Mon Lapin

So when you are named the #1 restaurant in Canada according to Canada's 100 Best, there are some pretty high expectations.  Well, shortly after this was announced, I made sure to get a reservation as soon as I was able.  We were going to be in Montreal anyways and of course I was going to see for myself what all the fuss is about this wine bar that has transformed into something bigger, literally and figuratively (restaurant has gotten bigger and their menu has leveled-up).

Seeing how it was a nice day and not too hot, we decided to sit outside in their quaint patio.  We ordered a good selection of items including the Razor Clams with fava beans and ham.  Simple, yet elegant, this dish was all about pure flavours.  We had the sweetness of the clams nicely accented by the mild saltiness of the ham.  Beyond the colour, the fava beans provided an earthy sweetness.  We doubled-up on this dish since it would usually only come with 2 servings.

My favourite dish was the Radish Parfait with chicken liver mousse and a supplement of Fried Chicken Oysters.  Oh look at those beautiful fresh-from-the-farm radishes!  They were so crunchy, bright and earthy with a bite.  Dipped into the creamy, sweet and airy mousse, it was divine.  Let's not forget about the chicken oysters as they were crunchy on the outside while revealing the unmistakable tender juicy little nuggets.

Sure, the next item was not the sexiest thing we had, but who wouldn't want some Bâtard with "bon beurre" (good butter) and La Villana EVOO?  Well, the bread was fantastic with a crust exterior giving way to soft chewy insides.  That butter was really good being creamy and nutty with enough saltiness.  The star was the EVOO as it was super flavourful with hints of pepperiness and bitterness.

Moving on, we had the Scallop Crudo with rhubarb water, sorrel and buckwheat butter.  This was simplicity at its best since there was not much in the way of overpowering items in the dish.  This let the sweetness of the buttery scallops be the highlight.  Light acidity, sweetness and nuttiness complimented the scallops.  This was a truly a refreshing dish that was perfect for a summer day.

Now for something a bit different, we had the Le Croque Pétoncle.  This reminded me somewhat of Chinese shrimp toast, but with scallop mousse instead of shrimp mousse.  This was well-prepared with evenly toasted buttery bread with spongy sweet scallop mousse.  These ate quite well and were a textural delight.  This was served with a classic rouille in the middle that added an aromatic creaminess.  Once again, this was a double-order of this dish.

Yep, we had to double-up our order of the Gnudi di Ricotta as well since we all wanted one of everything.  So this consisted of ricotta gnudi with deceptively similar balls of white turnip and garnished with turnip leaves.  The dish was finished in a very green pesto, so combined with the leaves, this was basically monotone.  It didn't taste that way though as the creaminess of the gnudi came through and it was seasoned enough to stand on its own.  However, the pesto was cheesy, nutty and herbaceous.

Hidden underneath a slice of mortadella (I moved it so we could see underneath), the Whelks were finished with fennel and herbs.  Nothing too complex about this dish as the whelks were the star being briny and sweet.  Texturally, they were like bigger clams and had a tender chew to them.  Loved the tender fennel as it provided classic licorice notes and the mortadella added some saltiness.

One of the most unique preparations was the Sourdough-Crusted Chicken (yes with foot still attached) with potatoes, Manila clams and yellow wine.  Well that crust was amazing with a firm crunchiness that gave way to super tender and juicy meat (even the breast).  Yep, I ate the chicken foot too...  The wine sauce was slightly briny due to the clams and was savoury with some sweetness.  Those potatoes were tender and creamy in the middle.

Our final savoury dish was the Aged Pork with crispy pig ears, pork fat morels and eel sauce.  That fatty pork was cooked perfectly with just a touch of pink.  Hence it was tender and juicy with a heightened "porkiness".  Those earthy and luscious morels were complimented the pork beautifully. Can't forget about those crispy pig ears!  They were gelatinous, fatty and yes, crispy.

For dessert, we shared the Pannacotta with Quebec strawberries, elderberry gelee and elderberry flowers.  This was super refreshing, light and full of floral notes.  The pannacotta itself was perfect as it was creamy and fully set without being too stiff.  This was a light and fruity finish to a solid meal.  Mon Lapin has not only delicious share plates, their wine list is extensive.  Great place to share a bottle or 2 or 3 while dining on small plates.  The question is it #1 in Canada?  Personally I would say no because I like Published on Main in Vancouver more, but I can't deny that Mon Lapin is a pretty good too.

The Good:

- Fresh and delicious share plates

- Extensive wine list

- Knowledgeable and professional staff

The Bad:

- Main dining room can be warm

- Your bill can get up there if you are hungry and thirsty

Fable

As much as it is cool to visit new restaurants all the time, some of the more established ones are worth revisiting.  So when Costanza suggested we hit up Fable for his birthday, it was a good time to have some of my favourite dishes there.  For those who don't know, Fable is a tongue-and-check name for Trevor Bird's farm-to-table restaurant in Kits.  He opened it up shortly after his appearance on Top Chef Canada at the former location of Fuel and Re-Fuel.  I had originally dined there after it opened and came away satisfied.  Seeing how they still had 2 of my favourites on the menu, there was a good chance this visit would yield the same result.

As such, I did order those dishes in the Canned Tuna and Spaghetti & Meatballs.  Don't let their names fool you as they are not what they seem.  For the canned tuna, it was essentially a jar of albacore, potatoes, tomato and olive oil sous-vide.  To eat this correctly, we had to mix the ingredients vigorously to create a chunky slurry.  So if you can imagine how canned tuna tastes like, then you will get part of the flavour profile of the dish.  However, with fresh albacore, the texture was much more buttery.  A touch of acidity helped keep the dish bright as well.  Looking at the next offering, it was technically tagliatelle and a duck meatball filled with mushrooms.  Some duck jus and a parmesan foam completed the flavours.  Once again, we did the mix-it-up routine where we found a mix of the gaminess of duck, umaminess of mushroom and aromatic saltiness of parmesan.  Add it to the al dente pasta and this was as good as we remembered.

Unlike the last time, we didn't have any raw oysters on the half shell.  Rather, they had something called Oyster Fish n' Chips.  Basically, these little oysters were beer-battered and fried, placed in a half shell, topped with tatar and shoestring fries.  So again, just like the first 2 dishes, the whimsical interpretation of ordinary food items was prevalent.  Crunchy and light, the batter gave way to a briny and buttery oyster.  Tangy and creamy, the tartar sauce was a natural compliment while the shoestring fries added some crunch.  Since Elaine isn't much into oysters, she did not participate in this (as it is charged per piece).  Rather, she had the other one bite appie in the Chickpea Fritter (also charged per piece).  I've had this before, but it was plated a bit differently with curry mayo, pickled onions and pea shoots.  Falafel-like, but fluffier, this was crunchy and the curry really came through.  Acidity was provided by the pickled onions.

We weren't done with the small plates yet as we also got the Cornbread that consisted of 4 large slices for a very reasonable price of $4.00.  I'm not sure if it was a good idea to order this since we already had 4 different small plates already, but it was good nonetheless.  Although not crispy nor crunchy on the exterior, it really didn't matter as the cornbread itself was soft, airy and fluffy with the right amount of moisture.  It wasn't too sweet where it balanced with the savoury aspects. Not on the menu, the featured small plate was the Grilled Caesar with croutons and tallow bacon.  Initially, I believed there was far too much dressing on top, but the impactful acidity really cut down on the creaminess.  Furthermore, the brininess of the anchovies really came through.  Loved how the smokiness of the grill on the romaine was present without it being over-wilted.  Lots of crunch was provided by the large buttery croutons and crumble.

Onto the larger plates, we had the Halibut with pork belly, pea/miso risotto, scallions and tokyo turnips.  This was the most delicately seasoned concoction of the bunch, but in our minds, probably intentional.  For the protein itself, the halibut was prepared expertly with a crispy seasoned sear on the outside while the fish itself was flaky and moist.  Although the flavour profile was rather bright due to the greenery, the caramelized pork belly did add some concentrated saltiness. In addition to trying their featured small plate, we also had their large one being the Pappardelle with tomatoes, broccolini, braised pork and pork butter.  This was silky and meaty while maintaining a balanced seasoning.  I thought this dish was excellent, but unfortunately, the fresh pasta was a bit overdone being too soft.

Ending off strong, our other 2 larger dishes were absolutely excellent and delicious.  The Seared Striploin was cooked to a a tender medium-rare with beautiful charring.  It was accompanied by celeriac remoulade, salt-baked celeriac and beef tallow horseradish crumb.  Other than the beef, the most impactful thing on the plate was the remoulade as it was creamy and tangy.  The crunch from the nutty beef tallow crumb was a nice textural contrast.  My favourite one of the bunch had to be the Smoked Duck Breast with glazed parsnip, duck parsnip croquette and Napa cabbage.  Beautifully seared and well-rendered, the crispy duck skin gave way to tender medium-cooked duck.  It was moist and flavourful with a umami smokiness.  On the side, the croquette was crispy and full of duck mixed with soft parsnip.  So there you have it, a solid return visit to Fable.  Other than the soft pasta, everything else was on point and as tasty as it was before.

The Good:
- Well-executed proteins
- Good flavour combos
- Whimsical appies

The Bad:
- Pasta was a bit soft
- Salad was a bit overdressed

Part and Parcel

Originally, we were going to eat nearby in Downtown Victoria since I had to return to my conference for an evening session after dinner.  However, if we were going to pay premium prices due to location for average food, it wasn't the best way to go about things.  Therefore, I got Viv to pick me up for dinner and we headed over to Part and Parcel.  Reasonably-priced, this little eatery focuses on locally-sourced ingredients to create unique dishes in a casual dining space.

We began with the fantastic Smoked Trout Flatbread with crispy capers, cornichons and fresh dill.  Thick and slightly doughy, the flatbread reminded me of bannock, but grilled instead of baked/fried.  It had a nice elasticity to it and despite being a bit dense, it was still fluffy to a degree.  On top, the trout concoction was creamy and naturally sweet with a good dose of smoke and umaminess.  Adding a salty tang, the cornichons as well as the capers made the dish pop.  The plethora of fresh dill was the proverbial icing on the cake.  As much as a side of Fries and Mayo can be rather boring, these were solid.  Fresh cut and perfectly fried, the fries were crunchy with plenty of potatoness left inside.

Served on a bed of tzatziki, the ribbons of Humboldt Squid were tender to the chew while still having a bite left.  The fresh zing of the tzatziki kept things interesting with a bright creaminess.  Again, the good amount of fresh dill just added the right amount of natural flavour that impacted the entire dish.  To add texture, there was a liberal sprinkling of breadcrumbs on top.  This added both crunch and toasted aromatics.  This was simple yet completely delicious.  Also not overly complex, the Grilled Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with mushrooms and caramelized onions was another example of careful execution.  The bread was buttery and crunchy while the amount of aged cheddar was sharp and nutty.  Add in the earthy squishy mushrooms and the massive amount of sweet caramelized onions, there was plenty of umami to go around.

Onto 2 bigger items, the Grilled Chicken Thigh and Sausage was also done right.  Juicy and tender with crispy well-rendered skin, the thigh was also perfectly seasoned.  The sausage was just as good being airy and light with a moist filling.  It was also full-flavoured without being salty.  This was served with barley and sunflower porridge, buttermilk, kale and puffed grains.  The creamy porridge was not particularly exciting, but it didn't detract from the dish.  I liked the ample amount of fresh kale as it made the dish the seem healthier.  Lastly, the Confit Pork Belly was killer.  Generously portioned as 2 thick pieces, the pork belly was mostly meaty with tender fatty portions.  It was well-seasoned and nicely seared on both sides.  Underneath, the fried rice with pepita, pear and nam prik was absolutely delicious.  The rice was chewy, tangy, sweet, spicy and savoury - hitting all the flavour notes including the brininess of the nam prik.  A good mess of cilantro on top made this even more flavourful.  Some might disagree with me, but for this trip to Victoria, Part and Parcel produced the best food (even better than Agrius).  Definitely a must-try.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Interesting combination of ingredients
- On point proteins

The Bad:
- Small place, fills up quick

Two Rivers Meats

Ever since Miss Y went on the Paleo diet, I've been trying to find places that could either fit within that diet or come close.  One of the newer spots in town that nearly satisfies this criteria is Two Rivers Meats out in North Van.  They combined their fabulous meat shop with a counter-service restaurant that is truly the definition of farm-to-table when it comes to the meats.  We headed out there in hopes of trying their beef tartare, but alas, due to the health inspectors, this was temporarily off the menu.  No matter, there was still lots to choose from.

Before we got to the things we ordered, they presented us with a nice little bite consisting of Tallow Popcorn.   For those who aren't familiar, beef tallow is essentially rendered beef fat.  This may sound highly unhealthy, but compared to frying in vegetable oils that change composition under high heat, beef tallow does not.  Whilst eating the peppery and salty popcorn, I didn't notice it to be greasy in any way.  We began with the Charred Chicken Drumsticks dressed with jalapeno buffalo sauce.  I found the meat to be tender and succulent, but the drumsticks could've been charred more aggressively as I didn't get much smokiness.  The sauce on the other hand was super impactful being spicy (lingering) and tangy.

For my main, I went for the Bavette Steak with a side of Tallow Fries.  It was prepared a beautiful medium-rare.  The meat was super tender with a bite while being juicy.  It was nicely charred on the outside where it was smoky and crispy.  The herbed butter on top added all the aromatics and seasoning the steak needed.  The tallow fries were very crispy and not greasy.  On another visit with, we went for the featured steak once more with the 6 oz. Wagyu Tri-Tip.  It was nicely charred, seasoned and topped with the same silky herbed butter.  We asked for it to be prepared medium-rare and it was done so perfectly and evenly.  The meat itself was juicy and well-rested.  Due to the our requested doneness, some of the rich fat in the steak was not rendered, hence being a bit chewy.  But that would be our fault, not theirs.

We also ended up sharing the Pork Cracklings that were more like fried pork belly bites a la Tuc Craft Kitchen style.  However, unlike Tuc, these were much larger and far less rendered.  Hence, they were lightly crispy on the outside, but very fatty otherwise.  They weren't bad per se, but we couldn't eat all of it due to that.  They were well-seasoned, but then again, something like an acid would've been good to cut down the heaviness.  Lastly, we had the Dry Aged Cheeseburger with a side of tallow fries.  We liked the bun as it was soft and airy, but still held everything together.  The patty was juicy, but curiously dense and not as impressive as we would've expected from Two Rivers.  Also, the decision to use processed cheese was another curiosity.  We also added bacon and it was fantastic being crispy and meaty with rich smoked flavours.   After these 2 visits, we came away only mildly happy.  The meat quality and execution of the steaks were pretty much on point, but the rest of the items were average at best.  Lots of potential here though.

The Good:
- Fresh meat, really...
- Steaks executed expertly
- Good tallow fries

The Bad:
- Other items were average
- A little pricey for the type of restaurant

Opus Co

More than ever, it seems that some independent restaurants (those that are not part of a chain) are taking more risks as in offering up nose-to-tail cookery.  Furthermore, the farm-to-table movement is becoming more mainstream where diners are focusing on quality and fresh ingredients.  Of course, that usually comes at a price and frankly, a large chain would have a hard time with that kind of commitment.  That is where a small place such as the newish Opus Co comes into the picture.  This was something that fit Miss Y like a glove as the "Opus Feast" was as Paleo as it gets for dining out.

The aforementioned Feast is their tasting menu for $50.00pp that features shared plates that are chosen by the chef.  We decided to sit right at Chef's Counter where we could watch our food being prepared.  We began with a small Charcuterie Plate consisting of house-made sweet capocollo with sesame salt, lamb spam and turnip with shrimp paste.  This was a simple plate that highlighted their use of Asian seasoning.  We loved the lamb spam (made with cured lamb belly and trimmings) as it was meaty and lean while being easy on the salt.  The fermented saltiness of the shrimp pasted turned an ordinary turnip into something flavourful and impactful.

Next up was the Kale Salad with roasted squash, Asian pear, peanut sauce and cilantro vinaigrette.  This was another flavour explosion thanks to the aggressive use of the tangy and bright dressing.  I appreciated the restraint with the cilantro as it can be overpowering if not used properly.  Due to the intense briny saltiness, it appeared there was fish sauce in the vinaigrette. We did agree that there was probably just a tad too much dressing though.  The robust texture of the kale did stand up to the strong flavours though while the peanut sauce added creamy aromatics.

Onto the mains, we shared the Pan-Seared Steelhead with kasu "risotto", beets and grilled treviso.  If there was perfection in preparing the steelhead, this would be it.  The skin was appealingly crispy and well-salted while the flesh was just barely cooked through which meant it was flaky, moist and buttery.  On the side, the beets were tender and sweet while the grilled treviso was crunchy and lightly bitter.  By employing the leftover lees from sake-making, the kasu riostto was an interesting addition where it was soft and lightly creamy with a bright and only mild sake background flavour.

From fish, we went with Pork Belly with crispy rice with pork fat and dressed with fermented black bean sesame dust.  Another side consisted of salted radish.  The rolled piece of roasted pork belly was sliced and then seared.  The result was a wealth of fatty aromatics combined with the caramelization of flavours.  We could really taste the pork since it was not overseasoned (this was a good thing).  It was super buttery and tender where it didn't take much effort to cut and chew.  The rice was crispy and chewy with the essence of pork fat while the dust added a nutty saltiness that accented the pork.

Our last savoury item was the Lamb Loin rubbed with anchovy and garlic atop a miso creme fraiche accompanied by pickles.  Prepared a beautiful medium-rare (close to rare in some parts which was fine by us), the meat was succulent and fatty sporting caramelized exterior.  The flavours were intense with a briny saltiness, yet restrained enough that it didn't overshadow the delicious fattiness of the lamb.  The side of pickles added an acidity and crunch that helped cut through the fatiness.

For dessert, we were presented with a duo consisting of Bay Leaf Buttermilk Ice Cream with candied squash and a cranberry shortbread cookie as well as Carrot Cake with a sticky marmalade on top.  Creamy and lightly woodsy, the ice cream was purposefully sweet.  Loved the robust sweet squash on the side.  As for the carrot cake, it was fluffy and light where the sweetness was surprisingly restrained.  Even the marmalade was not over-sweet.  As you can plainly see, we enjoyed our meal at Opus Co where the food is interesting and well-prepared.  The Feast is an incredible value and I just might head back when I'm in town.

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Interesting and good use of Asian flavours
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Super small dining space