[MTL] Parisian-style bistro – Laloux

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Laloux has been in Montreal’s food scene for around 30 years. It has been on my wish list for a while, but never had the chance. Situated on Ave du Pins, and hidden between Blvd. St. Laurent and rue St. Denis, it is quite accessible to me, but I could’ve easily missed if I haven’t heard of it before. Glad that I had the chance to visit on the last day of MTL à Table with my parents. It is definitely one of the city’s favourite and well-rated restaurants.

_MG_1086We arrived 10 minutes earlier than our reservation. We were greeted by a waiter right away. Also, coat check was provided, which was nice. After that, we were quickly seated at one of the tables in the very back corner, where was nice and intimate, but might bit a bit tight for my dad.

_MG_1090As there were only 2 choices on the menu for the MTL à Table, we settled on our orders quickly, and the bread was served soon after. However, the baguette was a bit cold, and the skin wasn’t crisp. The butter was sprinkled with salt on the surface, but rest of the butter was unsalted.

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My parents ordered the chicken liver mousse, which was served with roasted pumpkin, hazelnut crumble, and pickled mustard seeds. Soon after the dish was served, the waiter brought over a long, fresh, rectangular-sahped honey comb. He scraped off a large spoonful of honey onto the plate. The chicken liver mousse was really smooth, and the hazelnut crumble gave some texture to the dish. Moreover, the pairing of the fresh honey and chicken liver mousse was spectacular. It was amazing, both visually and gastronomically appealing.

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For myself, I went for the roasted beets, which was served with homemade faisselle, smoked pecans, beets chips, and garnished with wild grape gel. It has been my favorite vegetable lately. Though I never have the patience and courage to roast beets myself, but I love the taste and the color. Laloux did an amazing job, as the texture wasn’t too soft or undercook. The beets were a bit sweet on itself, while the sauce was a bit sour, which made a good combination. Moreover, the plating was beautiful. It was a colorful dish, as there were green from the garnishments, white from the homemade faisselle (fresh cheese), and magenta and yellow from the beets.  The beets chips added a nice crunch to the entire plate.

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My dad and I chose the arctic char filet as our main. It was served with cauliflower puree, salt roasted celeriac, sea lettuce, and sunflower seeds. The filet was moist and flaky, and the skin was nicely crisp. The cauliflower puree was smooth, and the sea lettuce (aka seaweed) added some “ocean” component to the dish.

_MG_1106My mom opted for the duck leg, which was served on a bed of naked oat grains risotto with Louis d’Or cheese and mushrooms, and garnished with marinated Chinese artichokes, and bog myrtle sauce. The duck leg was outstanding. It doesn’t have a weird ducky odor, instead, it has this nice ginseng flavor, which made it a bit sweet. My mom and I also liked the risotto, as the texture of the grains were chewy. The marinated Chinese artichokes were a nice complement to the entire dish, as its sourness balanced out with the heaviness from the duck leg.

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I chose the praline cake for dessert, which was served with honey gel, vanilla cream, and pear sorbet. I found the cake too dried. However, the pear sorbet was a nice refreshment after meal.

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For desserts, my parents chose the chocolate jar, which was filled with Illanka and vanilla cream, chocolate crumble, and cashew milk foam. I really like this one over mine. The flavor was as much layers as the jar. The cream was salty, while the chocolate crumble was bitter-sweet (the way I like my chocolate). Moreover, I liked how the crumbles are not soggy! The foam was light, and it just created a harmonic textures and flavors when you dig through the jar.

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Overall, I thought Laloux has some quality dishes, which did not disappointed us, but didn’t surprised us either. Everything was done nicely. The service was good. The ambiance was classy, yet cozy. By the time we were leaving, the restaurant was full of customers. It was definitely an enjoyable dinner, though my parents were feeling sleepy towards the end (jet lag!). I would definitely come back to try their lunch menu or other items.

Laloux
250 Pine Avenue East, Montreal
Tel: (514) 287-9127 (Reservations recommended!)
Laloux Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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  1. Those beets sound incredible. It’s amazing how the Parisians can take simple ingredients and take them to the next level that way! I also like the dessert that your parents ordered. I could totally use a chocolate jar right now 🙂

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