We were attracted to le Chein Rose by the cute sign and cool looking interior design. The restaurant serves Tapas - multiple small portions that can be shared.
My wife started with a beet, arugula, goat cheese and pecan salad. It was the star of the evening - a wonderful blend of flavours and textures.
I ordered the BBQ ribs. I know Montrealers are convinced that "fall off the bone" is a compliment when it comes to ribs but I'm of the true BBQ school. Give me ribs with some texture and taste. Sadly these had neither. They were flavourless and overcooked - parboiled and then quickly grilled - not in any way BBQed. The smoky tomatoe sauce marginally redeemed them and the dipping sauce went well with the former but overall - not a dish I'd order again.
We shared a dish of crab cakes. Again, disappointing. Far too much potato filling left the three cakes wet. Little to no seasoning left them bland. As with the ribs the best part of the dish was the sauce - Aioli with a touch of soya.
Overall I'd classify le Chien Rose as a slick concept that misses the mark - not by much, but by enough to prevent either of us from giving it a second shot. Service was professional and friendly but the kitchen needs to find its A game.
On a closing note - it was obvious from the full house on a Wednesday night that others didn't share our disappointment.