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| - When I was about to enter Maison Boulud I'll be honest: I thought it would be a high-end restaurant in a high-end hotel and that because of this it was likely to be a dinner with average food at an exorbitant price.
I was wrong. I must say, I was quite impressed by this new Montreal restaurant. From start to finish it delivered on every level.
First impressions rarely lie and I knew I might be in for a pleasant surprise when we stepped in and the Maitre D', Cyril (formerly from Europea), welcomed us by our names without having heard us speak anything but a simple hello. This shows professionalism, commitment and dedication to one's work and these qualities were further displayed when, before our dinner day, emails to the restaurant were promptly replied to, even at 8:30 AM, a time where most are either sleeping or trying to get into a semi-functional state. My wife had been in touch with him as it was a surprise birthday dinner and she wanted to make sure the vegetarian was well taken care of!
It is important to note this. If the Maitre D is of this level it is very unlikely his staff will be any different and throughout the evening the staff proved this theory to be true. The service at Maison Boulud is excellent. The waiting staff strikes a perfect balance between high-end and casual. It is always very attentive without being stuffy. They are very friendly without trying to be your "buddy". They always make you feel like they are at your disposal without standing around like statues. They are constantly going around tables but you do not feel or notice their presence until you need them and magically here they are, just at the right time, and always willing to help in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're bothering them.
I've been to numerous high-end restaurants and the service at Maison Boulud would best or match the very best of the group.
Onto the food and as in all my reviews I will write about the vegetarian side of things. It offers a really interesting take on a restaurant as very often you will stretch the kitchen into dishes they don't normally make. The question usually is: will they copy paste something bland together or will they go out of their way to create dishes with creativity and flavor to it? This, in my admittedly biased opinion, really sets aside the best restaurants from the rest as it shows an extra level of dedication to their client base and, more importantly, that the kitchen has a wide array of skill sets and is willing to step out of its normal flavor and ingredient boundaries to create something special.
On this, Boulud performed very well. To keep it simple I will rate each part of the meal in chronological order. Forgive me for the lack of description but since our meal i have forgotten some details.
0 - Terrible
10 - Orgasmic
Cocktail (9): Jade Green - I don't recall the name exactly but it was a beautiful green cocktail with cucumber/citrus/basil flavors. Very nice balance of flavors and an eye-catching ice centerpiece that gradually melts flavor into the glass.
Bread (10): Yes I am rating bread but only for this review. The bread/butter at Maison Boulud is face-stuffing worthy. Simple fresh bread. I think we had 3 baskets. Small details like this once again separates the best from the rest. - 10
Beet Salad (8): Beautiful presentation. When I saw the dish and tasted is when I knew the dinner would might be special.
Butternut squash ravioli (9.5): Some of the best bites I've ever had. I would go back and eat 4 of those and call it a night. You just have to try it to understand, even my meat-eating wife was quite impressed!
Mushrooms w/egg, emulsion and lettuce (7.5): This one was just OK. It was good, just less than everything else. Mix of mushrooms with an egg you break on top of it and mix. I felt like this one lacked a little extra flavor.
Hazelnut potatoes w/vegetables (8.0): Never had hazelnut potatoes before but they were quite good. Perfectly fried. Crisp outside with a light golden color and soft as a pillow inside. A well done dish and I love seeing a generic ingredient like potato done differently.
Lemon tart with roasted pine nuts, figs and ice cream (7.75): The only reason why I rate this a 7.5 is because my wife's dessert was mind blowing and mine wasn't. And I was the birthday boy! Ok, mine was quite good but I just wanted to eat hers as it was one of the best tasting dessert i've ever had :)
And to finish the review, I'd also like to point out how beautiful the restaurant is. The decor is beautiful and just like the service, it retains the high-end feeling without making you feel like you should act differently. The colors and glass walls are especially beautiful and the fire "pit" in the middle is a great highlight.
In conclusion, Maison Boulud is a must go in Montreal and while the price point is above average, it is worth the money, even for vegetarians.
Vegetarian Food: 4.25
Service: 4.85
Value: 4.00
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