Yesterday I went back to a restaurant I had enjoyed the first and only time I had eaten there. It is called Chez l’épicier (at the grocers) and is located in old Montréal, right across from the Marché Bonsecours. The chef owner is Laurent Godbout. He has recently opened a second restaurant a few doors down called Restaurant Version Laurent Godbout but it was closed so the choice was easy.
The first time I had been there the use of the theme had amused me: there IS a grocery store on the premises, granted it is not a full service store but it offers a nice variety of very exclusive and expensive spices and jams. The menu is written on what looks like the side of a paper grocery bag, bread is brought in a tin pail, there are clotheline mechanisms above the bar…but this time it is the food that caught my attention. I was very lucky to be invited and offered the menu dégustation.
The staff was charming, well informed and helpfull. The tables are set with care and even the bottled water is unique. We were told this is the water that Louis XIV used to drink…The wine list is interesting (and expensive) and they do offer a special “menu” of 4 glasses of different wines to go with the meal.
We were offered an amuse bouche (yes like the ones I wrote about…) of gazpacho in a small glass. And then, the feast started! the first course was a watercress soup with a seafood salad…IN it. It was not hot nor cold…It was very colourful but a little bland. A sprinkling of salt flower made it perfect. The dish it was served in was very original.
This was followed by a verrine of poached purée of cauliflower with tomatoes in an acidic preparation and tiny cubes of salmon, served in a glass container ressembling a small mason jar.
Next came the foie gras with wild mushrooms and a red wine mirror (nor sure what that means but it seemed to refer to the sauce which was heavenly: sweet and salty at the same time..it filled the nose and mouth with flavor). It definitely was the highlight of the meal. It was served with a home made brioche that melted in the mouth.
The next course was the main course. It was duck. I was under the impression that the waiter had tallked of lackered duck but this was a magret served with a poached pear, fresh peas, mushrooms, 2 kinds of potatoes and a green sauce that tasted like apple but might have been lima beans with apples…It was nice.
To finish there was a preparation to dessert (strange but far be it from me to complain) of a tiny piece of flourless chocolate cake with an herb flavouring (I cannot recall the name just now), 2 strawberries and some chocolate. Next came the real dessert plate. A nice sampling of four desserts. One of which was an orange blossom crème brûlée with a madeleine.
Tea and coffee were up to code. All and all a wonderful meal. This restaurant goes up on my top ten list. Both for the decor, the ambiance, the service and the food.
311, rue Saint-Paul Est
Montréal, QC H2Y 1H3
Téléphone: (514) 878-2232