Skipped the Michelin-star tables - Although Spain is at the forefront of world gastronomy, only two michelin-starred spanish restaurants do catch my attention at this moment: El Celler de Can Roca (Girona) and Quique Da Costa (Denia). I regrettably missed both  due to a lack of time. As to San Sebastian's multiple Michelin Star tables (3* Martin Berasategui, 3* Arzak, 3* Akelarre, 2*  Mugaritz), I gathered enough intelligence on them to decide on choosing none. Michelin star tables in Spain are affordable, especially compared to those of France. And I heard that the service is not stiff, star Chefs are more accessible, the overall dining experience more pleasant at most of the best tables of Spain. I was seduced by reports about the amazing service at Mugaritz, the charming and friendly Chef Berasategui, the mesmerizing view from the large glass windows of Akelare. But when it comes to 2* and 3* Michelin star restaurants, I have my own personal preferences. At the highest Michelin star level I am more oriented toward France's haute cuisine: my style is more Roellinger, Michel Bras, Briffard, Piège when he cooks haute cuisine, Christophe Moret, Guerard. This comes at a price, I know...but I'd rather save enough $$$ for what I really want rather than sitting at a Michelin star table just for the sake of it!

One last notice about Spanish Michelin-starred dinings: the price you pay  at those  3*  restaurants is a fraction of what one would pay in Paris or New York at most 2* or 3*  ventures. Spain is definitely where you should go if you want to experience Michelin star meals whilst not emptying your pocket.

***A lot from  Paris, a bit from Bruxelles and Rome - There's no secret that some parts of SSB could remind you of Paris (they were clearly inspired by France's architectures), but did you know that the small streets of Parte Vieija could remind of Rome? And look at this:
It's their plaza de la constitucion. Once a bullring. Nowadays, just a plaza with terraces. At night, a remote feel of Bruxelles in the air ;p And last but not the least, I do not see many complaining about a piece of Nice's '''La promenade des Anglais''' in SB: the long walk along Playa La Concha


 


...A romantic feel  - If I can say of a city that it has sensuality and a distinctive romance  feel, then SSB would qualify to the designation. Here are three elements that do not fail as a romantic call:
-The gardens in front of city hall late at night:


The charm of the small streets of Parte Vieija, at night (like a little version of Rome):


Their long walk by the seaside:

Or take the long walk by the sea, along Paseo Nuevo, right behind Monte Urgull:

(This is one of the scenic seaside views you will get from the back of Monte Urgull, along Paseo Nuevo, in the direction of Paseo de Muelle). I did personally did not enjoy going up on Monte Urgull, but this is a question of personal taste. I'd still suggest you try Mount Urgull since the views from up there could appeal to some, I'm sure. 

...A fuego Negro - Indeed, one hot pintxo bar which cult I am embracing. I usually I tend to stay away from the big advertised places, but I have to give it to AFN:
the bar, the pintxo, the staff  and the spot are super cool, modern, well thought. They have the sense of pleasing  and  you just feel good there. There was my introduction to txakoli, the iconic white wine of the Spanish Basques. This wine surprised me: really pleasant, light, enjoyable in mouth  (could pass as a remote version of a champagne. It is NOT a  Champagne, but gets somehow close to it). 1-0 for AFN (I am seduced!)

...Bar Zeruko:  

Update on March 24th 2011: Just learned that the fact that they had to close was due to an urgent last minute event. I am therefore removing my words of unsatisfaction and do offer my apologies for the misunderstanding. 

...Bar Martinez, 31 de Agosto, 13. Tel 943 424 965 (closed on Thurs, Fridays):
the surprising spanish omelette - With Bar Zeruko closed, we decided to hit two of their current most popular pintxo (tapas)  spots. First Bar Martinez on Calle de Agosto 31. The thing here is to come around 8:00-8:30 if you want to avoid the crowd.  Mission accomplished: barely no one in a bar that was going to get full later around 9:00. Here, I picked some 'croquettes' of cheese: tasty.  Croquettes of ham and asparagus: tasty. I am writing 'tasty' because they were, but I am quickly getting the 'buzz' about those spanish pintxo  spots: they do indeed make those ''croquettes'' way better than most of the best restaurants around the world. Yep, that's what surprised me the most. But wait till you read about what I've experienced at La Cucachara de San Telmo (next paragraph). In the meantime, I had to try their Spanish omelette. I love those simple things that barely attract attention to the most. This is exactly where I do play attention at your creation...
this is where I do tag you as a hero or a zero! This Spanish omelette is basically made of potato, tomato, chives, eggs. Its deliciousness was unexpected: omelette redefined! And I am not talking about redefinition of texture or whatsoever un-natural aspect of it (which  I usually call ''pure BS"  btw)...nah, I am talking about the main purpose of an omelette: its TASTYNESS! We could argue forever with possibilities  like 'it is just a different omelette that I have never tasted before'.  Regardless, it is superior to whatever omelette I have yet sampled all around Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia and it stands as as my new reference  as far as omelettes go!  Bar Martinez: 9/10! Pratical note: Bar Martinez has tables where you can sit down.

La Cuchara de San Telmo, Calle 31 de Agosto 28 Bajos, Tel: 647 787 444 - Our second stop after Bar Martinez. Largely the most advertised pintxo place along with A Fuego Negro.  In other corners of the world, the buzz is pure BS in the hands of those who can capt the attention of the media or of the Public relationship fake  drama.  You surely know what I mean. Here  in SSB, they obviously apply themselves to back buzz by real genius. Both la Cuchara de San Telmo and A Fuego Negro proved, on my visits at their establishments, that they are simply the best at what they do...perhaps even more than that!  Anyways, let's get to the fact:
(1) A risotto, in its "pintxo version. I do not know how to write this, but I am bold, and there's no way I'll try to find words or BS descriptions  to come to the point: this risotto they served to me was simply a new reference, a creation that was way superior in both taste,  appreciation, and cooking mastery than any of the best risotto I ever sampled at 3*, 2*, 1* Michelin starred tables. Let alone at  the rest.
Again, forget about the fact that I've never been to SSB before and that this may have been the effect of novelty. Thinking that way would be  simply naive. The fact is that their risotto is stunning, way superior than most of the best risottos on offer out there, and we need to face it. Basta!
A 10 over 10
(2) The pan seared foie gras - Those folks do a superior pan seared foie than even my world's favourite ones (sorry Eau a la Bouche, Sorry Bistro Cocagne,
I love your pan seared foie...but la Cucachara makes it twice better). The depth of taste of their foie, the mastery of its cooking is way beyond expectation, and then you have the sour/sweet puree accompaniments that were simply un-matched.   In two bites, La Cucachara did way better than the best 3* I could think about (without the decorum perhaps, but all I care about is the superiority of  the food!). Simply the best of the pintxo places  I have tried in SSB (just remember that there are no tables there. It's a tiny place.
Once you enter the place, just head to the bar on your right, stand up there and just order your pintxos off the small board that's on the bar's wall. Just 6 to 8 items, written in spanish and easy to read. Stand up and eat. Not that big of a drama since this is not  a big meal, remember...but just samplings of food --aka tapas / pintxos).
Before I forget: I read here and there that this place is hard to fine. I agree: you can miss it easily...because it is not really on 31 de Agosto.. or it it? Lol..once you get there, you will better understand what I mean. For now, keep this in mind:  once you are on calle 31 de Agosto, it is at the corner of Valle Lersundi Plaza. Carefully look afar and you will see a yellow sign "Keler".  It's right there (looks like a street that goes nowhere --in between Bar Martinez and La Cepa on 31 de Agosto--, but stick to that path).


...Come here in summer - It's a small seaside city
with perhaps more interests  than just the sea and the food (pintxos of course, plenty of seafood), but visit San Sebastian in summer if that's a place you're planning to visit. I came here this time in March for personal reasons, but summer would have surely been better. I was afraid that San Sebastian would be just another of those oversold touristic places. SB is touristic, there is no doubt about this. But at least, I find, it has some interesting things to bring: the city itself is charming (the seaside part worths a visit on its own. Perhaps not the perfect caribbean type of beach, but scenic enough and the beach is in good condition (where I'll rate the best beaches of the Caribbean with a 9 to 9.5 over 10, those of the Atlantic side of Mediterranea with a 6 over 10,  I've got to rate SB's beaches with a 7 over 10 - The water is relatively clear and the sand, although not white but light brown --- think of the desert -- is soft and nice). The city is romantic (taking a walk at the back of Monte Urgull, on Pasealeku berria / walk at night by La Concha beach, etc), with plenty of fun bars and eateries on top of being a city-beach resort. Can't fail to seduce as far as I am concerned.

Fish from trouble waters ... tend to generally taste better. That is why their fish is quite tastier (please do not go there with un-realistic expectations towards their fish. It is among the tastiest ones, point blank). Ironically, my palate has a softer spot for their tropical cousins: the fishes of warm and quiet tropical seas (sometimes packed with less upfront depth of taste --- compared to those I've sampled in SSB ---  but I find their taste more enticing, almost 'nutty-er' especially in my preferred way of cooking fish: grilling). 

...For shopping: look around carefully. There are bargains amidst expensive stores. And they are everywhere to be found: Alameda  del boulevard, Calle Urbieta, in the small streets of Parte Vieja, etc. My "coup de coeur" went for a small boutique for women accessories and shoes / clothes called "Koima" on Idiakez Kalea, corner of gipuzkoa plaza. This was first discovered by my mum, the only person I trust for opinions on best value  buyings. She told me that I should go there to find interesting women accessories and shoes for my wife. She was right:  The price there are ridiculously low and the items varied, creatively assembled. A true small little gem found out of nowhere and a great way to boot your shopping spree in a city of great shopping opportunities (If you look around carefully, jewelries, women accessories, shoes and men suits are insanely cheap compared to the rest of the world).

...Affordable eats: Since all infos on the web have covered virtually all eateries of SSB, I will cover those that were left behind but worth a detour if you want to save money in food spendings. You can do better than the average eur 20 "menus del dia" that most restaurants do offer. My best locations for cheap but good food are:
(1) Ricky Pollo in la Bretxea cinema/commercial centre - Rotisserie, pastas. Great cheap food with better service than  at a bunch of top restaurants! 
(2) La Cueva del Pollo -- a cheap but great rotisserie. Both are close to each other. 

Their ham worths indeed the detour. I regret of not having spent more times discovering them as much as I would have liked, but the care, the aging, the taste of their ham is memorable. You might be shocked at times by the price of some of their superior hams, but if like me you are passionate about this, I'd recommend to give them a try.

Lodged at:  

Pension Bellas Artes. An excellent pension (absolutely no complain) with excellent hosts who work hard and work well. It is a small pension, with a very personalized service, so do not draw comparisons to a standard hotel. Leire, the owner, did everything to make our stay enjoyable and what a honest person. From her pension, you walk straight on Calle Urbieta and within 10 mins, you are already at the jonction of Playa La Concha's seaside walk and the town hall/Parte Vieja.
Bottom line: San Sebastian is my type of place -> varied architectures and sceneries. Lots of fun little eateries and bars. A seaside that entices,  and somehow a multi-cultural city opened to the outside (people were mostly really  welcoming to me, and that is right there a remarquable proof of open-mindness / tolerance, believe me, Rfaol! Please do not abuse of their kindness).  For the food, stick to their seafood.  They are great at it. For their pintxos, start with the current leading spots: La cucachara de San Telmo, A fuegro Negro and from there try the rest:  la Cepa, bar Martinez, etc.  They are all very close to each other, and since the ritual is to sample 1 or 2 bites here and there, just go from one place  to another. It is cheap (2-3 euros for 1 pintxo). 
If you want to discover SSB through a romantic angle, I will recommend you do this:
(1)Book a table at restaurant La Perla, Playa la Concha for when the sun goes down. You will thank me ;p
(2)Take your sweet half  to a night / or late afternoon  walk along Playa la Concha or at the back of Monte Urgull (on Pasealeku Berria)
It is perhaps no Tuscany, Rfaol...but it can trade couple of punches with the earlier Italian star when it comes to romantic opportunities.  Personally, it brings me even more enjoyment than Tuscany to many respects (they are different, of course. Just try them both to make up your own  opinion). 


Off to the next adventure. Miss you Montreal!
Thanks for reading.

Dinner at L'Eau à La Bouche, Sat Febr 27th 2010, 18:00PM
3003 Boulevard Sainte-Adèle
Sainte-Adèle  (Québec)
Phone: 450 229 2991
URL: http://www.leaualabouche.com/
Particularity: A Relais & Chateaux restaurant
Type of dining: Upscale market cuisine / French Fine dining
READ: My report about the 1st dinner here (Febr 13th 2009).

Second visit at Restaurant L'eau à la bouche, Sainte-Adele in the Laurentides (in between Montreal and Tremblant). As most already know, this is the restaurant of star chef Anne Desjardins and one of the very few  Relais & Chateaux tables of Eastern Canada/Quebec. L'Eau à la Bouche is one of QC's very top best fine dining tables along with Hotel Saint-James XO Le Restaurant, Toque! / Nuances in Montréal, Initiale in Quebec City, Quintessence in Tremblant. Last time we dined there, that was on February 13th 2009 (ref: click here for my review of that dinner) and that tasting menu we had back then was simply stunning. We were excited to see if this magic would perpertuate and went this time again with their tasting menu.

Kicked off with an Ok Rhum coco/blood orange/grapefruit:
Rhum coco/blood orange/grapefruit: Ok, satisfying cocktail (7/10). A second cocktail of gin/tonic (10/10) was more memorable.

Next came a mise en bouche of:

Wild mushroom/chives/creme fraiche potage: evenly seasoned, not too creamy not too light, enjoyably slightly peppery with the chives adding a nice touch to the earthiness of the whole potage. Welcoming refreshing touch from the crème fraiche. Good. 8/10

Followed by:
Smoked trout from Sainte-Agathe crème fraiche, horseradish, wakamé, roasted sesame seeds - The cold smoked fish's flesh sported an ideal pink texture. The trout was oozing with it's enjoyable natural strong flavour. The sweet, smoky flavor of the fish was delightfully enhanced by the mix of the creme fraiche and horseradish that provided an excellent kick to the smoked trout (although common --- horseradish/creme fraiche acompanying smoked fish is common affair--- this was more importantlyl very tasty). 10/10 for the match Smoked Trout/Horseradish/Creme Fraiche.
Wakame: Crunchy, fresh  and tasty. Drizzling it with the sesame seeds was a great touch and turned out to be a convincing great work of taste. On it's own, it was excellent, but not a convincing accompaniment to the smoky trout.
Precision of the cooking: 5/5 (The trout ont it's own was nicely smoked)
Tastyness: 5/5  for the taste of the trout, same for each other element on their own
Complexity: Medium
Overall Value: 4/5 
Pairing wine: Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Reserva Selection Limitée , Montes - Vallée de Leyda, Chile
It is a wine unknown to me, which is exactly what I seek for since I love discovering wines. And it turned out as a welcoming surprise to my tastebuds: nice medium-bodied mineral wine, aromatic with a nose of grass and enjoyably fruity aromas too (my tastebuds sensed aromas of litchi and cantaloup). I love this white wine: it's aromatic, intense. To my tastebuds, this balanced so well with the smoky aspect of the trout. Great wine pairing.  

Fresh duck foie gras from "la Canardière" "au torchon", celery, honey caramel  - To be honest, although "au torchon" preparations keep most part of the taste/flavors of the foie, I am more a fan of pan-seared foie (especially the ones concocted by Toque!, Bistro Cocagne and APDC. I have always said that Laprise-Loiseau-Picard have among the best techniques of pan-seared foie gras concoctions. L'Eau à la Bouche's pan-seared foie on my 1st dinner there in Febr 2009 was also a blast, sharing actually the position of best pan-seared I ever had on a fine dining table -- here & abroad's included -- with the item #3 of the last dinner at Toque!). It just blows my tastebuds way more than the "au torchon" version. To make matter worst, I really had average experiences in Mtl & surroundings with most preparations of the "au torchon" version (even at upscale restaurants, with only the one I had last summer at M Sur Masson being a highlight  (it was tiny in portion, but oh so intense and of high quality) along with the one at Toque!, too.
As to this one, the pate consistency was ideal: beautifully velvety, not too firm, not mushy  and enjoyably meaty, like I expect my au torchon foie gras to be. The La Canardière foie gras is a truely top quality foie produced in QC's region of L'Estrie.
Tastyness: Excellent freshness + superior quality of the foie  reflected in this lovable tasty au torchon foie gras in it's simplest splendour. The honey caramel was delicious and complemented so well the foie.
Overall Value: for the top quality foie gras, this is definitely of nice value. As for the accompaniment, I'd skip only the celery (not to be seen as a reproach here: the celery --you can see it at the bottom of the picture--- adds actually a cute textural visual balance to the overall dish, was good and fresh on it's own but not quite complementing the foie, to my tastebuds opinion) but the honey caramel was simply divine!
My only suggestion: put more complexity into the 3 pieces of toasts, for ie offer 1 honey-flavored baked toast, another one could be spice bread..etc. 8/10

-See how they cook one stands to me as the best pan-seared foie I ever tasted on any upscale fine dining table, here and abroad included. 

  Pairing wine: Gaillac Doux 2006, Grain de Folie Douce, Causses Marines - although I know so well this wine (one favourite of mine), I do also appreciate seeing it served on a restaurant table. It's a great wine full of intensity, dense, with  aromatic nose of   prune, honey, currant, and an enjoyable long finish. Solid value. As for the pairing, it tuned out, in mouth, as  nice match to the foie (Undoubtly even better with some pan-seared foie gras). 

Served in a tajine:

Roasted squab, risotto, wild and cultivated mushrooms, cooking jus, tonka bean and mint - 

Roasted squab - There are some few meats that are victims of severe judgements from my tastebuds  like Squabs and Quails, courtesy --- perhaps--- to the fact that I seldomly get to eat them and many cooks managed to somehow serve it either bland or try to my table. The rewarding aspect of this stands in the fact that whenever  it impresses me, the squab or quail had to be an exceptional exercice of cooking mastery and tastebud wonder (well, to my tastebuds of course!). 
This simple preparation of theirs perfectly accented the natural flavors of the fowl, the pigeon's meat had the ideal texture, slight smoky-ness and tasty meaty juicy-ness. Delicious tender squab taht kept it's gamey taste intact. The squab was roasted to perfection. 10/10 for the roasted squab.
I feel a bit uncomfortable when judging risottos: I have been perfectionning this at home for years, at least once a month, so needless to stress that in such circumstances you are afraid to be harsh on judging others risottos. Fortunately, I can be completely detached from that aspect and fully focus on someone else's risotto as my tastebuds sense it. This  risotto was delicious and delicate on it's own, not mushy but at ideal al-dente consistency, sporting a nice texture, ideal creaminess, delicious taste and enhanced by a subtle enjoyable citrus aroma. 8.5/10 for this risotto. The risotto I had last year at Restaurant Primo & Secondo in Montreal  is still KING, but the Desjardins are doing a really good job at this, too. 
The mushrooms brought the right level of earthiness to balance with the earthy-tone of the squab meat.
Complexity: Honestly, High. Think about how time-consuming and fussy a risotto can be. I know, this is a big league restaurant and surely a simple affair for them, but it is still not as simple as 1,2,3 + it takes a considerable level of focus, patience and skills to make a delicious risotto. This was definitely not our so called easy easy home made risottos. Add to this, the master cooking behind that flawless roasted pigeon + the righful balance of flavors in there.8/10
Pairing wine: Niagara Escarpment VQA 2006, Gamay, Malivoire Wine. Being profoundly attached to  France's terroir wines, I mistakenly left canadian wine sleeping a bit under my radars, and this was a nice reminder to look also this side of the world since some solid nice wines have made their way for a while, now. Unfortunately, this very specific 2006 Malivoire made of Gamay grapes was disappointing to my tastebud: it lacked body (way too light-bodied for me) and character. Slight nose of rosemary, tannic, just not as delicate and aromatic as I wished.

Wild Boar,  roasted contre-filet, braised shoulder, rutabaga and butternut squash, cranberry and green pepper corn sauce - The best Boar dish I ever had since a long time was the braised Boar I devoured at LCCP on Nov 13th 2009 (It's the Braised Boar / See course #4 of that dinner): that was pure cooking genius and a stunning concerto of decadent flavors/textures/tastes. Since then, I had my share of satisfying, but not memorable, boar dishes at many restaurants this side of the border. So I was looking forward to taste  L'Eau à la Bouche's take on the Boar: the meat came in two ways: roasted (tender and flavorful) + braised (even more enjoyable to my tastebuds since it was packed with deeper flavors and tasted great. In both versions, the meat was nicely tenderized, and they manage to skillfully avoid the easy dry-ness this meat can easily indulge into. Nice work too on keeping the natural gamey taste of the meat.  8/10
Pairing wine: Palacio de Ibor Reserva Valdepeñas 2004.  It's a wine from the Spaniard's region of Castilla de la Mancha. Appelation Valdepenas. This affordable tempranillo (made from a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, too) wine (off side note: if you are seeking for nice value wines, this one is a great value red wine for the $$$, btw ) is packed with a nice tannic presence, has low acidity, a nice structure and remarquable enjoyably fruity (cherry) notes + aromas of coffee. Nice complexity. Liked it, especially with the Boar meat ( found it to pair nicely with this meat).

"Heirloom" beet salad, creamy goat cheese, ham salt, roasted nuts  - The quality of the beet is remarquable here. Nicely boiled, the various types of beets tasted great and the work of textures at display on this dish is appealing to the eyes. The creamy goat cheese was tasty. Roasted nuts adding an enjoyable nutty touch to the overall. A simple dish, with a homey feel.
Pairing wine: Arbois 2005, Béthanie, Fruitière Vinicole d'Arbois. It's a France's region of Jura (Sub region of Arbois) Chardonnay that I know very well. Very affordable rich fruity wine, with fine minerality, citrus aromas. Paired naturally well with the beets salad dish.

Before I conclude with the dessert, try this  highly recommendable 1986 Château-Chalon Yellow wine if you get a chance:

The dessert:

 Mango and litchi, coconut "macaron", mango jelly  - I have a huge weak spot for tropical fruits. Mango and litchis are among those I like the most. Last year, L'eau à la bouche won my heart with an amazing...roasted pineapple marvel (hi..hi..I told you: those tropical fruits drive me nuts! Rfaol!). This time, it sounded as interesting too with such thing like mango jelly and coconut macaron and I was looking for my tastebuds to interpret this all: although enjoyably flavorful , the macaron (6/10) was too dry and too crunchy. In the middle, a sorbet of litchi (delicious, rich and memorable 10/10) and on the far right a mango brunoise (6/10 Just ok). 

SO, Voilà! My last year's tasting menu at L'Eau à la Bouche (ranked #1ex aequo personal top dinner at all Mtl and surroundings restaurants of my 2009-2010 exercise) was more on the 'upscale fine-dining' range whereas this year's (ranked #15  personal top dinner at all Mtl and surroundings restaurants of my 2009-2010 exercise)  pertains to the 'upscale bistro-esque' repertoire. Either way, L'Eau à la Bouche can deliver some of the top finest dining experiences of this province (on this dinner, most patrons at neighboring tables who picked some of the à la carte menu items had experienced the full potential of the huge fine dining talent of this table, so do not rely solely on the bistro-esque trend of my latest tasting menu).

IMPECCABLE WORLD CLASS SERVICE, AWESOME SOMMELIER
What a charming wait staff: sociable, extremely accomodating and professional. Exactly what I do expect from a Relais & Chateaux (Remarquable High standard of customer service). And charming they are: At some point, our sommelier of the evening, Valerie (who does, by the way, an awesome work at patiently describing and elaborating on each wine), learned from my part that I was charmed one year earlier by the poetic presentation of wines made by Mr Pierre, who has been one star of the restaurant for almost 22 years. She made sure that Mr Pierre appeared at my table towards the end of the dinner. Awesome charming touch!

CHARMING COUNTRYSIDE INTERIOR DINNING ROOM
As you already know from the Febr 13th 2009 report, the interior decor is simple, small, with low ceilings and above all, in perfect harmony with the basics of French countryside interiors  that it naturally has to relate to. Although simple looking, it has a charming elegance to it. Let's go through a little visual tour of it all:

As soon we got in, we faceda small little bar where a welcoming staff (smiley, sociable) welcomed us:

As I wrote earlier on, the dining room has a cute countryside interior type of decor:

PROS: This is indeed in the top 3 finest tables of Quebec Province. All the top tables supposedly as great or greater than this one have failed to prove me otherwise. I am not talking about value for my bucks here, but the 'gourmet' aspect in itself. So, the 1st meal (Febr 13th 2009) there was simply stunning. We had at our neighbouring table a couple who was familiar with this globe's finest tables and they agreed that that meal (they were having the same tasting menu we have chosen) was of top 2 star Michelin standard even right at the heart of Michelin stardom: France. But...

CONS: But...the 2nd meal was inferior to the 1st (and this has nothing to do with the fact that the 1st occurence is always more 'magical'). Talking about the 2nd meal, I do expect such top level dining venture to not miss a simple macaron. It is a forgivable slip given what they have proven on the 1st meal, but this should not happen. And when  you opt for something slighlty less 'gourmet' and more 'bistro' ( as it was the case with the tasting menu on the 2nd meal), I become less of a fan. Lastly, The 'smoke trout' and the 'foie gras au torchon' dishes would have benefited from a more elaborate  'gourmet' concept/construction (they were too straightforwardly conceived for this level of dining). What justifies an outstanding gourmet level of dining is its complexity, done superbly well. I did not get such depth of successful complexity on this 2nd meal ..which I should expect at at such high $$$!

***For the record, I have gathered a recap of all my reviews here (this is an easier way to get  to them rather than scrolling the entire xanga web page).

Dinner @ Restaurant Poivre Noir,
Type of cuisine: Modern French fine cuisine with eclectic influences (Oriental, Latin American, etc)
Friday September 17th 2010, 07:30 PM
1300, rue du Fleuve
Trois-Rivières, QC
Url: http://www.poivrenoir.com/au-resto
Phone: (819) 378-5772 

Food rating: Exceptional (10), Excellent (9), Very good (8), Good (7), just Ok (6)

This friday, we went visiting two cities outside of Montreal: Quebec city and Trois-Rivières. 

Since I am always in  search for fine dinings that are in the upper echelon  of Eastern Canada's restaurants, we went at two elite dining ventures of the province of Quebec:
L'Initiale (Quebec City) for Lunch and a dinner at Poivre Noir.
 
The restaurant is located in Trois Rivières, a city located at approx 2 hrs drive from Montreal, 1hr and a half from Quebec City.

Decor:
Poivre Noir's setting is elegant  with a comfortable and inviting feel to it,  promoting a real sense of serenity that both Jannice and I have enjoyed on this evening.



The contemporary interior cohesive design is marked by warm and bold colors



The table-setting style: white tablecloths, Candlelit, quality glassware:



The view on the Saint Lawrence river (scenic)




adds to the charming romantic warm decor




Food:
On this dinner, Poivre Noir featured an attractive menu, blending modern/European French fine dining fares with Oriental (there were Chinese, Indian influences on this dinner)/Latin american ingredients .

We picked the tasting menu:

Tourte de saumon - A first nibble of salmon pie was served along a fresh lemon-coriander yogurt. The pie was perfectly baked with an excellent meaty salmon filling that was packed with superb fresh marine robustness. The yoghurt was light, tasted fresh and delicious. 8.5/10

Fromage bleu en Baluchon (amazing quality cheese, perfect depth of enjoyable rich tangy taste),  a thin slice of fresh  cucumber wrapped around a raspberry (simple, but I guess this was more of  an ode to the products. I'll take it that way since both the cucumber and the raspberry were exceptional  in terms of quality), Black Corinth grapes (the product for the product. They were of excellent quality),  foie gras au torchon (well done  with an ideal soft buttery consistency, perfect salmon-pink texture,  great taste)  7.5/10

The next course comprised of
-An espuma of tarragon and Mozarella di Bufala (10/10): there have been, all along this dinner, couple of  exceptional food items. I'm referring here to performances you usually find on 2* and 3* michelin starred tables. One of those is this espuma. Simply outstanding in terms of taste (moving / will  set the bar to most of it's variations on the upper scale of fine dining), impeccable texture and overall execution.
-Halibut en papillote, Garam Masala, baked peach (3.5/10): the only weak food of the entire dinner.
The halibut was masterfully cooked (beautiful golden texture, nicely moist consistency of the flesh),  but it tasted bland! One  major ingredient of the Garam masala blend of spices made things even worst:  a subtle taste of cumin added unpleasant bitterness. The baked peach was of no help neither. 
Dommage, because the idea was ambitious. 
-Marinated beets, cabbage, parsley, radish salad (10/10): Only an exceptionally  talented Chef can work  his veggies to such highest level (amazingly tasty, superbly seasoned, outstanding well balanced taste).  At some point, Jannice and I  made a joke about this:  we laughed over the idea that those veggies would walk from our table, get into  the kitchen and start thanking  the Chef for the amazing job he did with them ;p 

My main meal of this tasting menu was the Duck magret.
The dish was of generous portions. Aside from the duck magret itself (10/10 top quality meat, expertly cooked and remarquably savourish),  I also had the following accompaniments:
-Truffles, chives, mascarpone millefeuille: another outstanding food item you will usually find on a table of 2 or 3* Michelin caliber. This one specific brilliant rendition of that millefeuille was a cutting edge coherent nibble bursting with  outstanding vibrant flavors. A reference to most palates. 10/10
-A mixture of cooked veggies: filling and tasty. Seasoned perfectly well. Good +. 7.5/10
-Butternut, orange espuma: light, enjoyable. 8/10

One of France's most celebrated knives, the Laguiole knife, was in action to cut that delicious duck

The main course of Jannice was a tempura-alike lobster tail:
this was another successful dish since the top quality lobster managed to keep an upfront   depth of  marine freshness flavor. Superbly well cooked. It was accompanied by a cube of tasty  squash stuffed with walnuts, a bowl of bok choy (We both love cabbage, so the bok choy was much appreciated. This oriental cabbage was cooked at ideal crisp-tender consistency and kept its best sign of freshness: a perfect bright green color) corn meringue with mild pimenton (enjoyable), a  kumquat (the tartness level of the kumquat was brilliantly lowered by  marinating the fruit in a delicious syrup),  an outstanding delicious white chocoloate/coconut sauce (made perfect sense to complement the subtle sweetness of the seafood, although both Jannice and I opted to  enjoy it separately). 9/10

Next came
an impeccable duo of luscious peach gelato (fresh taste of flavorful peaches) bathed in an eau de vie was served as a pre-dessert. 8/10

Ended with the
Beets,Raspberry shampoo (not an acquired taste to the most, I presume, but definitely an interesting surprising taste to discover and re-discover), coffee and dark chocolate meringue (nice dark chocolate, the meringue was elegantly airy  and rich without going overboard on the sweet side). 8/10

Conclusion:
This is one type of restaurant that I like a lot since it is a  cuisine that stays away from the safer  side of gastronomy. It explores new frontiers, varies it's cooking methods, dares setting new gustatory references and it works. For me, only the halibut en papillotte  missed the marks on this dinner.  But where it counts, they scored really high with regards to the highest fine dining standards:  the level of perfection of  their main course of duck magret is to be expected on a table pertaining to a 2* Michelin  star caliber or higher. The same could be said of the mille-feuilles of truffle, mascarpone, chives, and their sauce of white chocolate/coconut.

The lobster was  outstanding. Many food items were unique, in a very enjoyable  way, and could serve as newer references to some.

This  was a fun and exciting journey through the flavors of the world  without losing the main  focus on the enjoyable aspect of modern french fine dining. Moments where this dinner did not fail to awe were numerous.

It  is also an all-rounder. It pleases those who -- like me -- are willing to submit their palate  to different tastes,  but it will also reach out to those who want to take safer paths:  I found them to be very accomodating (it is part of their philosophy as explained by their Chef on this video. You are welcomed to indulge in their inventive creations, but they will address your needs for a more conventional cuisine as well).

Service: Professional, friendly, knowledgeable. Special mention to our main waiter, Simon: he talks about wine like Oscar Wilde writes about Arts.  

PROS: At this moment, a top-tier table in this province. I prefer a table like this, that takes risks, where the technique is mostly outstanding and the end result exciting rather than a top table that's taking the safe routes of predicatability. The best dishes of this meal was of solid 2 star Michelin caliber.

CONS: At the end of Sept 2011, I dropped by on lunch time. It's clear that this table primarily shines at night, like most high end tables anyways, but not at lunch. The lunch we had was way too pricey for the offerings on display: I had no quibble against my choice of a 15$ plate of nachos with chicken  since the nachos (their own take on nachos) --- although sounding overpriced --- were so outstanding (for a plate of nachos to impress that much  tells a lot about this Chef's skills) that I did not mind the $$$. My problem though was with my wife's croissant of crab meat. At approx $27, this was frustatingly pricey and at that price, I expect some fresh bake croissant coming right from the oven! Anyways, at night, the dinner is an event that counts among this province's very best so dinner is the way to go! And it's (dinner) at reasonable cost.

How this food blog works:
Here's my method: I pick a city known to have great food (latest : Montreal, Canada).
For several months, I gather the maximum  information possible about its restaurant scene.

Then I indulge in intensive visits to the maximum  of restaurants possible (If you are serious about what you do, there's no need  to go to ALL restaurants. You won't have a life to fullfill this, anyways. But after several months of intensive and smart research and dinners,  you will get a serious idea of what counts).

From there, I review only the restaurants that are in many ways (originality, creativity,  outstanding cuisine) leading the pack in that given city. This is far from being a tough task: in any given city,  you won't find hundreds of restaurants that are outstanding from the rest, but usually one or two dozen of them at best. Although my interest is mainly about French fine dining and upscale bistroTs, I do at times also cover  other type of restaurants. 

Here are the sources that I rely on (virtually everything on restaurants except those that are  known to advertise about them, naturally):

-food blogs
-people on the street
-folks at work
-foodie circles (foodie gatherings, conferences and all types of other foodie events do bring a lot to your experience as a food enthusiast)

Evaluation of restaurants:

(1)In the past, I was using the tag "Best of" in the title of reviews covering the top  restaurants of a given area. That sounded like an advertisement, Rfaol!  My readers know that my current work is focused on the finest dinings. No need to add more.  I did not modify the title of the old reviews --- that contained the "best of" description ---- but from now  on, this will not be mentionned anymore in my titles. 
(2)I have definitely adopted the 'marks out of 10' rating

Please click here to learn more about my food review ratings.

The big NO..NO...

(1)No familiarity with restaurant staffs nor management
(2)Never accept invitation from restaurants
(3)No free meals

BUT anonymity like you and I will enjoy.

You can find more about my ethics on my Michelin Star dining web site.

Kitchen Galerie
Dinner on Tuesday July 6th 2010, 18PM
Type of Cuisine: North American, Market Cuisine Bistro
60 Rue Jean-Talon Est, Montreal, QC
(514) 315-8994
URL: http://www.kitchengalerie.com/

Food rating: Exceptional (10), Excellent (9), Very good (8), Good (7), just Ok (6)

(English review to follow) - Alors, j'imagine qu'il y'a deux camps, rires: ceux qui adorent leur version 'Poisson' (Kitchen Galerie Poisson) au Vieux Port (hop là, ne comptez pas sur moi pour célébrer celle là) et ceux qui préferrent l'autre: le Kitchen Galerie sur Jean-Talon (alors là, j'en suis un fan!). Au Kitchen Galerie sur Jean-Talon, deux Chefs (Axel et Bourdages), ainsi que leur petite équipe m'ont cuisiné un repas qui redéfinirait le mot 'délicieux' en des termes bien plus élogieux que ceux qu'on retrouve présentement dans le petit larousse . Ils sont jeunes, inspirés et talentueux comme très peu peuvent s'en vanter, mais c'est leur sens du gout qui m' a tout simplement renversé. Un restaurant demeure un restaurant, Un chef demeure un etre humain, donc ce meme émerveillement, je ne pourrai vous le garantir mais je vous le souhaite car lorsqu'il laisse sa marque comme sur ce repas, il est épique. Entretemps, pour moi, et ce jusqu' à preuve du contraire, Chef Axel et Chef Bourdages font parti des plus GRANDS car en fait, il est là ma définition d'un GRAND Chef:  celui qui de très peu (ici, pas de moléculaire ou des techniques de fou, mais une cuisine qui, dans sa simplicité et ses riches saveurs, sort du lot) , batit des montagnes tout en ayant cet atout hyper précieux: un excellent sens du gout (il ne suffit pas de se contenter de saveurs riches. Encore faut-il qu'elles épatent en bouche, et ca, ils le font comme très peu parviennent à le faire). Présentement, dans mon top  des meilleurs bistrots Montréalais  en compagnie d'Au 5e Péché, Bouillon Bilk et le Bistro Cocagne. 

Simple rustic copious upscale comforting food is Trendy
For this report, I needed a restaurant that portrays well the "simple, rustic, homey, upscale comforting food" -- name it the way you want -- that  rose as the big  trend in this city's restaurant scene, for a while now. I wanted to go to Joe Beef but Jannice preffered a spot that's closer to home, hence the choice of Kitchen Galerie.

To quote Chef Jean-Philippe St-Denis of Kitchen Galerie (Ref: this article of the WSJ): “Simple food is the new food of Montreal.”. In fact, the simple comforting food trend  is now largely in operation in Mtl and  it's list of ambassadors keep growing: Joe Beef, Greasy Spoon, Le Chien Fumant, McKiernan Luncheonette, Restaurant Garde-Manger, and the list can go on and on. Appearently, that is what the most, in this city, seem to want these days. I have no reserve before such: simple or not, all I care about is how tasty my food stands. Make it devilishly delicious and I'll dance samba with you!

Kitchen Galerie is a tiny (less than 30 seats) popular Bistro that  has attracted lots of enthusiastic followers, raving reviews and critics since it's debuts.

It's chefs, Chefs Mathieu Cloutier and Jean-Philippe, are stars of the Montreal gastronomic scene and recently won the prestigious pan-Canadian culinary 2009 Gold Plates contest. I like KG, but it's important to know what it is and what it is not: It is a simple small bistro with just the Chefs doing both the serving/cooking/dish_washing/yari_yaring (a unique concept for now, in Montreal) with straightforward comforting bistro fares. KG's backed by highly talented Chefs like Mathieu Cloutier (Who once worked under the sky of 2 Michelin Stars Rouen's restaurant Gill + many other big restaurants) and Jean-Phillipe (Trainning at 3 Michelin Star George Blanc restaurant + Chef at Lemeac, Holder) is a reminder that in Montreal, there is a dormant base of stunning talent to be revealed one day: there is no doubt that those Chefs can throw any of the stunning food items you see at the top hottest Michelin Star restaurants around this globe. With that in mind, one would naturally ask: BUT why..for god sake..those comforting simple bistro fares (Creme Brulee, Cote de boeuf)??...The  big question is unarguably this one: is there, here in Montreal, a strong clientele for the 6th dimension luxurious fine dining experience?  When one of World's top skilled Chefs, Chef Corey Lee, who was at  the head of one of World's best luxurious fine dining restaurants, the French Laundry, reminds us that “ --- These days, people are looking for options ---" you quickly realize the hulky challenge behind selling upscale luxurious stunning dinings like those at World's top tables. For now, both KG's chefs are muting that potential of luxurious fine dining and do offer an amazingly affordable skillfully concocted local maket-driven straightforward/simple/casual bistro fare.

Now OFF with the existential yari-yaring, ..and ON with the food I had there: 

Jannice and I started off with two gazpacho shooters:

NOT your next door simple gazpacho. Think of an elaborate superior delicious type of light gazpacho with a work of taste that's remarkable (tasted fresh, with an enjoyable playful acidity that was mastered so well). Great work on avoiding the usual too thicky consistency that I can't stand with most gazpachos I had. This one paved the way to deep explosive fresh flavors. The way I wish all gazpachos should be.  By far the best gazpacho I ever enjoyed on any of Mtl's top tables. Excellent! 10/10

  Foie Gras Poélé, Tarte tatin aux pommes, Sauce Caramel - The picky lover of pan seared foie gras that I am ... is extremely picky about  what complements the pan seared foie, too. This is what Jannice picked. She naturally shared some bites with me: we both agreed that the perfectly well cooked and deeply flavored fresh livery foie was not the only star of this dish. Reminder to all Chefs: if you are seeking for the best companion to a pan seared foie gras, give a call to KG! That apple tarte tatin at the bottom of the foie was not only unbelievably delicious (I was afraid that the caramel would overwhelm it with an overdose of  sugar, but I was wrong), but it stood as the best pan seared foie gras companion I ever tasted since a long time! Needless to brag about it over and over, I just can't find words. Only some kind of deep endless pleasant emotions, a feeling of having flirted with the 8th marvel of the world, hi hi 10/10

I opted for their iconic signature foie gras offering: Pot de foie gras cuit au lave vaisselle, gelée de muscat au poivre long - A creamy foie gras au torchon alike concoction. Basically, it is seared in a jar + poached in a dishwasher. Of course, there are other techniques to achieve the same resulting foie gras concoction but this technique of theirs adds to the fun and legend of this tasty foie gras.  This is the only item that impressed slightly less compared to the rest of this entire superb meal (a 10 for the delicious taste, but less impressive than the rest) , and yet it tasted great. 7/10

Jannice's pairing wine to her foie gras was a glass of Château La Croix Poulvère 2006 (Interesting blend of muscadelle, sauvignon and sémillon that was dense, sweet and yet balanced +  marked by an enjoyable freshness. Recommendable AOC wine). Mine was a glass of 2006 Muscat de Rivesaltes, Domaine Cazes (Entirely made of muscat and marked by fresh grapefruit aromas. Sweet and well rounded.) 

Jannice and I went on with another signature dish of theirs:

Cote de boeuf rotie, Jus à l'estragon, légumes racines, foie gras, truffes noires - This dish (for 2 persons) costs $80 without the extras of foie and black truffles, $120 with those extras. It is a generous portion, but as Jannice pointed out: it is fine for two. Jannice and I are average eaters (we do not eat that much), and yet we completed this dish. We were completely full by then, naturally! As much as I have hard time believing in total perfection, as much as I could not find anything but superlatives to describe this dish: the gravy was delicious, evenly seasoned, with a remarkable upfront enjoyable beefy flavor. The meat was of high quality, perfectly cooked at   ideal medium rare (the best cooking for such, I believe) and  packed with exceptional rich depth of meaty exquisite flavors. The kind of beefy marvel that most are confident to cook but only very few manage to make it memorable. KG are kings at working their meats and this dish was of unfogettable material. Superlatives have to be used for the accompaniments, too: amazingly well cooked and tasty veggies, remarquable top quality earthy fresh black truffles, succulent mashed potatoes (virtually no respectable restaurant should miss that one, and yet KG pushed the enjoyment to higher levels of creamy explosive richness) . Those Gentlemen are having fun in that kitchen and it shows in how they make those veggies shining in that plate. A good example would be the caramelized carrots: a tastebud wonder, like the rest of this dish actually ! Fyi: you can have this same dish with fish or other meats replacing your beef.

It is common to see more and more Chefs offering   'foie gras / cote de boeuf' as  the defacto meal for a joyous moment, but  I have yet to sample one as dazzling  as this cote de boeuf  that  Chef Axel has cooked at Kitchen Galerie on this meal.  10/10

The Cote de Boeuf  for two was paired with two glasses of red:
A glass of Walden Cotes du Roussillon, 2007 ( An agreeable fruity syrah, with subtle acidity, surprisingly balanced, that's actually affordable, fyi) for me + a glass of Domaine de la Roche Buissière - Petit Jo ( a 'vin de table' that is quite surprisingly a nice bio wine, made of grenache -- a grape I used to not like, but some few recent wines made me reconsider my initial opinions and reconciled me with grenache). 

The desserts:

Crème brulée, KG's version of the Jos.Louis cake + Cerise en blanc - I did not expect KG to shine with desserts. But they did on this dinner and they took me by surprise: the 3 cakes were flawless (The crème brulée had a rich custard base that managed to avoid the way too often annoying thick consistency that made me favoring Flan caramel over Crème brulée. In this case, the consistency was of a remarquable softness that you will rarely find in most Crème brulée + the hard crust had also the ideal slim layer I like with my ideal crème brulée, avoiding the annoying brutal shock of the spoon  hitting against a rough layer of caramel). Their Jos Louis version is an airy  chocolate wonder, a flashback to what I wish the initial JL should have been! The Cerise en Blanc was so well executed. 8.5/10

Pairing wine to the dessert:

Moscatel de Setubal, 2004, Joseé Maria da Fonseca - I am not a  fan of this dessert wine. Although it's quite a good wine that the most will surely enjoy (nicely aromatic), I found it's depth of sweetness not to be to my liking.

Service is friendly, cool, relax and yet professional.

Decor:
Omnipresence of black and red tones

Wooden tables and chairs:

Loved the little rutic touches they have here and there:

Their bar/Open kitchen:

Location:

It is located on Jean-Talon street, in a relatively humble area with many restaurants around + the Jean Talon market.

This place offers a standard affordable table d'hote (1 starter, 1 main course, 1 dessert) that  is priced around 30$$ something. But both Jannice and I opted for a bit of extravaganza (there's just 1 life to live ;p) which in this case included wine pairings to all our meals, 2 bottles of sparkling water, the $120 cote de boeuf for 2 with foie gras + truffles ($80 without the foie gras + black truffles), the $12 extra for my foie gras, the $22 extra for Jannice's pan seared foie. Total cost  of $230 for two for that.

The owners of KG  have opened a second restaurant, in the old Montreal: Kitchen Galerie Poisson, in addition to  Bistro Chez Roger.

When food is as delicious as on this reviewed dinner, all the non 10/10 ratings you see (for ie 9 for the cote de boeuf)  are in fact firm10s at most other restaurants.  A food item deserving a 10 over 10 of my standards needs to reach spectacular refinement, taste, execution and conception such as those dishes that made my top 10 of finest food items in Montreal, but KG's cote de boeuf  revealed a spectacular sense of savourishness on this meal that unofficially earned it a true 10.  It sounds easy to tag a cote de boeuf or a gazpacho as a defacto delicious food that is hard to miss, but in facts few cooks have delivered them with such amazing flavours as found on this reviewed meal. It is dinners like this one that re-defined my culinary vocab with new entries such as  "architect of stunning tastes" or  "sense of savourishness".

Bottom line: This is the beauty of having your own food blog, not dealing with a payroll  hanging over your head, and the freedom of talking with your own heart. You do not care about what people think. You just care about what comes from your heart. My heart was deeply seduced by this dinner @ KG. And that shines throughout my entire review. Simply a blissful feast (what I had on this one dinner was of extraordinary precision in cooking, seasonings, temperatures)! I see KG as a  table delivering excellent food in a straightforward way, with remarquable creativity to turn top quality ingredients into  exceptional delightful rich hearty meals.  As far as I am concerned, this one dinner worth my money. I am looking forward to more feasts at KG. 

Jannice was also deeply seduced: her words being that for her, KG is a star shining vibrantly in the sky of Montreal: Indeed, this --as long as they keep such standard found on this meal --- is food that the most will find outstanding in terms of vibrant tastes and the cooks of this evening, Axel and Mathieu Bourdages, are largely among the very best Chefs this city has. Their commitment to delicious food is rarely matched.

Thanks for reading, Aromes

PROS:  Chefs Axel, Mathieu Bourdages and their team have blown my taste buds away. The D in D - E - L - I - C - I - O - U - S!

Lunch @ MAS CUISINE
Date/Time: Friday June 18th, 2010 12:15
Addr: 3779 Rue Wellington
Location: Verdun, QC
Phone : 514.544.3779
Url: http://www.mascuisine.com/ 

Click here for a recap of  my picks of all Montreal's top fine dining & best Montreal's bistrots. 
Also: My  3 and 2 Star Michelin restaurant review web site

UPDATE: NOVEMBER 2010: They do not serve lunch anymore as/per notice on their web site

(English review will follow) - Ce fut un repas vraiment ordinaire. Surprenant, étant donné la popularité de l'endroit et la renommée du Chef. L'on m'a dit parcontre que c'est vraiment mieux en soirée. Pourtant le Chef était là sur l'heure du midi, aux commandes des fourneaux. Bref, allez-y mais ne comptez pas sur moi pour en faire l'éloge!

Mas Cuisine is the stronghold of Chef Michel Ross who has made a name for himself behind the stove of his previous popular Montreal's table, Brunoise. Moving away from the pricey downtown's real estate was a smart move. Verdun, where it is now located, is still not that far from downtown Montreal. 

At lunch time, Mas Cuisine offers a  prix  fixe  three course meal menu

For the main course, I could chose between a salad (kill me next time I chose a salad at a restaurant, you will be forgiven! ), or a soup of the day. The soup of the day is a gazpacho on this Lunch:

  Gazpacho - The cold Iberic originated soup was nice -> perhaps not as authentic as some purists might want it to be, but who cares: it tasted  great, so fresh. Authentic or not, it has the merit of technically be well composed: olive oil (substituted by  pimenton oil in this case), pepper, garlic, tomato + an expected vinagary dimension. Good gazpacho (flavorful, zesty) A fair  6.5/10 (would have been a 7/10 with more refinement and better shrimps).

Second course:
Artic Char  Seared on one side (the skin was way too dry!) , it was accompanied by fresh green peas, oyster mushrooms (pleurottes)  with  an emulsion of tomato and saffron. The fish on it's own --- apart the disappointing texture of it's dry skin --  was just ok  (tender, cooked ok) but lacking  refinement and depth of taste.  The presentation looks cool and modern, but the elements just do not bring excitement: this emulsion of tomato and saffron was a ticket straight to boredom!! 0/10

For dessert:

Vanilla panna cotta with Quebec's stawberries - Enjoyable creamy consistency, balanced sweetness (I do appreciate), with the overall sugar/cream/milk being simmered well. Simple dessert that  tasted delicious.  The Quebec strawberries were fresh and sweet.  Good 7/10

Total cost:  $49 (the 3 servings, coffee + 2 glasses of Riesling gunmetal Hewitson 2009's Aussie white wine***), Without the wine , the meal comes down to $49.11 - $18 = $31.11

There are a lot of affordable meals in Mtl:  for ie, the low cost lunche at Decca77 and many other top restaurants of this city do offer  surprisingly great meals in the $30 price range (of course, wine exclused)! At night, Bistro Cocagne offers a $20 two meal service after 9:30PM,  Milos and  Lemeac do offer bargain meals too, passed 10PM. 

Fyi: food blogs  like Evelyne's Cheapethniceatz or Ariane's Epicurbaine  have great suggestions of affordable meal offerings in Montreal.

Decor/Service/Ambiance:
It was packed, especially around 1PM . Most customers seemed to be regulars.
With respect to the patrons, I refrained from taking  pictures of the restaurant.
It is a very small room, simplistic,  with blond wood floors, tables and dark leather-covered chairs. 
Service was attentive, knowledgeable although I would recommend that they formulate some kind of appreciative words when the customer is leaving ..........this should not be an exclusive privilege for regulars.........

Bottom line .... Nah, it didn't do it for me
Overall, this Lunch at  Mas Cuisine was just ok.

I was not seduced at all. I expected more gustatory excitement, here, more punch.

Yes the gazpacho was fine and yet not that  perfect and  the main course of fish was simply  u-n-a-c-c-e-p-t-a-b-l-e! (how could one miss such a simple piece of fish??) .

The panna cotta was technically successful and tasty  in mouth...but not stellar neither.

Chef Ross was cooking on this lunch. I wish him the best, but it is a NO repeat, for me.

Thanks for reading!

***Riesling gunmetal Hewitson 2009's Aussie white wine - Nice white wine with the usual upfront minerality of most Rieslings. Nice citrus aromas. Personal rate: 75/100

Folks,
Summer is at the Gates (ironically, it's not warm at all here in Mtl, despite being in the middle of May..anyways..). Time for some seafood feast!

When it comes to seafood, I skip lots of  requirements I would usually look for in most dining situations such as  the best value for my money or the layout at my eatery: I just fly deep into my gustatory involvement of the quality of the seafood that is put before me. What brought me to food has always been my  lifetime sacred veneration for Seafood. The problem: being born and raised on the banks of the Indian Ocean with Dad, on his spare times,  fishing the freshest seafood one tastebud can imagine raving over from the warmest sea waters, and I devouring them right there on the beach with barely any long delays between fishing to eating...you just grow up with very high expectations about seafood. Moving far from my  memorable seafood pals, being in so many places where  seafood rose as pure jokes, I litterally hoped that I turned allergic to them. But for some reasons, I just could not stop myself to try seafood everywhere I went with some places truely giving the seafood of my childhood an almost close "run for their money".  

Everywhere I go I knock at all possible doors that has seafood on their menu. Montreal is no exception.
Montreal is  a city that many regard as a great city for French/North American Bistro fares BUT only decent on the Seafood department. The reality is actually brigther than just "decent": Lots of seafood tables  like Milos and La Mer offer seafood shipped from abroad (Mediterranea in the case of both previous mentionned restaurants) on top of some North American seafood products as well. In my humble opinion, there's  in Montreal, a nice selection of restaurants who are truely serious about providing some solid quality seafood. It is just a matter of rigourously stepping into the field and finding them.

With time some few seafood tables in this city made their way among those I adopted  as personal frequent reliable seafood favourite tables, based solely on the remarquable high quality of their seafood  (Le Nantua when I want to be alone or with my sweat half in a quiet atmosphere of Classic French elegance, Milos --- their lunch and late night dinner specials are un-matched bargains for such high quality seafood in this City --, Joe Beef when I am with a bunch of folks and feel like partying over high quality fresh seafood in a cool warm bistro-esque setting, Trinity when I feel the need of a touch of the stunning beauty of Mediterranea, La Mer once in a while, and -- although I found myself at both places on very very few occasions --- La Queue de Cheval, Rib N' Reef. The latest are primarily Steakhouses BUT they do offer stunning Quality fresh Seafood.). And you have many more (Restaurant Les Crustacés is another one great seafood place that had served me top quality seafood too, Oyster Shack did a good job last time I was there about couple of weeks ago, and virtually the big majority of tables do offer seafood..so drop me a word about those that have emerged as your favourite seafood restaurants in Montreal) , but those I mentionned previously stand out of the pack as far as top quality seafood goes in this city. 

Naturally, one smart reminder would be this: you can't buy top Caviar with Loonies!  As most will guess, for Seafood, you truely get what you pay for: do not expect stunning seafood in a $8 Lunch, or a $12 lobster please...I am not here to launch a debate over how much a lobster should cost. I am not here to debate over the best value for your $$$. I am here to talk about the best freshest quality seafood and to remind you that there's a cost to it! And that cost, If one is well placed to have challenged it, it is your humble who used to pick the freshest top quality seafood right from the sea, for free! But I won't. I wont because there's no point for this: we are not at a stone throw from the Ocean, we are not fishermen and we need to be conscient that we have to pay for the cost behind a top quality seafood. Basta!

Event: Dinner @ Lucille's Oyster Dive
Friday May 14th 2010, 18PM
Type of cuisine: Seafood
5626, avenue de Monkland (Montreal, QC)
URL: http://www.lucillesoyster.com/
Phone: 514 482-1471 

Arome's the food blog: Q&A's, Guidelines, Ethics, Vision

Lately, I was curious about  this seafood eatery

that is attracting hordes of eaters in the Western side of Montreal  and where I never went to:  Lucille Oyster Dive.

I went paying a visit to Lucille Oyster Dive this Friday evening and I was warned by friends who went there: this is a small and very busy table, as busy  as Au Pied de Cochon, Joe Beef,  Le St-Urbain. Exactly what I was seeking for: feasting as in seafood, feasting as in crowded! I went earlier than the 6PM opening to maximize my  chances of shooting photos before the rush hits the place.

I came at Lucille's Oyster Dive

with pre-defined orders in mind (Rfaol): I was in for some oysters (I came close to ask if they could grill it like at Etxebarri in Spain...I am telling you, I just can't take that place out of my mind. I need to go there, in this life or the next!) , Lobster roll (Heard that Lucille has the best ones in town: what do you think? Let me know. Not that I am a huge fan of lobster rolls -- I prefer raw seafood usually and if cooked, I like them served on their own, with nothing surrounding them so that I sense them in their pristine purity or close to that  ---but this place is known for it's lobster rolls so I had to pick this item) and a Grilled Lobster (If you ask me what have been my most memorable lifetime meals, the answer my friend  are those tremendously fresh Grilled lobsters "'with a bit of garlic butter aside" from my tender Childhood ...Ah the beauty of the simple things, so delicious, so pure, that just make you so happy! ). And If I could humanly eat more without getting full, I would have surely asked for crabs, fish, and the sea too!

Kicked off with Blackberries Mojitos:

Sorry, but this was not a successful cocktail: more watery than memorable (rhum was muted and prdominance of lime would be better than those berries). Anyways, berries do not seem to be a friendly mojito ingredient. Just keep it classic (white rum, sugar lime, sparkling water and mint) and it will sing! 2/10

Jannice picked the Salmon tartare:

I stole some bites from hers: perfect fresh salmon, meaty, fully flavored, masterly spiced (kudos to the nice balance in spicings here). Very good 8/10

The wine I chose to accompany our diner:

2008 Simi Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County - Perhaps the most memorable white wine I ever enjoyed since a while: Oozing of unparralel freshness, it's concerto of amazing fruity notes (guava, apricot. melon, apple) makes of this wine one that can be a crowd teaser particularly in summer with high quality fresh seafood. I now understand why this wine is highly rated among wine experts (it was the first time I was trying it). Lucille has identity, Lucille has personality as in hosting that heavenly wine in a an unexpected cute recycled Heinz Ketchup tin can:

Started off with my first order:

The Oysters:  
Although I have rarely came across bivalve molluscs of stunning quality as those the Indian Ocean pampered me with, I still enjoy my bivalve molluscs friends everywhere I go: Sometimes, I was amazingly satisfied  On  some rare occasions, they were the opportunity for me to crack some smart jokes at the wait staff like "It's from the Sea and not the fridge that you should have picked it up!'''.
SO at Lucille Oyster Dive, I started my seafood journey with an order of 12 bivalve molluscs and while sampling them with the hightest respect I always pay  to anything coming from the sea, I scribbled some notes:
-Marine robustness: HIGH
-Quality of the oyster: TOP
-Work of the shacker: 10/10
-Level of deliciousness: SUBLIME!
Their oysters come from various locations: New Brunswick, The Main, British Columbia.They offer some from the West (British Columbia), some from the East (Main, etc). Western ones were bigger in size, did I notice. Briny, with a remarquable depth of marine robustness, those oysters were among the best I ever had on any Montreal seafood tables and I am including the big names here! EXCELLENT oysters!  They were served with the classic mignonette sauce (expertly executed with perfect balanced acidity from the vinegar and an amazing freshness oozing out of the shallots), a Tabasco Green Pepper sauce (nice idea, try it! I prefer my oysters in their natural state but pick just one oyster, match it with that sauce and see if you like), and their in house tomatoey sauce:

You will never ever see me mixing oysters with sauces (I am a purist), but I had their in house hot sauce sampled separately from the oysters and that sauce rocks: it's a delicious spicy tomatoey sauce, dense and instense, made of scotch bonnet peppers and vinegar. Delish! I know some friends who would love mixing up that sauce with anything, oysters to start with. 10/10 (the oysters, on this specific visit, were simply stunning!)

The Lobster Roll: I am not a huge fan of lobster roll. As you would expect  from someone who favors high quality seafood in it's full pristine greatness, a lobster roll is just a comfort food item that can be undoubtly tasty when done well, so this is an exercice that I find pretty straightforward: I will judge my lobster roll not based on pre-defined expectations (just make it tasty and I'll be a happy camper!) but solely based on how tasty it turns out to be.   
-Quality of the lobster meat: Top
-Cooking of the lobster meat: Top
-Quality of the Mayo: Top (not overhelming. gently spiced, still flavorfully enjoyable)
-Quality of the roll: (Fresh bun, nicely cooked hot dog looking bun)
-Type of roll:  it's hot dog bun roll as you can see on the pic
-Level of deliciousness: High. I have no complaint here. Realy well done, but I am just not into lobster rolls in general being a purist in anything seafood.  7/10

@ALL- So where could your favourite lobster roll be found (New England, I guess)? Let me know! To me, my lobster roll should be an equation of: great quality lobster meat + mastered seasoning/taste + an appropriately thought bun (I am not a baker, but there is surely some fun evolutive work to do on this department) + a well balanced mayo mix (way too much requirrements for comfort food, hein?)  

The Lobster:
Poached? Grilled? After a slight hesitation I went with my lifetime favourite cooking of the lobster: grilled! Just put a bit of garlic butter aside, keep that lobster fresh, simple and I'll walk away with a huge smile on my face.
In Montreal, you can get lobster virtually anywhere. The thing is to get it cooked the way I like it (yeah..yeah..ya..they all say it is easy to cook a lobster..sure..sure..sure...but very few have delivered the proper balance of nice cooking/great quality lobster/resulting memorable taste I search for. To me, a meal of Lobster is the epitome of the equation "talent behind a kitchen" + "top quality ingredient").
So, here again, the notes that I scribbled on this one: 
-Marine robustness: HIGH
-Quality of the lobster meat: HIGH
-Cooking of the lobster meat: SUPERB
-Level of deliciousness: PERFECT
-Work of the Fishermen: Lol..just kidding on this one ;p I highly respect fishermen, especially them!

Before heading to a location, especially for seafood, I always phone and enquire about where the seafood comes from: the Gentleman over the phone explained that the lobster currently served (at this moment) at the restaurant comes from Nova Scotia. Their lobster weight around  1.5lbs/Maximum 2lbs and cost between $can28 - $can 32 (In Montreal, you can pay in between $52 to $80++ for some top of the top lobsters of that size..but again, that pricing probably reflects the fact that those tables  are not seafood distributors/providers). Quite a bargain for  top quality lobster, imho, but they explained to me that they are also distributor/providers of their own seafood, which explains the low cost. Their lobster is of exact same high end equality as those I had at $80 elsewhere ...! At barely $30, half the $$$ I would pay at some highly regarded seafood spots, this lobster was remarquable: perfect depth of flavor, tasty, well cooked and of top quality.  The classic garlicky aside sauce was superb too. Excellent! 10/10 (This one lobster, on this specific visit, soared so high in terms of exceptional quality ).

Seafood soup - This place has idendity/personality. And this soup is just one example of just that: done differently from your usual seafood soups -> instead of a bowl full of seafood broth, you have here the seafood morsels shining atop (crab, clams) and a bit of the broth seating beneath. The freshness of the seafood continues to impress here: delish, tatsy and oozing of enjoyable saline flavors. The bit of broth beneath was delicious and harmoniously flavored. 9/10

Even when the boat could have sunk, Lucille fought back and shone:
Impressed, I should concede: even when the boat could have sunk, Lucille fought back and shone as in very little details like  those that will follow -- very little details, barely noticeable to the most, but that I am taking time to write about because they mean a lot in my own  appreciation of this seafood spot: 

Detail #1: At some point, while Jannice was talking to our main waitress, a young very tall charming lady, she ..the waitress...out of nowhere .. cut short to the discussion, dived in distraction, and hop la ..reappeared! I then said to myself  "Oh NO, I think Jannice will hate this move"...Jannice was a long time waitress, and such little details are noticeable to her. And she did notice it. BUT, the waitress came back, charming and focused as ever! From there on, she was shining on par with all best wait staff  I ever encountered in this province. When you come back strong like that, how to not fall under the charm of it all? Great come back ;p 

Detail #2: Before going there, the Gentleman over the phone told me they usually have lobster in the kitchen and that I could just request that one is grilled. The same main waitress, instead of verifying with the kitchen, told me straight that there was no grilled lobster available. I told her that I was informed they would have lobsters in the kitchen but that it's fine, we could forget about it. BUT she smartly thought about the most important principle in a restaurant: pleasing your guests as she managed to find a lobster for me. Another GREAT come back!

I know those are little details, but they mean a lot to a guest: it shows ACCOMODATION and DESIRE TO PLEASE! All of a sudden, the little futile sorrows turn into MINES OF GOLD!

The wait staff in general was great (always made sure that water was available, wine refilled, table cleaned from water drops. One young charming Gentleman even came and promptly fixed the unbalanced table we chose) and I should say .. HANDSOME.
Lucille Oyster Dive has deeply seduced me: this charming tiny spot has seriously made it's way to the top of my favourite seafood tables in Montreal for it's stunning quality of seafood, charming service, and cute minimalist and yet warm bistro alike decor. And this place gets crowded very fast (make no mistake: my pics were taken early, as soon as they opened the doors, a bit before people arrived, but less than half an hour later it got busy), so book in advance (albeit you still can find seats at the bar if you haven't booked and are lucky enough).
Service on this dinner had perfect  timing: we started at 6PM, were done by 7:40PM with no feel of being rushed and enough space in between services to digest before the next food item would hit the table.Furthermore, the staff was accomodating with regards to the timeframe we wanted to follow. But anyways, this is purely a subjective matter: you should not go to a restaurant to complain about delays JUST arrange your timeframe with the wait staff (I never understood people complaining about slowness in a restaurant...what about talking to the wait staff and telling what you really want..instead of expecting them to guess for you??)

Lucille knows how to be distinct
I do not know for you, but to me , as little as they may appear, I like little details that makes a table distinct from others. I know that the wine presentation (in a Ketchup  tin can) or the unexpected rendition of the seafood soup (focused more on upfront presence of the fresh and top quality seafood items with just a little bit of soupy broth underneath as opposed to be entirely brothy) will not revolutionize the Gastro world, but they sent to me a clear message: this table is passionate about what it does.

Bottom line: Seafood is not just seafood. At least, an iodized saline soul like me  can't  think that way. Quality in seafood is priceless, and Lucille Oyster Dive impressed me with top quality fresh seafood like I wish I could find everywhere else. I will run back at Lucille's Oyster Dive way before running back at any of my other favourite seafood tables in Mtl, because of the overall cool, charming, unpretentious mood and above all, for the freshest seafood that this city has to offer. This report is disproportioned, purposely reflecting my sacred epic lifetime fascination for seafood.
Respect to the sea!    Thanks for reading, Aromes.

WHAT I THINK MONTHS LATER - My initial meal at LOD was a superb one in regard of the seafood bistrot standards here and abroad. Not only the food was delicious, but it was technically well accomplished. It remains,  years later, one of the finest meals I ever had in a Montreal restaurant.  The typical kind of issue  that unfortunately awaits this type of place (quality seafood bistrot)  is this: people, when things are pricey (quality seafood can't be cheap) .. they do not care about details  such as the cooking skills, the quality of the food. It is the price tag that dictates how good is your food. And I will  add that the nice looking wait staff at LOD may bother some with a very high level of jealousy ;p  Oh well, too bad for those. There's also the fact that ppl tend to associate  a certain type of experience with a price tag:  for example, Bistrot La Marine in Cagnes sur Mer is one  of world's finest seafood bistrots. Consequently,  since it is quality seafood that is served there, there's a price that comes with it. And yet, many flock there to complain about the place being a ..bistrot and that it's too $$$ for a bistrot.  A way of foolishly suggesting that they expect a certain price tag to be associated with fine dining only … as if bistrots are condemned to earlier century’s  clichés with you know…the bottle in the hands…the hunter’s hat…It's being a while that I haven't re-visited LOD (it's  far from where I leave),  but I hope they keep up with the standards I found on that initial visit (my second and third visits here  were not complete meals. I took oysters only, but quality oysters always leave a deep hole in a pocket when you pick them  at restaurants, so I'll need to try another proper seafood meal here). But yes, it is not cheap as expected

Restaurant BIRON
1429, Rue Amherst, Montréal, QC
514-528-1429
Type of Restaurant: Asian-French Creative upscale fusion
Event: Dinner on Friday April 16th 2010, 18:00PM
Url: http://www.restaurantbiron.com/
info@restaurantbiron.com

Arome's the food blog: Q&A's, Guidelines, Ethics, Vision

I always think about variation in styles when I dine at restaurants:
After last Month's outstanding exceptional sumptuous upscale tastebud-blowing fine dining of 2* Michelin star level @ XO Le Restaurant (see latest report), I wanted this time something different and somehow unique  in the city. When I heard that Star Chef Biron (once playfully exciting the city along another Star  Chef, Laurent Godbout, at Le Duel) was back behind the wheels with his creative take on Asian-French Fusion  (a quick look at his online menu offerings and you will understand that what he is doing is not that common  in this City), I had to pay a visit to his restaurant. Chef Biron and his team are super cool GentleWomen and Men,  very modern in their open minded overlooks of things, proud of what they do and proud to let the foodie world enjoying what they do,  so seeing a food blogger interested by a reportage on them was welcomed.

The inside Decor is  attractive: a charming stylish eclectic mix.
You'll find some light touches of Art Deco (shape of the chairs), a bit of the retro style (in the overall design of the counter facing the open kitchen),

Warm touches of dark woods (tables, floors),

Wall bricks,

Nicely thought contrasting White walls, too, with a smartly thought long table
disposed in the middle of the restaurant (ideal for groups):

Back to the small bar, with it's retro style, facing the open kitchen:

I decided to sit at at the bar, so the view is on the kitchen.
This dinner started with a new Cocktail they have just thought about
earlier on:
Cocktail of Gin, Strawberry syrup, Yuzu and Strawberry Jelly - Deep enjoyable  strawberry flavor, perfect balanced sweetness, delectable cocktail with little dices of strawberry Jelly that added an extra dimension of playfull-ness to the  cocktail. Mastered impressively well, this cocktail was simply H   T! 10/10

Warmed up with:
Tapenade de tofu au cari rouge, miel, basilic ET Vinaigre de Mirin - That was complemented by some fresh baked steamed rice bread:

The tofu tapenade with red curry, honey and basilic was unctuous, decadently delicious, with an harmonious concerto of exotic flavorings of superior standards. Excellent.
The Mirin vinegar sitting on the forefront of the picture was a hit. The bread, another hit (a beautifully textured-looking white snowy bun, enjoyably light, airy, soft and fluffy like dove feathers,  with a subtle envouting sweetness to it and a remarquable freshness).

I went on with:
Soupe froide de concombre, Sorbet de cantaloup au Basilic Thai - This soup, made cold (soupe froide)  consisted of little cucumber dices of different colors that provided a charming crunchy-ness to the overall soup. In the middle, a light sorbet of cantaloup and Thai basil. The little "pipette" that you see on top of the sorbet is filled with Parsley oil. Refreshing. 4/10

Next came:
Tarte de foie gras presse aux oignons caramelises, bacon, foam de boudin, pickel de legumes -  The tart, filled with pressed foie gras (definitely some high quality foie gras of perfect velvety and meaty consistency, dense, rich, smooth with perfect champagne pink texture! ... and Bravo Chef for working your foie that well. I am very picky with most renditions of foie, but this one had skillful mastery behind it. Excellent) was cut half with each parts disposed on the opposite ends of the plate. They were topped by a delicious light, airy foam of black pudding (Excellent) and accompanied with veggies (radish, caramelized onions, mushrooms, arugula) that were worked so well (kudos to the work behind the caramelized onions + the light sweetness of the  mushroom was a treat). 9/10

Followed by:
Langue de Boeuf de Kobe, Moutarde Japonaise BBQ, Saute de Calamars aux herbes Thai - The braised Kobe Beef tongue was of impeccable tenderness, packed with a great depth of beefy flavor and an enjoyable smokyness to it (Excellent). When I indulged in my first bites at the calamaris, I had a flash at a dream I wish I can realize one day: I am drooling over the now  worldwide famous grilled seafood at EtxeBarri, Spain. And those outstanding tender and superbly cooked, decandently delicious  calamaris of Chef Biron transport me a bit closer (or who knows, probaly even better, rfaol!) to what I keep hearing of the grilled seafood at EtxeBarri. In this life or the next,  I hope I will get a chance to measure the seafood @ Etxebarri against what has now emerged as my personal "coup de coeur" reference of any rendition of those lovely tentacles that my mouth has ever enjoyed (may it be sauteed, grilled, seared): the Calamari of Chef Biron (Masterfully concocted, Giga moons away from your usual chewy calamaris, with a texture to die for. Excellent)! 10/10

Final frontier, the iconic Kobe Beef Buger of Chef Biron:
Here is a statement by  Thierry Daraize, considered by your humble food blogger as one of World's most accurate and rigorous food columnists, over the Burger @ Biron Restaurant :

                “ Puis, vint enfin le plat qui fera courir toute la ville: Burger farci de Monterey Jack, champignons, mayonnaise japonaise, sauce BBQ, tomates confites et bacon, oignons tempura, servi avec poutine au miso. Complètement débile, le meilleur burger que j'ai mangé de ma vie, rien de moins   ” --- Link: Mr Daraize's review of Restaurant Biron.

In a Nutshell, Mr Daraize qualified this burger as his lifetime Best. I have a special attentive ear to Daraize's opinions: Not only was he a great Chef, but he is more importantly one of the most passionate, knowledgeable and devoted professionals of the food entertainment Business (Food TV Shows, etc). Naturally, not all my opinions are in accordance with those of Mr Daraize. STILL, when Mr Daraize qualifies something as one best, Chances are that I have got to give that one a try.

Up to this one burger @ Restaurant Biron, couple of Montreal restaurants offered some of the Best burgers of this City: Mr. Steer, L'Anecdote, Santos, La Paryse, Brgr:M. BUT none came close to the level of Chef Biron's upscale Gourmet Burger (Luxurious ingredients, Cooked by one of QC's most talented and  creative chefs).

Burger de Kobe farci de Monterey Jack, champignons, mayonnaise japonaise, sauce BBQ, tomates confites et bacon, oignons tempura servi avec poutine au miso Pour l’expérience totale : foie gras   - The burger does hold itself up superbly well, thanks to a remaquably freshly baked delicious bun (any great baker would concur that all the pre-processes behind this bun turned around some rigorous expertly works of it's dough. At touching, you feel right away that the pre-works have involved perfect reach of it's dough elasticity, risen at the exact ideal dimension, stretched expertly) , firm and yet airy (excellent bun, cooked up to ideal rising), with elegantly well disposed high quality meat and other fresh tasty ingredients: The superior Kobe  meat is nowadays not a secret anymore, oozing of outstanding deep beefy upfront flavors and standing stunningly tender, but what is even more remarquable is the genius of Chef Biron at enhancing this meat with punch for the tastebuds: stuffed with fresh Monterey Jack semi-hard Cheese, the meat was cooked to perfection and evenly spiced (still, with an enjoyable kick). Mushrooms were deliciously earthy. The Japanese mayo was enjoyably vinegary as it should and brought nice acidic balance to the meat. I would suggest them to offer a version with Karashi accompaniment as well. Other ingredients consisted of Confit tomatoes (really good), onions, Miso poutine (Very tasty gravy, fries having a unique intense appealing yellow texture). And as an Extra, I chose the Foie Gras (Nicely seared with it's enjoyable depth of livery flavour). 8/10

NEXT TIME, I will let this brilliant Chef fly over his $80 freestyle tasting menu (a bargain considering this highly skilled cuisine). For those who are new to QC's Gastronomy actuality, Chef Biron was once at the head of the then widly acclaimed Asian-French Fusion Quebec City's restaurant Yuzu (Yuzu was a major table in North America back then when Chef Biron was the Chef there). He then paired with other Star Chef Laurent Godbout at the now defunct Duel Restaurant. Chef Biron has previously worked with/for reknown Master Chefs Normand Laprise (Toque! Restaurant),  Junichi Ikematsu from Montreal Star table Jun I and many others.

SERVICE @ RESTAURANT BIRON IS AN "EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW"
They manage to be at the same time professional, very courteous, full of grace/class and still accessible with a remarquable efficiency (the wait staff knows it's wines and food very well + they have a remarquable sense of accomodation/hospitality). They are also fun, with a great sense of humor. Largely one of the best  Restaurant staff  of this province.

CHEF, MAY I SUGGEST...
Chef Biron's food being strongly creative, playful and eclectic,  I personally believe that he is the perfect type of Chef who  could bring Montreal gastronomy to newer levels of not-yet commonly experienced excitements in this City. A bit like how Arzak, Mugaritz, Akelare had propulsed  Spain's gastronomy to newer modern exciting trends.
Montreal, as we all know, is a gifted city for it's  great Modern/Mixed French fine dining & QC's/North American/French Bistro offerings, BUT it is about time, now, that it fast forwards to newer gastro dimensions. It has  a huge potential for such. Why not, for example, since Chef Biron is inspired partly by Asian touches, come up with a new dimension gastro trend like what Aronia de Takazawa does? We are not talking about mimmicking other Chefs here, but as an inspirational example. Chef Biron could, for example, continue offering  his usual current great meals with the option of enjoying somekind of a revolutionary (to Montreal gastro standards in this case) gourmet tasting menu he could call, as an example 'Biron s'éclate sur la lune!"!

Thanks to all for reading!  Aromes