Restaurant review | Flowers & Gifts: pretty bouquet

Restaurant criticism takes a new turn at Press. As always, our critics tell you about their experience, highlighting the good and, sometimes, the bad ones. But we now explain the choice of one restaurant or another. We also present the team in the dining room and in the kitchen. This week: Flowers & Gifts

Iris Gagnon-Paradis
Press

Why talk about it?

There are places that are unlike any other, impossible to imitate because they are so unique. This is the case with Fleurs & Cadeaux, a rather funky project. The restaurant opened just a year ago (yes, in the midst of a pandemic) rue Saint-Urbain, in this little pink house, emblematic of Chinatown, which for years housed a Chinese art store called… Fleurs & Cadeaux ! Even the old sign has been preserved, adding to the absurdity of this place which describes itself as a Japanese “snack bar”. The small room is always filled and animated with a very vibrant energy. We wanted to understand why the place arouses so much enthusiasm.

Who are they ?

David Schmidt is a restaurateur with a solid track record. With other partners, who vary according to his projects, he is behind several establishments that quickly stood out for their originality, their decor and their atmosphere, such as the Mal Necessary, a tiki bar, the Tiradito, focused on cuisine. Peruvian or the Bar Pamplemousse, with Caribbean influences. To carry out this project, he joined forces with Hideyuki Imaizumi and Tetsuya Shimizu, from Marusan, who bring their Japanese touch, as well as Sébastien D. Langlois, owner of the private import agency Bacchus76, specializing in wines and sakes. On site, a young, dynamic and diverse team takes care of the smooth running of the kitchen (under the direction of chef Xavier Larivière) and service.

Our experience

As soon as you walk through the door, you have the impression of being caught in another world as the space looks like nothing else and contrasts with the exterior facade. It’s Thursday night and the place is crowded, busy; the clientele is young and varied. We are here in a land of inclusion; everyone will feel welcome there, which is quickly confirmed by our warm, friendly and helpful waitress.

On the plate, Japanese cuisine is in the spotlight; if we do not stray too far from traditional ingredients and techniques, the amalgamation of flavors and presentations are clear: we are well in 2021.

The menu comes in four sections (cold, grill, fried, noodles); small dishes that go hand in hand with the idea of ​​the “snack bar”. Added to that are a few options like chirashi sushi, definitely the star of the menu. The bowl in front of us is absolutely splendid, with its blend of current arrivals, served as sashimi that melt in your mouth (red tuna, sea bream, scallops …), accompanied by ikura (eggs of salmon), shari (vinegar rice), tsukemono (pickled vegetables, like lotus), gari (pickled ginger) and wasabi. One word: wow!

In the meantime, we had tasted two dishes of vegetables, both surprising and successful. The green vegetables, first, are presented as a fusion of two traditional recipes: ohitashi (marinade made from dashi and soy sauce) and goma-e (sesame sauce). Tonight, the Chinese broccoli, blanched but still crunchy to the bite and nicely presented in a pyramidal shape, rests in a vegan dashi made from kombu seaweed, and comes with a creamy sesame-based sauce, super tasty.

The yakibitashi eggplant is fried, then macerated in the veggie dashi, this time seasoned with a two-year-old soy sauce. On top of the pieces, a spicy orange miso sauce and grilled scallions add sparkle to the dish and arouse the taste buds.

On the finish, the tantan udon pork bowl offers an appreciated contrast to the cold dishes previously tasted. Here, a traditional dashi broth (made from dried bonito katsuobushi and kombu) and sesame oil hosts meaty udon noodles and ground pork seasoned with miso and spicy oil, all complemented by a few garnishes (gray shallots , nori seaweed, fried garlic). It’s full of punch, ultra-comforting, and you suck the broth from the bottom of the bowl until the last drop.

With our stomachs plumped, we let ourselves be tempted by the kirimochi, a paste of sticky rice (mochi) cut into rectangles, then fried and coated in sugar, with juicy cranberries macerated in sake. It’s quite simple, but it concludes a flawless evening in a beautiful way.

In our glass

If you have bad memories of undrinkable hot sake, this is where you can revisit your assumptions. Because as in the world of wine with the boom in natural wines, there is currently a movement in Japan for a return to more artisanal sakes, unpasteurized, unfiltered, using ancestral brewing techniques. The selection by the glass will allow you to taste without too much commitment. Several products are also exclusive to the establishment. I promise: you’ll never see sake the same way again.

The liquid program is also convincing: cocktails incorporating alcohols and Asian ingredients such as shiso, pandam syrup, black sesame seeds, yuzuchu (alcohol made from yuzu) and, of course, sake. On the wine side, there is a fine selection focused on natural wine, with an emphasis on juices produced by Japanese winegrowers, on Japanese soil or elsewhere in the world.

How much ?

The menu is accessible, with small dishes starting at $ 6, up to $ 16 for udon noodles. The chirashi bowl will set you back $ 31 and the temakizushi for two, $ 79.

Good to know

A DJ table, where vinyl records are played on Friday evenings, testifies to the owners’ love for this analog musical medium. Moreover, just as he did with Club Pelicano (located in the basement of Tiradito), David Schmidt is working on the imminent opening of Sans Soleil, a vinyl bar located in the basement of Fleurs. & Gifts.

Vegetarians and vegans will find something to eat here, with several vegetable dishes and the vegan dashi used in several preparations.

Due to its narrowness, its high stools and its benches, the Fleurs & Cadeaux is not the most accessible place for people with reduced mobility, but the front of the room, more ventilated, offers a few options.

Information

Fleurs & Cadeaux is open every day, except Mondays, from 5 p.m. until late. Reservations strongly recommended.

1002, rue Saint-Urbain, Montreal

Visit the Fleurs & Cadeaux website