Lesley C

Had dinner at Au Pied de Cochon last night and was really impressed. I started with a bunch of foie gras plates, the best being that crazy delicious foie gras burger: a thick brioche bun, a thick slab of foie gras, and all the fixins. Wow. Also great, the poutine, the lamb shanks, and the maple-braised pig's trotters. The poutine had the authentic kinda-cheap-tasting brown chicken gravy. Another wow. And finally the pouding chomeur served in a deep earthenware bowl and the sugar pies for two. The pouding was just great, it had that wicked brown sugar sauce and the cake was kind of starchy -- again completely authentic. Great little wine list, smooth service, and a fun, loud crowd. I love this restaurant.

Hi Andrea, I was wondering if you’d ever recommend an inexpensive (say $40) red Burgundy in a restaurant? It’s a wine you’ll find on most every wine list, but so many of the cheaper bottles are thin and characterless. And at that price today you could probably find so many more interesting New World or southern French red wines. So is there hope in low-end Bourgogne? Or do you think red Burgundies should be reserved for those special occasions when you’re willing to splurge?

Chopper, these are great questions, many of which have been discussed on threads about restaurant critics on the Food Media and News forum. If you want to discuss the different Montreal critics' approaches, could you please re-post your question under a new topic. I'm afraid a good discussion could get lost in this thread dedicated to Morimoto. With so many local chefs involved in eGullet now, I'm sure such a discussion could get pretty interesting.

I know and like Robert, BUT I never had a good meal at Soto. And heavens knows I tried. Eat outside their sushi offerings, and you'll see this kitchen's true colours. From people I know and trust (one from Japan), I heard this meal was great. So the guy brought his Sake. I was told it's only available at Morimoto and Nobu. He wasn't selling it at the door was he? And is there a Morimoto line of knives or aprons I'm not aware of? I don't think it's fair to say his commercial endeavors have cast a shadow on his career. Say that about Bocuse or Emeril, but Morimoto? It doesn't make sense. In fact the guy doesn't want to talk about his years at Nobu or as the Iron Chef. Maybe Robert will read this and defend his position.

I hear it's a bistro, right next door to the mother ship.

Hi Jean-Francois, Welcome to eGullet and thanks for posting under your name (well... initials at least). Please keep us posted about your upcoming adventures. Also, let's all keep in mind there are plenty of people outside of Montreal reading this. So to avoid these posts being reduced to internet chat, please write out full chef's names and what restaurant they're associated with so that any eGulleters thinking of visiting Montreal might hear of a few places recommended by us locals. This way we can all do our best to promote our wonderful city and food scene.

Oh yeah...Rosalie Some chefs are so spoiled....

I think all these kitchens are too small. Especially compared to European kitchens. Who has the best kitchen in the city? Toque!? La Chronique?

Cafe Melies? Wha? I think Vachon brought Le Club des Pins to a whole new level. I ate very well there and awarded it three stars under Vachon. I wish him well at Mediterraneo. Let's just hope they increase the size of the kitchen with this renovation. I never understood how any chef could handle such high numbers with such a small kitchen.

Yet another chef gives the Intercontinenetal the boot. Has anybody eaten there recently?

My pleasure Sandra Magret is just the best when all the fat is rendered and the skin is super crisp. And it's so true, the larger magrets could sometimes use a little more cooking (finishing it off for a few minutes in a low oven is good for this). Whenever I'm at a restaurant and am served fatty duck, I'm tempted to write out this recipe and slip it to the waiter.

Wow! Welcome to eGullet Ward! I hope you will visit often. I also hope you will be setting up another restaurant in Montreal. We need you... desperately! Please keep us all informed of your plans. We will all be back at Fandango II with bells on.

That is a tough neighborhood. That locale has always seemed a bit lost. There is absolutely no parking down there. Thank God for that new lot on the corner of St-Denis. So where did Ward go? Hopefully opening up elsewhere in the city?

You know, I really love it when you people take such comments so bloody seriously. Sorry, of course the owners didn't make Claude Pelletier, but I don't think anyone could deny that Claude Pelletier made his name at Mediterraneo. If you don't agree then please tell me why. Jeez.

WHAT!!!!!!! Jesus. Are you sure it isn't just closed for the holidays? They sent me a menu two weeks ago. Cook-em-all, do you know if the same owners are involved in this new project?

I think it was time for that place to renovate. The decor felt tired last time I was there. I wonder who they'll find as chef? No easy these days. They really "made" Claude Pelletier. A lot of good Montreal chefs have passed through that kitchen.

I hear they're renovating. They've been planning this for quite a while. And Baila closed as well. There are all kinds of rumours flying about that group of restos right now -- nothing confirmed. Dungeness, welcome to eGullet

Oh, that was a great review. Just beautiful. I love Grimes when he's scathing.

I'm glad you went! I bet Morimoto talked longer to you than to journalists at the press conference. Chefs like meeting fans. And Morimoto looks like a nice guy. Way to go.

Hi Tan, Butron was in Montreal this weekend for the Montreal High Lights Festival. It's DGF, Distributeurs Grossistes de France (I think). They make all kinds of pastry products, from cream to couverture. They have an army of MOF's at their school. Here's their site www.dgf.fr and here's the link for chocolate http://www.dgf.fr/francais/prod.php?codeFa...s+de+couverture. They seem to have a new line of chocolats d'origine. Tan are you from the States? I only know of a distributor for Canada.

I asked Jordi Butron if he used Chocovic and he said "no!" so I then mentioned Valrhona but he sort of brushed off the question.

loufood, when i worked at Thuries I worked with a seventeen year old boy chef who made the most incredible sugar roses I've ever seen. He had just finished working for Philippe Second in Aix-en-Provence and it showed. They guy was a pig and couldn't make a creme brulee to save his life, but boy... those roses. I think with nougatine you just have to go for it. There's no doddling around. You can waste tremendous amounts of time in front of an open oven fiddling with that stuff. I remeber having no problem doing a pile of nougatine work after a few glasses of wine. It took away the fear.

Yes, I agree the scotch did work. But I could only handle a couple sips at that point. If I had finished all those wines and that scotch, I wouldn't be typing this right now. I thought the last dish was a bit of a dud. Instead of that smoked tea, just imagine if he had brought a sweet element in there -- like a swirl of smokey maple syrup. And it was just drowning in yogurt.

Sorry. Correction made. I was typing a bit too quickly. Chopper what do you mean by the petit sable? Do you mean the square biscuit with parfait on top?

lotsa unsweetened yogurt. I enjoyed every course, except maybe the last one with chocolate, yogurt and smoked tea. I thought the rhubarb dessert was the strongest and the one with apples, spiced milk and arugula, the most interesting. Superb wine pairings, but it was a bit tough to stomach so many dessert wines. And the scotch at the end... whoa! I would have preferred a nice cup of tea. Menu: Cold tea soup with spices and fruit wine: Moscato d"Asti Spiced milk with citrus fruit, green apple and wild arugula wine: Vouvray Yogurt "biscuit" with mandarine and rhubarb wine : Vidal Icewine, Inniskillin Manchego cheese cake, frozen thyme parfait, pineapple sorbet & thyme "dust" wine: Tokaji Aszu Chocolate coffee ice cream with a flourless chocolate cake and smoked tea spirit: Glendronach Single Highland Malt Petit Fours People who were there...please discuss.