Au Pied de Cochon

Au Pied de Cochon

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au pied de cuchon review

A wedding drew me up to Burlington, Vermont this past weekend.  It was a grand affair.  Fortunately, afterward, I had the pleasure of taking a quick trip up to Montreal on Sunday/Monday.  I was mostly curious about the city’s culture, vibe and food; thankfully, I think I got a good idea for the place and I like it.  The food was perhaps my favorite part.

Sunday night I dined at Au Pied du Cochon, which is a Montreal classic brought to us courtesy of the venerable Martin Picard (who’s Sugar Shack was immortalized by Anthony Bourdain). And although I nearly died from foie gras overdose (sucks if you live in California) the meal was exceptionally delicious.  I would recommend everything I ate.  Just keep in mind that whatever you order, it will be one of the heaviest and richest meals of your life, as it was mine.  The service was also quite strong and the captains and one of the chefs took a few minutes out to chat with me, which I always appreciate.  In short, if you are in Montreal, I highly advise a meal at Au Pied du Cochon.

So anyway, as I noted previously, the random notes I take during the meal serve as the review.  Enjoy the gluttony.

-JLJ

au pied de cuchon review

Aroma. Delicious. Fast. Crowded. Cramped. Open kitchen – abstract ballet of sorts.   So much orderly chaos. Senior chefs go around and check on what jrs are doing. Change things as needed. 8 chefs in kitchen.

Appetizer: Bison tongue. Tender. Soft. Spicy mustard – cuts the richness. Carrots. Pickles.  Guessing the brown sauce was butter based.

bison tongue

Ate too much bread, go easy on the bread.

Just saw the lobster roll, holy shit.

lobster roll

Appetizer 2: Pan seared foie gras (special).  porcini mushroom gravy. Mash potato texture is like gelato. Gravy base veal stock.  Deathly.
au pied du cuchon foie gras
Entree: Duck in a can. Prepped in am, all the ingredients are placed into a can in the morning. Steamed when ordered to cook, remaining in can. All cooked together and opened at table. Amaze. Very dense duck breast.  So much foie gras.
pre duck
au pied de cuchon duck in a can
au pied de cuchon duck in a can au pied de cuchon reviewduck in a can
Dessert: Chocolate pie. Texture ike pudding. Vanilla ice cream on top. Torched top like creme brulee. Prefect contrast of texture.
chocolate pie au pied de cuchon review
Kitchen in mixed uniforms. Runnners and bussers in t-shirts. Waiter and capt in casual.  All of it sets a more casual and laid back tone for restaurant.
Interior simple. White plaster and light brown/tan wood.  Simple.  Seems to help draw focus to food.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Hey Justin,

    that was a good start to explore the Montreal cuisine.
    You should come here more often if you enjoy restaurants. I would say that, maybe apart from NY, this is THE city to dine in north america.
    But here, you actually are able to afford it, well, if you do not count the flight. 😉

    Cheers,

    Erik from Montreal

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