Why talk about it?
For this last review of the year, we wanted to introduce you to a place to celebrate as a group as the holidays approach. With its atmosphere and tempting menu, PubJelly, Jellyfish’s little brother in Old Montreal, allowed us to spend a superb evening with friends last winter. A few months later, we returned to this table which has been very successful since its opening in early 2022.
Who are they ?
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Chef Mathieu Masson-Duceppe and his partner Charles Mary
Mathieu Masson-Duceppe is a talented chef who, despite his young age, has a lot of experience in the kitchen. Since the opening, he has been leading the kitchen of the refined Jellyfish, where we have tasted more than once his creations which always have a certain je-ne-sais-quoi that is daring, different and exciting. With his associate, restaurateur Francis Rodrigue, as well as two new partners (Robbie Pesut and Charles Mary, who manages the room on a day-to-day basis), he opened PubJelly, located right next to Jellyfish, in the former Pizzaiole. The place, more relaxed, offers a menu focused on sharing.
Our experience
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The fish plate is to be discovered.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
cauliflower tempura
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
PubJelly’s dining room can easily accommodate large groups.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Pizza al taglio with nduja sausage and roasted broccoli
1/4
Chef Mathieu Masson-Duceppe was unfortunately absent on the Saturday evening of our visit to PubJelly. And our experience was not up to the previous one.
In our eyes, his talent is beyond doubt. He is super creative, he gives everything to his restaurants and shows great rigour.
That said, a kitchen should not rest solely on the shoulders of its chef. He claims to have a solid team, but he remains the heart and soul of the place. And there are services that run less well sometimes, where the magic does not operate entirely. People who work in restaurants are not robots, so there are ups… and downs.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
There are always several varieties of oysters on the menu.
Despite everything, PubJelly remains a table worth discovering.
To start the meal, don’t miss the superb and colorful platters from the sea. The imaginative chef ages his pieces of fish and offers unique creations that you cannot taste elsewhere. For example, Gaspésie halibut “bacon”, which is first brined with paprika, chili, etc., then marinated in maple syrup before being aged in the fridge at 4°C and cold smoked . The smoked red tuna pastrami, very tasty, also has a surprising texture, very interesting for the palate. Also on the board, marinated summer vegetables and wild sockeye salmon sashimi a la piri-piri, with bright flavors, served on a bed of red endive with yellow beet jelly and braised radicchio.
The place is also an oyster bar, always offering several varieties. The chef likes to work with seafood, such as the razor clams with their oyster mushroom marmalade and celeriac emulsion — our intolerance to molluscs, however, prevented us from satisfying our cravings.
The vegetable dishes created by the chef are often inventive, very aesthetic and tasty. But the winter menu, which is heavily fried, lacked freshness in our opinion, even if the cauliflower tempura, lacquered in a spicy maple syrup sauce, served with sour cream and burnt green onion tapenade, was downright good. The dish of fried Brussels sprouts fell flat: the cruciferous vegetables were too fried, dry, and the black garlic emulsion, almost non-existent, for an unattractive result.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The creation of the week, around cucumber vinaigrette
We would have loved to have included on the menu this dish that the chef presented to us for our photo shoot: a variation around cucumber vinaigrette topped with wild Canadian sturgeon caviar, marinated cucumbers and glasswort. This is the freshness we were looking for!
The pizzas al taglio are also on the menu. We order them whole or in half, white or red, a formula that invites sharing. Our choice fell on the surprising one with marrow and mushrooms, then on a second, tasty and satisfying, garnished with nduja sausages, roasted broccoli and smoked cacio cavalo cheese. Small downside: a little pale, the pizzas would have benefited from a few extra minutes in the pizza oven.
In our glass
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Uivo, a pet nat from the Douro region; Memina d’Uva, a Portuguese natural white wine; La Wildrose, an Austrian Gruner Vetliner in maceration (available by the glass); La Fortunua, a Sangiovese from Tuscany.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
As a digestive, the Amaro Nonino is a great discovery.
1/2
Jellyfish sommelier Jonathan Benchetrit takes care of the wine list here too. There is something for everyone, while natural wines cohabit with more classic grape varieties. The choice by the glass could be a little more extensive, but as the place is very popular with groups, there is an interesting selection of large formats, including a few pearls. The cocktail menu could be more elaborate and original, but again, the festive side prevails with pitchers to share, such as the Moscow Mule. As a digestive, we had a crush on the excellent Amaro Nonino.
Price
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
PubJelly in the rain
Oysters are sold in groups of 3 ($11), 6 ($21) or 12 ($41). Dishes to share range from about fifteen dollars (for vegetables) to almost $40 for seashell scallops or braised rib of beef. The large fish platter retails for $68 and you’ll pay $15 for half pizzas, and around $25 for whole pizzas. You can also choose the “carte blanche” menu chosen by the chef, the price of which varies according to the dishes served.
Information
PubJelly is open Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 5 p.m.