“Are Montrealers ready for a Filipino restaurant?
Eight years later, it’s obvious that the answer is yes. But it wasn’t at the time when brothers Toddy and Jojo Flores opened the Junior restaurant with their sister Bic on Notre-Dame Street West.
The owners of Club Peopl wanted to operate a café, but the premises to rent – next to the Crêperie Spanel, where they were regulars – had a kitchen. Result: we might as well create a restaurant that will allow Montrealers to discover dishes like Lechon Kawali and the Daing na bangus.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Here ? Pan-fried pork belly and cappelletti stuffed with ricotta with a Filipino sausage sauce (longanisa) cooked with cream and truffle, all garnished with coconut crumbs and small zucchini flowers. Of succulent decadence.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Cold smoked Quebec mackerel, then seared with a blowtorch, served with a sauce infused with coconut, fish broth and banana oil. To complete, coriander microgreens.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Beef flank steak (inspired by the dish kalderetausually served as a stew) which has marinated for 48 hours before being seared with a sauce made from tomatoes, onions, olives and saffron, served with onion puree, a maple and butter glazed carrot and sorrel blood.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
This reinvention of Pinakbet consists of a roasted sweet potato millefeuille, served on a grilled tomato and coconut sauce with pan-fried samphire.
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Junior enjoyed the success we know him to have. So much so that the Flores brothers and their sister Bic have just opened JunJun a few doors down. Once again, the project came to fruition without much thought when the premises of the late Chez Sophie became available.
With a more gastronomic vocation, JunJun gives traditional Philippine cuisine a contemporary touch that delights the eye and taste buds. “Philippian cuisine does not receive enough attention at the culinary and technical level,” underlines executive chef Nicholas Bramos, who trained at Toqué! and Marcus. “At Junior, it’s more traditional and accessible. At JunJun, it’s like the second generation. The Adobo chicken dish is reinvented with duck,” he illustrates.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
JunJun has only been open for a few weeks.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Jofo Flores describes Nick Brahmos as his “director of quality.” According to him, Philippine food will be as successful as Korean food.
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PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Café Gotsoul, opened in 2021, is a place that all lovers of vinyl and sound systems vintage must know, and a secret already known to fans of collectible espadrilles.
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It’s impossible to mention all the names of his team, but let’s highlight those of co-chiefs Neil John Gayo and Lorenzo Aquino. Sommelier Leslie Roberts is behind the wine list, while Steph Bobey creates the cocktails.
The Flores opened JunJun impromptu while they were simmering plans to have another Junior on de la Montagne Street. It now remains to be seen whether Junior will move or have – and this is the desired option – a second branch.
Before going to JunJun, Jojo Flores arranged to meet us at Café Gotsoul, open in 2021 (between Junior and JunJun!). A place that all lovers of vinyl and sound systems vintage must know, and a secret already known to fans of collectible espadrilles. ” There is a sneak-easy by appointment in the basement. My brother is one of the biggest collectors of espadrilles in Canada,” he recalls.
For his part, Jojo Flores continues to serve as DJ and musical director (notably at Bar George). Restaurants and hotels (including Honeyrose) also use its services to improve their acoustics.
In short, the Flores brothers are everywhere. The name of their company is apt: JuniorMafia.