When Chef Minh Phat learned that the restaurant Manitoba was up for grabs, its owners Élisabeth Cardin and Simon Cantin moving on, he came forward. “It’s such a beautiful place,” he told us, scanning the room which has not changed since the resumption. But it was only when his friend Mike Madokoro offered to join him that the already busy co-owner of the Mui Mui decided to go for it.
Then was added his right arm of the Mui Mui, Elena Racevičiūtė. The latter dreamed of a restaurant called Anemone. The flower is the emblem of Manitoba, the province where her late father grew up. She even has a tattoo of it on her forearm.
Co-owner of Bar Suzanne, where the food offer revolves mainly around dumplings, Mike Madokoro for his part wanted to take up new challenges at the cauldrons. We can say that he spoils himself in his new kitchen, with compositions as tasty as they are audacious.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Mike Madokoro indulges in a cuisine that is as audacious as it is tasty at the Anemone.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
This black cod successfully combines black beans and black walnuts.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
There are a few vegan (or veganizable!) dishes on the Anemone menu, including these rice “cakes” with squash and vegetable “XO” sauce.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
L’Anémone is a signature cocktail containing Japanese whisky, Lillet, vinegar syrup (sumac) and grapefruit bitters.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Minh Phat, Elena Racevičiūtė and Mike Madokoro form the founding trio of Anemone.
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PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Here, three favorite wines of the moment
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
The dining room has hardly changed. It still has its “scab ceiling” and its charred wood bar.
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“We draw inspiration from a bit of everything, using both modern techniques and traditional methods. We really like fermentation. We build a small cellar of homemade preserves to be able to respect the seasons as much as possible. You also have to take into account dietary restrictions, so there are adaptable dishes that can easily become vegan, gluten-free or lactose-free. This is the reality of the moment. »
Is the Anemone a continuation of Manitoba? “Yes and no, answers Mike Madokoro. Manitoba was more savage-oriented. These are not all ingredients I’m used to working with. But we are experimenting. »
In cocktails, Elena Racevičiūtė also mixes ingredients from here and elsewhere. Its wine list is eclectic, composed only of artisanal wines, but of various origins. It works above all by impulses.
Open since the second week of November, the “flower restaurant” was an immediate success, the network and reputation of its founding trio being second to none. It’s a delight to return to this iconic venue in Montreal, with its charred wood bar and its “crusty ceiling” which has absorbed many memorable evenings during its eight years of existence. Long live the Anemone.
271 Saint-Zotique Street West, Montreal