Dinner @ Kitchen Galerie Poisson
Saturday June 4th 2011, 9PM
Addr: 399, Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Phone: 514-439-6886
Type of food: North American Bistro/Seafood
URL:
http://www.kitchengaleriepoisson.com/menus/index.html
Food rating: Exceptional (10), Excellent (9), Very good (8), Good (7), just Ok (6) 
(English review will follow) - A ces prix là, one ne peut pas se permettre une seule soirée 'OFF'! Oh, oui j'allais oublier: c'est un copie-coller du meme commentaire que je fais pour chaque repas qui m'a décu car en fait, je ne suis inspiré que lorsque c'est...inspirant!
Kitchen Galerie, as most Montlealers already know, is a well established restaurant located on Jean Talon. The one on Jean-Talon is a favourite of mine following some outstanding meals like this
one. Recently, their main Chefs (JF St-Denis and Mathieu Cloutier) did open another restaurant in the
old Montreal:
Kitchen Galerie Poisson (their seafood venue). Jannice and I paid a visit to their restaurant in the old Montreal this Sat June 4th 2011 and the cuisine, on this evening, was prepared under the auspices of Chef Jean Francois St Denis (a very friendly and joyous gentleman who went from table to table serving customers the food he had prepared for them).
We started with their
Foie gras poêlé aux fruits confits, $ 21 - A far cry from what their 2nd line up Chefs, Axel and Mathieu Bourdages, have served me at Kitchen Galerie on Jean-Talon (refer to this
dinner's review). I know that this type of story won't please the most (I am the very first victim of such, since reporting about average dinings is a pure loss of time and guess what...MONEY!!), but ... what's complicated with pan-searing a piece of
foie gras? This did not worth even 1 cent of its $ 21 price tag. That tiny insipid piece of pan-seared foie gras was...DRY!!
, U-N-I-N-S-P-I-R-E-D!
All I was left with is to find consolation in souvenirs of the stunning pan seared foie gras of
Chef Axel @ Kitchen Galerie on Jean-Talon or the dazzling €2 (less than $4 memorable piece of pan seared foie gras @
la Cuchara de San Telmo in SSB).
0/10 
Then we picked their
Beignets d'huîtres ---
oysters beignets. I know many food columnists have raved about those, and the buzz has gone a long way, but seriously ... who can miss frying beignets, for god sake?? Have you noticed that I didn't even bother rotating the pic of that dish properly? That is right: when I pay for food that has no inspiration, I have no business being inspired neither!
5.5/10 
Next: one dish that they should not have missed -> their
surf & turf, basically comprised of a straightforward
filet mignon and a
losbter tail. I requested the cooking of the
filet mignon to be blue rare. It was served medium rare! I just don't get that one (cooking meats at desired doneness is not rocket science; at home, in their backyards, most people are not missing this one. Worst case: there are meat thermometers to come at your rescue, Rfaol!
). But this was not my main quibble about this dish....the lobster was: tempura fried lobsters that I will only remember for its cheapie-looking texture and uninteresting flavor. At $45...this was amplified frustration! Just serve those lobsters simply grilled...!!!
The photos I took suffer from lack of light, but honestly...you are missing absolutely nothing!
6/10 When it is not meant to succeed, it just won't work...even their basic dessert missed the marks:
A
chocolate mousse-based cake topped with marshmallow was ordinary. Go figure...
5/10Ironically, it's at
Kitchen Galerie on Jean-Talon, stronghold of their 2nd line Chefs, where I've experienced inspiration and stunning food. Chef JF St-Denis, last year's winner of Canada's
Gold Medal plates (along with Chef Cloutier) was in the dining room this evening @ KGP...but if this is what he is capable of, then I am afraid we do not share the same appreciation of Gold!
258.05$ for two persons....that is what appeared on the bill..BUT for what, e - x - a - c - t- l - t - y??
The gentleman who served us (an amazing fellow, btw) was surprised that I was taking a pic of the bill. If only he knew.... Not his fault, so I didn't tell him anything about my frustration. Like in most cities, the majority of people want to hear good stuff about their restaurants, but if improving matters to you ... then reality has to be unfold!
My friendly advise: Put
style (the compact all-wooden and warm bistro decor is indeed cool, the laidback friendly ambience too, the visit of their top chef to the tables, etc...but...) aside and focus on
substance!
I will keep going back to KG on Jean-Talon, but here...NO..Thanks!
PROS: Nothing on this meal
CONS: This meal was a 258$ disappointment! Never again.
