, they offered a complexity to compliment the miso and koji sauce.  We found the slightest bitterness combined with sweetness and anise-like flavour of the basil.  Served on the side, we found some Agnolotti stuffed with chicken and pepper.  Pasta was firm with a nice chew and the ample chicken filling was tender.

Moving onto the heavier dishes of the tasting menu, we had the Lamb with cheese, mint puree and lamb jus with Swiss chard.  The piece of lamb was cooked to perfection being medium-rare.  It was juicy and full of natural lamb meaty flavour.  However, it was a bit on the chewier side.  Bordering on salty without going over, the jus was full-on lamb essence with the slightest bitter influence from the chard.  I felt that the mint puree really helped cut the saltiness and add some classic compliment to the lamb.

Our final savoury course was the Duck from Ville de Carignan.  Much like the lamb, it was prepared with precision where it was evenly cooked being medium-rare and sporting fully-rendered skin.  It was sufficiently flavourful by itself, but it was further elevated by the tomato puree that was cooked on the barbecue for 10 hours.  It was intensely concentrated in flavour as well as being smoky.  We also found a herring emulsion that was quite mild.  There was a side dish consisting of Fried Potato with heirloom tomato and a smoked tomato sabayon.  This was delicious with brightness and natural sweetness.  It was also lightly tangy while the potato was super crunchy.

For our dessert course, we were served the Meringue encapsulating mini-cantaloupe melon balls.  Superb and strategic, this refreshing dish helped balance off the rich ending to the blind tasting menu.  Once we broke through the crispy and sweet meringue, the melon balls were sweet and juicy.  Complimenting all this was a marigold ice cream that was bright and creamy.  However, the most impactful part of the dish was the cantaloupe water and lemon vinaigrette.  It added a real kick of tanginess and intense sweetness.

To completely end off the meal, we shared an Apricot Tart with vanilla and salted caramel.  This was also excellent with a semi-firm tart shell that was buttery with a nice mouth-feel.  Sweet with a soft texture, the apricots were further enhanced by the saltiness of the sweet caramel.  We also found some house-made chocolates that had a pleasant bitterness from the ganache in the middle.  I have to say that Mastard was one of best, if not the best meal we had in Montreal this time around.  Considering the reasonable pricing, precision and a Michelin Star, it is no wonder securing a reservation is so difficult.

The Good:
- Lives up to its Michelin Star
- Reasonable pricing
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Hard to get a reservation

 

L'Express

Nearing 45 years old, L'Express is been a big part of the dining scene in Montreal.  It was originally the brainchild of Colette Brossoit and Pierre Villeneuve, who wanted to open an affordable spot for classic French fare late into the night.  Things have changed since then, but it is still reasonably-priced and open late.  It was recently awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand designation that reflects its original mission as well as its current iteration.  Trying to fit in a visit at L'Express was fairly easy since they are open for lunch.

Compared to the bistros I've been to in France, L'Express really captures the decor, vibe and classic menu items.  We started with the Chicken Liver Pâté with pistachios, which was served in a fairly large portion.  It was rich and buttery smooth.  Nice sweetness and the aromatic hint of brandy made this really delicious.  Sure, it was probably full of cream and butter, but that is why it was so delicious!  I really didn't want to eat that much bread, but we dusted it off quickly.  Prior to that, we were delivered some Cornichons and Mustard.

Next, we had their classic Homemade Ravioli stuffed with veal, beef and pork.  The pasta itself was on point being thin but still having a nice chew to them.  In fact, the rebound from the pasta was some of the best I've had of late.  The filling was a bit crumbly, but tender with plenty of natural meat flavour.  To bring it all together, the reduced veal stock and mushroom sauce was silky and gelatinous.  It was full of umami and didn't need a lot of salt to be impactful.

Another must order here is the Veal Kidney in mustard sauce.  Okay, I'm a big offal fan and normally, nothing fazes me.  However, the kidneys in this dish were extra pungent and gamy.  Texturally, they were perfect being cooked through but still showing a bit of pink.  Hence, there was definite meatiness, but it ate tender and juicy.  The mustard sauce had a tangy sharpness complimented by the earthiness of mushrooms, gaminess of the kidneys and the richness of cream.   I would not recommend this to anyone who doesn't like gaminess.

We moved onto a few more dishes including the Quiche with leek, ham and emmenthal.  This was a pretty solid quiche where the egg was fluffy and light.  Inside, the balanced amount of ham provided not only some saltiness but a meaty chew.  Some brightness was provided by the leeks while the emmenthal added some cheesy sweetness.  The best part was the crust as it was light, flaky and buttery.  It really helped keep the quiche from being heavy and the texture was on point.

For the second meal in a row, we had the Hanger Steak.  This was cooked to somewhere between rare and medium-rare.  Hence, it was juicy, yet a bit chewier due to it being rare.  It was also very beefy, which was fine by us as it didn't need much of anything else as it was also well-salted.  However, the shallot butter was welcomed as it was aromatic and sweet.  The large pile of frites on the side were excellent being lightly crispy but plenty potatoey in the middle.  Nice creamy aioli on the side too.

For dessert, we had their famed Île Flottante with caramel.  This thing was huge but thankfully ate light due to the airy meringue "floating" on crème Anglaise.   I would say this was pretty sweet, with the combination of ingredients including the hard caramel dome.  Providing some sweet crunchiness, the almond brittle/granola was nutty and aromatic.  I felt this was good, but not really my thing.  It was impressive to look at and the crème Anglaise was good, but the entire thing was too sweet for me.  In general, L'Express does satisfy its core mission, providing competent food at reasonable prices.

The Good:

- Decent eats

- Reasonable prices

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- The kidneys were a bit too pungent for me

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

Bernie Beigne

While walking to the metro station after our visit to Lester's, we noticed a huge lineup for donuts at Bernie Beigne.  Not only that, we watched where they took freshly fried donuts and hand-dipped them into glaze.  Then they hung them for all to see in the window.  Wow, if that wasn't a call of the wild for some donuts!  We proceeded to get in line for our chance to grab some of these highly-sought after fried dough rings.  We ended up getting a half-dozen only because these donuts were pretty large.

Of course we had to get the classic Glazed Donut that we saw majestically hung for all to see in the front window.  Well, I'm glad to report these were as good as they looked.  The donut itself was soft and airy, but at the same time, had a good chew.  There was a good flavour where it was lightly sweet but also had some balancing amount of salt.  As for the glaze, it was definitely there with sweetness, but enough of it had dripped off that it wasn't overly sweet.

Coated with a bright red glaze, the Strawberry Donut was not really our favourite.  Let's start with the positives first.  Same as the glazed donut, the base product was really good.  However, the strawberry glaze was too artificial-tasting, so it was quite sweet and strawberry candy-tasting.  Now, this is my own subjective opinion.  I can totally see this being completely acceptable to other people, especially children.

Now for 2 donuts that had the same glaze in the Maple Donut and the Maple Bacon Donut.  Of course the maple glaze was sweet, but it came with the territory.  Nice aromatics and an unmistakable essence.  With the addition of a whack load of fairly lean bacon, this totally transformed the donut.  The salty smokiness really elevated the flavours where it completely balanced the sweetness of the maple glaze.  Of course maple bacon is such a complimentary combination that has breakfast vibes.

Now for 2 fruity creations, we started with the Lemon Meringue Donut.  This one they totally nailed it with the same soft fluffy texture with an appealing bite.  Inside, we found a considerable amount tangy lemon curd.  There was enough in every bite.  On the outside, there was some lemon glaze topped with torched meringue.  There was some smoky sweetness to go with the airy creaminess of the meringue.

One of the more under-the-radar donuts was the Apple Spice.  It featured an apple pie-like filling that was sweet with a touch of light tanginess.  On top, we had some frosting glaze with an apple crumble-like topping.  Classic combination that provided that apple crumble experience in a donut.  Overall, I liked the donuts from Bernie Beigne.  They were light, but still retained a chew.  The dough was seasoned well and the flavours popped.

The Good:

- Impactful flavours (lots of toppings)

- Nicely textured yeast donuts

- Donuts are large

The Bad:

- Most are pretty sweet, but I'm sure many people like that

Lester's Deli

When people think Smoked Meat in Montreal, the first thought would be Schwartz's.  Now that is not a bad thing as I've had great meals at Schwartz's in the past.  However, they are not the only game in town where my personal favourite is Snowden Deli.  I've been to Dunn's and well, it is "ok".  One place I've been meaning to hit for quite some time is Lester's.  It is also a long time favourite and some would even argue it is the best in town.  Well this visit would be finally where I get to do a comparison.

For this to happen, we needed to get the Super Smoked Meat Sandwich.  This was a considerable amount of hand-sliced smoked meat on rye bread.   The first thing I noticed about their smoked meat was that it was super juicy and tender.  It was giving me ham vibes due to the wet brine rather than the dry brine used at Schwartz's.  Hence, there was less natural meat texture.  Bread was soft with some structure where it held everything together without getting soggy.  The meat was a good balance between sweet and salty with minor smoke hits.  Overall, it was a good sandwich but I personally prefer the meatiness and drier texture of Schwartz's.

We wanted to get something to compliment our meal that wasn't another sandwich, so we opted for their Hot Dog with coleslaw and relish.  Really enjoyed the buttered and toasted bun which had a nice crispy exterior that gave way to a fluffy soft interior.  The grilled all-beef wiener was smoky and juicy with a nice charred exterior.  It worked well with the crunchy and tangy coleslaw where it had sauerkraut vibes.

We ended up with a side of Fries as well as the Poutine.  I thought the fries were quite potatoey and had good potato flavour.  However, they were too soggy and need more exterior crispiness.  We also had to add extra salt to coax more flavour of the fries.  However, this was not an issue with the poutine as the gravy was thick and full-flavoured.  The ample bits of cheese curds were partially melted with some unmelted ones, just like it should be.  Solid poutine.  Overall, we found Lester's more than acceptable and a great place to grab a Smoked Meat Sandwich as well as other things.  Although there can be lineups here, they are generally shorter and the vibe is much less chaotic than Schwartz's. 

The Good:
- Ample tender meat in the sandwich
- Lower key spot
- We got really great service

The Bad:
- Fries could be crispier