MTL a Table: Taboo Cuisine Rebelle

On to the final MTL a Table! Our last location was in Downtown Montreal at Taboo Cuisine Rebelle.

Taboo Cuisine Rebelle is a lounge style restaurant with a rather relaxing generally bite-size food offerings and intricate drinks. With that said, the service was slow. It felt like there wasn’t enough servers to occupy the tables especially in high traffic periods like the time we had dinner at around 6pm. At the same time, they also overbooked as it was mentioned when we arrived that we had another table reserved 2.5 hours after and we only ended up leaving very close to that time with the next party already waiting around the bar. However, a redeeming point between all the stress of leaving and the slow service and the rather lacking service as well as the fact that in the lounge setting the music was rather contained but was a comfortable background addition and the ambiance and lighting was rather decent.

Now to move on and look at the food…

Aeroplan Privilege Drink: Lacroix Cider

The Aeroplan privilege drink that was offered here was the Lacroix cider. We’ve never had this one before and it actually is on point with most of the Quebec ciders that we’ve had. Its not particularly overly sweet but it still is fairly good.

First service: Starters

Sweet potato and pear soup, blue cheese on a crouton from Boulangerie L’Epicurien, walnuts

Salmon gravlax marinated in lemongrass and ginger oil, Asian sauce, wasabi, pomegrenate, fried capers, shoots

There was a choice of two appetizers. The husband had the soup where he found it good except that its for blue cheese lovers. For him, the blue cheese was a hurdle to appreciate the dish more than he would have wanted. As for the salmon gravlax which was my choice, it was very delicious. For someone not too huge on raw fish, this one packed a lot of flavors and depth in general from the crunch pomegranate to the delicious sauce, there was a lovely balance to it all.

Second service: Main course

3 mini burgers: Antipasto (salmon, mango, bruschetta, arugula, garlic); Ying Yang (shrimp, bruschetta, arugula, crispy noodles, citrus mayo); Benji (crispy chicken, goat cheese, bell pepper, arugula, garlic)

Bison Tartare panache, Taboo Mix, olive oil, dijon, apples, hazelnuts, lime juice, croutons, house salad

4 oz. filet mignon, crispy onion, demi-glace with maple syrup and foie gras, portobellos, grilled pistachios

For the main course, the husband go the 3 mini burgers. The three burgers were each about 2 or 3 bites. His favorite was the Ying Yang which was a surprise as shrimp usually isn’t his favorite type of seafood. The next one is Antipasto which was pretty good as well however, he did not enjoy Benji because of the goat cheese which is a rather acquired taste ingredient.

As for myself, I chose the filet mignon was a decent choice and one that usually isn’t on the menu as the filet mignon is usually 2 oz and in other mini burger varieties. The only issue here is that the filet mignon is so small compared to the three crispy onions that took up 80% of the plate itself. The sauce was pretty good as well.

Third Service: Desserts

Fried crepe stuffed with cheesecake and chocolate marbled with fondant caramel, whipped cream, caramel served with apple chutney

Vegan Brownie

Finally, for the desserts, the husband had the very unique fried crepe with cheesecake which was the best part of the entire meal for him. As for myself, I had the incredibly moist and decadent vegan brownie which was heavenly and rich in chocolate goodness. It was also a big highlight for my meal here.

Overall, Taboo is a restaurant with a decent ambiance and a nice selection of finger food/bite-size mini burgers and such. Its normal prices are overpriced for sure for what it offers (ex. there is a $16 mini burger, which is unfathomable for myself). While the service left a lot to desire whether it was in its efficiency for its urgency to have us out before the next party arrived and the server’s unattentiveness and rather leaning on rude service, the food here was pretty delicious. Its not someplace that I’d go back to per se as the overall experience wasn’t quite on par to some of the other restaurants we’ve discovered through MTL a Table this year and in previous years.

Dinner: Dumplings Pain Farci (Montreal Chinatown)

A few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle came to Montreal to visit with some of their family and they wanted to go for some Chinese food on a Friday night.  Normally, I don’t frequent Chinatown restaurants for health reasons.  I just can’t handle too much oil or MSG in dishes.  However, when family comes by, I will go where they like and hope for the best or just eat less.  However, the new trend in Montreal Chinatown are very much in specialty restaurants.  The most apparent ones are noodle shops and dumpling shops. Most people will know about pot stickers or Shanghai soup-filled dumplings/buns, not sure what the actual English name is for the dish (its called Xiao Lung Bao).  However, this restaurant in a little upstairs store that used to be a bubble tea shop when I was in Cegep a decade ago (approximately) is now called Restaurant Dumplings or Dumplings Pain Farci or Restaurant Pain Farci.  They had a lot of names shown on Google Maps and other restaurant info sites.   Its located here if it interests you:

When we arrived on a Friday evening at around 6:30pm, it was empty.  That is rare considering that its the start of a weekend.  Normally, any restaurant would have an increase in traffic.  The menus aren’t particularly high budget either.  Its homely.  Right away, there’s a range of cold appetizers available for $1.99 (Canadian Dollars) and there are pages of two different sorts of dumpling buns.  They are called the same as the Shanghai ones but these of Northern delicacies and are made differently.  These actually look like buns and not like dumplings.  They have a special type which is steamed in a unique way.  The flavors are also quite plenty from assorted meats to vegetables and pork or preserved vegetables with pork as well (which is apparently the best way to have this). Aside from these two sorts of buns and appetizers, there was also pot stickers also made a little different from other restaurants.

We ordered two sorts of dumpling buns first and while we were waiting, we moved onto trying out almost all the appetizers.

Black Fungus Cold Appetizer

Seaweed appetizer

Potato appetizers (spicy)

Tofu Strips Appetizer

There was also a cucumber appetizer that I forgot to take a picture of.

I’m not an expert at Northern Chinese cuisine but these were all quite delicious. I couldn’t handle the spicy bits too well but the Black Fungus one and the Tofu Strips were really good. The potato ones were so spicy that I only ate a little bit.

As we were finishing up these appetizers, the dumplings arrived. They may look the same but they were different flavors.

Preserved Vegetables and Pork Dumplings

Bok Choy and Pork Dumplings

We weren’t too optimistic seeing as the restaurant didn’t have a lot of guests but my uncle is very much a food connoisseur and he had just tasted something like this before and he actually said these tasted better. I’m not sure what its supposed to taste like but these dumplings, both of them were really good.  I’m not a fan of preserved vegetables and that was probably better of the two.  The bun looks thick but actually its very thin and fluffy.  The meat was juicy and tasty.  It wasn’t overly salty either, which is a plus.

Because these two dishes tasted so good, we went ahead and ordered pot stickers also.

Pot stickers

I have a soft spot for pot stickers.  Always have.  I actually just love dumplings in general but oh my gosh! These were so good.  I mean, they aren’t your normal ones.  Actually its fried all together and you need to pull them apart and even the sides are open and not closed like usual potstickers that look a bit like wonton/dumpling crossovers.  I look at this picture and I just want to go order some.  Or just figure out how they make it.  That’s also an option.

Restaurant Dumplings Pain Farci is in the heart of Chinatown.  Its not obvious because you need to go up a flight of stairs and it might be set up very simple from their decor to their menu but they make some very good dumplings, appetizers and potstickers.  When you are specialty shop,  this is what its about: putting the passion into your food. The chef (probably also the boss) came out and we started to talk to him. He really knew his specialty cuisine and although he didn’t offer the dish that we asked about which is a bone/bone marrow soup sort of thing, he actually taught us how to make it and explained why it was so hard to do.

I don’t think I’ve reviewed any restaurants in Montreal Chinatown to date but with the new ones that has popped up and this one being a good experience, I feel like I should open up my horizons and check out more. Chinatown doesn’t change much but I feel like its time to embrace that little bit of change and see what positive steps forward it has shaped. What do you think?

Dinner: Baked Popcorn Shrimps

Its been a month since my last recipe. I really need to get myself in check with this.  That is just not acceptable. My husband has been a champ during my busy work season and taking care of dinner so it minimizes the amount of time I spend in the kitchen.  However, things are hopefully calming down and I can get a few recipes I’ve been wanting to try done.  Baking should be my priority with the lovely Pinocchio Baking Through Disney thing coming up soon. However, I decided to defrost some shrimp a few days ago and make something cool with it.  My initial thought was fried rice but then I was cleaning the cupboards and found a box of Corn Flakes Crumbs.  Its my replacement for Panko bread crumbs and remembered that I had gotten those to make some popcorn or breaded whatnots and didn’t end up doing it. So here we are with the next cooking adventure: Popcorn Shrimp!

Let’s check it out, shall we?

Popcorn Shrimp

You can find the lovely recipe over here:
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/skinny-baked-popcorn-shrimp-recipe/
I found it via Pinterest (as usual).

What is absolutely fantastic about shrimps in general are that they are really quick to cook.  That also means that this recipe takes more time for preparation than the actual baking time in the oven. I’m all for that!

However, this was more of an inspiration recipe because I ended replacing a few of the ingredients or omitting them in general due to allergy restrictions.

• Panko breadcrumbs replaced with Corn Flakes Crumbs
• Parmesan cheese omitted (due to lactose-intolerance)
• Italian seasoning instead of Cajun

As for the baking time, it said to do 3 mins and flip over and 3 mins. I did 3 mins and then another 5 mins and kept it in the oven a tad longer, maybe a few minutes, just to make sure the shrimps would be cooked through.  Its more of a safety precaution.  I had tried one at the 6 minutes recommended bake time and it was just perfectly cooked through.

Baked Popcorn Shrimp is definitely different.  I forgot to garnish it with lemon juice which might have balanced the taste a little. I like the Italian seasoning but it did have a mild bitter herb taste, which is where I think a cajun flare might have helped it.  Maybe the smoked paprika might have been a good one to use also.  However, this recipe had all the crunches and the bread coating was amazing.  I’ve never cooked with Panko breadcrumbs but this one I used is pretty great.

For a quick and crunchy side for your dish, this recipe does the trick. Even if you want it as an appetizer, it would do also with a lovely little dip.

Do you like shrimps (or other seafood)? How do you like to cook it? 

Sherbrooke Met La Table: OMG Resto

I love food festivals! Thanks to how much fun the MTL a Table was and our last hiking at Mont-Orford having us check out the Tourism Sherbrooke book that exposed us to this event called Sherbrooke Met la Table. This food event is pretty much what MTL a Table is except on a much smaller scale.  It has 20 restaurants.  Its currently running in Sherbrooke. If you are in that area, its definitely worth a visit.  We had a few restaurants that we wanted to try but in the end, we had a day trip which included booking a lunch and a dinner menu that appealed to us the most. This runs till the end of this weekend.  While its smaller, you will see that the style and menus are much more diverse and has some really great concepts.  I have some in mind that I hope will be there if this event runs again next year. I’m not even sure how long this event has been going for.

Our first choice was for lunch at OMG Resto!  Please note that they don’t always have the same wide variety offered on their menu so my husband took something from the normal menu. Before we get into the food.  You have to see the nice building that its located it. Its in a church.  Get it? OMG?

The inside decor is some of the best I’ve seen. Plus, its Christmas decorations are up so its so pretty!

Wine Rack

OMG Resto Decor

Giant Christmas Tree

Its really nice.  The tree is perfect for its high church ceilings. They had stairs going up and the backdrop was full of those LED pots.  Its a very nice ambiance and comfortable setting.  The wood walls makes it exceptionally home-y. Plus, I don’t usually talk about bathrooms but its a unisex bathroom.  There are four individual stalls and then in the middle was a urinal and you have this door that closes. Its super cool! This restaurant overview is getting really in depth.

Let’s move to the food now before I get too carried away!

Drinks

Mad & Noisy (Beer) & Cocktail: King Kunta

Mad & Noisy is an Indian pale lager.  My husband had it.  We both agreed that it was incredibly bitter. Not really our taste but it is smooth.  Not like a typical beer that I’d taste.

I had the cocktail mixo menu. I can’t remember everything that is in the drink but it had gin, pineapple juice, mint (or basil) and some other stuff. Doesn’t really matter because it taste REALLY  good.  Plus, it had a smaller quantity that other places I’ve been to but its to be tasted and enjoyed slowly, so that was alright 🙂

Appetizers

Met la Table menu: Mini fish cake, lime aioli, arugula with parsley

Les Cochonettes : Pulled Pork mini burgers

Met la table lunch menu’s appetizers was mini fish cakes. I usually have crab cakes so fish cakes was interesting.  I have no idea what lime aioli was. I’m guessing its the sauce at the bottom. It has something of a mayo sort of base.  I wasn’t sure what it was so I didn’t eat a lot of it but it was a good mix with the fish cake.

My husband had these little pulled pork burgers called Les Cochonettes.  There was four but he ate one before I could take the picture. Regardless, these are awesome! And I only took a bite! He liked it a lot too.

Main dish

Condiment rack

Burger de Gars

Met la Table menu: OMG Duck Burger with mango chutney and home fries

Look at that condiment rack! Three types of ketchups! I’m impressed.  When it first set on the table, I was like, now that’s hardcore. Haha!

Lets get back to business. The husband took the Burger de Gars (Translation: A Guy Burger). It had smoked meat, beef patty and bacon among tomatoes, pickes and mushrooms plus strong cheddar cheese. He liked it.  OMG resto age the beef in their restaurant so it enhances the taste of the beef.  The mix was good. His only critique would be that the “strong” cheese wasn’t very strong. Other than that, it was great.  Just a note for cheese lovers/connoisseurs.

Okay, so my burger. Let’s get something straight.  I like duck. I don’t eat it a lot nor do I claim to be a connoisseur or any sort but I didn’t get to taste the duck burger at La Maison du Magret during MTL a Table and this one has mango chutney.  If you missed it from a previous resto review, I LOVE mango.  This combination of duck, foie gras and mango chutney in a burger sounded really good.  Except, it didn’t.  The foie gras taste overpowered everything else. Mixing it with the mango chutney had this weird mix. Regrettably, it was suffice for half of the burger and then it took a little more effort to finish up. What would have been great is if the mango chutney was on the side and maybe found some sauce that would balance it but then when we have foie gras, the point is to taste it.  Its an acquired taste. To be honest, its really my issue because the patty itself was tender and juicy.  It was done very well.  Its just the strong foie gras that I couldn’t get over.

Dessert

Met la Table menu: Homemade donuts with vanilla infused whipped cream cheese

As many of you know, I can’t eat these.  You know, lactose intolerant  and all.  BUT, the resto didn’t know that and my husband didn’t order a serving of dessert but they still gave him a plate as well. Which meant he had double the indulgence 😉 It was very nice of the resto and we absolutely appreciated it with all our hearts. My husband was great because it was totally taste the homemade home taste and the addition of the sauce balanced with the dark chocolate filling was a great combination.

Additional Goodies with our bill!

Lollipops

Overall…

We have our critics of this meal but it was an enjoyable experience.  The food presentation is appealing.  The drinks and cocktails are nice and attractive. I would have loved to try more. The food was great (except my duck burger but thats because I’m not a foie gras lover).  I’m sure that if I had something else, I would love it a whole lot more. The decor and the setup and just the idea of changing a church (previously St-Therese Church) into a restaurant-bar is so weird and wrong but also done so right.  On top of that, the service was fantastic.  Our server was called Guillaume and he was an absolute gem.  Its worth every bit of the experience and if we were to go back to Sherbrooke, I’m pretty sure we’d stop by this place for a meal. Maybe even on one of the nights, they have some awesome performer there (because they seem to have some known musicians going there).

Do you love foie gras or other duck meals? What do you think of this restaurant setting and concept?

MTL a Table: Bonaparte in Old Port

We’re ending MTL a Table in absolute style.  This time, we’re in for a $41 menu at Bonaparte.  Bonaparte is French cuisine located in Old Montreal very close to where I work.  The menu itself was probably one of the most anticipated in our little foodie adventure event.  Also, we didn’t realize but this is a five service meal (including tea and coffee). The restaurant is attached to the Auberge Bonaparte where you go in from the cozy reception area to enter the restaurant itself.

Are you excited? I know I am!

MTL a Table: Bonaparte

Table decoration/ambiance

Drinks & Bread

From tallest to shortest: La Presque “Made in Quebec”, Le Old Timer, La Sour D’Automne

Mine was the La Presque “Made in Quebec”.  It has Ungava Gin, Cassis Monas et Filles (a blackcurrant based wine), maraschino, lemon.  This one was quite good.  It did feel a little strong but the mix was rather tasty.  Not too fruity but a stronger taste.  One of my friends described as cough meds. So I guess the cherry and blackcurrent might give that sort of taste if you don’t like it.

Le Old Timer was my husband’s choice.  I cannot remember what it had.  I think its spiced rum, ice cider and lemon(?). He liked it quite a bit.  That one was even stronger than mine in taste but still rather refreshing.

My friend’s husband took the “Autumn Sour” (in translation). It was a fruity mix among at the three.  I can’t remember at all except that it had egg whites in it and some fruity addition.  It was the lightest out of the three in taste but maybe not in content. You know, cocktails tend to be heavier the sweeter it is 😉

Delicious bread and fantastic presentation

I haven’t posted any of the bread offered at the previous 3 restaurants in MTL a Table but bread is an important part of the menu as well. It starts our meal and sometimes, its important that its appealing to eyes as well.  Bonaparte inspires confidence just because an eating experience also includes a visual one from every angle.  Even its bread not only tasted delicious and fresh and had variety of multigrain and normal baguette but also was presented so beautifully. It was hard to resist eating it.

1st service

Lobster bisque enhanced with ginger

Mixed green salad with pine nuts (and parmesan shaving*)

1st service encountered an issue for me.  I couldn’t eat either of the dishes.  In retrospect, I shouldn’t taken the green salads with the parmesan since my friends and my husband shared the dish after their lobster bisque.  What I can’t eat, they now know to share their opinions with me.  Mixed greens salads was great with the addition of the pine nuts adding a nice twist  and it was very fresh.  My friend’s husband preferred the salad over the lobster bisque but my friend and my husband liked the lobster bisque.

2nd service

Homemade smoked salmon with truffle oil

Warm goat cheese and almonds in phyllo dough

Duck foie gras creme brulee with sauteed apples

My choice was the Homemade Smoked Salmon.  This was absolutely delicious. I kid you not. I’m not a huge smoked salmon fan.  I tolerate it and it has a nice texture and all that but this one blew me away.  I took my first bite and was like “Wow!”.

No one was a big goat cheese fan so my friend’s husband took this one.  I’m not sure if goat cheese has lactose but apparently they say it doesn’t.  I think he enjoyed it although there was more discussion on the former topic than the dish itself.

The last choice here had the most conversation between us. My husband and friend both took this one. Duck foie gras was fantastic however, each of them had the same conclusion.  The bread offered to pair it was a little too crumbly, rather, they ended up using the baguettes and multigrain bread offered to us instead. However, the star, duck foie gras creme brulee was a sure winner and possibly a highlight of the meal.

3rd service

Dover sole fillet seasoned with Meuniere style fresh herbs and pine nuts

Rack of Lamb and port wine jus

Beef filet mignon seasoned with five peppercorn and cognac

Breast of duck flavored with maple syrup and wild berries

Its nice to say that all the meals were done great.  We all loved our own meals.

My friend took the sole fillet.  I had a taste and it was fresh and had a great texture.  The herbs and especially the pine nuts added an extra to the meal itself.

My choice was the rack of lamb.  It was tender and very tasty.  I’m not usually a fan of port wine jus but this one was really well matched with the meat.  Plus, the veggies were a great side.  Every dish had similar vegetable sides.  The sweet potato mash was fluffy and so delicious.  Also, we had an assortment of carrots with the white and the purple sort.  They both were very good since its the first time I’ve tasted it.

My husband chose the beef fillet mignon.  That peppercorn and cognac sauce was key to making this piece of meat just melt in my mouth. I had one bite and while I’m not a huge steak sort of fan.  This cut was amazing. I loved it and he loved it!

My friend’s husband had the duck breast.  I had a little tasting of this as well.  The wild berries sauce works really well with duck.  Berries seem to be the best way to match with duck meat and its definitely a winner.  They suggested this choice as the highlight dish.  I can definitely see why.

4th service

Fruit Salad

Symphony of homemade desserts: Creme brulee, cheesecake, raspberry torte, chocolate mousse

Typically there is only one choice and its the symphony of homemade desserts which is like a taster dish.  The winner of this one is the creme brulee that everyone liked a lot. A very close second was the cheesecake.  That was the general consensus. Obviously, I couldn’t eat this so I got a very appealing diced fruit salad. First of all, I always find fruit salads to be a cheap replacement to my neighbors who are having this fancy array of desserts. But, what made me feel a little better about this was that they had mangoes in their fruit salad which pretty much increased the value of it.  Plus, you add mango to anything and I’m in love so good move on Bonaparte.

5th service: Tea and Coffee

Sorry, I was on baby duty at this part so I didn’t take any pictures.  We had a proper teapot with Four O’Clock tea.  There was a variety of choices. Mine with Green Tea and my friend took Camomile.

Overall…

$41 at five course meal is very decent.  When we flipped through the menu, there was a degustation menu which had two more services and was priced at $74.  Plus, the service was great.  The food was very enjoyable and appealing.  They had a few little details that we didn’t enjoy or some pairings some of us couldn’t get passed but overall, it was a delicious meal.  The presentation and the taste, especially in our main course (3rd service) was a winner for all of us. I tried all the plates and each one was like it melted in my mouth and made me feel so happy. A nice way wrap up our MTL a Table outing!

Definitely an event worth going to! We made some really good discoveries in this year’s MTL a Table week and I look forward to what next year has to offer. My only suggestion to have restaurants always offer something that is allergen free of some sort, whether its gluten-free or at least the basic lactose-free.  It really helps to get the full experience without having to feel left out or guessing what was set to balance it.