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?