The Extreme Gourmet, 2006-08-10

La Crême de l’Extrême: The Extreme Gourmet Visits Toqué
David J. Birnbaum, djbpitt+xml@pitt.edu, 2006-08-10
Who would have guessed that you could get a reservation at Toqué, perhaps the most elegant restaurant in Montreal, the day you call? Okay, it was mid-week, but by 9:30 the dining area was only three-quarters full. Why weren’t you there?
When Toqué first opened in Montreal thirteen years ago it offered a sophisticated and innovative menu served in a soothing blue-themed dining room. Two and a half years ago it moved to its current stylish venue, where it continues to serve some of the best conceived and most successfully executed food in the city. When you pass under the gay orange sunflower over the entrance (a motif watermarked on the menu, as well), you enter a split-level contemporary space with high ceilings and red-directed hues (red, orange, pink, and, unmistakeably, the fuschia shirts of the very professional staff), Wines hang in a glass-encased space over a central well in front of the graceful curved bar, and subdued jazz plays in the background. The same architectural sensitivity characterizes both decor and food, and the latter is assembled with an attention to visual detail that complements the commitment to taste and texture.
Even in a group, choosing from within this menu means passing up something you really, really want, and it may be wisest to order the seven-course Gourmet menu for the entire table and let chef Normand Laprise choose for you. In her Food Lover’s Guide to Paris, Patricia Wells cautions against tasting menus because they frequently provide more food than you really want, and the food is so good that you eat it all anyway. At Toqué you can tell Patricia to mind her own business; the serving sizes are determined with an awareness of the number of courses, and you’ll leave feeling satisfied, rather than uncomfortable. The tasting menu is available with and without foie gras; the difference in price is only $10 and the foie gras is perfect. ’nuff said. Wine pairings (a generous but manageable five half-glasses) are available; for those who prefer to order by the bottle, the large wine list is approximately two thirds French, and includes several selections by the glass and the half bottle.
On a recent visit the starter consisted of two house-made potato chips that formed a sandwich filled with cured salmon garnished with crème fraîche, chive, and just a few grains of fleur de sel. This is a classic combination of simple ingredients, but finding the optimal balance (and, of course, cooking the light, crisp, and flavorful chips just right) can be more difficult than one might expect, and the success of this unassuming teaser set the stage for a very satisfying dining experience.
The tasting menu proper began with two chilled, briny sea scallops prepared seviche style and served on the half-shell with an intense strawberry water and a room-temperature rhubarb mousse, which provided contrasts in flavor, texture, and temperature. The accompanying Coteaux du Giennois 2004, J. Balland-Chapuis sauvignon blanc from the Loire was tart with an appealing off-dry finish, which complemented the rhubarb and strawberry and proved the most successful of the many thoughtful wine pairings. The second fish course was a thin slice of bluefin tuna rolled around a crostino, garnished with paprika, chive, and microgreens, and served in a cup, like a swizzle stick, with an ample dollop of creamy mayonnaise at the bottom. The accompanying Kamptal 2005, Grüner Veltliner Terrassen, Brundlmayer showcased a flavorful and aromatic Austrian grape that has only recently become known more broadly, and that deserves more attention.
The generous serving of rich, delicate foie gras (see picture on left) was prepared with intense tiny blackberries and blueberries, toasted almonds, and thin dried, pressed fruit. The rich, fruity Pinot Gris 2001, Grand Cru Furstentum, Domaine Bott-Geyl was an original and effective match for the very different intensities of both the foie gras and its entourage.
The poultry course was a skillfully seasoned confit of chicken with beetroot and chicken broth emulsion foam, garnished subtly with sesame and lavishly with crisped slivered black trumpet mushrooms. The accompanying Chiroubles 2005, C. Pacalet gamay was a modest choice to pair with the confit, and not nearly as interesting as the concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, Napa Valley, Newton that accompanied the following course, roast venison with blackberry puree, duxelles, white beans, mushrooms, and sea spinach. The tender, flavorful venison, although slightly undersalted, was cooked to a precise medium rare and the fruit and vegetables struck a successful balance between maintaining their individual identity and cooperating to form a coherent and balanced ensemble.
The iced goat cheese served on crushed fig with just a few salty, nutty flecks was a refreshing alternative to the traditional cheese course. Not only was the creamy, mild purée matched well with its accompaniments, but its cool simplicity made it an ideal palate cleanser after the saturated intensity of the venison course. Dessert was black raspberries with whipped cream and concentrated raspberry sorbet that was topped with a meringue crisp, and the meal concluded with two tiny, cubed migniardises, one a chocolate ganache in a bitter chocolate cubic shell and the other an intense fruit jelly.
Go to Toqué for the food, of course. But while you’re there, don’t overlook the service, which is graceful and attentive without pretension, and the decor. Other diners on a recent visit included a young couple out for a special evening, a multi-generational family, and a group of businessmen, and they all seemed to be enjoying the experience immensely. Who wouldn’t?

Toqué
900, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montréal H2Z 2B2
514-499-2084