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

Restaurant Pearl Morissette

So when I was originally planning out which restaurants to visit while in Toronto, it was stressing me out a bit that I was going to miss out on this year's #1 restaurant in the country according to Canada's 100 Best List.  Moreover, they have been awarded one star by the Michelin Guide. Restaurant Pearl Morisette is located in Niagara region situated on a farm that is also a winery, orchard and bakery.  So I made the decision to rent a car and do the 1+ hour drive and back (each way) so I could see for myself if they were worthy of the accolades.  Let's just say right off the bat, the place is gorgeous with an old barn converted to a restaurant.  It overlooks the farm and has a setting that is both unique and vital to the whole experience.  Many of their dishes consists of components grown on the farm.

We started off delicately with the Poached Nova Scotia Lobster.  It was a beautifully plated dish with an array of colours.  The lobster was prepared properly where it had a nice rebound but was still light in texture.  It was sweet being harmonious with the lobster & scallop consommé.  It was spiked with rhubarb juice, which gave it a nice tanginess.  Textural crunch was provided by the daikon and radish.  Floral notes were not only provided by the flowers, but also the black current wood.

Coming from a strategically gentle start to the meal, we moved onto the Carrot Crisp with scallop roe pâté and dried chili.  I found these to be spicy and earthy with a balancing amount of sweetness.  There wasn't as much brininess as I was expecting, but the harmony of flavours and textures was definitely there.  These were definitely crispy and a nice progression from the previous dish.

Now looking at the picture above, you might not be very excited about a few pieces of bread.  However, the Sourdough was made with einkorn and iron fife flour.  Hence, the bread inherently had some real sweetness and nuttiness in addition to the usual tang.  It was firm around the edges, but totally fluffy with a nice chew everywhere else..  However, the star of the show was the St. Brigid's butter which was silky and very smooth.  It had a slightly higher milk fat content and hence was more pronounced in flavour with just a subtle background tang.

Stunningly plated, the West Coast Dungeness Crab was fluffy and had all of the goodness of crab brininess.  There was some textural contrast from the crunchy fried cranberry bean crumble while the pickled garlic emulsion offered up some tangy sharpness.  The most impactful component was the hay and alder custard as it had an earthy nuttiness to it.  What was moist important is that none of the components overwhelmed the delicate and delicious crab.

Staying with seafood, we were served the Lake Erie Pickerel fried Matsukasa-yaki style.  By pouring hot oil over the fish scales, it completely crisped them up.  Unlike the one we had at Alo, the scales here were light and easy to eat.  The fish itself was super moist and buttery, cooked to perfection.  Although it was properly seasoned, the emulsion underneath was earthy and bright with the combination of asparagus, coriander, chervil and false cardamom oil.

Apparently we weren't done with the fish courses yet as the next dish to arrive was the Slow-Grilled West Coast Halibut.  It was expertly prepared where the texture was delicate and flaky.  With the honey glaze, we did get some subtle sweetness, but the buerre monté was the dominant flavour with a butteriness that was also tangy and aromatic.  We found some peach leaves on top as well as some poached hakurei turnip and green mizuna.  This greenery did give some bitterness.

Onto a vegetable course, we were presented with the Pot Roasted White Asparagus topped with Acadian Emerald caviar.  Just looking at them, they seemed to be caramelized and indeed they were.  There was a deep amount of sweetness that was quite delicious.  In addition to that, the asparagus still had a snap texture.  In addition to the caramelization, there was balancing saltiness, tanginess and brininess.  Some of it was thanks to the tender razor clams (and the caviar) which had a pleasant chew to them.

Moving back to the meat courses, we had the Back to Nature Organics Roasted Duck.  As you can clearly see, the duck was cooked perfectly and was super tender.  Fat was rendered and the skin was not flabby.  The haskap glaze was a bit salty, but still delicious.  Next to the duck, we found cucumber, green strawberries and bambi gem lettuce.  Nice crunch and brightness to lighten up the dish and toning down the saltiness.

Our last savoury course was the Roasted Pork from Linton Pastures.  If you look at the picture, you can clearly see that the pork was just barely cooked with a bit of pink on it.  Hence, it was super juicy and succulent.  Once again, the demi was on the saltier side, but had plenty of meatiness.  Morels were crispy and earthy while filled with pork and lobster mousse, which had some mustardy notes.  The horseradish leaf oil and mitsuba herb brought things down a bit with some bitterness.

Just before we hit the sweets, we were presented with a Beef Consommé with a wealth of edible flowers on top.  The broth itself was full of umami and natural beef flavour.   This was seasoned well and there was some earthy root veggies underneath.  They were still a bit crunchy, which was a nice texture.  Normally, I would expect a sorbet of some type as a palate cleanser, but this acted as one in a savoury manner. 

So onto dessert, we had the Fraser Valley Rice Tartlet with marinated strawberries and black currant leaf rice pudding.  Being made of rice, the tart shell was lightly crispy and had some toasty notes.  The herbs on top were noticeable and the with the flowers, we got some floral aromatics.  The rice pudding was sweet and creamy while the strawberries offered up some tanginess.

Our second dessert was the Salsify Mille Feuille with a salsify tuile, marinated apple, black koji pureé and toasted oat chantilly.  I found the whole thing super light with crispy tuile.  The apples offered up some extra crunch albeit a wet and sweet crunch.  I found the sweetness to be on point.  The chantilly was airy and really, eating this dessert was very easy.  The creaminess was also equally aromatic from the toasted oats.

Our third dessert was a Toasted Sourdough Ice Cream Sandwich.  This was a nice little bite with creamy and smooth ice cream accented by the rich and nutty brown butter caramel.  Extra crunch and sweetness was provided by the candied sourdough bread.  We really got Danish cookie vibes from this!  Finally, we were presented with some Madeleines with whiskey and miso while dusted in allspice sugar.  These were so fluffy and light while the fermented flavour of the miso really came through whereas the whiskey was beautifully subtle.  When it was all said and done, we agreed that the meal at Pearl Morissette was special.  From the converted barn to the lovely farm setting, things were already unique before we even got to the food.  The whole experience, including the personable service, reflects its one-star Michelin rating as well as top spot in Canada's 100 Best Restaurants.

The Good:

- It is about the whole experience

- Excellent food

- Superb service

The Bad:

- A bit out-of-the-way for most people, but worth the drive

Sunflower Lodge

Last summer, I met with some friends at the Blackberry Kitchen in Mission.  This beautiful wood lodge situated at a top of a hill (with a view) offered up homey vibes with lunch and dinner service.  Well, fast forward to the present and now it is The Sunflower Lodge, which is affiliated with the Sunflower Cafe in Maple Ridge.  Hence, it dishes up the same fresh produce from the farm and focuses on BC ingredients.  We decided to go for the a la carte menu, however, they do have a tasting menu available too.

We were started off with a Amuse Bouche of White and Red Gooseberries in a sorrel purée.  This certainly perked up our appetites with bursts of sour tanginess with just a touch of sweetness.   If the pops of flavour from the gooseberries wasn't enough, the tartness and "greenness" of the sorrel compounded the appetizing effect.  There was also some bread with the same delicious cultivated butter from the cafe.  It was so creamy with strong "butter" flavours.  The addition of flaked salt really elevated the impact.

Our first dish was the Charred Asparagus with smoked mushrooms and Hollandaise.  Each sprig was tender while completely smoky from the char.  It was well-salted where it amplified the sweet flavour of the asparagus.  We found the fried mushrooms to be extra crispy, offering up a textural contrast while also giving off an appealing smokiness.  Creamy and mildly seasoned, the Hollandaise nicely complimented the veggies.

Bringing it down a few notches, the Turnips & Snap Peas was a somewhat subtle dish which acted like a palate cleanser of sorts.  Featuring fresh cubes of bright and earthy turnip and sweet pops from the snap peas, this was simple, yet so delicious.  On top, we found a goat cheese mousse which was also rather understated.  Normally, anything goat cheese can be rather strong and gamy.  However, this wasn't the case, especially combined with the tartness of the flowering currant vinegar.

One of the most unassuming dishes was the Smoked Sablefish Salad.  It consisted of flakes of smoked sablefish with pickled seaweed, celery, fennel with a rice vinegar, apple & celery dressing.  With each bite, we got the butteriness of the flaky sablefish and a pretty strong smokiness.  However, this was balanced off by the tang and sweetness of the dressing.  Crunch from the supremely fresh celery and fennel added texture and the small drops of dill oil afforded herbaceousness.  There was some background spice to it too.

When the Roasted Carrot Salad arrived, we noticed the plating with plenty of negative space.  Yet, the plate in general was nothing but positive.  It featured little underdeveloped carrots that would normally be discarded.  These cute little things were sweet and quite earthy with a touch of spice.  To compliment there was some dukkah for added earthiness and nuttiness.  Going for no wastage, we found a carrot top pesto which was herbaceous and also earthy.  We got another hit of creamy nuttiness from the cashew cream.

Moving onto the larger plates, we thoroughly enjoyed the Housemade Pasta.  These large agnolottis were stuffed with creamy boursin cheese.  That in itself was pretty tasty while encapsulated in an al dente pasta.  However, these were sauced with a sweet onion soubise which was creamy, sweet and buttery.  With the addition of porcini mushrooms and heidi cheese, we got some big hits of earthy nuttiness.  Really good pasta dish.

Arriving as a pretty big portion, the Poached Halibut was perfectly cooked, not to mention, super fresh.  It was flaky, barely cooked through and moist.  This was also an indication that the fish was never frozen.  It was fairly mild in terms of seasoning, but no matter as the creamy sauce Veronique provided a floral and herbaceous flavour to the dish.  Underneath, there was a spring vegetable succotash that exhibited a precise brunoise.  It was cooked beautifully where the fresh texture remained.  Some acidity was provided by the gooseberries and to top it off, there was some sea asparagus. 

Just like at Sunflower Cafe, we also had the Fraser Valley Roasted Duck Breast.  If I had to compare, this was prepared even better than the Cafe, but both were good.  The duck was super tender and juicy while the fat was fairly rendered with a crisp skin.  That Haksap berry jus was balanced with equal parts sweet and tangy.  It was definitely there but allowed the duck flavour to come through.  On the side, there was a turnip salad that was, of course, super fresh, bright and turnipy.

Saving the heaviest dish for last, we had the 16oz Ribeye with gnocchi fries, braised leeks and allium salad.  As you can see, the steak was prepared medium-rare and well rested.  It was also evenly charred with a caramelized smokiness.  To further enhance the steak, there was also a demi-glace on top.  Super crunchy and a nice concept, the gnocchi fries were pretty tasty, if not on the saltier side.  But this was alleviated by the onion and chive salad as well as the seared leeks.

Before we got to dessert, we had a pre-dessert in the Strawberry with elderflower and magnolia topped with mint.  Suffice to say, this was pretty complex with floral, fall flavours and fruity notes.  Nice palate-cleanser before we got to the Ricotta Donuts with housemade lemon curd and blueberry jam.  These were so airy and fluffy, it didn't feel like we were consuming any calories.  Wishful thinking I know!  The combination of tangy lemon curd and sweet jam meant there was a good mix of flavours.

We had one more dessert in the Goat's Milk Tres Leche with fresh strawberries and chantilly.  Once again, the gaminess of goat's milk was very subtle.  The sweetness of the caramelized condensed milk was the most impactful component other than the sweet and tangy strawberries.  This was a well-composed and balanced creation.  Very delicious.  In fact, the food at Sunflower Lodge is excellent and an improvement over Blackberry Kitchen.  Dishes are more refined and elevated.  What a real find in Mission!

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

The Good:
- Surprisingly level of refinement out in Mission
- Beautiful location
- Reasonable pricing given the quality and quantity of food

The Bad:
- For those not close by, it is quite the trek

Sunflower Cafe

I might be a little late to the party, but finally, I have made it out to the Sunflower Cafe in Maple Ridge.  This cute spot located on a farm takes farm-to-table to the max where things on your plate are literally harvested as you wait.  Beyond that, the setting is probably one of the nicest spots in the Fraser Valley.  Individual gazebos set within lush greenery and with a view of the current crops on the farm give a sense of peacefulness.  Great on a nice day and even on a rainy day too!  To top it off, they have a tasting menu for $85.00 that features BC ingredients as well as all produce from the farm.

 

I ended up going for the wine pairing ($55.00) with the first one being the Sparkling Chardonnay from Bella King Estate Vineyard Series.  This was clean and fresh with stone fruitiness at the end. The first item to arrive was the Amuse Bouche featuring Citrus Cured Albacore Tuna atop lovage and herb oil.  This was one herbaceous bite where the oil was quite noticeable.  The tuna itself was buttery soft being naturally sweet with a mild background acidity.  On top we found raw fennel, pickled fennel and fennel tops.  As expected, there was the usual licorice notes with plenty of crunch.  As a garnish, we found alyssum flowers straight from the garden (we were watching them snip them just before serving us this dish).

If you can believe it, one of our favourite items of the tasting menu was the Dinner Rolls and Cultured Butter.  These unassuming rolls were so soft and fluffy, I enjoyed eating them without anything.  They were served warm and smelled sweet.  However, we really did have to use up all of the cultured butter with maldon salt.  It was so creamy and had a strong buttery taste.  The salt heightened the flavour of the butter.

The second glass of wine was the Pinot Gris from Sage Hill Winery.  I found this crisp and more robust than the first wine.  It was definitely fruity as well. Perfect to go with the Summer Salad consisting of pickled gooseberries, cucumbers, baton turnips, daylilies and sorrel atop house whipped ricotta.  This was super simple, but the freshness of the components were allowed to shine.  This best way to describe this salad was supremely fresh and bright.  A nice way to begin the meal.
 

Onto the 3rd wine, I had the Scout Rose which was quite rich with dark berry and floral notes.  It stood up well to the Porcini Mushrooms and Grilled Asparagus with espresso sauce.  For a non-meat dish, this was rather meaty.  The mushrooms were so impactful in terms of texture and rich nuttiness and the smokiness of the asparagus added so much depth.  With just enough coffee, the sauce was creamy and full of umami.  On top, the crunchy and bright flavours of the celery and pickled Norway spruce help lighten things up.

 

The 4th wine was the Juno Block Chardonnay from Keenan Thrussell which was light and muted.  Definite fruity notes that was a great match with the Pacific Ling Cod.  It was barely cooked through offering up a moist and flaky texture. Although properly seasoned, the fish was enhanced by the creamy beurre blanc with peas, turnips and morels.  These added earthiness and sweetness.  On the side, we found a gigantic stuffed morel with ling cod mousse.

 

The final wine pairing was our first red being the Daydreamer Amelia.  This was a bit spicy and full-bodied with a touch of fruitiness.  Naturally, this was a perfect match to the Fraser Valley Duck Breast.  This was cooked to medium-rare being tender and juicy.  The fat was fairly well-rendered with crispy and seasoned skin.  Underneath, we found a sweet and tangy summer berries stew surrounded by an earthy and sweet beet puree.  On the side, there was a fried maitake mushroom with stinging nettle powder and sunflower seed butter.

 

As if the meal couldn't be any more enjoyable, we were presented with both the Homemade Chocolate Brownie with chocolate ganache, hazelnut mousse, candied hazelnuts and chocolate tuile cracker.  Sure, the brownie was rich with a crispy exterior that gave way to a chewy chocolate interior.  It was purposefully sweet and was enhanced by the nutty and sweet hazelnut mousse and crunch from the hazelnuts and tuile.  

 

We also were served the Strawberry & Salmon Berry Tart with red & alpine strawberries.  This was predictably a refreshing dessert where the fruitiness of the berries stole the show.  Nice tanginess to go with the sweet pastry cream and strawberry gel.  Loved the sugar tart shell as it was firm and caramelized.  There was a tangy rhubarb sorbet on the side atop puffed black rice and topped with wood sorrel.  Nice texture from the crispy and nutty rice.  Wow, just wow, the setting, food and value found at the Sunflower Cafe...  This is a place that should be in Canada's Top 100 restaurants.  I have no doubt this will happen real soon!

 

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

 

The Good:

- One of the most unique dining experiences in the Fraser Valley

- The freshest fruits and vegetables you will find at a restaurant 

- Well-priced

 

The Bad:

- A bit for for some, but really, it is worth the drive