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| - Bouillon Bilk is truly a gastronomic gem of Montreal! It's a bit hard to find, tucked away in an otherwise run-down area and un-noteworthy part of town. Francois Nadon is truly one of Montreal's best local chefs and his food exemplifies Montreal cuisine at its best! All the ingredients are sourced locally and the menu changes according to what's available each season. For our dinner, my bf and I ordered the following:
[Appetizer] Fraises, cresson, pacanes, crème sûre, quinoa:
A salad composed of strawberries, watercress, roasted pecans, sour cream (made from goat cheese according to the english menu), and quinoa. Everything worked so well together on this plate! The strawberries added a bit of sweetness and tartness; the roasted pecans added some depth with its nutty, earthy tones; the goat cheese sour cream worked with the quinoa to smooth out the flavors and bulk up the salad; and finally, the watercress added a bit of crisp and brightness to the palate. A truly fantastic salad!
[Appetizer] Asperges, langue de veau, vadouvan, morilles, oeuf
Asparagus, veal tongue, Vadouvan, morels, and egg (it looked like a quail egg but may have just been a regular chicken egg). I've never had tongue in my life, let alone veal tongue. Not usually an adventurous eater, it took quite a bit of bravery and willpower to stomach the tongue, even though, psychological trauma aside, it was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Everything on the plate was a work of art! The asparagus paired well with the various sauces and purees that decorated the plate, adding a bit of earthy, grassy flavor to an otherwise heavy appetizer. I had never had Vadouvan or morels before; I still can't tell you what Vadouvan tastes like cause it was incorporated so well into the dish, that I don't remember having tasted it; The morel, however, wasn't my thing; I didn't know at the time that it was a mushroom so it just looked like a deformed pickle to me and tasted somewhat pickle-y too. The veal tongue was served on top of a moist, delicious, perfectly cut, square piece of bread and topped with a perfectly round, perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg. Cutting into it, the egg yolk ran delightfully down over the tongue and bread. There is a certain joy to be taken in beautiful, breathtakingly precise, gastronomic presentations. The tongue tasted like a cross between filet mignon and brisket.
[Entree] Roasted baby rooster special
I can't remember what else was in this dish but the rooster was, in my bf's words, "The best chicken [he's] ever had!" This dish was a chef special for the night. With crispy, well-seasoned skin, and meat that was so moist it simply fell off the bone. The rooster was a delight!
[Entree] Canard, foie gras, cerise, kamut, carotte
Duck, foie gras, cherry, kamut, carrot. Obviously, foie gras was #1 on my list of things to try in Montreal since it's so hard to come by in the States. This dish, though, was much more than I bargained for! Intensely rich and again, impeccably, expertly cooked, the duck plus the foie gras was enough to constitute two meals in and of itself. The cherries and carrots provided a bit of sweetness to the dish while the kamut (which is a type of grain similar to wheat and rice) provided some substance to ground the fatty goodness of the duck and foie gras. The duck was flavor-rich and browned on the edges while remaining soft and moist on the inside. The foie gras, the spotlight of the dish, was fantastic! (Though not entirely my thing...) It was nicely fried and somewhat crispy on the outside, especially on the edges, which I loved (tasted much like deep fried bacon). The inside, though, was just super fattening. It was definitely delicious and expertly crafted foie gras; I've just decided that foie gras isn't really my cup of tea.
[Dessert] Banane, glace sésame, chocolat
My bf got (in english) the banana, sesame ice cream, and chocolate dessert. The banana came dipped in syrup, the sesame ice cream was delightfully creamy, and the chocolate was served both drizzled over the plate and as thinly sliced sesame-covered dark chocolate pieces.
[Dessert] Strawberry soup special (with tiny flowers, pieces of melon and cantaloupe, sprouts, and a dollop of frozen yogurt, I think)
Again, this was a chef's special for the night so I don't remember all too clearly what was in the dish. It was absolutely delightful though! (And a very welcome light end to an otherwise super heavy meal, seeing as how I ordered both the tongue and the foie gras.) I remember the soup being wonderfully bright and ever-so-subtly sweet, with floral and fruity notes. The frozen yogurt added some substance to the soup, creamy and tart; It was also obviously handcrafted frozen yogurt since I could taste some individual ice crystals (something I loved!).
Food: 5/5 -- superb!
Service: 5/5 -- top-notch! (the waitress even folded my napkin when I left it on the table to go to the br)
Atmosphere: 5/5 -- chic, modern space
Overall: 5/5
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