Le JolifOu
1840 Beaubien Street East (corner Carter Street, one street east of Papineau Avenue)
Montreal, Quebec H2G 1L6
(514) 722-2175
www.jolifou.com
Hours: Mon-Wed: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri-Sat: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.; Sun: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Vegetarian-friendly
Average for meal/person, excluding wine, taxes, and tip: $35-$50
Major cards and Interac
Rating: ◊◊◊◊½ (excellent)
A charming restaurant which began quite small
Has become a favourite among foodies in Montreal.
With vintage toys on display,
And fusion dishes, seemingly prepared like child’s play,
‘Tis “Le Jolifou,” and the eponymous name succinctly says it all.
Vintage toy centerpiece and menu at Le JolifOu
It all began with a visit at the legendary Auberge in the district of Courville in Beauport, located in the outskirts of Quebec City. Housed in this inn was an oil painting by the Amsterdam-born Canadian artist Cornelius Krieghoff entitled “Jean Baptiste Jolifou, aubergiste, 1871.” So inspired by this particular genre artwork, which captures the spontaneous and lively spirit of French-Canadian paysannerie, David Ferguson, a chef originally from Toronto, and his wife Hélène Brault, a sommelière from Quebec, decided to call their newly established restaurant, which they opened in 2004 in the quaint borough of Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, after the name of the innkeeper of this historic Auberge.
The gastronomic establishment reflects beautifully the personality of the husband-and-wife team and wholeheartedly embodies le “Jolifou,” which translates literally to “pretty crazy.” As you step into the recently expanded restaurant premises, a colourful air of whimsicality greets you upon your arrival. And the décor is seriously pretty to the eye. In the two adjacent dining rooms, playful antique toys adorned the white linen-topped dining tables with the accompaniment of happy red chairs, and jocund DaNisha Sculpture ceramic art pieces graced the sober white and lavender walls. A ceramic corpulent sheep was perched on top of the counter of the added gallery kitchen at the back of the seventy-eight-restaurant. Lending a personal inflection to the delightful place, the tasteful presence of photos of the couple’s three young children adds a homey element to the interior surroundings. Set in a convivial and ludic ambiance, the simple, modern space is vibrantly fresh and unpretentiously elegant.
Contributing to the inviting, warm milieu is the affable and professional service. Professional and knowledgeable, the courteous and attentive wait staff is eager to assist diners with their food and wine selections, to explain and elaborate on the dishes offered on the menu, and to ensure that the dining and wining experience is thoroughly gratifying for the guests. And the amiable proprietors of this highly esteemed restaurant also partake in the dynamic action as they play hostess and host and work their magic on the floor and in the kitchen, Hélène Brault exuding her hospitable charm and as maitre d’ and imparting her wine wisdom as resident sommelière and David Ferguson busily preparing the dishes with the assistance of the kitchen staff.
And the food stands out equally as the setting and service. Like the whimsical, creative décor and the warm, friendly environment, the dishes are eclectic and alluring as they combine Latin American influences with classic French cuisine.
DaNisha Sculpture ceramic art piece at Le JolifOu
David Ferguson, who had worked in both classic and contemporary French kitchens, including the eminent Rundles Restaurant in Stratford, Ontario, is a multi-talented and masterful chef. Marked with his casual and unassuming style, all the dishes, including dessert, which he crafts with great dexterity and culinary imagination, are presented in a simple yet bold manner.
I had wined and dined at Le JolifOu on a number of occasions in the original forty-seat dining space, and I can still remember vividly the various dishes which I had savoured at this top-notch eatery, including the lip-smacking lamb sweetbreads perfumed with rosemary oil and served with celery root purée; the striking salad of fresh watercress, grilled Portobello mushrooms, and seared bocconcini cheese; the fabulous confit de canard accompanied with pozole and fire-roasted salsa verde; the sensational seafood dish of barbecued filet of salmon complemented with a mussel, squid, and conch salad, a spread of couscous, and a sprinkling of maize kernels; and the glorious tasting platter of desserts comprising a flavoursome cantaloupe sorbet, a pleasing pineapple panna cotta coupled with sweet mango, a terrific crème brûlée spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise, and a divine dark chocolate mousse paired with fresh blueberries. Recently I found another occasion to revisit the restaurant with one of my foodie friends, who has never been to the place before. So one clear spring evening, my dining companion and I traveled off the beaten track to the toy-decked destination for an evening of haute-cuisine fare.
Seated at our reserved table in the added dining room, we examined the tantalizing menu presented in a cheerful red booklet along with a tri-fold menu card and wavered over the appealing variety of intriguing dishes that were offered that evening, ranging from seared foie gras caressed with Syrian cumin oil on brioche gratinéed with emmental cheese to venison tartare with chipotle pepper salsa and cascabel cream, from hickory smoked shoulder of lamb with braised cabbage to seared salmon with seafood jambalaya. After having a difficult time determining what to order, we first settled on a starter dish which we decided to share and two different principal dishes.
As we waited for the appetizer dish, we nibbled indulgently on delectable, fresh dense bread furnished by the artisan bakery Le Fromentier and sipped enjoyably our glass of wine; while my dining companion chose a white wine, a Picpoul from the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation, the 2007 Carte noire from Picpoul de Pinet, I opted the 2007 Mirone Tarragona, a fruity, round Monastrell-Tempranillo wine from Catalonia. As our meal would unfold over the course of the evening, we would find ourselves pleased and satisfied with our wine selection (with the assistance of our cordial waitress) which matched harmoniously with our choice of savoury dinner dishes.
Grilled calamari in mojo sauce on salad of chicory and watercress
From the starter course that night, we sensed right away that our gastronomic experience at Le JolifOu promised to be remarkable. The grilled calamari salad was a true testament to chef Ferguson’s skill and creativity and his commitment to, and respect for, fresh ingredients. Poised atop a bed of peppery and bitter greens of chicory and watercress mixed with julienne strips of cucumbers which was tossed with a very light sweet-and-sour vinaigrette, the impeccably grilled calamari was coated in a Canarian mojo sauce composed of orange, lime, cumin, garlic, and fresh coriander. Firm yet tender, the moist molluscan meat, intense in citrus flavour, was garnished with a dark ribbon of grilled zucchini, adding a playful touch to the dish. A pleasurable prelude to the fusion of French and Latin American aromas, tastes, and textures to come.
The main course ensued, and chef Ferguson continued to enchant us with his culinary creations. Robust and hearty, the veal and the duck dishes, which were the pièces de résistance of the evening, were notably impressive.
Veal cheeks and sweetbread with guerrero spices, sautéed pea shoots, and roasted root vegetables
My dining companion enjoyed tremendously his “joues et ris de veau” dish. Dusky, smoky, and spicy, the luscious veal cheeks and sweetbread, the latter being the unanimous favourite of the two, were wonderfully soft and tender. Anchored on top of a generous blanket of delicious frijoles refritos, the three large chunks of calf meat, draped in a sauce infused with guajillo chili peppers and drizzled with oil seasoned with guerrero spices, were accompanied complementarily with a tangle of sautéed pea shoots, a roasted carrot, and a sliced roasted beet wedge, the vegetables providing splashes of colour to the dark earthy hues of the moist veal meat and refried romano beans.
Magret de canard with Turkish kofte spices, kumquat sauce, Israelian couscous, sautéed Swiss chard and pea sprouts, and roasted root vegetables
Equally outstanding was the “magret de canard” dish. Piqued with a blend of spices which included a Turkish kofte spice mix and enriched with a kumquat sauce, the rich, flavourful duck breast melted in your mouth and evoked a pleasant aftertaste of the olive-sized citrus fruit. Arranged beneath the succulent slices of the pinkish red duck meat was an assemblage composed of toothsome Israelian couscous studded with cooked, chopped onions and overlapping piles of salty sautéed Swiss chard and grassy pea sprouts which cushioned two roasted jewel-toned root vegetables, the same as those in similar shape, size, and form encountered in the veal dish. Absolutely superb.
Verrine of chocolate poached pear
A fun and fanciful meal at Jolifou would not be complete without dessert. And David Ferguson did not disappoint with his capricious sweet delicacies. From the dessert menu featuring an assortment of simple dishes—from Tarte tatin of caramelized apples united with vanilla ice cream to a trio of homemade sorbets produced from seasonal fresh fruit, my dining companion and I chose two different desserts to taste.
The dessert du jour that evening was a verrine of “poire pochée au chocolat.” Beneath a thick layer of rich, fluffy whipped cream which cradled gently a round, thin, crisp almond butter cookie, the morsels of compote pear were immersed in a chocolate sauce embellished with a light poached pear syrup and crème fraîche. My dining companion relished every spoonful of his pome fruit and chocolate concoction. Splendid.
“Série noire” dessert, from top, clockwise: chocolate pudding au pain, hot chocolate soup, and chocolate ganache tart
For a stronger dose of chocolate, the “Série noire” was unveiled on a round white platter as a scrumptious sampling of a trio of very dark chocolate treats, an irresistible antidote for that serious chocolate craving. Placed in a small dish, the decadent, pillowy pudding au pain, dotted with sharp cranberries and dressed with a dense dark chocolate ganache frosting, was set in a pool of crème anglaise and decorated with a vibrant green sprig of mint. Here, the tartness of the red berries offset gracefully the sweetness of the chocolate ganache. Even more seductive was the soup of hot dark chocolate which was topped with light, airy crème Chantilly, a French accent to the Mesoamerican-inspired delicacy. Sensuously smooth and silkily syrupy, the simple sweet soup, lightly kissed with vanilla, was nectarous. But among the three dessert samplings, my favourite was the unbeatable chocolate tart, which ranks as one of the best I have tasted in this city (the other one being the miniature tart discovered at the praiseworthy bar à vin Aszú, which has recently been resurrected as the acclaimed Accords wine bar and resto in Old Montreal). Dribbled with crème anglaise, the luxurious tart wedge was made with a firm yet tender shortbread crust that was neither too thin nor too thick and filled with intensely rich, bittersweet chocolate ganache that was so voluptuous and so velvety. Exquisitely rapturous.
Accompanied with a tiny pot of lovely chai tea and, in the case of my companion, a cup of excellent cappuccino coffee which he wanted to last, the sweet course capped off the meal on a gorgeous, high note.
Ceramic sheep at Le JolifOu
It was yet another experience of epicurean enlightenment and enjoyment which I have etched in my memory. If you have not had a chance to visit this culinary haven to sample its menu of haute gastronomie, then I strongly encourage you to do so soon. Le JolifOu’s chapter of fine dining will come to an end as the restaurant will close for renovations and undergo a dramatic transformation on August 7th. The owners will bring a bit of a Texan bent when they will reopen the restaurant doors, débuting as “Le JolifOu, un ‘roadhouse’ sur Beaubien” on August 28th. It sounds pretty crazy. But I’m already planning another road trip to the burgeoning district of Rosemont, and I will make a stop at the casual, fun roadhouse to eat, drink, and be merry, like other locals and travelers on the road.
