Juliette Plaza

Having started off this trip with a wonderful dinner at Montreal Plaza, it was fitting that we visit the little sister next door at the end of the trip.  Yes, Juliette Plaza opened in early 2024 and had the mission to offer more approachable small dishes that maintained the same quality as Montreal Plaza.  As such, we made reservations for lunch on the day before we were supposed to leave Montreal.  Loved the quaint dining room adorned with whimsical decor.

I decided I had to get another Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Mousse with a raspberry gelée.  Although this seemed like a small portion, let me assure you that it was plenty.  It was so rich and buttery, I'm sure any more of it and my poor heart would tell me to get a salad instead.  Due to that addition of foie gras, it was definitely richer and silkier.  It was well-seasoned and the taste of brandy was apparent.  It came with some crisps which were texturally perfect for the mousse, but since they were brittle, it was hard to spread without breaking them.

We've had our fair share of trout on this trip, but this time we had something just a bit different in the Confit Arctic Char crusted with black sesame.  With a rare preparation, the char was soft and silky.  The skin was a bit crispy due to the nutty sesame seeds while a bunch of chives and salt helped add brightness and seasoning.  However, the fish itself was already well-seasoned through the confit.  Hence, it ate a bit salty. Underneath, we found a cucumber salad in a tangy vinaigrette.

The best dish of our meal was their cheeky nod to an ol' American seafood chain restaurant.  The Red Lobster Scallops was an interpretation of the fried scallops found at the struggling chain.  Instead of fried small bay scallops, their version consisted of fried scallop mousse encapsulating a smaller scallop.  With crispy breading on the outside contrasting the bouncy sweet scallop mousse, it was a textural treat.  However, the house-made cocktail sauce was what put this dish over the top.  It was fresh and bright with bits of tomato that also had an appetizing tanginess.  Oh and the scallops rested on a spicy mayo with some chives.

Next was the Coquille St-Jacques with scallops, shrimp and nduja mixed in a mornay sauce.  This was a pretty small dish, but was packed with flavour.  Due to the nduja, this ate with a nice spiciness which was balanced off by the creamy sauce and the sweet tanginess of the ligonberries.  A plethora of chives didn't hurt matters too with a herby brightness.  As for the scallops and shrimp, they were tender and delicate.  As per usual, there was the pomme purée on the outside.

Normally, wherever I see Crispy Potato Skins on a menu, it gives me visions of TGIF and their big honking half potatoes that are only marginally hallowed out.  Well, I wasn't expecting this to be the case here, but when it arrived, it was still a pleasant surprise.  What we had was actual potato skins (sans all that potato) fried until super crispy.  It was topped with tobiko, spicy mayo and parm.  Underneath, there was some mashed potato to compliment.  So many textures and flavours going on here.  Delicious.

Another excellent dish was the Stuffed Chicken Wing with chicken and mushrooms.  This was really good where the skin was rendered and completely glazed with a balance of sweet and savoury.  Inside, the chicken was tender and bouncy.  There was a miso sauce to compliment and it was richly salty without actually being salty.  We found charred cabbage on the side.  It was smoky and well-seasoned.

Onto dessert, we had the Strawberry Sundae with some banana custard on the bottom with strawberry molasses, Chantilly and strawberry sorbet.  As expected, this was super refreshing and fruity.  I'm not usually a fan of banana desserts, but the custard had a nice aroma and was mildly sweet.  Great finish to a delicious meal.  Loved the concept of smaller plates to share as we could try more items.  Depending on how much you order, it is debatable if it is actually less expensive than Montreal Plaza, but then again, we order too much usually.  I would come back.

The Good:
- Nice share plates that allows one to order more dishes
- Delicious
- Quaint

The Bad:
- Depending how much your order, your bill can get up there
- Trout was a bit salty

 

Bar St-Denis

So far on this trip to Montreal, we were pretty impressed with the pricing of tasting menus.  At Mastard, it was only $90.00 for 5 courses (we had the 7 course option for $120.00), we felt it was reasonable considering the food quality and all the accolades.  We were a little less impressed with the price at Cabaret L'Enfer where we felt there wasn't enough food for $165.00, despite being delicious.  Now we head to another restaurant on St. Denis in Bar St. Denis.  They have a tasting menu for only $85.00 per person.  So that's what we had! 

Starting our meal, we had the Little Neck Clams sitting in Tabouleh with bulgur.  These clams were not little at all as they were thicc and plump.  They had a bit of a sweet chew, which was not troublesome.  Each one sat on a bed of fresh tabouleh that was bright and a bit peppery.  There some quality EVOO as well as some tangy lemon juice.  We also found some bulgur as well which provided a firm texture.

Next was the Raw Fluke topped with some crispy puffed rice.  This was also an excellent dish with tender slices of fluke that were almost buttery.  The puffed rice served two purposes.  First, it was nutty and aromatic.  Second, it was the necessary crispiness to contrast the soft texture of the fluke.  With some Quebec ginger, we had some real brightness as well as a slight spiciness.  Again, quality EVOO helped with the overall texture.

We were presented with one of the biggest portions of Veal Tartare I've even had.  It was easily double the size of the one we had at lunch.  This featured supremely fresh meat that had a vibrant colour and taste.  It was buttery soft and had the requisite condiments including plenty of shallots.  On top, we found a drizzle of EVOO as well as white anchovies and Arbequina olives.  This was served with a wonderful fluffy bread.

With the pungency of raw button mushrooms, we got the full smell of the them before it hit the table.  It was a complex contrast to the Matsutake mixed with lemon, cream and tarragon.  We had the textural contrast with the sliced thin button mushrooms that were spongy while the matsutake were chewier while taking on the acidity of the lemon while combined with creaminess and brightness of the tarragon.  Unassuming to look at but utterly delicious.

Our favourite item was the Spaghettoni with pesto and tomato.  With a stunningly deep green colour, the promise of basil was fulfilled.  Even when mixed with the tomato coated spaghettoni, the dish was extremely basil-forward.  Super herbaceous and bright, the pasta was just plain delicious.  It was firmly al dente with a good chew to it.  Some crunch on the top provided another texture to the dish.

Onto our biggest dish, we had the Guinea Fowl Ballotine wrapped in cabbage.  It featured white meat on the outer layer which held the minced dark meat inside.  Right in the middle, we found the barely cooked livers.  This was a contrast of textures of the fowl while also highlighting the different flavours.  It went from mild (white meat) to pungent (livers).  The sherry sauce was extremely gelatinous and a bit salty due to the aggressive cook down.  However, it completely help flavour the dish.

For dessert, we were served the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which was deeply rich in sweetness.  So smoky and caramelized, it was full-flavoured.  It really didn't need the butterscotch, but it needed the moisture.  I'm normally not an STP fan since it is so sweet, but I liked this, it was more complex in flavour and I ate it without sopping up the sauce.  Overall, the meal at Bar St. Denis was quite good.  I thought the amount of food was just right and we didn't go away hungry.  Fairly intense flavours to go along fresh ingredients.  

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Energetic vibe
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Impactful also straddles a fine line as the sherry sauce was rather salty and the butterscotch was very sweet

Casavant

Generally, when a restaurant is awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, it indicates well-prepared food at a moderate price.  Now that is all fine and dandy, but in reality, some of these restaurants are actually still pretty pricey.  So to find a legitimate Bib Gourmand spot is genuinely difficult.  However, we were pretty excited about dining at Casavant.  Named after the grandmother of co-owner Matisse Deslauriers, it features head chef Charles-Tristan Prévost's precise execution of composed dishes for "good quality, good value cooking" as per Michelin.

We made it out for lunch and it was immediately apparent that the menu was reasonably priced.  Case in point, the Beef Tartare was only $17.00.  Now this was no ordinary beef tartare as it had a secret weapon.  That would be the smoked mackerel, which added a noticeable smokiness and that unmistakable fishiness (in a good way) of mackerel.  In addition to that, the base product was solid too with tender nuggets of beef dressed with the usual condiments including a mustard tang, silkiness of egg yolk and aromatic shallots.  This was topped with watercress, which provided some bitter brightness.

A bit more pricey, but still not expensive, the Pan-Seared Scallops were nicely prepared being properly salted and exhibiting caramelization.  They were still rare in the middle being buttery soft while also its briny sweet self.  All of these sat in a watercress emulsion which was slightly bitter, a touch sweet and bright.  I considered this to be only a complimentary flavour as it let the natural flavours of the scallop to shine.  We also found slices of apples, watercress and almonds in completing the dish.  Not sure, if the raw watercress was the best addition, but the vinaigrette helped take away some of the bitterness.

To completely illustrate the good value at Casavant, the Kenauk Trout was only $24.00!  Such a composed dish for the price of a burger at a chain restaurant (maybe you can't even get a burger for that price).  It featured crispy, well-salted skin which gave way to tender flakes of trout.  It was a bit rare in the middle, which was perfect.  With a buttery sauce, it sure seemed like a beurre blanc, but there was no white wine flavour, so maybe it was just a butter sauce?  There was a fennel puree, herb oil and sorrel to finish.

For myself, I had the Casavant Burger for $23.00.  Yes, for less than a chain restaurant!  This burger was excellent with a medium-rare well-charred patty.  Hence it was juicy, plenty fatty and super tender.  Great flavours with the meat, but the cheese and pickles, there was definitely complimentary hits of tang and cheesiness.  All of it sat within a soft brioche bun with plenty of aioli.  A very good burger at a great price.  A few salted potato wedges were included as well.

For dessert, we had the Coffee Cream Puff filled with ricotta and topped with candied orange rinds.  This was super light with a crispy coffee topping.  Inside, the ricotta was creamy and lightly sweet while spiked with coffee.  I thought the orange rinds on top provided a sweet bitterness that helped cut the coffee flavours.  As you can tell, we were rather impressed with the food at Casavant, especially for the price.  It truly embodies what a Bib Gourmand designated restaurant should be.

The Good:
- Excellent food
- Inexpensive for what you get
- Great service

The Bad:
- Small place, so be prepared to be friends with table neighbours

Cabaret L'Enfer

After a fabulous 7-course tasting menu at Mastard, we had a second one planned at Cabaret L'Enfer.  Opened by Chef Massimo Piedimonte, Cabaret L'Enfer has the cachet of a semi-finalist on Top Chef (USA) as well as being named to Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list.  He combines his Italian roots with his French training to create striking dishes in his $165.00 tasting menu.  We made our way out to St. Denis with high expectations.

Our meal began with a trio of items including a Bombalone filled with cold cream and topped with lots of truffle.  It was slightly crispy and airy while the filling was custardy with savoury sweetness.  The plethora of truffle add the usual woodsiness.  We also had a crispy discs filled with Chicken Liver Mousse with plenty of pepper and brandy.  That was rather evident with the big booziness of the creamy mousse.  To balance it off, there was some pickled rose petals offering up tanginess.  The last item was the Pâté en Croûte made with beef tongue, pork shoulder and trumpet mushrooms.  Very well-constructed with a firm and almost crispy exterior.  The inside was plenty meaty with different textures and plenty aromatic with umaminess.

Next Course was the Scallop that was lightly cured, then steamed and sliced into 4 pieces.  They were buttery soft and sweet topped with a saffron emulsion.  This added slight creaminess with the unmistakable sweet floral taste of saffron.  There was also a second emulsion of bone marrow as well.  At the bottom of the bowl, we found some gooseberry juice that was almost sour, but a great palate cleanser.  On top, we had a saffron tapioca chip that was crispy and light emitting some lobster vibes due to the saffron.

Our favourite course was the Spinach Pasta with a tomato emulsion made with tomatoes from Chef Massimo's mother's garden.  There was also plenty of basil and it made the dish basil-forward (in a good way).  Lots of herbaceousness combined with the tangy and fresh-tasting tomatoes.  Nice crunch from the bread crumbs underneath.  The pasta itself was al dente with a bouncy chewiness.  It was lovingly embraced by the bright tomato and loads of basil.  As for the shrimp, they were super sweet and delicate.  The side of freshly-baked bread (we saw this happening as we entered the restaurant) was fantastic with an appealing density, sweetness and crispiness on the outside.

Our bluefin tuna consumption has been off the charts here in Montreal and our next course was the the lightly-seared Otoro with saffron sauce.  As with all the bluefin we've had, this hailed from Gaspe and was super fresh.  As with Otoro, it was buttery and fatty with only a bit of chew.  It was bright and since there was a good amount of fat, the true taste of the fish came through with sweetness an umami.  I thought the saffron sauce was equally full of umami and sweetness with its unique floral taste.  There was a bell pepper condiment made with tomato and it was a flavour bomb.  It was probably a bit too strong for the delicate Otoro, but whatever, it was super tangy, salty, sweet and just plain yummy.

Stunningly plated, the Aged Duck marinated in koji was delicious.  It was served with a heavily reduced duck jus made with the duck bones, gooseberry reduction, red wine reduction and a black mushroom puree.  First off, the duck was beautifully medium-rare which meant it was juicy and sufficiently tender.  The skin was well-rendered.  Being aged, the duck was meaty and intensely flavourful.  With a myriad of sauces and compliments, there was a lot going on.  We had the silkiness of the duck jus mixed with the tanginess of the gooseberry and the slight bitterness of the red wine.  As if the umami of the mushroom puree wasn't enough already, we also had a corn puree which was intensely sweet as expected.  To top it off, there was a burnt thyme oil that was smoky and earthy.

Onto the first of our 2 desserts, we had Plums with a roasted yeast crumble and an espuma made from cherry leaves.  Tart and sweet, the plums were a nice way to cleanse the palate upon the end of the savoury course.  Loved the nutty yeast that was also earthy and had a firm crunch.  Creamy and light, the espuma was earthy and pleasant.  When everything combined into one bite, there was a certain harmony going on.

Our last dessert was something they like to call a "Winter Dessert".  It consisted of a dehydrated chip, buckwheat ice cream, dulce de leche and caramelized white chocolate crumble.  Definitely comforting and as they said, great for curling up in a blanket and eating this.  Really nice crunch from the chip and the combination of flavours really worked.  Classic caramel sweetness with a creamy nuttiness from the ice cream.  In the end, we did enjoy the tasting menu at Cabaret L'Enfer.  It was well-executed and featured some appealing ingredients.  The one issue is that the price is double that of Mastard's tasting menu and I didn't think it was better.  Of course that is subjective and only my opinion.  But it can be a determining factor when deciding between the two restaurants.

 

The Good:

- Well-prepared

- Sauces were delicious 

- Wonderful service 

 

The Bad:

- In comparison to other tasting menus in the city, it is one of the more expensive ones

- If you like drink options, they only have wine pairings 

Toque!

Always chasing after new restaurants is what many people do to keep on top of the restaurant scene.  However, we must not forget about the ol' standbys too.  They were, at one point, the new kid on the block.  One of the long standing restaurants in Montreal that still receives accolades is Toque! on the outskirts of Old Montreal.  It has been around for 30 years and has morphed from a small restaurant on St Denis to the larger elegant space in 2004.  We were able to squeeze in a lunch here on our eating adventures for this trip.

Their lunch menu is strictly table d’hôte featuring one appetizer and one main course.  For our appetizers, we had the classic Pâté en Croute.  This was beautifully plated with squash mostarda, apricot purée, somerset grape and pumpkin seeds.  Crispy and firm, the hot water crust pastry was excellent and did not separate from the pâté.  About that pâté, it consisted of duck liver, tongue and pork.  It was rather meaty, especially from the tongue.  Just enough fat to keep things silky and bonded.  The accompaniments helped lighten things up with tang and sweetness.  Loved the sprinkle of pistachios on top adding nuttiness without being wet.

Our other appetizer was the Laquered Miso and Maple Trout with cauliflower purée, nasturtium, apple & maple mignonette and trout roe.  This was a well-composed plate with super crispy fish skin that was properly seasoned.  The trout itself as lightly cooked where the centre was still rare.  It was buttery and sweet with the natural flavours coming through while the miso added fermented saltiness.  To balance, the maple did its job with aromatic sweetness.

For our mains, we had the Lamb with romesco, cauliflower, confit leek, matsutake mushroom, thyme and lemon sauce.  Served in 3 pieces, we found the lamb saddle, rib and leg meat.  Prepared medium-rare, the leg meat was tender and juicy with a nice char on the outside.  The thyme and lemon sauce was tangy, earthy and sweet.  Lamb saddle had crispy fat giving way to tender and fatty meat.  Nice saltiness with this.  Braised rib meat was more lean, but the romesco helped in that regard.  Confit leek were charred, so there was smokiness to go with the brightness.

The other main was the Beef Strip Loin with bak choy, shiitake mushroom, beet, zucchini, red bell pepper chutney, black sesame purée and foie gras sauce.  Prepared medium as requested (not for me, I like medium-rare!), the steak was tender with a meaty texture.  It was properly seasoned, but the foie gras sauce was silky and savoury with plenty of umami.  The black sesame purée was quite potent with plenty of nuttiness.  

Dessert was not included with the table d’hôte but we ordered 2 of them anyways.  The Corn Crémeaux consisted of basil dehydrated sponge cake, nectarine, caramelized corn, olive oil ice cream.  Really sweet and rich, the corn crémeaux was the beneficiary of actual sweet niblets.  Loved the crispy sponge cake, which was the perfect compliment to the creamy and mildly sweet ice cream.

Lastly, we had the Strawberry salad with jasmine syrup, gin, strawberry sorbet and lime gel.  Such a simple dessert, but truly refreshing and satisfying after some heavier dishes.  Since the strawberries were sweet already, the light kiss of the syrup was enough.  Could definitely get the brightness of the gin coming through.  Finished off with some Dark & Milk Chocolate with dried raspberry and ginger gel.  Nice little bites to end a very solid meal.   

The Good:

- Solid execution

- High level of service

- Classy and spacious dining room

The Bad:

- Maybe less sexy than the new places?

Bistro La Franquette

So here we go with a restaurant that is neither on Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list nor have any form of Michelin recognition.  This brings up an important debate - does a restaurant need to be a multi-award winner to be considered one of the best in the city?  You probably already know the answer to that - a resounding "no".  Bistro La Franquette may not have a cache of awards, but they are highly-rated and for those who are in the know, it is one of Montreal's best.  Therefore, we headed out to Westmount for some French eats.

Really loved the vibe of the place, with high ceilings, killer tunes and warm hospitality.  We started with the Roasted Beet Salad.  This was not a complex dish, but in the end, it did exactly what it was supposed to do.  With a bright and tangy vinagrette, it did whet our appetites.  The sweet and earthy beets were tender with some bite.  Those radicchio leaves provided crunch and bitterness while the star of the show was actually the pickled black walnuts that added an extra bit of texture.

The next item was really something different.  So it was not different due to the main ingredient because Bluefin Tuna Crudo is nothing unusual.  Rather than cubes of bluefin, it came in two large slices.  That in itself made this crudo very different in texture and effect.  Since the accompaniments underneath the tuna were so bold (sheppard pepper, piperade sauce, black olive oil and espelette), I felt the pieces of fish had to be bigger.  Even after we cut them up, the size would've been bigger than the usual cubes.  Hence, we got the buttery taste of the sea from the bluefin mingling with the tangy sweetness of the piperade sauce (particularly from the onions and tomatoes).

We moved onto our favourite dish of the night, the Black Cod.  I rarely see a piece of black cod hard seared as such, especially without the skin.  But the result was fantastic with a crispy exterior that was well-charred.  It was properly salted and had a nutty smokiness.  On that note, the fish was still flaky and buttery at the same time.  This sat atop a cauliflower purée that was creamy and buttery.  We also found thinly sliced cauliflower that had a beautiful crunch.  That caramelized fennel was super sweet and of course had the usual liquorice essence.  Finally, this was finished off with some brown butter with capers and lemon, which had some piccata vibes offering up creaminess, nuttiness and tang.

We moved onto the beef portion of the menu with the Franquette Burger.  Due to the popularity of the dish, there are limited quantities available each night.  We snagged one and it was good.  The soft buttered brioche bun held the freshly ground patty well and held together until the last bite.  Prepared medium, the beef was tender and almost buttery while well-seared on the outside.  It wasn't overly fatty where it got too messy nor heavy.  With beautifully melted 2-year old cheddar, we had some sharpness and nuttiness.  Finally, the caramelized onions offered up rich sweetness.  The side of Frites were fresh-cut and crispy with creamy insides.

For our Hanger Steak, it was perfectly medium-rare being juicy and tender.  It still had a meaty bite and also offered up a wealth of natural beef flavour (as hanger steaks tend to be).  There was an aggressive sear on the outside that offered caramelized flavours (while the steak was properly salted).  The steak was well-rested and sat in a tasty red wine sauce while topped with a herb & lemon compound butter.  This was creamy, bright and herbaceous.  We chose a Salad for the side instead of fries and it was quite good.  Lots of fresh produce including different sweet grape tomatoes, all in a tangy vinaigrette.

We were pretty full by now and decided to share the Basque Cheesecake with blackberries.  This was a fairly light version where it as airy and creamy with a mild cream cheese flavour.  It wasn't overly sweet, but still aromatic.  The tangy and sweet blackberries and accompanying sauce helped keep things bright.  Overall, the food at Bistro La Franquette was delicious and well-portioned.  Prices are reasonable too.

The Good:

- Well-prepared eats

- Fairly large portions at reasonable prices

- Personable service

The Bad:

- Some tables are really close together

- It can get loud in there