The Bloom multiplies | The Press

A new Bloom restaurant has just opened its doors in the Quartier des Spectacles. Following the success of the Old Port branch, chef Christian Manuel Ventura (Momo Sushi, Casa Kaizen) and his business partner Dominic Bujold (No. 900, LOV) are extending their tentacles even further with this new vegan sushi address.

Marissa Groguhe
The Press

We are welcomed in a magnificent setting when we enter the new Bloom, rue Sainte-Catherine. The design of the two-storey space is signed by Atelier Zébulon Perron. Even if you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the places are immediately inviting enough to make you want to know more about what you can eat there.

This culinary offer is presented by the term “botanical sushi”. A well-stocked menu offers a variety of sushi, from complex futomakis to light but tasty hosomakis. The menu, totally vegetal, is different from that of its sister branch, but also adapted to the passage of the seasons. And if we don’t stray too far from a traditional inspiration in some cases, other items on the menu are rather daring and inventive.

As a starter, a simple but delicious miso soup (tofu, shiitake, enoki, green onion and seaweed) announces the great mastery in the kitchens. Then come the equally tasty fried dumplings. The spring rolls delight our taste buds, but not as much as the sweet and sour sauce that accompanies it, which we would like to have the recipe for.

When our selection of sushi arrives, unsurprisingly, the presentation is sumptuous. And when finally comes the most important of the tests, that of taste, the high expectations are fulfilled. The flavors are always surprising and satisfying. In the classic Dragon Eye, no salmon, but rather tofu, accompanied by shiitake mushrooms, carrots and asparagus. Bollywood, still in futomaki, plays with Indian influences, its vegan “shrimp” enhanced with a curried aioli.

In the kamikaze, the konjac is this time substituted for the salmon, just like in the sashimi that we find as a starter and in several other sushis. The taste is subtle, but pleasant. The cocktail menu is diverse and original, there is something for everyone. Nothing disappointed in our tasting and our evening at Bloom, which recently opened a third store… in Paris!