SubscribeDINNER August 17, 2007
Everyone likes to tell their friends when they know the chef of a restaurant. And every diner is delighted if the chef comes over to their table to say a few words or to see how they liked their dinner on the way out (an Old World custom that I would love to see more of in Québec). The masterminds behind Kitchen Galerie must have had an inkling of this in opening their new restaurant beside Jean-Talon market which has no servers. That’s right, the chefs take your order, fill your wine glasses, cook your food and find time for a little chit chat in between. Call me a sucker for a man in a white coat–but I loved it!
Kitchen Galerie offers a daily set menu choice of five mains, five appetizers and three desserts based on fresh products sourced from the market just steps away. The wine list is short but contains a number of affordable options. There are also a few wines available by the glass. We each opted to start our meal with a crisp Chardonnay, the 2005 Black Dog Creek from Victoria (Australia). I started with escargots and chanterelles, sauteed then finished and served in a tiny red Le Creuset cocotte. The escargot were tender and the mushrooms succulent forcing me to use several slices of bread to finish every last bit of the sauce. The JJ had a yellow and cherry tomato salad with a crab vinaigrette that was very well presented, light and fresh.
I ordered a glass of Laudum Barrica Especial 2002 from Portugal and moved to the main course: a grilled entrecote served on a bed of roasted ratte potatoes and artichokes and finished with a red wine reduction. The steak was a tad overcooked but had tons of flavour (it had clearly been marinated). The red wine reduction complemented the roast vegetables immensely and all the elements of this plate came together immensely well. The JJ ordered roasted salmon served on a bed of aragula, fresh corn and celeriac and topped with a mound of black caviar (or given the price, lumpfish eggs). Again, her dish was good–but mine was better.
We finished with an excellent basil creme brulée and a light carrot cake with dulce de leche ice cream and a light crème anglaise. You could smell burnt sugar all through the room when the chef caramelized the créme brulée, just like when they sauteed an entree, which I thought added to the sensory delight of the place. I worked as a waiter for a long time and I have to give these guys full compliments for serving the entire room and cooking everything without looking like they were ever breaking a sweat. Were there any lapses? A forgotten bread basket and a slightly overcooked steak but the chefs more than made up for it with their enthusiasm. They were very pleasant and seem like genuinely nice guys. Between their personalities, the quality of the food and the prices on the menu, I suspect they might be in the neighbourhood for a while.
Rating: Four stars for very solid food at good prices. To quote General McArthur “I will return.”
Cost with tip including a couple of coffees: $130 (you tend to tip the chef well when he takes care of you all night).
Kitchen Galerie
60 Jean-Talon E.
514.315.8994
