Share this
Greetings, friends! Allow me to share my wonderful dining experience at Toqué! (exclamation point is theirs, not mine), which is located in downtown Montreal.
Colorful exterior of Toque! I appreciated the holiday lights, at the end of January
Table of Contents
How I found Toque!
I’ve recently been doing “the Twitter thing”, so I tweeted to @Montreal asking for advice in this little exchange below:
Have you tried @RestaurantToque?
— Tourisme Montréal (@Montreal) January 7, 2018
This led to my incessant googling, where I found out about Toque!
- It was the #1 restaurant in Canada in 2015 and 2016.
- In 2017 and 2018, it was the #2 restaurant in Canada.
- In 2019, Toque! ranked as the 3rd best restaurant in Canada.
I don’t see this as Toque slipping in quality, but rather it set the bar high for Canadian restaurants and inspired others.
What did I eat at Toque!
I chose the 7 course tasting menu, with or without foie gras (with of course) for C$136. It would be a chef’s choice surprise tasting. I was eating and texting with a friend, who called me “courageous” for going for the surprise. But at one of Canada’s top restaurants, you can’t go wrong. (Unless you have a pickle course, and then you CAN go very, very wrong.) So here it is, my 7 courses + amuse bouche + espresso + tasty treat at the end.
Amuse Bouche
Breadstick wrapped in pancetta with citrus mayo
1st course: Princess Scallops
Princess Scallops – blueberry water, shallot, kohlrabi, berry vinegar, mint mousse (official menu description). Instructions given: “take it, like an oyster shot”
2nd course: Arctic Char
Arctic Char – with kombu seaweed and green onions
3rd course: Foie Gras Terrine
Foie Gras Terrine – morello cherries, caramelized cocoa nibs, popcorn, cherry and Cabernet Sauvignon reduction. My favorite course! The crispiness of the cocoa nibs and popcorn paired perfectly with the soft terrine.
4th course: Venison
Venison – with artichoke, shiitake mushroom and potatoes. Delicious!!
5th course: Duck
Duck – with brussels sprouts. Perfectly cooked duck!!
6th course: Bailey’s Ice Cream Brulee
Bailey’s ice cream brûlée – with chocolate and maple crunch. Again, I really loved the maple crunch texture with the softness of the ice cream. This was perfect!
7th course: Molasses Cake
All I remember about the description of this course was: molasses cake. But I’ll provide a breakdown of the parts, in my own words:
- Middle “dome” – coffee/chocolate flavored;
- Tan egg – some flavor of ice cream;
- The branches / sticks – cocoa dusted;
- Tiny squares – light and crispy. No clue whatsoever …but it was absolutely delicious!
Dessert, to top it off!
Parting Thoughts on Toque Montreal
Overall, the food and the service were excellent. I think my favorite courses were:
- (1) foie gras terrine – not because it’s foie gras, and I love foie gras. But the POPCORN really added so much to it! The popcorn gave a new dimension of texture to the foie gras and added a lightness to counter the heaviness of the foie gras;
- (2) the princess scallop, taken as a shot. The combination of the scallop, blueberry water, and mint mousse was so refreshing!
For the two dessert courses (6 and 7), I had the option of substituting one for a cheese plate. The waiter came up to me and said, “For the next two courses, you can choose between… cheese and dessert or dessert and dessert.” Well when you put it like that, OBVIOUSLY the choice is two desserts!
Before I end this post, I wanted to direct your attention back to the Bailey’s ice cream brûlée photo: See the gold patch in the corner? That’s Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powder gold. It’s also a philosophy on life, where nothing is ever truly broken. I kinda like that. Remember that next time you’re down. You’re never really truly broken, you may be different, but all the more beautiful.
And with that, it is 4:30 am, and hopefully time for bed. Good night, Montreal!
Restaurant Information:
Toque! | map
900 Jean Paul Riopelle Pl,
Montreal, QC H2Z 2B2, Canada
Closed: Saturday lunch, Sunday and Monday
Phone: +1-514-499-2084
Reservations
Pin it for later!
Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone. She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night! She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.
Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!
What a fabulous tasting menu, Lannie! I guess with a ranking like this you can’t go wrong, really. First time I hear of Kintsugi, but love the way you philosophise about it and certainly huge fan of the idea of fixing rather than replacing.
Venison with artichoke sounds unusual but I can see how this would work very well.
Thanks Stefan! I think we both enjoy a nice tasting menu from time to time! ☺️