SubscribeDINNER August 31, 2007
Laloux has been a mainstay on the French dining circuit since I moved to Montreal at the turn of the century. French cuisine (sometimes with a twist) served in a simple yet classic space with friendly service and great wine advice: what wasn’t to like? In my mind Laloux has always offered a more upscale experience than the take on French bistro cuisine that predominates in Montreal and, although I had not had a meal here in about two years, I was always inclined to recommend it as one of the more enjoyable culinary experiences in Montreal.
Laloux is not a glitzy restaurant or one that makes waves with publicity, but news that wunderkind chefs Danny St-Pierre and Patrice Demers had been hired to head Laloux made the foodie rounds at speeds that would make Paris Hilton blush.
The space is unchanged: all cream and black, high ceilings and mirrors. The menu is a little less classical; a little more adventurous. Witness the “tarte fine au boudin”, a deconstructed affair with little rounds of blood pudding placed on a rectangle of apple jelly and topped with a strip of puff pastry. Interesting, yes, and tasty but not mind blowing. Likewise the brandade stuffed blanched tomato on a bed of zucchini with garlic confit. Good? Certainly. Interesting? Yes. Worth coming back for? No.
The mains we selected continued with the almost but not quite theme. My prosciutto wrapped black cod was very well done. The crispy, salty prosciutto meeting the light silkiness of the fish perfectly. Served on a bed of lentil with garlic confit and topped with a little tomato concassé, this dish was well put together. The JJ’s grilled tuna with a ratatouille of tomato and peppers was a taste of Provence but the shredded cucumber adorning the fish was somewhat incongruous.
Desserts, I am pleased to report, were all that I expected they would be. I could not resist the divine chocolate pot-de-creme with caramel and Maldon salt, a holdover from Les Chevres. A chocolate hazelnut biscuit topped with a Tonka bean foam and a delicious apricot sorbet reinforced my impression of Mr. Demers as Montreal’s dessert genius and I found that the combination of exotic tastes was the perfect end to our meal.
Despite the hype surrounding the new hirings, that may have been the least enjoyable meal I have had at Laloux, which is not to say that it was bad, by any means, but rather that the standard is quite lofty. I will definitely be back although nothing I ate gave me the urge to run back next week. In the interim, I note that Mr. Demers has presented his first full menu at Pop!: the wine bar attached to Laloux. Featuring a long list of desserts and a small selection of affordable mains, I think that Pop! may be my next dining experience on Des Pins.
Rating: Four stars
Restaurant Laloux
250 Des Pins E.
514.287.9127
