People of Laval and the surrounding area, take out your notebook, because here is a great address to discover.
Opened in late 2022, Sekoya is the newborn of restaurateur Phat Nguyen, known for his Torii Sushi establishment. But you won’t enjoy Asian-inspired cuisine here. On the contrary, it is rather a “contemporary cuisine of Quebec” that is put forward. “I opened Torii Sushi in 2000. After 20 years, we were ready to take on new challenges and also to make way for a new generation,” says the restaurateur, who is now associated with his nephew, Mickael Ly.
Precisely, the project took shape when Mr. Nguyen met chef Kevin Bates during a party at a friend’s house, where the latter was chef at home. Impressed by his food, he befriended him over time and offered him the job of chef for his establishment located in a brand new residential area called Central Park, which will eventually have six big towers.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
A nice dish of Quebec lamb sirloin, served with mashed turnips, salsify, spinach and Louis d’Or cheese crumble
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The team at the head of Sekoya: Phat Nguyen, chef Kevin Bates and Mickael Ly
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
The restaurant space is both elegant and welcoming.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Shrimp ceviche with clementine, ginger and turmeric supremes, and small slices of chili
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Chef Kevin Bates can be seen at work in the open kitchen.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Another dish on the menu right now: octopus with smoked carrot puree, roasted carrots and chermoula
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A graduate of the Ecole hôtelière de Laval, Kevin Bates is a native of Île Jésus. The cook went through Le Mitoyen, Hoogan and Beaufort, Le Monarque, then La Bête à pain de Laval, during the pandemic, where he was chef. The idea of taking over a restaurant and deciding the menu entirely appealed to him. “I like to create, to be inspired by seasonal products, using them to their fullest; for example by dehydrating spinach to make powder. Right now, it’s the quiet season, but as soon as the market opens, I’m there every day and we get crazy ideas! says the man who particularly enjoys working with the many producers in Laval, which is rich in market gardening land.
“We have good restaurants in Laval, but we lack charming spaces… We have to stop saying that Laval is a flat city! I wanted to offer an elegant, good table, but without going into haughty chic either”, underlines Mr. Phat. The dining room, bright and airy, the result of the work of designer Isabelle Gauvreau, offers a view of an open kitchen, with a corner lounge, for aperitif or digestive, as well as a boutique corner with local artisan products. Soon, a fridge full of ready meals to take away will be added to the offer.
Open Tuesday to Saturday evening, Tuesday to Friday noon and Sunday for brunch.
3421 Boulevard Le Carrefour, Laval