Panacée

Here we go, our last dinner in Montreal for this trip.  Instead of a heavily awarded spot, we opted for something upstart and new with Panacée.  Nominated for Air Canada's Best New Restaurant, they are also Michelin-recommended.  Chef Catherine Couvet Desrosiers, formerly of Foxy and Bouillon Blik, uses only seasonal ingredients that are vegetable forward.  There is only a tasting menu available either in 3 or 5 services (courses), but the bonus here is that you can choose your own adventure.  For every course, there are at least 2 options (some with a surcharge).  This way, you can tailor make your experience and also have something different than the rest of your party.

On that note, we decided to have 2 completely different tasting menus.  That was achieved by each of us taking a different item for each of the 5 courses.  Yes, that also meant we weren't paying the base $80.00 per person.  Our tasting menus ended up to be $99.00 each as a reasult of choosing surcharge items.  Regardless of that, we were both served the same Amuse Bouche being the Beet Tartlette with herbed cashew cream.  This was a good start to the meal as it was light herbaceous and sweet with a crispy shell.  As another surcharge, we added the Bread from Boulangerie Aube for an extra $5.00.

For our first course, we had the default choice in the La Pelletée Tomato.   This featured super fresh and vibrant marigold tomatoes with saffron jelly and buttermilk with herb oil.  These tomatoes had a mild natural sweetness as well as a light tang.  We find some skinless cherry tomatoes that were super sweet while the little dried tomatoes were super concentrated in flavour.   Our other dish, which was a $7.00 supplement, was the Gaspésie Tuna.  The slices of bluefin akami were buttery and sweet while sitting on a cilantro puree that was bright and not too pungent.  Ribbons of crunchy Kohlrabi added texture and brightness.  Some herbaceous shishitos completed the dish.

Next up, the default dish was the Oyster Mushroom with corn sabayon, Jimmy Nardello peppers and almonds.  This was fabulous where the mushroom was grilled over charcoal.  Smoky with some crispy bits, the mushroom was already quite tasty itself.  However, the corn sabayon added such intense sweetness, especially with the pops from the niblets.  Nice crunch from the almonds and sweetness from the peppers.  With a $4.00 surcharge, the Grilled Artichokes were worth it in my opinion.  They were also smoky from the kiss on the grill while still tender.  Extra smoky nuttiness was provided by the pine nuts.  We had some aromatic shallots and some sweetness from the gooseberries.  Underneath, we had yogurt with cilantro for some brightness.

Onto the "main course" we didn't opt for the default option in the Cappelletti and went for the meat dishes instead.  The first was the Kenauk Trout for an extra $8.00.  It actually took the place of the cod (which was originally on the menu).  Further proof that they only cook with fresh ingredients.  It was surely fresh with a buttery texture from the rare centre.  It was beautifully plated with one side holding a bright and only lightly spicy habadoux sauce.  We had some intensely smoky carrots also prepared on the charcoal grill.  Some pickled carrots provided acidity while basil completed the plate.  With a surcharge of $4.00, we got the Ferme D'Orée Pork.  It was fatty while still a bit pink in the middle.  The result was juicy and tender meat with an exterior that was the beneficiary from the charcoal grill.  Hence we had smokiness complimenting the well-salted pork.  Even the beans were smoky due to the mix with the charred pumpkin seeds.  Tanginess was thanks to the pickled and diced wax beans.  Sweet gooseberries complimented the pork well.

For our pre-dessert course, the default item was the Olive Oil Ice Cream with concorde grape, laurel and hazelnut.  I thought this was really good where the ice cream was silky while being aromatic.  The grapes were sweet and impactful manipulating the EVOO ice cream into being sweeter.  Crunch was provided by the nutty hazelnuts.  Some herbal notes were added by the laurel leaves.  At $4.00 more, the Beurrasse consisted of sheep's milk yogurt, cherries, salted almond and Avonlea cheddar.  Definitely a bit savoury due to the cheese, but plenty influenced by the tangy sheep's milk yogurt.  The sweet cherries were the dominant component to this as it was intensely sweet.  Crunch and a burst of salt (to heighten all of the other flavours) was thanks to the salted almonds.

Last course had the Peach for the regular dish with opalys, brown sugar and sheeps milk yogurt.   Everything on the plate sat in a rich and thick opalys cream.  Some crispy sweet crackers added texture and aromatics.  In the middle, we found macerated peaches with brown sugar where things were richly sweet.  Again, the sheep's milk yogurt provided the necessary bright tanginess.  The Mignardise was $4.00 more and consisted of Earl Grey Ice Cream Sandwich, Chocolate Macaron, Financier, Lemon Tartlette and Blueberry caramel.  Really nice bites with the ice cream sandwich being that "it" factor of the bunch.  Creamy and light with the aroma of earl grey.  Not too sweet either.  Macaron had a crispy shell and the chocolate inside was also just sweet enough.  Of course I loved the lemon tartlette as that is always my favourite.  Nice tanginess on this one.  Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Panacée.  The food is on point and the use of a charcoal grill affords rich flavours that are smoky and full-of-depth.  Pricing is reasonable and the fact you can customize each course helps appeal to a wider audience.

The Good:

- On point execution

- That charcoal grilling!

- Reasonable pricing and the option to customize

The Bad:

- Most of the best courses we had were subject to an supplemental charge (but worth it IMO)

Cabaret L'Enfer

After a fabulous 7-course tasting menu at Mastard, we had a second one planned at Cabaret L'Enfer.  Opened by Chef Massimo Piedimonte, Cabaret L'Enfer has the cachet of a semi-finalist on Top Chef (USA) as well as being named to Canada's 100 Best Restaurant list.  He combines his Italian roots with his French training to create striking dishes in his $165.00 tasting menu.  We made our way out to St. Denis with high expectations.

Our meal began with a trio of items including a Bombalone filled with cold cream and topped with lots of truffle.  It was slightly crispy and airy while the filling was custardy with savoury sweetness.  The plethora of truffle add the usual woodsiness.  We also had a crispy discs filled with Chicken Liver Mousse with plenty of pepper and brandy.  That was rather evident with the big booziness of the creamy mousse.  To balance it off, there was some pickled rose petals offering up tanginess.  The last item was the Pâté en Croûte made with beef tongue, pork shoulder and trumpet mushrooms.  Very well-constructed with a firm and almost crispy exterior.  The inside was plenty meaty with different textures and plenty aromatic with umaminess.

Next Course was the Scallop that was lightly cured, then steamed and sliced into 4 pieces.  They were buttery soft and sweet topped with a saffron emulsion.  This added slight creaminess with the unmistakable sweet floral taste of saffron.  There was also a second emulsion of bone marrow as well.  At the bottom of the bowl, we found some gooseberry juice that was almost sour, but a great palate cleanser.  On top, we had a saffron tapioca chip that was crispy and light emitting some lobster vibes due to the saffron.

Our favourite course was the Spinach Pasta with a tomato emulsion made with tomatoes from Chef Massimo's mother's garden.  There was also plenty of basil and it made the dish basil-forward (in a good way).  Lots of herbaceousness combined with the tangy and fresh-tasting tomatoes.  Nice crunch from the bread crumbs underneath.  The pasta itself was al dente with a bouncy chewiness.  It was lovingly embraced by the bright tomato and loads of basil.  As for the shrimp, they were super sweet and delicate.  The side of freshly-baked bread (we saw this happening as we entered the restaurant) was fantastic with an appealing density, sweetness and crispiness on the outside.

Our bluefin tuna consumption has been off the charts here in Montreal and our next course was the the lightly-seared Otoro with saffron sauce.  As with all the bluefin we've had, this hailed from Gaspe and was super fresh.  As with Otoro, it was buttery and fatty with only a bit of chew.  It was bright and since there was a good amount of fat, the true taste of the fish came through with sweetness an umami.  I thought the saffron sauce was equally full of umami and sweetness with its unique floral taste.  There was a bell pepper condiment made with tomato and it was a flavour bomb.  It was probably a bit too strong for the delicate Otoro, but whatever, it was super tangy, salty, sweet and just plain yummy.

Stunningly plated, the Aged Duck marinated in koji was delicious.  It was served with a heavily reduced duck jus made with the duck bones, gooseberry reduction, red wine reduction and a black mushroom puree.  First off, the duck was beautifully medium-rare which meant it was juicy and sufficiently tender.  The skin was well-rendered.  Being aged, the duck was meaty and intensely flavourful.  With a myriad of sauces and compliments, there was a lot going on.  We had the silkiness of the duck jus mixed with the tanginess of the gooseberry and the slight bitterness of the red wine.  As if the umami of the mushroom puree wasn't enough already, we also had a corn puree which was intensely sweet as expected.  To top it off, there was a burnt thyme oil that was smoky and earthy.

Onto the first of our 2 desserts, we had Plums with a roasted yeast crumble and an espuma made from cherry leaves.  Tart and sweet, the plums were a nice way to cleanse the palate upon the end of the savoury course.  Loved the nutty yeast that was also earthy and had a firm crunch.  Creamy and light, the espuma was earthy and pleasant.  When everything combined into one bite, there was a certain harmony going on.

Our last dessert was something they like to call a "Winter Dessert".  It consisted of a dehydrated chip, buckwheat ice cream, dulce de leche and caramelized white chocolate crumble.  Definitely comforting and as they said, great for curling up in a blanket and eating this.  Really nice crunch from the chip and the combination of flavours really worked.  Classic caramel sweetness with a creamy nuttiness from the ice cream.  In the end, we did enjoy the tasting menu at Cabaret L'Enfer.  It was well-executed and featured some appealing ingredients.  The one issue is that the price is double that of Mastard's tasting menu and I didn't think it was better.  Of course that is subjective and only my opinion.  But it can be a determining factor when deciding between the two restaurants.

 

The Good:

- Well-prepared

- Sauces were delicious 

- Wonderful service 

 

The Bad:

- In comparison to other tasting menus in the city, it is one of the more expensive ones

- If you like drink options, they only have wine pairings 

Le Violon

You would think that Le Violon would be known for its Co-Executive Chefs, Danny Smiles and Mitch Laughren.  Moreover you'd also think that they are known for their use of local in-season ingredients, in which they highlight in their carefully executed dishes.  Maybe, their inclusion in Canada's Best 100 restaurants, Michelin-recommended designation or being a finalist in Air Canada's best new restaurant would be their claim to fame.  But alas, they were the restaurant that Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry had their "first date".   For me, I don't really care about the latter as I just want to dine on delicious eats.  So yes, we got a reso for Le Violon and made our way for a late dinner.

We decided to get 6 dishes to share including the Automne Boulangerie Sourdough with whipped butter with fennel pollen.  Really loved this bread as it was firmly crusty on the outside while soft and fluffy on the inside with some density.   It was perfectly salted where it totally stood on its own without the butter.  However, of course we slathered on all of the butter!  It was creamy and light with sweetness and only a hint of liquorice.

As if we didn't have enough lobster with Hollandaise already for lunch at Monarque, we had the Lobster with braised leeks.  Yes, it was covered in a velvety Hollandaise that was even better than Monarque.  Perfectly seasoned, buttery and with the right viscosity, it held onto each bouncy and sweet piece of lobster lovingly.  There was quite the generous portion of lobster too.  Underneath, we found braised leeks that were tender while holding some texture.  They added some sweetness to the dish as well as interrupting the heaviness of the sauce.

Our last small dish was the Corn with pine nuts, mint and sliced zucchini topped with zucchini blossoms.  Intensely sweet, the corn niblets were tossed in a creamy mint vinaigrette.  The acidity and herbaceousness of the mint helped compliment the sweetness but didn't obscure it.  Extra texture, albeit subtle, was provided by the sliced zucchini.  Add in some nuttiness and minor texture from the pine nuts and this was one addictive dish.   The only thing we wished for was it to be served warm rather than cold.  We thought it would've been even more impactful.

With our larger plates, we went for the Gnocchi as our mid-course.  It was made with ricotta rather than potato and hence, it was fluffier and lighter.  They repurposed the Guinea Fowl jus from the dish with the same name as the base.  Cream and mushroom were added, which made for a creamy umami-packed sauce.  This ended up to be a pretty rich-tasting dish, but the addition of fresh tarragon leaves on top provided that bright sweetness along with some background anise flavour.

Once again, we had fish in the form of Seabream with a wild green onion beurre blanc.  Since the green onion was cooked on a hibachi, there was a considerable amount of smokiness added to the sauce.  Hence it was buttery, a bit tangy (from the wine), smoky and bright.  The fish itself was beautifully prepared with a moist texture and flakiness.  The skin was lightly crispy and well-seasoned.  There was some sliced rabiole on top that was crunchy and sweet.

Here we are with our 4th Hanger Steak so far and this one was cooked to a beautiful medium-rare (being tender) and topped with Cantabrian anchovies.  Beyond the nice sear and proper cook on the steak, it was also nicely seasoned.  However, with the addition of anchovies, there was intense umaminess but not an overbearing amount of saltiness.  Underneath, there was a piperade that was sweet and aromatic but not spicy.  It complimented the steak while allowing the beefiness of the hanger steak to shine.

Finally, for dessert, we avoiding having meringue again by ordering the Valrhona Basque Cheesecake topped with pistachio crème anglais.   Employing 70% bitter chocolate, this cake was not very sweet.  Perfect in my opinion as the bitterness of the dark chocolate made it appealing.  The cake itself was a bit firmer than the usual Basque cheesecake, but I enjoyed it.  As for the pistachio crème anglais, it was a bit sweet, which balanced of the bitterness nicely.  In the end, we agreed that Le Violon is deserving of all the accolades earned during its short time in business.  Food is fantastic and pricing is rather reasonable with all things considered.

The Good:

- Well-crafted eats that are not fussy

- Reasonable pricing

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- Really tight seating (not unlike many other Montreal restaurants) and hard to get a reservation

Mastard

Here we go with my only Michelin-star restaurant for this trip to Montreal.  I was lucky enough to snag a reservation for Mastard but not Sabayon.  I didn't even bother with Europea as their reviews are all over the place.  As for Mastard, Chef Simon Mathys is at the helm and he uses as many local ingredients as he can.  He is also the master of sauces where each dish is composed and flavours are thoughtful.  We were excited to experience their reasonably-priced tasting menu (available in 5 and 7 courses).   Go big or go home, there was no hesitation in deciding for the 7 course tasting menu.

It started with an Amuse Bouche consisting of fry bread stuffed with cream cheese and topped with coppa.  A very nice start to the meal with varied textures including the crispy and light fry bread.  It was contrasted by the creamy cheese in terms of temperature and texture.  The heavy-lifting was provided by the coppa as it added a sweet savouriness with a touch of spice.  That in itself also offered up a different texture with its pleasant chewiness.

Onto the blind tasting menu, we began with the Nova Scotia Scallop.  It was hard seared on one side and sliced into 3 pieces.  Hence, we were treated to a progression of flavours and textures.  Buttery and rare, the 2 bottom slices were the soft introduction to the sweet scallop.  When we got to the top slice, it was crispy on the top while still soft on the bottom.  Best of all, the caramelization afforded an intense brininess.  Very clever.  We found a corn puree and white onion foam that offered up different types of natural sweetness to further supercharge the dish.  There was also a white wine sauce with trout eggs on top. On the side, we found some charred bread with butter and what I thought was lettuce custard (from his famed tart).

If the scallop wasn't a great enough start, the hits kept coming with the Braised Cabbage with an emulsion of smoked clams with guanciale.  Delicate and packed with flavour, the cabbage was salty and smoky.  With some ying and yang, we found 2 different sauces including a emulsified matsutake-infused sauce and sea urchin & pepper sauce.  Both sauces were packed with umami.  I found that they complimented each other well where we had an oxymoron of effects - subtly impactful.  Completing the dish, the 2 pieces of buttery sweet sea urchin added fresh sea vibes and raw thinly sliced matsutake with its natural woodsiness bite.

A little surf & turf followed but not in the traditional sense.  Instead of steak and lobster, we had Braised Rabbit with 2 smoky oysters.  Tender and sweet, the rabbit was presented in its own juices.  Exhibiting briny smokiness, the buttery oysters provided a gentle jolt of the sea to its land-based partner on the dish.  Adding some bright sea sweetness and tanginess, we found a prosecco and oyster seafoam on top.  Adding some texture and a vessel to soak up the delicious sauces, a crispy and flaky feuilletée sat atop the dish.

As a supplement to our tasting menu, we really didn't hesitate to add Chef Mathys signature dish, the Bluefin Tuna with lettuce tart.  It featured a beautiful and large piece of fresh bluefin atop his famed lettuce tart.  Creamy and almost airy, the lettuce custard shone in a bright green.  It was subtle tasting with some sweetness.  Contrasting the custard, the crispy tart shell was flaky and buttery.  Ah yes, then we had the beautiful bluefin from Gaspé with its meaty butteriness.  The inherent sweetness exuded bright and clean sea vibes.  Just a touch of salt on top and it helped highlight those flavours.  Finished off with a nutty camelina oil, it meshed well with the salt to give the dish some silkiness and flavour.  There was a hit of acidity for balance as well.

At this point, we were thoroughly impressed with the intricate and thoughtful execution of our dishes.  That was further reinforced by the Nova Scotia Swordfish that was cooked to perfection.  Just a touch rare in the middle, the fish was tender and soft.   On top, the miso and koji sauce was silky and full of depth.  It had a rich saltiness that was balanced off by its creaminess.  Accenting the components, we found eggplant and a zucchini puree with a basil curry.  Combined together, they offered a complexity to compliment the miso and koji sauce.  We found the slightest bitterness combined with sweetness and anise-like flavour of the basil.  Served on the side, we found some Agnolotti stuffed with chicken and pepper.  Pasta was firm with a nice chew and the ample chicken filling was tender.

Moving onto the heavier dishes of the tasting menu, we had the Lamb with cheese, mint puree and lamb jus with Swiss chard.  The piece of lamb was cooked to perfection being medium-rare.  It was juicy and full of natural lamb meaty flavour.  However, it was a bit on the chewier side.  Bordering on salty without going over, the jus was full-on lamb essence with the slightest bitter influence from the chard.  I felt that the mint puree really helped cut the saltiness and add some classic compliment to the lamb.

Our final savoury course was the Duck from Ville de Carignan.  Much like the lamb, it was prepared with precision where it was evenly cooked being medium-rare and sporting fully-rendered skin.  It was sufficiently flavourful by itself, but it was further elevated by the tomato puree that was cooked on the barbecue for 10 hours.  It was intensely concentrated in flavour as well as being smoky.  We also found a herring emulsion that was quite mild.  There was a side dish consisting of Fried Potato with heirloom tomato and a smoked tomato sabayon.  This was delicious with brightness and natural sweetness.  It was also lightly tangy while the potato was super crunchy.

For our dessert course, we were served the Meringue encapsulating mini-cantaloupe melon balls.  Superb and strategic, this refreshing dish helped balance off the rich ending to the blind tasting menu.  Once we broke through the crispy and sweet meringue, the melon balls were sweet and juicy.  Complimenting all this was a marigold ice cream that was bright and creamy.  However, the most impactful part of the dish was the cantaloupe water and lemon vinaigrette.  It added a real kick of tanginess and intense sweetness.

To completely end off the meal, we shared an Apricot Tart with vanilla and salted caramel.  This was also excellent with a semi-firm tart shell that was buttery with a nice mouth-feel.  Sweet with a soft texture, the apricots were further enhanced by the saltiness of the sweet caramel.  We also found some house-made chocolates that had a pleasant bitterness from the ganache in the middle.  I have to say that Mastard was one of best, if not the best meal we had in Montreal this time around.  Considering the reasonable pricing, precision and a Michelin Star, it is no wonder securing a reservation is so difficult.

The Good:
- Lives up to its Michelin Star
- Reasonable pricing
- Excellent service

The Bad:
- Hard to get a reservation

 

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