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| - Last night I went for a dinner and a "show" at Jean-Pierre Challet's Ici Bistro. Book your seats in advance as this theatre is quite small, seating about 20 or so.
We arrived promptly at 8PM and our usher brought us to our box seats (read, bar seats) which gave us an almost eye level view of the main stage (read, the kitchen) which is slightly elevated from its audience (read, the tables).
In this small production, four stars (chefs) graced the stage this evening, each delivering a fine performance in their titular roles. The highlight of the evening for me was when the Kitchen Aid went on to prepare fresh components for our dessert.
The narrator (read, our server) for the evening was authentically French (from Toulon) and mesmerized this audience with his charm. He was always on cue - ensuring that our water glasses were topped up, and replacing our plates after every act (read, course) was over. He also bore a striking resemblance to Colin Farrell. In fact, when I began saying "Has anyone ever told you you look like..." he replied "Yes" even before I uttered the name.
A list of wines was available with Canadian and French choices exclusively. Finally, a restaurant with a longer list of wines by the glass (3 oz or 6 oz). I opted for an Alsatian Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer.
The amuse-bouche was a creamy Goat Cheese Tartlet followed by a bread basket featuring JP's yummy baguettes, which almost always sell out at his Leslieville boulangerie, Le Matin .
The neatest thing about the menu at Ici Bistro is that the mains come in both appetizer and entrée size which means you can sample many of the delicious dishes without having to don your stretchy pants.
Seeing as the Oysters seemed to be popular among the crowd we opted for a half dozen. Tonight's selection came from Prince Edward Island, accompanied with a generous amount of lemon wedges, fresh horse radish and sherry vinaigrette with crunch roe.
The 2 slices of rye bread that accompanied the condiments had us scratching our heads, but upon inquiring we learned that you are supposed to take a bite of bread to finish. This foreign idea was a great one, as the bread actually prolonged the end notes of the oysters, while dousing the acidity and tartness of the vinaigrette. I wanted to stand up and scream encore!
For our mains, we opted for the Stuffed Scallop. This dish had great textural balance with a thinly sliced fried pear, a cilantro/ginger/king crab filling, Parmesan polenta and Espelette mayonaise. The scallops were cooked perfectly; the poached lobster was heaven in every bite; and the polenta cubes were buttery and cheesy.
We also opted for the Duck Magret, served with an aromatic fennel/honey/lavender/star anise reduction. The flavours were very bold which held up against the richness of the duck with an absolutely delicious caramelized reduction. While I understand the potato dauphinois and parsnips were intended to play supporting roles, the flavours were very muted after having tasted the duck.
Like the holy trinities that appeared on every dish - I too am a firm believer in three's. So having had our appetizer (1) and main (2), we aptly opted for the Trio of Lemon and an Americano. I have tasted JP's lemon tart before at Le Matin and was delighted to taste it again! The trio consisted of the luscious lemon tart, ice cream and frozen raspberries finished with a Chiboust cream and brûléed topping.
V E R D I C T
Ici Bistro is a place that you seek out because of its reputation. It is located in an obscure corner with nothing but a church and a convenience store surrounding it.
The dishes are thoughtfully crafted, with textural balances in mind, and the goal of winning your taste buds over with rich and lingering flavours.
It is a restaurant that you could literally spend hours in, as the kitchen prepares your meal with care and with heart. And if they can't convince you to stay, the staff will definitely charm you into having another glass of wine. Bon appétit!
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