Juliette Plaza

Having started off this trip with a wonderful dinner at Montreal Plaza, it was fitting that we visit the little sister next door at the end of the trip.  Yes, Juliette Plaza opened in early 2024 and had the mission to offer more approachable small dishes that maintained the same quality as Montreal Plaza.  As such, we made reservations for lunch on the day before we were supposed to leave Montreal.  Loved the quaint dining room adorned with whimsical decor.

I decided I had to get another Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Mousse with a raspberry gelée.  Although this seemed like a small portion, let me assure you that it was plenty.  It was so rich and buttery, I'm sure any more of it and my poor heart would tell me to get a salad instead.  Due to that addition of foie gras, it was definitely richer and silkier.  It was well-seasoned and the taste of brandy was apparent.  It came with some crisps which were texturally perfect for the mousse, but since they were brittle, it was hard to spread without breaking them.

We've had our fair share of trout on this trip, but this time we had something just a bit different in the Confit Arctic Char crusted with black sesame.  With a rare preparation, the char was soft and silky.  The skin was a bit crispy due to the nutty sesame seeds while a bunch of chives and salt helped add brightness and seasoning.  However, the fish itself was already well-seasoned through the confit.  Hence, it ate a bit salty. Underneath, we found a cucumber salad in a tangy vinaigrette.

The best dish of our meal was their cheeky nod to an ol' American seafood chain restaurant.  The Red Lobster Scallops was an interpretation of the fried scallops found at the struggling chain.  Instead of fried small bay scallops, their version consisted of fried scallop mousse encapsulating a smaller scallop.  With crispy breading on the outside contrasting the bouncy sweet scallop mousse, it was a textural treat.  However, the house-made cocktail sauce was what put this dish over the top.  It was fresh and bright with bits of tomato that also had an appetizing tanginess.  Oh and the scallops rested on a spicy mayo with some chives.

Next was the Coquille St-Jacques with scallops, shrimp and nduja mixed in a mornay sauce.  This was a pretty small dish, but was packed with flavour.  Due to the nduja, this ate with a nice spiciness which was balanced off by the creamy sauce and the sweet tanginess of the ligonberries.  A plethora of chives didn't hurt matters too with a herby brightness.  As for the scallops and shrimp, they were tender and delicate.  As per usual, there was the pomme purée on the outside.

Normally, wherever I see Crispy Potato Skins on a menu, it gives me visions of TGIF and their big honking half potatoes that are only marginally hallowed out.  Well, I wasn't expecting this to be the case here, but when it arrived, it was still a pleasant surprise.  What we had was actual potato skins (sans all that potato) fried until super crispy.  It was topped with tobiko, spicy mayo and parm.  Underneath, there was some mashed potato to compliment.  So many textures and flavours going on here.  Delicious.

Another excellent dish was the Stuffed Chicken Wing with chicken and mushrooms.  This was really good where the skin was rendered and completely glazed with a balance of sweet and savoury.  Inside, the chicken was tender and bouncy.  There was a miso sauce to compliment and it was richly salty without actually being salty.  We found charred cabbage on the side.  It was smoky and well-seasoned.

Onto dessert, we had the Strawberry Sundae with some banana custard on the bottom with strawberry molasses, Chantilly and strawberry sorbet.  As expected, this was super refreshing and fruity.  I'm not usually a fan of banana desserts, but the custard had a nice aroma and was mildly sweet.  Great finish to a delicious meal.  Loved the concept of smaller plates to share as we could try more items.  Depending on how much you order, it is debatable if it is actually less expensive than Montreal Plaza, but then again, we order too much usually.  I would come back.

The Good:
- Nice share plates that allows one to order more dishes
- Delicious
- Quaint

The Bad:
- Depending how much your order, your bill can get up there
- Trout was a bit salty

 

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 

Toque!

Always chasing after new restaurants is what many people do to keep on top of the restaurant scene.  However, we must not forget about the ol' standbys too.  They were, at one point, the new kid on the block.  One of the long standing restaurants in Montreal that still receives accolades is Toque! on the outskirts of Old Montreal.  It has been around for 30 years and has morphed from a small restaurant on St Denis to the larger elegant space in 2004.  We were able to squeeze in a lunch here on our eating adventures for this trip.

Their lunch menu is strictly table d’hôte featuring one appetizer and one main course.  For our appetizers, we had the classic Pâté en Croute.  This was beautifully plated with squash mostarda, apricot purée, somerset grape and pumpkin seeds.  Crispy and firm, the hot water crust pastry was excellent and did not separate from the pâté.  About that pâté, it consisted of duck liver, tongue and pork.  It was rather meaty, especially from the tongue.  Just enough fat to keep things silky and bonded.  The accompaniments helped lighten things up with tang and sweetness.  Loved the sprinkle of pistachios on top adding nuttiness without being wet.

Our other appetizer was the Laquered Miso and Maple Trout with cauliflower purée, nasturtium, apple & maple mignonette and trout roe.  This was a well-composed plate with super crispy fish skin that was properly seasoned.  The trout itself as lightly cooked where the centre was still rare.  It was buttery and sweet with the natural flavours coming through while the miso added fermented saltiness.  To balance, the maple did its job with aromatic sweetness.

For our mains, we had the Lamb with romesco, cauliflower, confit leek, matsutake mushroom, thyme and lemon sauce.  Served in 3 pieces, we found the lamb saddle, rib and leg meat.  Prepared medium-rare, the leg meat was tender and juicy with a nice char on the outside.  The thyme and lemon sauce was tangy, earthy and sweet.  Lamb saddle had crispy fat giving way to tender and fatty meat.  Nice saltiness with this.  Braised rib meat was more lean, but the romesco helped in that regard.  Confit leek were charred, so there was smokiness to go with the brightness.

The other main was the Beef Strip Loin with bak choy, shiitake mushroom, beet, zucchini, red bell pepper chutney, black sesame purée and foie gras sauce.  Prepared medium as requested (not for me, I like medium-rare!), the steak was tender with a meaty texture.  It was properly seasoned, but the foie gras sauce was silky and savoury with plenty of umami.  The black sesame purée was quite potent with plenty of nuttiness.  

Dessert was not included with the table d’hôte but we ordered 2 of them anyways.  The Corn Crémeaux consisted of basil dehydrated sponge cake, nectarine, caramelized corn, olive oil ice cream.  Really sweet and rich, the corn crémeaux was the beneficiary of actual sweet niblets.  Loved the crispy sponge cake, which was the perfect compliment to the creamy and mildly sweet ice cream.

Lastly, we had the Strawberry salad with jasmine syrup, gin, strawberry sorbet and lime gel.  Such a simple dessert, but truly refreshing and satisfying after some heavier dishes.  Since the strawberries were sweet already, the light kiss of the syrup was enough.  Could definitely get the brightness of the gin coming through.  Finished off with some Dark & Milk Chocolate with dried raspberry and ginger gel.  Nice little bites to end a very solid meal.   

The Good:

- Solid execution

- High level of service

- Classy and spacious dining room

The Bad:

- Maybe less sexy than the new places?

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

Monarque

So how much French food (whether it be French or French Canadian) can we handle over a week?  Apparently a lot because we moved onto Monarque for lunch after 5 meals already!  There are 2 options for lunch service at Monarque with one being the bustling Brasserie and the other in the Salle de Manger (Dining Room).  We went for the more casual Brasserie where we were surrounded by business people doing their power lunches.

To start, we went for something a bit lighter in the Ocean Trout Tartare with miso eggplant puree, puffed rice, roe, daikon and radish.  This was beautifully plated with buttery trout that was cut up into manageable pieces.  Even though the sweetness of the trout was prevalent, the dish was shoyu-forward being just a touch salty.  However, that didn't mean the miso eggplant puree wasn't welcomed though.  Really enjoyed the fermented saltiness that added depth and another layer of flavour.  Crispy and nutty, the puffed rice added the necessary textural contrast while the radish did the same thing but in a bright and refreshing manner.

We also had the Ricotta Ravioli with basil and tomato beurre monte.  Featuring a thin exterior, the raviolis were delicate yet still had a nice chew with our initial bites.  Inside, the ricotta was not packed in too tight.  As a result, it was light and airy with a herb-forward taste.  The sauce was buttery and super bright.  It was also clean with a pronounced fresh tomato flavour with both tang and sweetness. 

Onto the mains, we had 3 of them including the Monarque Burger.  This IPE housemade patty was nicely seared to rare and the meat was plenty juicy.  It didn't eat like a tartare though as it was cooked enough for the texture to tighten up, but it was not shy about leaking meat juices all over the place.  Fortunately, the heavily buttered and toasted brioche soaked up all of the meat juices and still held together.  To make this even better, we found meaty and crispy bacon as well as 12-month aged cheddar for smoky saltiness.   Really solid burger.  The frites were slightly crispy with lots of natural potato texture.

I finally got to order a Duck Confit after many opportunities at the other meals in Montreal and this one didn't disappoint.  It featured a duck leg that had some crispy skin which was mostly rendered.  I found the fall apart meat to be flavourful and gelatinous without being overly salty.  Plenty of duck flavour that was pretty intense.  This was further enhanced by the silky duck jus (which was a bit salty, but needed as the rest of the items were not).  Underneath, we found tender pieces of radish and zucchini that still had a bite.  The fingerling potatoes were also tender, but still firm.

Our last large dish was the Half Lobster Thermidor served with a Jardin du Monarque Salade.  Impressively plated with the half lobster acting as the serving vessel for the meat, spinach and Hollandaise sauce, this dish was rather filling.  I guess the silky and buttery Hollandaise helped in that respect, but really, it was delicious and complimented the buttery lobster expertly.  Even the spinach was cooked beautifully being wilted but not mushy.  It was well-seasoned too.  The side salad was excellent too with a variety of fresh crispy greens and sweet tomatoes in a tangy vinaigrette.

As if we didn't have enough meringues on this trip already, we had the Passion Fruit Pavlova.  Arriving at our table, it certainly looked massive, but in reality, the crispy meringue was only a thin layer compared to the airy and eggy meringue in the middle.  To balance the sweetness, we found real passionfruit (with the seeds) providing a considerable amount of tang.  In addition to this, we had some passionfruit cream (that resembled a sabayon) for further effect.  Overall, Monarque met our expectations and was a good meal.  Definitely a great option if you are around Old Montreal.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- The service we had was friendly
- Loved the bustling atmosphere

The Bad:
- Some things were a touch salty

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