Le Violon

You would think that Le Violon would be known for its Co-Executive Chefs, Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren.  Moreover you'd also think that they are known for their use of local in-season ingredients, in which they highlight in their carefully executed dishes.  Maybe, their inclusion in Canada's Best 100 restaurants, Michelin-recommended designation or being a finalist in Air Canada's best new restaurant would be their claim to fame.  But alas, they were the restaurant that Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry had their "first date".   For me, I don't really care about the latter as I just want to dine on delicious eats.  So yes, we got a reso for Le Violon and made our way for a late dinner.

We decided to get 6 dishes to share including the Automne Boulangerie Sourdough with whipped butter with fennel pollen.  Really loved this bread as it was firmly crusty on the outside while soft and fluffy on the inside with some density.   It was perfectly salted where it totally stood on its own without the butter.  However, of course we slathered on all of the butter!  It was creamy and light with sweetness and only a hint of liquorice.

As if we didn't have enough lobster with Hollandaise already for lunch at Monarque, we had the Lobster with braised leeks.  Yes, it was covered in a velvety Hollandaise that was even better than Monarque.  Perfectly seasoned, buttery and with the right viscosity, it held onto each bouncy and sweet piece of lobster lovingly.  There was quite the generous portion of lobster too.  Underneath, we found braised leeks that were tender while holding some texture.  They added some sweetness to the dish as well as interrupting the heaviness of the sauce.

Our last small dish was the Corn with pine nuts, mint and sliced zucchini topped with zucchini blossoms.  Intensely sweet, the corn niblets were tossed in a creamy mint vinaigrette.  The acidity and herbaceousness of the mint helped compliment the sweetness but didn't obscure it.  Extra texture, albeit subtle, was provided by the sliced zucchini.  Add in some nuttiness and minor texture from the pine nuts and this was one addictive dish.   The only thing we wished for was it to be served warm rather than cold.  We thought it would've been even more impactful.

With our larger plates, we went for the Gnocchi as our mid-course.  It was made with ricotta rather than potato and hence, it was fluffier and lighter.  They repurposed the Guinea Fowl jus from the dish with the same name as the base.  Cream and mushroom were added, which made for a creamy umami-packed sauce.  This ended up to be a pretty rich-tasting dish, but the addition of fresh tarragon leaves on top provided that bright sweetness along with some background anise flavour.

Once again, we had fish in the form of Seabream with a wild green onion beurre blanc.  Since the green onion was cooked on a hibachi, there was a considerable amount of smokiness added to the sauce.  Hence it was buttery, a bit tangy (from the wine), smoky and bright.  The fish itself was beautifully prepared with a moist texture and flakiness.  The skin was lightly crispy and well-seasoned.  There was some sliced rabiole on top that was crunchy and sweet.

Here we are with our 4th Hanger Steak so far and this one was cooked to a beautiful medium-rare (being tender) and topped with Cantabrian anchovies.  Beyond the nice sear and proper cook on the steak, it was also nicely seasoned.  However, with the addition of anchovies, there was intense umaminess but not an overbearing amount of saltiness.  Underneath, there was a piperade that was sweet and aromatic but not spicy.  It complimented the steak while allowing the beefiness of the hanger steak to shine.

Finally, for dessert, we avoiding having meringue again by ordering the Valrhona Basque Cheesecake topped with pistachio crème anglais.   Employing 70% bitter chocolate, this cake was not very sweet.  Perfect in my opinion as the bitterness of the dark chocolate made it appealing.  The cake itself was a bit firmer than the usual Basque cheesecake, but I enjoyed it.  As for the pistachio crème anglais, it was a bit sweet, which balanced of the bitterness nicely.  In the end, we agreed that Le Violon is deserving of all the accolades earned during its short time in business.  Food is fantastic and pricing is rather reasonable with all things considered.

The Good:

- Well-crafted eats that are not fussy

- Reasonable pricing

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- Really tight seating (not unlike many other Montreal restaurants) and hard to get a reservation