A menu that pushes the note of know-how and eclecticism, high-flying culinary performances simmered with refreshing candor: there is a whole show unfolding in Hochelaga.
We had read somewhere that among the reopenings of the year, Le Flamant deserved a note in the notebook. A show at Salle Denise-Pelletier was enough to make us push the door of this friendly address located at the corner of boulevard Pie-IX and rue Ontario. And when we say nice, it’s not to look pretty. The restaurant of chefs Pascal Bolduc and David Hibon and mixologist Maximilien Jean — three collaborators who have been evolving on the Montreal culinary scene for several years — is truly a welcoming and magnificent place of simplicity.
Sitting at the bar, we have plenty of time to observe the space. The open-concept kitchen right in the center sets the tone for the laid-back vibe. The decor, created by the Hemera Group, is modern and dark, embellished with a multitude of playful and colorful objects — including flamingos, of course. The very inspiring menu of the moment, written on the wall with magnetic letters for children, confirms to us that the brigade takes cooking to heart with a strong dose of pleasure!
Reviewed and corrected classics
It is around a sparkling Orange Is The New White (Alsace) that we build our evening plan. We have an hour and a half top time and an endless appetite to get our heads around the place.
The menu is made of nods to the classics, reviewed and skilfully reinterpreted. We also perceive the desire of chefs to push back certain limits. A craving that resulted that evening in blood gnocchi. During our visit, the duo was playing with Scandinavian flavors for a few more days. He had just returned from an express trip to New York to draw inspiration for the next menu. A detail launched on the fly by our server which translates the Flamingo’s narrative even better. Here, there is no specific cuisine except that of the whole world. Through the theme of the month, we draw on different culinary techniques to create unique and visually delightful dishes. Be warned, you won’t be close to a “wow”!
The proof: this Anna potato layer topped with veal tongue pastrami and pickles, with mustard seeds and smoked sour cream. It’s both so simple and so worked. The search for depth is there, especially with the softness of the potato, the saltiness of the meat, the smoke and the smoothness of the cream.
Impossible not to also mention the sublime dish of confit sturgeon and cabbage in a memorable mushroom sauce. Hot, very tasty, the fish cooked to perfection tasted like there was no tomorrow. The guest was very happy to recommend focaccia for a good cleaning of the plate. A piece of bread that left us perplexed as to the definition of focaccia, but since we were in the den of joyous transgressions, we shrugged our shoulders, sinking our teeth into it. The only real downside was the raw beef roulades with fermented cabbage and oyster mushrooms in a wild rice vinaigrette. Yes to audacity and the multiplication of flavors, but sometimes less is more.
New and delicious proposals followed one another at a good pace until the dessert, an opera cake enhanced with a touch of foie gras. Applause felt for the kind and relaxed service without being slack. We enjoyed the moment without feeling rushed and then made it to the theater in time. This is a nice sequence to repeat.
Le Flamant has all the qualities of a neighborhood restaurant, in addition to having the creativity and technical mastery of a great table. A culinary show that is offered à la carte or in options to share for a complete incursion into the theme of the moment. Without a shadow of a doubt, a destination to write down in the notebook without hesitation.
Exquisite Quebec! improve its programming