Selene Aegean Bistro

Here we go with another restaurant on my "to eat at" list but it has taken me until now to actually pay them a visit.  When Bluebeard and Nikita wanted to meet up for dinner, it was as good as any time to suggest Selene Aegean Bistro out on Pentiction at Hastings.  Not be confused with Chez Celine out on Fraser, this place features a Mediterranean menu as its name suggests.  We really loved the front facade of the place as it created the right atmosphere even before we set foot inside.  After discussing what to have on the menu, we ended up with their Tasting Menu for $80.00 per person.

Things got off on the right foot with a trio of items including Babaganoush.  We found the eggplant to be silky smooth and quite pleasant with a touch of earthiness.  We would've liked to see a bit more smokiness though.  It went really well with the fresh pita as it contrasted the crispiness of the pita (where it was fluffy inside).  

With much more impact, the Tirosalata had plenty of kick from the fermented red chilis as well as a balancing amount of tanginess.  It was also slightly creamy from the feta and of course nuttiness from the walnuts.  Although not as prominent in size, the small cup of Stuffed Olives was impactful.  Beyond the initial briny and tangy notes, the creaminess of the feta really came through.  

Lastly, the Amberjack Crudo was a pleasant dish with meaty slices of fish in a strawberry ouzo broth.  Nice sweetness with only a touch of licorice.  As amberjack can typically be, it started off with a fairly firm texture, but it got much softer as I chewed it.  The slices of jalapeno were thin and did not overwhelm the fish.  Rather it gave the necessary bite for impact.

Second course featured Horiatiki and Mussels.  As you may already know, I rarely fawn over a salad.  However, the tomato-forward horiatiki was magnificent.  The fresh tomatoes were plump and the marinated ones were sweet like candy.  These were balanced off by the pickled onions and some olives as well as some creamy red wine feta.  Consisting of plump out-of-the-shell mussels, these sat in a spicy loukaniko butter.  So many layers of flavour here including briny, sweet, nutty and of course spiciness.  Some freshly-shaved fennel added crunch and brightness. The toasted and oiled olive focaccia was the perfect thing to sop up all of the sauce.   

Since Nikita cannot have any gluten, they were able to make the Kalamari with potato starch for the Kalamari to accommodate.  Honestly, if no one told me this was gluten-free, I would've accepted it as the standard dish.  I found it really good with tender squid with a nice bite while the coating was firmly crispy.  That tzatziki was money with notable dill hits and purposeful tanginess.

Third course had the bigger dishes in the Arctic Char and Bavette Steak.  This set of dishes were okay, but not as good as the the first two courses.  We found the Arctic Char to have a uniformly crispy skin that was well-seasoned, but the fish itself was a bit overdone.  It wasn't dry though, so still pretty good.  Underneath, we found spinach sitting in an avgolemono which had a nice viscosity and brightness.  As much as I enjoyed the ezme underneath (which was tangy, mildly spicy and earthy), the Bavette Steak was not as tender as we would've liked.  It was prepared a perfect medium-rare though and properly rested.  Loved the white anchovies and pickled pearl onions on top as it added some brininess to the dish.

The side of triple cooked Patatas were super crunchy and nutty with creamy potatoey insides.  Loved the creamy feta mayo on the side.  Smoky with slight bitterness, the Oyster Mushroom Souvlaki was sitting on a bed of walnut skordalia, which was thick (from the bread), nutty and tangy.  I didn't mind it, but others at the table thought it tasted off.

Onto dessert, we were served the Mahalepi and Amygdalota Ice Cream Sandwich.  We really enjoyed the ice cream sandwich as the tahini ice cream was nutty, sweet and nicely sweetened by the honey caramel.  The almond cookie had a crumbly crunch and of course nuttiness.  The fig-infused pannacotta to be smooth and silky with just the right consistency.  The macerated strawberries add a sweet tanginess while the brown sugar kataifi (served on the side) added crunchiness.  Overall, it was a pleasant meal at Selene.  We felt the prices were reasonable for the amount and quality of food we were served.

The Good:

- Generally delicious food

- Well-priced

- The calamari

The Bad:

- Steak was not as tender as we would've liked

Food by Fanta

If you've ever been to Baan Lao out in Steveston, you will know that they take Thai cuisine to a whole new level while still honoring the traditional techniques and ingredients.  I've been a few times and it has been fantastic, if not a major indulgence (it's expensive).  However, what if I told you that Food by Fanta out in Langley has similar elements while being significantly more affordable.  Jackie and I went out for a tasting and came away rather impressed.

This isn't my first time visiting Food by Fanta, but as you will soon see, I got to experience some carefully curated smaller bites.  This included the Miang Kham which literally translates to "one bite wrap".  This it was with pomelo, dried shrimp, ginger, pineapple, lime, peanuts and herbs in a betel leaf.  Combined with the sweet and savoury miang sauce, this had all the flavours such as brininess, sweetness, tang, nuttiness and herbaceousness.

Next little bite was the Kratong Tuna Tartare sitting in delicate pastry cups.  Delicate was the operative word here as the tuna was buttery and lightly sweet.  The other bite was the Yum Som with a mix of pomelo, herbs, toasted coconut, crispy shallots and garlic with Nam Prik Pao dressing and crispy prawn sprinkles.  This was aromatic and toasty with tangy sweetness.

Served on a handheld metal spoon/serving vessel, the Tom Kah Scallop Bites were one of my favourite dishes.  It featured a fairly large scallop that was beautifully seared.  It was slightly rare in the middle being buttery and soft.  Plenty of natural scallop sweetness that was concentrated due to the caramelization from the sear.  In addition to being properly seasoned, the scallop all benefitted from the creamy and aromatic tom kha which had balancing tanginess.

Another little bite that was neatly presented was the Shrimp Toast.  I was amazed that the toast was not greasy at all despite its thickness.  Depending on your preference, this could've been too dry also.  Personally, I would've liked to see the toast be less thick and surprisingly, a bit oiler.  However, it was still good since the shrimp mixture was bouncy and sweet while the layer of herbs provided plenty of flavour.

In addition to the shrimp toast, we had another trio of items from their high tea service including the Khanom Krok.  This crispy crepe was nutty and had a great hit of creamy coconut with the smoothness of blended rice.  I absolutely loved the Khao Kriap Pak Mor which was steamed rice-flour dumpling that had a beautiful soft texture with appealing elasticity.  It was filled with a tender savoury minced chicken mixture.  At the top, we found the Khanom Buang which was a crispy pancake filled with grated coconut, diced shrimp and lime leaves on top of lemon meringue.  This pancake had a light crunch coupled with the sweet and briny filling.  Lots of aromatics going on here.

One of their most beautiful dishes happens to be the Chor Muang Flower Dumplings.  These glutinous rice flour dumplings were texturally on point with a delicate chewiness with elasticity.  Inside, we found 3 fillings including chicken, pork and veggie.  Believe it or not, my favourite was the veggies with its combination peanuts, sweet radish, onion and cilantro.  It was not hurting for texture or flavour.  Loved the sweet tanginess with aromatics.

Colourful and presented as individual components (prior to mixing), the Khao Yum Salad consisted of 22 fresh-cut ingredients.  I'm not going to list them all here but the crispy rice made this dish.  Not only did it add texture, but the aromatics and nuttiness blended well with the crunchy vegetables, sweet fruit and herbaceous components.  This was dressed with tangy tamarind and that brought out even more sweetness and tang.

One dish I've had before was the Bechamel Taro Nachos.  Featuring thin waffle-cut taro chips, these were topped with tamarind prawns, melted Swiss and mozzarella and of course, an avocado bechamel.  Beyond the crispiness of the thin taro chips, the best part of this dish was the little bits of prawns.  Due to the cook on them, they were rather meaty and held up to the rest of the components.  They were sweet with a slight tang while the cheese held everything together.

Another nicely-plated dish was the Miso-Orange Roasted Carrots.  This consisted of a variety of carrots that had been butter-poached.  As such, they were super tender to the point they were almost breaking apart, but stayed intact.  The natural sweetness was definitely there with background earthiness.  Complimenting the nutty peanut sauce, we found a bright and tangy beet vinaigrette.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Seared Eggplant with Green Curry.  This acted almost like a vegetarian pate with a silky baked eggplant topped by poached carrots.  This was spread onto toasted and buttered ciabatta served on the side.  Texturally, this only worked because the toasted bread was the contrast.  Eggplant and carrots by themselves were very soft and hence spreadable.

Something a bit more usual was the Confit Chicken Leg Khao Soi.  The combination of delicate egg noodles and crispy noodles helped soak up the rich and coconut curry soup.  It was aromatic, slightly sweet, a bit earthy and plenty creamy.  The large chicken leg was definitely meaty and tender, but at the same time, it was maybe too tender?  I loved the crispy skin though.

One of the most impactful dishes we had was the Khao Khluk Kapi Bowl Thai Fried Rice.  This was not only due to the fact it was the beneficiary of smoky wok hei (high BTUs), but the fermented shrimp paste afforded plenty of umaminess.  With that being said, it wasn't so pungent that it was overwhelming.  Just enough of it.  As evidenced in the picture, the plate was also loaded with crunchy veggies as well as crispy shallots and fried garlic.  Lots of textures and further aromatics.

Encased with an egg lattice, the Pad Thai featured 2 large prawns on top.  They were meaty with a bounce texture.  Inside the lattice, the chewy rice noodles were coated with just enough homemade tamarind sauce.  It was quite balanced as the noodles weren't too tangy nor too sweet.  It had plenty of savouriness with smokiness from the wok hei.

I was happy that we got to try the Coconut Crème Brûlée since I enjoyed it very much the last time I was here.  Presented beautifully in a half-coconut, the dessert benefitted from the fresh coconut meat on the sides.  Beyond that, the custard was creamy and had a light thickness.  Sweetness was balanced and the brûlée was crunchy and caramelized.

Seemingly super simple, the Som Choon consisted of lychee, pineapple, strawberry, jackfruit, and orange in jasmine-scented syrup,

with orange zest, ginger and crisp shallots. The trick with this was to drizzle the syrup to your fancy and then serve it with ice. The result was something that was fruity, refreshing and pretty cold.  I loved it!

Colourful with a variety of ingredients, the Pandan Chocolate & Strawberry Khunafeh was full of different textures.  The crunch from the khunafeh was reminiscent of that in a Dubai Chocolate.  Heck, the chocolate drizzle helped it even more so.  The house-made pandan custard even looked like pistachio, but instead, it gave off a different form of nuttiness.  It was like a Jedi mind trick as it looked like Dubai Chocolate, but it had a twist of slightly different flavours.

A stealthily delicious dessert was the Gluay Buad Chee.  It featured a coconut cream mousse that was silky and rich.  It had plenty of aromatics and sweetness.  That in itself was quite satisfying already but we found a brûléed slice of banana on top.  The contrasting textures between the soft banana and the smoky crunchiness of the torched sugar was appealing and gave the dessert some body.

Of course we ordered some bevvies to go with our meal too. We thought the Watermelon Mule was the most refreshing with fresh-squeezed fruit.  Loved the natural flavours and the texture of the drink.  Mango Supreme was floral and also fruity.  The Mojito was refreshing from the passionfruit and also the mint.  Being savoury, the Tom Yamgrita was a bit spicy with the usual fragrances of lemongrass and galangal.  Overall, the meal was impressive as it featured traditional Thai flavours with some twists and a dose of modern presentation.  Definitely something to consider as the prices are quite reasonable given the quality of the food.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Traditional Thai flavours but with a certain refinement

- Reasonable pricing

- Unique dining space

The Bad:

- Confit chicken was far too soft

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

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