Laloux
250 Pine Avenue East (at Laval Street)
Montreal, Quebec H2W 1P3
(514) 287-9127
www.laloux.com

Hours: Mon-Fri:  11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Sun-Thurs:  5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat:  5:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Vegetarian-friendly
Average for meal/person, excluding wine, taxes, and tip: $25-$45
Major cards and Interac
Rating: ◊◊◊◊½ (excellent)

It was one of those rare and magical moments when serendipity from spontaneity presented itself unexpectedly in a rather intriguing manner. On the eve of St. Valentine’s Day—which, coincidentally, happened to overlap with Chinese New Year’s Eve, my friend, who also enjoys and appreciates fine luxury foods, and I decided on the spur of the moment and at the very last minute to dine out. The spontaneous idea sounded splendid, but it was the St. Valentine’s Day weekend, and a multitude of fine restaurants would have completely been booked by this time, but I was up to the challenge of getting a table at a respectable restaurant even at this rather late hour of the day. The first and only place that came to my head immediately was Pop!, the reasonably priced bar à vin located right adjacent to the lauded bistro-restaurant Laloux, and when I had called the wine bar at around 8:40 p.m. to make a reservation, I was informed that it was completely booked that night except for two seats at the bar counter. “I’ll take them!” I said in desperation. I have eaten and imbibed at this small urban wine lounge, which is owned by the same restaurateurs behind Laloux, several times before, and I have always been satisfied with the delicious food and hospitable service. So off we embarked on an impromptu trip to our destination of “Paris on Pine Avenue.” When we arrived at the trendy spot at about 9:15 p.m., we saw a few tables available and inquired about getting seats at a table instead of taking the reserved seats at the bar. We were courteously sent next door to the upscale Laloux, where the maître d’ informed us that both Laloux and Pop! were serving the same special St. Valentine’s Day menu that night. As he took care of our seating request and then led us to our designated table in the elegant dining space of Laloux, I found myself again at this venerable bistro, but this time, on this special and sweet occasion, sampling and savouring dishes delivered by the recently appointed chef de cuisine Seth Gabrielse.

Originally from Toronto, this young, diligent culinarian, who exudes a charming personality, has previously worked at several distinguished gastronomic establishments, including Toronto’s famed Susur (previously in the space now occupied by the restaurant Madeline’s, another recent eatery creation from the internationally acclaimed chef Susur Lee) where the groundbreaking menu changes daily; the now defunct Le Passe-Partout under the tutelage of breadmeister and chef James MacGuire, who is currently the creative director at Pop!, the now closed restaurant Anise where he served as sous chef under the mentorship of former restaurateur and chef Rasha Bassoul, and the posh private club Le 357c in Old Montreal where he continues to be active in its prestigious kitchen. With his infectious smile and exceptional culinary skills, Gabrielse presides over Laloux’s esteemed kitchen, and his passion for cooking and food and his longstanding love affair with gastronomy are expressed deeply in his culinary creations crafted with meticulous care and attention.

To commemorate this festival of love and affection, the seductive St. Valentine’s Day menu was loaded with reputable aphrodisiac ingredients—from fennel to figs, from truffles to tarragon, from cilantro to chocolate. The alluring, flexible four-course table d’hôte menu consisted of an amuse-bouche, two starters, a main dish, a dessert, and mignardises, with a modest selection of choices for each of the four courses of the meal. Seated close to a lively group of two young couples who had arrived much earlier and were happily indulging in their dinner, my dining companion and I were able to get a visual avant-goût of some of the dishes offered that night, and some of our preferences were influenced by what we actually saw and what we actually heard from these diners themselves. To celebrate love, affection, and life on this occasion, my friend and I agreed to order different dishes from one another to share and taste the different delicacies executed by the chef.

From the very first morsel of our meal, we immediately sensed that Gabrielse was no ordinary chef; he was an intuitive and imaginative culinary artist, and his food made you smile with ravishing delight. In true aphrodisiac spirit, the sexy St. Valentine’s Day meal began with a raw oyster amuse-bouche. Served on top of a plain bed of rock salt, the fresh, chilled Beausoleil oyster on the half shell was bathed in a simple mignonette sauce, the classic condiment of vinegar and finely chopped shallots which was enriched here with a brunoise of Granny Smith apples and kissed with a hint of vanilla.  The palate pleaser was delectably refreshing and exhibited a delicate intimacy of flavours that were pure, clean and slightly mineral in taste.

And the song of praise did not stop here.

Earlier deemed as “superbe” by one of the female diners seated at the neighbouring table, the snow crab verrine starter, which my friend had opted, was, indeed, absolutely astounding. Served in an opened mason jar, the verrine was composed of a generous topping of feathery light and incredibly airy sour cream foam, which covered a blanket of tarragon and diced celery and apple atop a stratum of sublime snow crab morsels. To further heighten the whimsical tone of the appetizer, a mound of savoury Jerusalem artichoke chips was arranged in the interior of the mason jar lid. This crustacean dish was one of the remarkable highlights of the meal of the night. Wow.

The luxurious terrine de canard et foie gras plate, which I chose, was equally fabulous. Accompanied with three large sweet and sour Agen prunes which were moist and luscious, two half slices of lightly toasted brioche, which were slightly sweet and buttery in taste, and a graceful pile of watercress seasoned with sea salt, the square slice of the gamy charcuterie was fine-textured and flavourful. As a subtle St. Valentine’s Day touch, a heart motive encased within a slender square enclosure of mousse de foies de volaille was embedded within the sliced speckled artisanal terrine. Fantastic.

The second set of starters features a selection of lamb, scallop, and calamari dishes. At a curious glance at the adjacent table, the lamb appetizer looked arrestingly stunning; served with a fresh herb salad, the thin rectangular block of lamb tartare, enhanced with homemade harissa and fresh coriander, cushioned a large, dainty heart-shaped frame, its filigree-like structure made out of black bread croutons. However, we were both in a seafood mood, and we decided to try the other two dishes.

The calamari starter was phenomenal. Flawlessly cooked, the melt-in-your-mouth piece of calamari, which was stuffed with a thick and toothsome shrimp mousseline, was coupled with a layer of extremely light and fluffy rice, which was fragrantly spiced with saffron and tastefully studded with finely diced red peppers, and served with a fresh herb froth. My dining companion, who is passionate about calamari, originally had his eyes on this molluscan dish but eventually settled on the scallop appetizer, and he showed no regrets with his choice. Supple and succulent, the plump, giant scallop was perfectly pan-seared and beautifully bacon-barded, and the oyster chowder along with pearled onions and cubes of potatoes and white turnips provided a complementary accompaniment to the starred feature of this spectacular dish.

The tantalizing selection of main course dishes offered that evening ranged from surf to turf, two of which were intended to be shared between two people. As a popular comfort food dish in French bistros and brasseries, the classic Parisian-style steak frites was one of the possible options that evening. Next to our table, the two male diners were enjoying the hearty beef sirloin course for two: wide slices of the entrecôte steak were drizzled with a truffle sauce and served with a plentiful heap of pommes Pont-Neuf and a ragoût of mushrooms and cippolini onions. However, I was in the mood for more duck, while my friend continued to lean towards foods from the sea.

Both of the selected pièces de resistance continued to showcase Gabrielse’s versatility and culinary talent. Richly flavourful and appealingly colourful, the duck and fish dishes were utterly sensational.

Earthy elements were captured admirably in the former dish. Here, thick slices of the magret de canard cradled a square-shaped ravioli filled with foie gras, the entire ensemble liberally dressed in a delicious sauce gastrique. Moist and robust, the unctuous duck meat, trimmed of excess fat, was pan-seared medium-rare, the skin crisp and the meat tender yet firm, while the al dente pasta pillow with its silky smooth and intensely saporous filling would please any die-hard foie-gras fan. The cooked Izmir fig, which was slightly divided into quarters, and the handsome dollop of smoked squash purée arranged beneath the Turkish fruit formed a lovely, sweet counterpoint to the luscious duck components. My friend, who has never been too fond of duck, was pleasantly surprised to discover, when he was offered a small sampling of the red bird meat from my plate, that duck could taste so amazing; in fact, it was the best duck he has ever had.

In contrast to my main course, his principal dish was less aggressive in flavours and textures. Pan-seared and then oven-baked, the sizable slab of Icelandic char resembled a cross between salmon and trout in taste, texture, and appearance. Salmon pink in colour, the meat was tender like trout but not as firm as salmon, while the pink-flecked silvery trout-like skin was crisp. A stack of soft fennel segments braised in pastis was set beneath the outstanding char, which was garnished with a sliced fennel stalk and embellished with a little lump of salmon roe. To further colour and intensify the flavours of the dish, a collection of red and yellow cherry tomatoes and a swirl of lobster bisque sauce were added, making the entire dish wonderfully marvelous.

For the dessert course, which was prepared by the noteworthy pastry chef Michelle Marek with the help of the assistant pastry chef Savigny Khamlong, I initially was fixated on the sweet delicacy described on the menu as “gâteau au chocolat noir, crèmeux chocolat blanc, sorbet fraise, grué cacao.” But when my companion and I actually saw what the other diners at the adjacent table had ordered and witnessed their reactions to their dessert picks, I changed my mind and, in the spirit of St. Valentine’s Day, chose to share with my dining companion a doughnut dessert designed for two people.

On paper, the “beignets, ananas rôti, chocolat, caramel, crème sûre” appeared to be, for me, somewhat less intriguing and enticing than the chocolate dish, which was unveiled at the nearby table as a simple rectangular block of dark chocolate cake, brownie-like in texture, with a scoop of white chocolate cream, a quenelle of strawberry sorbet perched atop the cake, and a gentle scattering of cocoa nibs. In reality, however, the French-style doughnut specialty turned out to be a fun, interactive dessert to share and experience.

Displayed on a white oblong tray, the five stated components of the dessert were presented in separate white bowls. Freshly made from the kitchen, the small, deep-fried choux pastry balls coated with granulated sugar were served piping hot; light and airy, the golden orbs were simply exquisite. The roasted pineapple slices, which were marinated in fresh citrus fruits and an assorted mélange of aromatic spices which included cinnamon, anise, fresh ginger, black pepper, and piment de la Jamaïque, were equally heavenly. And let’s not forget about the delectable dipping sauces which accompanied the French fritters and fruit: the intense dark chocolate which was incredibly velvety and voluptuous, the impeccably smooth caramel which was subtly tinged with lemon, and the sensuous sour cream which was richly flavourful. And what a delight it was to dunk the doughnuts and pineapples into the different condiments, which even on their own, tasted utterly divine. There was still an ample amount of the scrumptious sauces remaining after the beignet balls and bromeliad slices were consumed in rapture, so I finished off the decadent chocolate sauce as if it was a dessert soup, while my dining companion polished off the bowl of homemade caramel which he relished so immensely. By giving it a playful and sophisticated spin, Marek was able to contemporize and transform what was seemingly an ordinary dessert into an inspirational dish that became a memorable conversation piece. Absolutely brilliant.

While “the amuse-bouche is the best way for a great chef to express his big ideas in small bites,” the mignardises, the post-dessert equivalent to amuse-bouche, permits the pastry chef to further tease our palate.  Here the pleasurable plate of bite-sized treats comprised soft sablés freckled with white chocolate chips, matcha green tea sablés which revealed an unexpected salty aftertaste, and a chewy, dense chocolate brownie with a pronounced undercurrent of crushed cinnamon hearts.

The service that night, for the most part, was well-paced, considering that it was really an extremely busy night for the restaurant and adjoining wine bar which share the same kitchen, and the hard-working kitchen staff was trying their utmost best to keep up with the continuous flow of rhythm in the dining room of this urban establishment.

Our spontaneous trip to Laloux that night unfolded into a serendipitous adventure of unexpected gastronomic pleasures and a titillating culinary experience which would remain etched in our memories. And little did I know and anticipate that within the same month I was to return to “Paris on Pine Avenue” but to Pop! right next door, but alas, for that little food-and-wine episode, my dear readers, I will have to save that story and recount it to you at another time.