When I finally decided I was going to book my trip to Montreal, I knew that Chuck Hughes' newest addition, Le Bremner would be on my "To Eat" list. After his Iron Chef fame where he defeated Bobby Flay with his Lobster Poutine, demand has been through the roof. Rumours are that his restaurant, Garde Manger was booked out by 3 months! In hopes of offering more of his yummy food to eager diners and without wanting to disappoint and turn away his customers - Le Bremner was born. The ambiance is not too different from Garde Manger with its dim lighting and wood-accented furniture. However, I was able to nab a reservation a week ahead which was a blessing. The servers here are all very knowledgeable about the menu and can make some great recommendations. I must urge you to try one of their yummy cocktails with housemade syrups. I opted for the Posemary - which was made with gin, sake, lime syrup, rosemary and grilled pears. I was deeply and utterly satisfied. I dare say this was the best cocktail I had ever sampled in my life! Bread sticks were offered to us, and I felt like picking one up and conducting a symphony when I saw how long they were. They were buttery and salted. To start we got oysters on the half shell which hailed from New Brunswick (Chiasson and Village Bay) oysters tonight. It was accompanied by a supporting cast of regular and cucumber mignonette with fresh horseradish, lemon and Sriracha. These were one of the freshest oysters I've had in a long time. We devoured these quickly. Our second starter was the Lobster Toast au Gratin, which is essentially a Croque Madame with lobster meat in it. This would be the one dish that stands out in my mind when I recall all the wonderful culinary delights I sampled in Montreal. The bechamel sauce, the chunks of lobster meat, the buttery toast and the perfectly poached egg was like an epiphany in my mouth. It was oh so creamy and oh so delicious! I am dreaming of it right now... If there were only one thing I could change about this dish - it would've been the bread as I found it broke the delicateness of the overall dish. The bread was a very sturdy bread. I would've preferred something a little thinner. For mains I ordered the Halibut which was served with Crispy Pork Rinds and Chantarelles on a bed of Mash. Le Bremner - how could you, Titan and ruler of all things seafood, manage to burn my halibut? It was as shocking and disappointing as learning that Santa was really just some chump in a suit. So close to being a perfect evening! I expected the crunchy (from the pork rinds), but not from the sound of biting into an unpleasantly burnt skin. The flavours, however, were perfect! I also sampled the Cheese Steak which was topped with arugula and the thinnest fried onions imaginable. The steak was tender, but I thought there wasn't anything special about it. I wonder...If I hadn't tasted the wonder that was the Lobster Toast if I would've praised it more? For dessert we had the Pear Tatin. Anything with the word tatin in it usually means longer prep time, so if you are opting for this, you may want to time it better so that you're not left nursing a glass of water and twiddling your thumbs when dinner is over. The espresso at Le Bremner was so powerful I was almost thrust out of my chair. Alas, once the dessert came, it evened out the imbalance of boldness and sweetness :) The tart tatin came out piping hot, and was topped with ice cream. A la mode boys and gals is the only way a pie should be eaten! Verdict: Being the restaurant that served me up my most memorable dish, I can't say that Le Bremner wasn't good, but is it one of the top 10 places I'd recommend? I must say no. The irony that I found out Chuck Hughes lost to Beau McMillan on the Iron Chef: Super Chefs only 2 days prior to my departure was an omen? Some would argue that in his defense, tofu, the secret ingredient of the battle was not Chuck's forte. My argument - if you are a celebrity chef, I expect you to know how to cook with any ingredient that is presented to you. Although my most memorable Lobster Toast was consumed here, the tragedy that was the burnt halibut will also remain in my memory. The Lobster Toast is to Chuck's first win on Iron Chef as the Halibut is to his recent loss on Iron Chef :p
Is this review positive or negative?
Possible answers:
(1). negative;
(2). positive;
Answer:
(2).