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| - Au Pied De Cochon isn't for the faint or weak. Not for the faint of stomach (think duck fat and pork), faint of heart (think duck fat, pork and your arteries) nor the faint of wallet (think duck fat, pork and a reputable name that costs money to even utter).
Call in your reservation weeks, even a month or so in advance. This is no walk-in spot.
Please do not bring your squeamish friends here as they will not enjoy the experience, and you may not either. Also, do eat lightly the day of because this meal will consume and overtake your body, and also that part of your brain that controls food comas.
Our reservation was called in a couple of weeks in advance, and we got an 11pm block on a friday night. We arrived and were seated immediately. The restaurant itself isn't cabaret. No flashing lights or people in pig costumes. It blends with the surrounding establishments on its block, ninja-like if you aren't keeping a good look out. The ambiance is actually very casual, and upbeat.
Oh and their piggy icon is very symbolic of this spot, a little bit comical, a lot fatty.
We wanted to sample a lot of different things: two orders of the foie gras poutine, the infamous duck in a can, pied de cochon stuffed with foie gras, boudin maison, and côte de cochon heureux.
The foie gras poutine was heaven on a plate. With every bite, I could hear angels trumpeting behind me. I scooped up the last bit of it with our complimentary bread. Never knew I could fall in love with something so alien to me.
Duck in a can! Literally. It's quite a sight and very photo/vid worthy to catch them serving this up to you. Taste-wise, the amount of duck fat in there would make a roll of papertowels run away, but it ridiculously succulent.
Stuffed pied de cochon swims underneath a rich, glorious brown gravy, if you're lucky, you'll find some semi crispy skin under there. I know I did. Boudin maison was a delectable porky tenderness as well, probably the more conservative of the dishes.
Wasn't a fan the last dish on our list because there was just way too much blood sausage, which I have never been a fan of.
To cap this artery-clogging feast, and about 1:30 am, we got brazilian coffee. Hot, creamy and liquor-y.
Unforgettable experience best saved for the brave.
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