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

Montreal Plaza

Here I am back in Montreal for no other reason than to eat!  Yes, I was somewhat here recently in 2023, but I've been on this quest to do as many restaurants on Canada's 100 Best list as possible.  So after catching a wonderful Porter flight (with their spacious Porter Reserve), we got there just in time to pay Montreal Plaza a visit.  This eclectic French restaurant opened in 2015 and they really know how to celebrate your birthday or anniversary with sparklers and some loud music while all of the staff and other patrons clap along.  It wasn't anything special for us as we were there only for the food!

We decided to do à la carte and started with one of their daily features - the Corn Mousse.  Now you might think this was nothing really special, but oh man, was it truly a revelation.  One spoonful and that light airy cloud was a flavour bomb.  If you take fresh sweet corn and concentrate it so that the natural sweetness and aroma blasts our palate, then this was it.  With a bit of salt, it only further enhanced the sweetness that was already there.  Now if that wasn't enough, some silky butter just added that something something to put it over the top.

Next, we moved onto the Foie Gras & Apple.  This was really delicious where the large slab of foie gras terrine was smooth, silky and buttery.  What really enhanced the dish was the crispy caramel coating the sliced apples on top of the terrine.  This added both sweetness and texture to smooth foie gras.  Of course the apples were a perfect compliment as well.  The combination of brunoise apples and hazelnuts with truffle vinaigrette further helped cut the heaviness of the foie gras.  On the side, we found some crispy toasted brioche.

We had an interestingly named dish in the Tartare Popcorn.  Now if you think that the popcorn part of it is merely in name only, you'd be wrong.  There was actual popcorn mixed with big chunks of bluefin tuna and soy vinaigrette.  I thought it was on the saltier side and it partially obscured the natural sweetness and essence of the bluefin.  However, it didn't make or break the dish as the quality of the bluefin was high being buttery and flavourful.  I also thought the marinated ginger on top was quite strong and I used that sparingly with each bite of fish.  About that popcorn, it got pretty soggy and chewy when mixed with all the wet ingredients.  Maybe it should've been sprinkled on top or around the tartare instead.  I thought the melon and pepper sauce has some nice accent to the dish with some sweet pepperiness.

On the menu, they have the Arctic Char Plancha, but for this night, it was Cod Plancha.  Man, this was a unique and appealing dish.  First of all, the intensely crunchy texture on one side of the fish was what made the dish.  This was due to the "bread" which was probably a flour and water mixture seared intensely with oil on the plancha.  It gave way to moist and tender cod that was beautifully accented by the tangy mix of capers and cherry tomato.  We found some guanciale which added some saltiness.  We had some seabuckthrone berries on the side adding more acidity while the spicy mayo provided that creamy heat.

One of their most classic dishes was next in the Whelk Miso.  Presented in an escargot plate, the whelks were tender with an appealing chew.  It was topped with a miso butter that was richly flavoured without being overly salty.   This was mixed with salpicon, chives and espelette.  As a result, there was meatiness, tanginess and smokiness to the dish.  Quite possibly, there might've been a touch too much on top of the whelks.  However, when combined with the crispy and buttery milk bread, this was yummy dish.

Onto another daily special, we had the Hanger Steak with ratatouille.  This was prepared somewhere between medium-rare and medium (as we requested).  The meat was tender and succulent.  It had a pronounced beefy flavour that was full of umami.  With enough salt, it was also properly seasoned.  It was topped with a silky pepper sauce which was fairly mild as well as having an eggplant puree on the side with the classic ratatouille veggies served as balls.

For our last savoury item, it was also from the daily specials being the Squash Mezzaluna.  This featured half-moon raviolis with super thin pasta.  Hence, it ate delicately while still having an al dente chewiness.  Inside, the roasted butternut squash was naturally sweet and smooth.  These sat in a light butter sauce that was mild, but nutty.  We found some spaghetti squash underneath adding some sweet earthiness and texture.

Of course no visit to Montreal Plaza wouldn't be complete without ordering their long-standing signature dessert - Crispy Fruit.  If you are into light and not overly sweet desserts, this one would be for you.  It featured berries on the bottom and white chocolate mousse in the middle tier topped with meringue fruit chips and berry sorbet.  We really got the flavour of the strawberry fruit chips which was quite aromatic.  Nice soft crunch to go with the surprisingly mildly sweet white chocolate mousse.  It was only there in name only as the berries on the bottom were lightly sweet and fruity.  That cold sorbet added more tanginess and light sweetness.

Our other dessert was the Blueberry Fake Truffle.  This "faux" tuffle was filled with chocolate mousse which was creamy and slightly bitter.  The chocolate crumble underneath had some wonderful crunch while the blueberry gelee on the plate added fruitiness.  To completely go in another direction, we had creamy earl grey ice cream that was a temperature contrast as well as offering aromatic sweetness.  Overall, our meal at Montreal Plaza was delicious.  Some unique items on the menu and we loved the crispy fruit dessert.  The place can get a bit loud, so it is great if you want that type of atmosphere.

The Good:

- Delicious food

- Friendly service

- Festive atmosphere

The Bad:

- Can be too loud for some people, we didn't mind it

- Not sure about the popcorn in the tartare 

Elem

Remember the last time I was at Elem?  If you guessed May, you are correct!  Now if you can also recall, I was dining at Elem almost monthly after they opened in late 2024.  So why the huge gap in between visits?  Well, if you haven't already heard, Viv broke her leg in July and that put everything on hold.  Also, I had gone to Montreal in October and had to do a detox after ripping through the best that they had.  So here we are back at Elem, now a Michelin-recommended restaurant and also appearing on Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list.

Like all of our meals at Elem, we got the Rye Bread.  This time around, they were accompanied by an apple butter topped with grated Szechuan pepper.  This resulted in a creamy and naturally sweet butter that had a slight bite.  It was ever-so-subtle though, so it wasn't numbing or spicy.  As for the rye, it was at its soft fluffy best with a slightly crispy exterior that was sweet.  Inside, there was still a slight chew. 

Of course we'd get some cocktails right?  These were quite interesting with the Hot Pot Whiskey Sour.  This really did taste like Chinese hot pot with the earthiness and spice.  We also got some extra tanginess from the kalamansi.  Their version of a Mai Tai featured 3 types of rum, which made it boozy but it was slightly tempered by the passionfruit granita and pistachio orgeat.

Our appetizers began with the Chicory Salad that was quite bountiful in size.  It was truly an appetizer as the coronation grape vinaigrette was super bright and tangy.  It helped balance out the bitterness from the crisp radicchio.  Nice crunch and aromatics from the walnuts and creaminess from the ricotta salata.  Although it might've seemed like a small detail, the plump blueberries added a fruity sweetness to the mix.

Onto a new item that is going to replace the Chicory Salad on the menu, we had the Futsu Squash with forno beets.  Chef Vish decided to employ little-used ingredients for this creation.  Not overly popular, the futsu squash was full of umami that resulted in an earthy sweetness.  It was tender, yet still had some firmness.  These were topped with tender slices of forno beets that were lightly sweet, but not overly earthy.  We found chunks of buffalo mozzarella and pickled walnuts as well.  The slices of fennel added extra crunch and aroma.  Finally, they used the whey from the mozzarella to create a vinaigrette.

We mourned the loss of the crab toast but were delighted to see the Prawn Toast as its replacement.  Light, almost fluffy and slightly rare, the diced prawn was super delicate and sweet.  It was topped with sesame and seared until crispy and aromatic.  Sitting on the same milk bread, it was lightly toasted.  Hence, it remained slightly crispy despite half-immersed in a tom yum sauce.  Combined with some Indian spices including cumin, the tom yum was earthy and tangy.  We got the lemongrass beyond the cumin.

Staying with the veggie theme of this meal (as we got a lot of that), we had the Delicata Squash that was halved and roasted.  Hence, the sweetness was coaxed out of the squash from the heat.  This was further enhanced by the quince glaze, which was balanced off by the ample pine nuts.  Underneath, we found a creamy mornay sauce.

Second round of cocktails consisted of the Tamarind & Mango Agua Fresca with a fruit popsicle.  Yes, this was a mocktail, but a tasty one at that.  Definitely refreshing but at the same time with body, the tamarind was prominent in taste and appearance.  The other cocktail was the Hinojo consisting of tequila, amartillado sherry and fennel.  Yep, another fairly strong concoction but balanced.  The tequila was at the forefront but the fennel added that licorice aroma.

We've had almost every version of the fried rice at Elem and although we have enjoyed them all, the current iteration was probably the best.  Interestingly, it happened to be the Mushroom Fried Rice and yes, there was no meat in it.  Despite that, it was very mushroom forward with impactful pieces of mushroom and a considerable amount of mushroom XO.  There was good wok hei where the rice was nutty and firm with caramelization.  Nice crunch from the veggies and fluffiness from the egg.

The feature of the night happened to be the Argentinian Chili Risotto and yes, we got that too.  Just like the other risottos we've had here, this was expertly prepared.  Spreading nicely on the plate, the aborio rice was firm, but cooked through.  There was enough moisture and cheesiness without being intrusive.  The natural sweetness and umaminess of the Argentinian prawn came though.  Nice addition of acidity from the lemon and yes, it had spice from the chili and sambal.

Our meat dish of the night was the Wagyu Bavette in a crying tiger sauce.  Prepared mostly rare, the meat was juicy and possibly a touch chewy.  We would've preferred medium-rare or even medium in this application.  No matter, as it was still plenty chewable and best of all, it sat in a delicious sauce.  The combination of briny fish sauce, tangy lime juice and sweet tamarind really helped bring this dish alive.  Of course the plethora of herbs just put the flavours over-the-top.

To go with this, we had the Cabbage, that was roasted and topped with sesame pangrattato.  Nice aromatic and nutty crunch from that to go with the charred eggplant puree.  With some anchovies, we got some light salty brininess to provide some punch to an otherwise mild dish.  The cabbage itself was tender but not mushy.  We detected some cumin that gave the dish plenty of earthiness.

As for the sweet stuff, we were presented with a bonus bite in the Beet Ice Cream.  This was super smooth with a balanced sweetness.  We got the natural flavours of the beets including a hint of earthiness.  Really delicious.  We also had the Chocolate Tart with pumpkin gelato.  The tart itself was creamy and rich, while not being heavy.  It was semi-sweet with a balancing bitterness.  Underneath, the coffee foam added some extra flavour. 

When I asked for the bill, we were presented with some sweet bites (as they always do) in Passionfruit & Apple Jellies.  They were not too sweet and had a nice light gelatin texture to it.   Once again, it was a fine meal at Elem.  We still mourn the loss of the iconic Crab Toast and possibly the Bavette Steak could've been a bit more tender, but overall, the dishes we had were well-executed with thoughtful flavours.  Can't wait for my next visit!

The Good:

- Beautiful dining space

- Excellent service

- Worthy eats

The Bad:

- Wish the Crab Toast was still around...

- Steak could've been more tender

Linny's

After all these tasting menus and elevated fine-dining experiences, it was time to...  go for another tasting menu!  Now, this was a little different as we made our way out to Ossington for Linny's.  This high-class deli and steakhouse elicits vibes from yesteryear with New York decor and servers with bow ties.  One could easily order a la carte off the menu, but for 2 people to get the Linny's experience, the Friday Night Special (can be had any night) is the way to go.  It is a chef's curated menu that highlights everything Linny's is known for.

This all started with some snacks including the Challah Service where it came with an addictive fresh cheese and blueberries.  The bread itself was fluffy and light with just the slightest chew.  Some nuttiness was provide by the roasted sesames on top while the spread was thick and creamy (like cream cheese, but milder) with the sweetness of blueberry compote and tangy dusting of sumac.  We found a couple of Pastrami Croquettes topped with pastrami seasoning aioli.  These croquettes were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  The exterior was so light, it literally broke apart on contact.  Peppery and smoky, the pastrami and aioli added quite a punch.  Lastly, we had 2 slices of seared Pastrami Sausage which was salty and fatty.  It was sinful to eat, but super tasty.  The mustard helped cut the heaviness and salt.  House-made pickles helped cut even more so.

Next set of dishes included the Fluke Crudo sitting in a fennel oil that was super impactful.  It had enough salt to season the fish while the oil was definitely liquorice-forward.  It was a bit floral with the sharpness of garlic.  We also got the Chicken Liver Toast with cured egg yolk, fried onion and pickles.  First of all, the bread underneath was somewhat crispy with crunchy edges, but still soft in the middle.  I prefer this as it gave us a few textures rather than just crunchy.  The liver mousse was a bit on the salty side, but I enjoyed the boldness with a touch of booziness and sweetness.  The onions were aromatic and nutty while the pickles provided the necessary acidity.  Lastly, we had Linny's House Salad with gem lettuce, cucumber, bulgar and champagne vinaigrette.  Nice interlude in between the saltiness and richness of the current and previous dishes.  We had sweet tanginess and the brightness of champagne to go with the tender leaves.  Bulgar was a nice crunch to the mix.

Then we were served slices of their famed Pastrami with mustard.  Oh these buttery slices were heavenly.  Nicely marbled, these melted in my mouth and had the rich salty earthiness that we all associate with pastrami.  Of course there was a hint of pepperiness as well.  Cutting through the fattiness and saltiness was the tangy and slightly hot mustard.  There was also a plate stacked full of French Fries that were super crispy and totally fried multiple times.  These were more like crisps, but hey, I loved them.  Completely salted and tasting great on their own, but we had some aioli, ketchup and mustard on the side to compliment.

Of course we had to have a steak somewhere in the meal right?  Subsequently, we were presented with The Romanian or Hanger Steak with Grace's garlic and a Beef Karnatzel.  This was a beautiful cut of meat that doesn't get enough love.  It comes from the plate of the cow and is super meaty in flavour.  This one was exactly that and was prepared medium-rare.  It was tender with a pleasant chew while perfectly salted.  Some compound butter made things velvety and flavourful from the pastrami spices.  Hey, that roasted bulb of garlic was aromatic and complimented the beef well.  On the side, we found Cylindra Beets with pistachios and shallots.  The tender, earthy and sweet beets were great with the plethora of crushed pistachios as well as the pistachio puree.  Nice nuttiness and saltiness.  The shallots provided that bright crunch.

Before dessert, we were served some house-made Marshmallows which were light and fluffy.  Onto the actual dessert, we had the Chocolate Babka braided with chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream.  This pull-apart bread was super soft and airy with a crispy exterior.  The chocolate was semi-sweet with appealing bitterness.  In the end, we really enjoyed this meal because it was completely different than what we had been eating.  Food is more down-to-earth but classy at the same time.  Service was great and we had more than enough to eat.  Would come back when in town.

The Good:

- Not fussy food, but still classy

- More than enough to eat with the tasting menu

- Great service

The Bad:

- Although there was some great light interludes, the meal as a whole is quite heavy