Toque! Restaurant, Montreal - Review

[aromes]

Event: Dinner at Restaurant Toque

Type of cuisine: High end (North American/French) fine dining

Arome's ranking: #1 (Categ: High end Fine dining)

Address: 900, Place Jean-Paul Riopelle, Montreal, QC

Friday November 27th 2009 17:30

Full detailed photo & text review: http://aromes.xanga.com/716627762/best-tables-of-montreal-toque-restaurant/

Some food items sampled during that dinner:

-Terrine de foie de lotte, gelée de saké, radis, concombre et soya gélifié

Nice touch here. Where most restaurants will offer just 1 version of foie with their "tasting menus with foie", Toque! is more generous -> 2 versions of foie are offered here (one cold, the next hot). And I appreciate their will to add an original touch of not offering just duck foie only. Here it is a terrine of the burbot's liver. Surrounded by small pieces of cucumbers and carrots, the foie terrine had an ideally pink fresh texture on the inside with a perfect smooth velvety overall consistency. The problem here is not with the foie itself (which was perfect on it's own) but with the soya sauce it was bathed in: the soya had overwhelmed the full flavor of the foie. So nice idea (the overall really brings some kind of oriental fusion food trend that could have been a blast) but the foie needs to be enjoyed fully flavor-wise.

-Foie gras poêlé, daikon poché au foin d’odeur, eau de pomme et gelées de miel et jurançon

Very elegant chunk of beautifully-textured (perfect soft unctuous texture) pan-seared foie. Evenly cooked, deliciously tasty with an impeccable smooth inside consistency. It kept all it's fully inner flavors. Bathed in a light subtly sweet delicious apple jus, with dices of apples and heavenly delectable dices of honey gelée. That apple jus is very distinct and lightens the dish. Excellent!

-Effiloché de lapin, pâte à cavatelli,

matsutakés et craterelles, betterave et purées de rutabaga

The tender small cubes of sauteed rabbit were impeccably tasty. On top of being tasty, this dish was generously filling, nicely seasoned, flavorfully well balanced. I courageously gave a good bite at the far left lonesome generous chunk of garlick only to find out that it was free from it's usual agressive taste (that garlick was surprisingly sweet, enjoyable).

-Gigue de cerf rôtie, cerfeuil tubéreux, rabiole (rutabaga), topinambour (Jerusalem artichoke) et purée de poivron rouge

The chunk of deer was lean, perfectly tender, nicely peppery, warm through the middle with a perfect hint of red. Delicious fresh chunk of meat. Comparable to the best filet mignons I had enjoyed.

-Fromage Comtomme, crème au piment d’Espelette, pain craquant, gelée de piment, pomme et graines de tournesol

From the nice crunchy mouthsome to the sweet and salty decadent balanced flavors and tastes, each bite of this tastebud marvel was a decadent propulsion to heaven. Litterally! In terms of moving tastes (as if that was not enoughly decadent, the creamy slighly peppery touch of Espelette chilly was shining through the dish, not to mention the delicious and exciting gelée of chilly) , this was simply a blast!

Service was attentive, professional.

A fine dining experience that I shall repeat for sure.