Bring your appetite and you won’t be disappointed when visiting Montreal
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An early autumn morning finds chef Francis Blais on a mission as he crisscrosses the aisles of Jean Talon Market in Montreal.
“I usually come here very early and visit the local growers because that’s where you’ll find the freshest meats and produce,” says Blais. “If you want the best stuff, you get here very early before they ship out to stores.”
The year-round market, established in 1933, is covered from October through April and remains one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, says Emili Bellefleur of Tourism Montreal.
Viewers of the television series Top Chef Canada will remember Blais as the winner of Season 8. He dominated the competition from start to finish and wowed judges in the finale with a pithivier of pigeon (a puff pastry pie) and spinach-wrapped foie gras in a pigeon consomme.
“I get a lot of requests for it,” he says, smiling. “I might do it once a year, maybe in August or September when (the specially raised) pigeon (also known as squab) is available.”
Blais, a partner in Menu Extra specializing in gourmet gastronomic events, returned to Top Chef Canada as a judge on the Season 11 finale, which aired this week.
“I felt honoured that they trusted me enough to be included. It was great to exchange thoughts and ideas about where the industry is going with people like (restaurateur) Janet Zuccarini and (chef) Mark McEwen.”
This season’s finalists — Chanthy Yen of British Columbia and Moira Murray of Nova Scotia — toured the sprawling market with Blais and soaked up his advice.
“I took two months off work to prepare for the competition,” Blais recalls. “I worked on recipes and trained for the opportunity; I was ready for it.”
A quick-fire challenge in the last episode tasked chefs with creating a dish inspired by a staple from two legendary Montreal institutions.
Schwartz’s has been serving the Plateau area for more than 90 years. Beef briskets are smothered with local herbs and spices, marinated for 10 days, then smoked to perfection and steamed. Each smoked meat sandwich is carved to order and diners hunker down at communal tables to enjoy them. (Part-owner Celine Dion has been known to pop in on occasion.)
Not a day goes by without a lineup at the counter of St. Viateur, which opened in 1957. There, a steady stream of fresh-baked bagels comes steaming hot from the wood-fired oven.
Montreal has been the backdrop to numerous food and travel shows, including You Gotta Eat Here, Somebody Feed Phil and The Layover starring the late Anthony Bourdain.
Dropping into Boucherie de Marche, Blais collects fresh ham scraps before visiting Chez Nino to procure some sizeable artichokes they’ve been storing for him. Then it’s off to Joe La Croute bakery for a loaf of warm sourdough.
Bounty in hand, he slides into a familiar spot on the line at Kitchen Galerie to prepare a special lunch for a few guests.
“I started working here right out of culinary school,” he recalls. “I would follow the chef every day to the market. He would create a new menu every night. This place is very special to me.”
Artichokes are peeled and poached in a savoury broth made from ham scraps, onions, garlic, parsley and mushroom powder. The broth is later used to glaze tiny parcels of pasta filled with sharp cheddar from award-winning fromagerie Louis D’Or in Quebec.
Schooled by masters in Copenhagen, Berlin and the Faroe Islands, Blais always followed his heart back to the Paris of North America.
Bellefleur points visitors to spirited restaurants and bistros living within colourful enclaves of the city.
Alma, in the Outremont neighbourhood, certainly fits that bill.
Owner and chef Juan Lopez Luna’s stunning creations trace to his roots in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Using a traditional nixtamalization process to prepare ancestral corn, he spins the finished product into a flavour-packed flautas stuffed with fresh seabream, then topped with salsa Roja, queso fresco and edible flowers.
A grilled Quebec duck breast, nestled in a pool of magical mole — comprised of more than 20 ingredients — is a stunning homage to Lopez Luna’s aunt.
“When people had a special occasion, they would travel from all over just to get her mole,” says Lopez Luna, who was featured on Food Network’s Big Food Bucket List.
Along busy St. Catherine St. downtown, the Eaton Centre, built in the early 1900s, looks resplendent after a $200-million revitalization. It’s now home to Canada’s first Time Out Market — an upscale food court and bar highlighting cuisine from across the globe.
Yen, who lived for a time in Montreal and headed some popular restaurants, jumped at the chance to be part of the venture. His namesake kitchen churns out eclectic Asiatic cuisine.
“It’s definitely a space where people can get creative good,” says Yen.
The market is humming on a Thursday night as Top Chef executive producer Eric Abboud visits with Yen.
Does Abboud taste the same food the judges are served?
“Yes! Having the food helps me connect to them and understand where they’re coming from with their comments,” he says. “A lot of times, I’ll love something and they don’t — it’s a frame of reference for producing the show.”
This season’s finale was staged in the opulent grand ballroom of Le 9e, a historic dining hall in the Eaton Centre that recently reopened after 25 years and breathtaking restoration.
An expertly minced and warm steak tartare is followed by a filet of halibut gingerly poached in lemon broth and served with broccolini on velvety parsnip puree.
Yen returned recently to Le 9e to dine with Abboud and selected guests for the first time since he outduelled Murray to capture the Top Chef crown.
His winning menu traced his Cambodian roots and seminal moments in his life — he dedicated the victory to his husband and grandmother.
Yen is involved with a Top Market project in B.C., set to open in 2025.
“I’m part of the Canadian dream,” he says emphatically.
Fellow Top Chef champion Blais is on the verge of opening a French bistro next year in the Mile End neighbourhood. He’s been collecting wines while travelling for the past seven years just for this project. Menus will be inspired by his culinary journey, with a definite focus on all that is local.
Chef Remi Lemieux, who competed on Top Chef this season, says Montreal’s culinary scene “has been redefining itself the last few years.
“We’re moving away somewhat from what’s classical to something more refined,” says Lemieux. “It’s an exciting time to be a chef here.”
WHERE TO STAY
The Top Chef cast and crew called Marriott Chateau Champlain home during the taping of the finale. It’s perfectly situated to downtown restaurants, attractions and the Old Montreal historic area. It’s a short walk to Central Station to access public transit and VIA Rail trains.
OUT AND ABOUT
Here are a few suggestions to help work up an appetite or burn off some calories:
— Stroll to Old Montreal and marvel at the architecture of historic buildings (some dating back to 1665) and take in the panoramic view inside a temperature-controlled gondola on Canada’s largest Ferris wheel.
— Hike up to the top of Mount Royal and enjoy park activities including skating in the winter.
— Go underground and explore 32 kilometres of connecting passageways lined with shops and restaurants.