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| - - BOTTOM LINE:
By far the BEST BEST meal we had in Montreal (and this included Au Pied de Cochon)...perhaps the best meal I've had in a few years. Make reservations in advance. The walk to Bouillon Bilk was not far from downtown and also close to a ton of great bars for post-dinner nightcaps.
- THE SERVICE:
We stumbled into Bouillon Bilk reservation-less and the French skills of an infant. The hostess told us the wait would be two hours and we were disappointed but definitely not surprised. Then, she smiled and said what the heck, and managed to squeeze us 4 in right then and there in a fantastic corner table. THANK YOU for giving us the gift of this meal! I do not know your name, but you had a really cute blue shirt with artichokes on it. The rest of the staff was awesome as well. The menu was clearly explained to us and our cups remained happily filled with cocktails and water throughout the meal.
- THE SPACE:
Intimate but unpretentious. Great for parents, dates, and old friends.
- THE FOOD:
Amazing. Spectacular. Our fois gras on toast, strawberries, and beets hit every note of texture and flavor imaginable. Us four shared this appetizer and were all able to get ample bites of the fois gras. The fruit and beets provided a refreshing break from the heaviness of the fois gras.
I had the special of the day - veal 3 ways (veal cutlet, veal sweetbreads, and veal pastrami) and it was phenomenal. What an experience. The cutlet was perfectly cooked and medium rare, the sweetbreads crispy and juicy, and the pastrami perfectly salty and fatty. I really appreciated how much they try to push the envelope but still keep their flavors true and homey. My boyfriends sea bass had the crispiest skin ever. I aspire to cook fish that well.
Overall, an amazing experience at this place. I'm so glad we managed to squeeze in here without a reservation...but I suggest you make one in advance! It was by the most memorable food experience we had in Montreal.
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