Les Faux Bourgeois

Gosh, the last time I visited Les Faux Bourgeois must've been like 13 years ago!  I haven't blogged about it for 16 years...  Well, things have definitely changed since then as it was closed for a bit before reopening in early July.  There has been an ownership change as well as Chef Brent Thornton taking over the reigns of not only Les Faux, but also overseeing the entire Gaia House Hospitality Group (Selene Aegean, Nammos and AMA Raw Bar).  Mijune and I decided to check out what's up at Les Faux since the change.

We ended up doing the Premium Tasting Menu for $105.00pp which includes roughly 5 courses shared between the people participating.  They started us off with some Brioche and Foie Gras with cherries.  Loved the crispy exterior of the brioche giving way to a fluffy interior.  We could pull-apart each bun into 3 separate pieces, which was perfect for accepting the buttery foie gras to form a delicious bite.  Naturally, the sweet and slightly tangy cherry was a perfect compliment.

Next up was the Rotating Ice Plate that featured (for this night at least) 2 BeauSoleil oysters and 2 Sunseekers along with 2 Cherry Stone Clams and Mussels Escabeche.  This reminded me slightly of the Ice Box from Penny in NYC.  Loved the oysters, they were fresh and shucked properly.  The BeauSoleils were sweet and clean while the Sunseekers were brinier but still sweet.  Those clams were a flavour bomb since they were dressed in a brine from the bar, topped with olive and anchovy.  Those plump and buttery mussels were sweet and benefitted from the tanginess and smokiness of the escabeche.  

The Tartare de Boeuf was served as a pretty large portion along with house-made chips.  We loved the chips as they were light and crispy, however, something a bit sturdier would've held up better to the tartare.  With that being said, this was a delicious dish with a heaping portion of tender diced beef that was buttery, yet meaty.  The whole thing was dressed classically with shallots, chives, parsley, cornichons, capers and egg yolk.  On top we found some grated mimolette cheese which added some background sharp nuttiness.

The most stealthily delicious item for the entire meal was the Oeuf Mayonaisse.  This featured a halved lightly boiled egg topped with a brown anchovy mayo, brined olive and kefir.  It was finished off with marinated white anchovy and sturgeon caviar.  Once we got past the soft egg, we to the full hit of the brininess from the mayo.  Beyond that, the anchovy added another layer of brininess and then the caviar did its briny and salty thing.  So much flavour in one to two bites.  Delicious. 

Since we had the Premium tasting menu, we were served the dry-aged PEI Blue Dot Striploin with garlic scapes and padrón pepper.  Sauce au poivre was served tableside.  This was a substantial portion of meat that looked like 10 to 12oz to me.  It was prepared a perfect medium-rare cooked evenly on both sides.  There was a substantial smokiness to the charred exterior and it was seasoned well too.  Steak was succulent and tender.  Sauce was flavourful enough without masking the natural essence of the meat.

The side of Heston-Style Fries were the sexiest thing I've seen, in terms of food, lately.  These thick-cut fries were triple-cooked perfection (made famous by Heston Blumenthal).  Outside, they were so universally crispy while revealing soft and fluffy potato which melted in my mouth.  The addition of dehydrated chicken skin salt added an umami punch as well as some texture.  On the side, we found some creamy and slightly tangy dijonnaise. 

To go with all this indulgence, we were served something that offered balance in the Salade de Tomate with heirloom tomatoes, peaches, anchoïade, bleu d'Auvergne and steak spice.  Loved the sweetness of the tomatoes combined with a contrasting sweetness from the peaches.  Talking about contrast, the salty brininess of the anchoïade and the sharpness of the blue cheese helped compliment the sweetness of the other components.  The use of steak spice was restrained, so that it didn't overwhelm the tomatoes.

Finally, we had a massive Apple Fritter in a St. Leger maple whiskey glaze.  On top, we found some old cheddar from France.  To top it off, we found a large slice of smoky brie.  Although a bit dense, the fritter was just sweet enough with aromatics.  The addition of cheese really worked here with the cheddar having some sharpness while the brie acted almost like a cream of some sort.  It provided creaminess as well as smokiness.  Overall, the meal at this current iteration of Les Faux Bourgeois was a good one.  In keeping with its original ethos of delivering well-portioned and delicious food at a reasonable price, they definitely succeeded here.  I would recommend having the tasting menu as it gives a great overview of the menu.  However, if you just want a casual drop-in dinner, then the Steak Frites for $38.00 is a good bet.

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Ample portions

- Well-priced

- Delicious

The Bad:

- You most certainly can drop-in, but reservations are needed as it was packed, on a Monday night...

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

Petrichor Social Restaurant & Bar

When I heard that Jules Bistro was closing at the end of 2023, it marked the end of its run in Gastown since 2007.  I had made a visit way back 2010 and then again in 2022, which would almost bookend their years in existence.   Not long after it closed, a new French restaurant, Petrichor, opened up in March 2024 in its place.  French native chef/owner Luc Duval offers up a slice of Southern French cuisine in a remodelled dining space that is inviting and quaint.

We arrived in time for happy hour and decided to get some cocktails for only $10.00.  Yes, that is correct, any of their cocktails are only $10.00 during happy hour!  We had From Mexico with Love and the Grenoble Sour.  I liked both but preferred the former as it had more pop in the form of lime, blueberry syrup and ginger beer.   The sour was much more subtle and the sweetness of pineapple juice.  

Also, we went for the Crab Croquettes for $15.00, also on the happy hour menu.  This came in a trio of crab cakes that were topped with saffron aioli and sat on a bed of spring mix.  These crab cakes were on the lighter side with an airiness inside.  Hence, it wasn't exactly packed with crab, but especially for the price, there was a sufficient amount that was fluffy.  Outside was uniformly crispy and the aromatics from the aioli was impactful.

Next, we had the House Brioche served with brown butter for $12.00.  This featured a whole brioche charred on the grill.  It had a lightly crisp exterior with some nutty smokiness from the char.  On the inside, it was super fluffy and steaming warm.  Presented as streaks on the plate, the whipped butter was super creamy and amplified in terms of tasting like butter.  Naturally, being brown butter, it was nutty and sweet.  There was minimal salt added to it, which meant the aforementioned flavours were more pronounced.

Onto the regular items, we decided to go for the Coquilles St. Jacques for $38.50.  Plated with 3 whole scallops on the shell, it was dressed in its classic bechamel with carrots, leeks and bread crumbs.  There was some piped potato puree on the perimeter of the shell.  I thought this was prepared quite nicely as the scallop was plump and still bouncy.  It was super sweet and had a concentrated scallop flavour where the brininess really came through.  The bechamel was creamy with sweetness from the veggies, but could've used more salt.  On the side, there was a salad and grilled herb brioche.

We also decided on the Creamy Sausage Ragu Pappardelle with sage, dijon mustard and confit onion-infused cream.  This was also quite good with al dente ribbons of pasta that were not clumpy.  There was enough cream sauce to keep things fluid without drowning the pasta at the same time.  Flavours were rather subtle with the meatiness of the sausage being the dominant texture and taste.  I could get a bit of the sweet onion as well as the background with the earthy herbal taste of sage.  

Lastly, we shared the 32 oz. Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye.  We asked for this to be prepared medium (since my dining partner prefers it this way).  It came out more-or-less medium with some medium-rare portions (that I personally prefer).  The meat was nicely crusted and just salted enough.  The meat was full of umami and a bit of mustiness due to the dry aging.  Great flavour and super tender.  It didn't look like a lot, but we didn't finish it.

 

We had a choice of 2 sides to go with the steak as well as a herb butter.  Our choice of sides included the Pommes Dauphine and the Roasted Butternut Squash.  Those crispy little potato pillows were so delicious.  Beautifully salted, they were like a little snack.  The roasted butternut squash was caramelized and sweet.  They were soft, but not mushy.  Overall, we enjoyed the meal at Petrichor and it did bring me back to Southern France.  Only thing missing was a version of socca!  The place is cute and the happy hour is a good value.  Would come back.

The Good:

- Cute and quaint

- Solid eats

- Happy hour is a good value, especially the cocktails

The Bad:

- Some dishes could use more salt

Tableau Bar Bistro

So this isn't the first time that I have dined at Tableau Bar Bistro.  In fact, Viv has been here for brunch on many occasions (too bad she doesn't take pictures and blog about it...).  This time around, it was for my mom's birthday as she enjoys French food.  Good thing too as I've been meaning to do another post since the last time was over 10 years ago.  I've always liked Tableau because their food is solid and best of all, reasonably-priced.  So this particular blog post is actually an amalgamation of 2 separate visits done within a month of each other.  I think we tried almost everything on the menu!

So one of their most grandiose items on the menu is the Eiffel Tower consisting of 2 tiers including the Seafood Tower.  This featured Westcoast oysters, mussels escabeche, prawns, scallops, tuna rillette and snow crab legs.  We found the oysters to be shucked properly without any shell fragments.  There was a considerable amount of sweet liquor in the oysters.  Mussels were tender and briny with good acidity from the escabeche.  Large with a meaty snap, the prawns were also sweet while the snow crab legs were okay (I'm personally not a fan of snow crab legs).  Wasn't in love with the tuna rillette as it was far too salty, even when we picked out the capers.

The other tier featured a host of their other appies including the pâté, steak tartare, foie gras terrine and truffle frites.  For $20.00 more, I find this setup a fantastic value as most of the items were the same size at the a la carte order.   Really enjoyed this platter as the pâté was meaty and full of great texture.  There was a variety of natural meat flavours complimented by the aromatics of the seasoning.  We thought the tartare was excellent where the texture was buttery and tender.  Seasoning was just right where a slight background acidity kept things bright while the quail's egg added a certain silkiness.  The small piece of foie gras terrine was sinful being buttery with a big hit of sweet wine.

Now you might be wondering why I didn't make a comment about the Scallop Crudo in the seafood tower...  Well, it is because on a previous visit, I had ordered it separately.   Seemingly simple with diced apple & jalapeño, lemon and olive oil, this was so subtle and delicious.  Now if you got more of the jalapeño, it was not as mild, but for me, I kept that to a minimum to allow the sweet buttery scallops to shine.  The lemon apple added the necessary acidity to compliment the sweetness.

Something more rich was the Mushrooms on Toast featuring roasted mushrooms, Madeira jus and La Sauvagine on toasted sourdough.  Although the bread was quite stiff, it was necessary as the moisture soaked into it.  There was so much umaminess in this from the mushrooms, buttery cheese (which was earthy as well) and truffle on top.  Now the whole thing was pretty rich though and best to be shared.

To compliment the Eiffel Tower, we added the Demi Baguette with whipped onion butter.  Yes, we understood that a whole baguette might've been overkill given that we all had our mains still, but it was necessary so we could finish up the tartare, foie gras terrine and pâté.  Having some bread with these items made it more enjoyable than scooping a chunk of terrine into our mouths.  Restaurants never include enough vessels (whether it be chips, crostinis, blinis or bread) for these items.  This was a good baguette where it was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

So for my main, I decided to try the Corned Beef Shortrib with house sauerkraut, pickle, 1000 island dressing and a side of salad.  Essentially, this ate like a drier form of corned beef.  Not that it wasn't tender though as there were buttery elements too.  In the end, I had to use the dressing to add moisture.  Loved the sauerkraut on the side as it was crunchy and only tangy enough that it wasn't too sour.

Viv decided to go for her ol' standby being the Moules Frites featuring Totten Inlet mussels, white wine, saffron and dijon.  These medium-sized mussels yielded plump morsels inside that were buttery and full of umami brininess.  There was a fair amount of them where not one was closed.  The broth was a little on the saltier side, but was still delicious and aromatic.  Perfect for dipping the crispy frites into.

Surprisingly, my son did not go for the burger or a steak.  Rather, he had the Ragoût de Boeuf with braised beef & pork ragu, garganelli pasta, herbs and grana padano.  Although this wasn't the largest portion, it was rich and creamy.  The meat sauce was tender with plenty of body and deep meat flavours.  There was just enough of it to caress each piece of al dente pasta.  He happily ate this up, really solid.

My daughter went for the Canard featuring 2 thick slices of breast, beets, poached rhubarb and foie gras jus.  She really enjoyed the duck as it was cooked beautifully and was generally tender with natural duck flavour.  The skin could've been rendered more as it was rather flabby.  Rich and mild, the jus complimented the duck well.  The juices from the beets and rhubarb made its way into the jus adding some sweetness.

Interestingly, it was my dad who ordered Le Burger sporting a 6oz freshly made-to-order beef patty, La Sauvagine, bacon, caramelized onions, dijon and frites.  Thick and juicy, the patty was cooked to medium.  It was a bit salty, but there was no doubt of the natural meat flavours.  With a perfectly toasted brioche bun, the burger ate very well, especially with the thick cut bacon which was quite meaty.  Frites on the side were plentiful and crispy.

Predictably, my mom had the 10oz Striploin with mushroom & peppercorn jus, arugula salad and frites.  We felt the steak was more rare than the requested medium-rare, but it was still tender and plenty moist.  Maybe it could've used a more aggressive sear on the outside though.  It was lightly seasoned where the woodsy peppery jus did all the heavy lifting.  Nice addition of the arugula as it provided a peppery brightness.

On a previous visit, I had tried the Hanger Steak with arugula salad and red wine jus.  Now this was perfectly medium-rare and salted.  In my mind, this was as tender as the striploin with more natural meat flavour.  Loved the silky and glossy red wine jus where the reduced flavours were intense and full of umaminess.  Once again, the side of arugula salad added brightness and tang.  This also included a side of frites.

Probably my favourite main dish at Tableau has to be the Halibut in a lemon & caper butter beurre blanc with a spring onion tarte tartin on the side.  The fairly large piece of halibut was perfectly prepared being delicate and flaky.  This speaks to the freshness of the fish.  The beurre blanc was mildly rich with a creaminess that was balanced in terms of acidity and saltiness.  Lots of fresh parsley and dill (as well as croutons) completed the dish.

In addition to the side of frites (white truffle and parm in this case) and the spring onion tart tartin, I had also ordered the Roasted Brussels Sprouts as well.  These were still firm and dressed with sherry and bacon lardons.  I thought this was merely acceptable as the flavours were a bit flat and the sprouts could've used more charring from the roasting.  Lardons were meaty and delicious though.  As the for the tart tartin, it was creamy and naturally sweet.

Onto dessert, the best one on the menu has to be the Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Tonka bean caramel and maldon salt.  Okay, normally I'm not into butterscotch due to it being generally quite sweet.  However, this dessert was purposefully sweet while not going overboard.  This was super rich and creamy with the unmistakable deep sweetness of brown sugar.  The maldon salt only served to heighten the already strong flavours.

I wasn't really into the Banana Bread Pudding though.  Too bad really as most of the components were excellent including the brûléed sliced bananas on top.  They were just ripe enough and featured a smoky and sweet crunchy top.  The macerated raisins provided pops of sweetness, yet the actual bread pudding was dry and overly stiff.  If it had been more moist and pudding-like, this would've been a winner.

The other dessert was the largest in the Profiteroles with brown butter ice cream, pecans and bourbon maple syrup.  Now if you thought this was sweet, you are completely right.  Creamy and rich, the ice cream was nutty and aromatic.  The syrup only added more sugar to an already sweet ice cream.  Choux pastry was on point being crispy on the outside and airy on the inside.  So as you can see, we have nearly tried everything on the menu.  From this sample size, I'm confident to reiterate how solid the food here is at Tableau.  Add in good service and reasonable pricing, this is a place you can visit often.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Parking in the area can be a challenge
- It can be loud in there, but I personally love the lively atmosphere

Les Faux Bourgeois (Part Deux)

It's been over a year since we last visited Les Faux Bourgeois. During that time, the place has emerged from being a little French bistro located in an odd location to one of Vancouver's dining destinations. A combination of good food and reasonable prices, it is no wonder that Les Faux has claimed a spot on many top-10 lists. With so many accolades, the place is very popular and there is nearly no chance of getting a table as a walk-in. Thus, much like last year, I had to make a reservation far in advance. The main reason for the re-visit was due to Elaine's birthday. She had not tried Les Faux before and despite my hesitation to do too many repeats, I was more than happy to oblige since I really like the place.

Les Faux fits into the same category of reasonably-priced French restaurants such as Salade de Fruits, Bistrot Bistro, Twisted Fork, Pied-à-Terre, Mistral, Jules and La Brasserie. Unlike Le Crocodile, one can dine at these places and have money left over for important things like fuel and Loonies for parking. Good thing that Les Faux is located where it is, no pay meters to be found! As mentioned, the place is small while being quaint. With that being said, if you do decide to stay a bit longer, the seats are not all that comfortable and you are really close to the next table. As for our table, it was nowhere near the window; thus I had to use my flash. Costanza originally thought they had reserved a window seat for us; however, I reminded him that I'm really not all that important! In fact, I think Aaron McArther and Elanie Yong got the best seats at the back. Yah, being on TV has its advantages. Actually, Aaron and I have played hockey a few times together. Maybe I should've played the "I know this local celebrity" card...

Anyways, we decided to split 3 appetizers starting with the Calamari with tarragon aioli. Sure, not really a "French" dish per se; yet it was on the daily specials and it sounded good. In reality, it was good. It was fried perfectly with a crispy, non-oily coating. The squid itself was tender while not being mushy. Although the squid was flavourful on its own, the tarragon aioli was a nice mild-tasting accent. The only thing I would've liked to see was maybe some acidity in the mayo. Although the Moules et Frites was not really an appetizer, we ordered it as such. Advertised as a spicy charred tomato & scallion broth, it was very tomatoey; but not really all that spicy. Lots of fresh chunky tomatoes provided freshness and the charring added depth. Curiously, big plump mussels were mixed in with small, emancipated ones. I guess it is the luck of the draw... The frites were pretty good. Very crisp, well-seasoned and not oily. A tad on the starchy side; but very good nonetheless. Our last appie was the classic Escargots. Served atop 3 croutons, the escargots were not very flavourful. I would go as far as calling them bland. Sure, there was enough butter and some garlic; but the whole dish seemed to be missing salt. Moreover, I found the snails themselves to be on the rubbery side.

When it came time to order our mains, Elaine and Costanza took my suggestions based on my last visit. Hence, Costanza had the Steak Frites. Originally, he wanted his steak medium; but both the server and I convinced him to have it medium rare. You see, in this version, they were using a hanger steak, which is the meat directly above the diaphragm. It is very flavourful; but can be tough if overcooked. It turned out to be a good decision since it was perfect and as tender as it could be. Laced in a full-bodied and well-balanced red wine shallot jus, there was no shortage of flavour. The same wonderful frites took up the rest of the plate. Too bad Costanza had his fill from the Moules et Frites. No matter, I just ate all the frites he couldn't handle! Elaine opted for what I had last time which was the Duck Confit. In a noticeably smaller portion than last time, the confit was just as good though. Tender, well-seasoned meat with a crispy skin, this is one of my personal favourite versions of this dish in Vancouver (with Pied-à-Terre being a close 2nd).

Viv ended up with one of the specials for the night. Good thing we had the earlier seating because the Veal Chop sold out shortly afterwards. The generous portion of veal was cooked perfectly. I found it to be tender and full of meat flavour. Accompanied by chantrelles and chive mashed potatoes, this was a hearty meal that Viv could not finish. I had the other featured item on the specials board being the Pot-au-Feu. Now, if you are totally confused why there is a chicken breast in the picture, I don't blame you. Normally, this dish is made of beef. And honestly, I wish it were beef since the entire thing was bland. Sure, it isn't supposed to be a flavour explosion, I get that. However, a little salt would've done wonders. Despite this, the chicken was still decently moist for white meat.

For dessert, we all shared the Vanilla Creme Brulee and Chocolate Gateau. With a beautifully torched hard sugar top, it had all the earmarks of a great brulee. We found it to be a bit too sweet and the custard to be a bit thin. But overall, it was fine. As for the Chocolate Cake, it was more of a ganache than anything. The sweetness was quite muted and the dark chocolate was able to shine with the desired bitterness. After it was all said and done, Elaine and Costanza remarked that the meal was pretty solid all around. For the prices they charge, it is no wonder Les Faux remain popular as ever. Sure, Le Croc is better; but that is really comparing apples to oranges. If you have a craving for French food on any ol' day, Les Faux certainly fits the bill.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Generally well-executed food
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Tight dining room
- Hard to get a reservation