Restaurant Toqué! - Canada's Best (Montreal, QC)

Restaurant Toqué!

Prior to my visit to Montreal, my mind was set to only one place: Au Pied de Cochon. After watching the episode of No Reservations on Quebec, it was the one reservation I was stoked about. However, after looking at the various restaurants in the city, and a recommendation from a fellow Twitter friend, Restaurant Toqué! popped onto my radar. Given the green light by my buddies, I booked a reservation and I was ready for Restaurant Toqué's tasting menu.

Menu

Upon being seated, we were given the menu, but we were set on the tasting menu offered at Restaurant Toqué!. The regular 7 course tasting menu is reasonable priced at 92CAD, while the 7 course tasting menu with foie gras is at 104 CAD. Since I want to see the difference between the two menus, I went with the foie gras option, while my dining mates went with the regular tasting menu.

Ginger Ale & Whisky

Since I was in the safe hands of public transportation of Montreal, I decided to start off with a Ginger Ale and Whisky. What's more Canadian than some good Canadian Whisky and ginger ale?

Bread Service

Bread and butter. Simple and delicious. We must have gone through 2 servings of that alone!

Amuse Bouche: Asparagus Soup

We were first presented with a shot of an intensely flavored asparagus soup. The taste of asparagus was definitely apparent, and quite delicious. Very nice way to start off the meal.

1. Pétoncles Princess marinés à l’eau de vinaigrier, radis, fraise, échalote et mousse de wasabi

Since I don't know French, I used the guide of my buddy Babel Fish for a bastardized translation on the dish I had that evening. In this case we started off with a "scallop shooter." Here, we have scallops marinated in vinegar, daikon, topped off with a wasabi mousse. The scallops were fresh and flavorful, and the addition of wasabi mousse added a nice kick to the dish. Delicious!

Domaine DuMinot (35CAD)

To go along with the scallops, we went with something light and refreshing. What's better than a Domaine DuMinot? The light apple cider went perfectly with the marinated scallops dish.

2. Thon mariné, laitue Boston, concombre, nouilles frites et mayonnaise épicée

Following the scallops dish, we have another cold dish of marinated tuna, spicy mayo, cucumber and some fried noodles sandwiched between Boston lettuce. The fresh tuna, mixed with the spicy mayo, matched well with the peppered lettuce. Although it wasn't the favorite dish of the night, it definitely was quite delicious!

Domaine Ostertag (67CAD)

After draining our first bottle, we went with a 2007 Pinot Blanc from Domaine Ostertag.

3a. Lobster in Spicy Sauce

This is where the menu change, though just this particular course. My friends got the lobster dish in a spicy sauce (Sorry, I never got the name on the menu) that was cooked perfectly and delicious. My friends really enjoyed the lobster dish. Looking back, I wish I had tried a bite of this dish, but I was too busy with.....

3b. Foie gras de canard poêlé, eau de rhubarbe, daïkon poché et gelée de vin jaune

......the foie gras for the foie gras lover that I am. I was presented with this poached foie gras dish. In addition to the poached foie gras, the daikon was soaked in wine and all under a bed of rhubarb water. This dish was simple, yet complex in flavors. The richness of the foie was countered with the tart base which made this particular foie gras dish not quite as intense as expected. The foie gras was also cooked perfectly. Tender and rich. Simply melt in your mouth wonderful!

For the tasting menu, I think the non-foie gras version was quite nice, and unless you enjoy the taste of foie gras, I'd just stick with the regular 7 course tasting menu at 92 CAD. Again, quite a steal in a restaurant of this calibur.

4. Râble de lapin confit, feuille d’ail verte, asperge, morille et purée d’ail noir

This was my favorite dish of the night, the rabbit confit. Think duck confit, but much tender and delicious. This was my first taste of our "Thumper" friend and I loved it! In addition to the rabbit, kidney (not sure if it's also rabbit) was on the plate, along with garlic greens and mashed potatoes. Eating rabbit might not be for everyone, but it's not something to be missed!

5. Suprême de pigeon rôti, rabioles, purée de topinambour, betterave, pancetta croustillante et fleur de tussilage

Pigeon? Yes, this was pigeon. Unlike the Chinese, lettuce cup style preparation I was used to, this pigeon was roasted, and roasted well. Tender, succulent, and definitely flavorful. The accompanied vegetables were quite delicious and went well with the pigeon meat. Another winner in my books. And that artichoke puree? Simply devine!

6. Fromage Le maigre du Nord, asperge blanche, pain croustillant, miel et crème montée au Banyuls blanc

The cheese course, usually the course I don't care too much for, but in this case, it's done in a way I love. Think crepe, but done with cheese. The thin layer of cheese covers a generous portion of chicken and vegetables. I was slightly surprised with the preparation, but it's probably my favorite cheese course from any restaurant to date!

7. Terrine de fraises de serre du Québec et basilic, crème à l’érable, lait glacé au basilic et sorbet à la fraise

Finally, dessert, usually my favorite course in a tasting menu and it did not disappoint here. Here we have strawberries immersed inside a bed of basil jello. Basil jello? Yup, and did it work? Hellz Effing Yes! The basil sorbet that accompanied the basil strawberry jello was not as intense as the jello, but still quite delicious. The flavors of caramel and strawberry flakes (similar to haw flakes) on top of the sorbet added a nice flavor and texture. Quite simply a complex, yet a wonderful dessert. What a great, refreshing way to wind down a meal!

Mignardises

Finally, some macaroon as the server presented us the bill. What a way to kick off a big meal here in Montreal. Definitely the best meal I had in Montreal!

Dining Room

The simple, yet elegant dining room. The service and atmosphere were perfect for a fine meal or a memorable date.

Restaurant Toqué!

Restaurant Toqué!, wait for me, I will return to eat here again!

Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Restaurant Toqué!
900 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal, QC H2Z 2B2
(514) 499-2084
Official Site