Restaurant: Bouillon Bilk
Location: 1595 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC H2X 2S9
Price Range: $$$
[wp-review]
This is one of the best meals I’ve had during my trip to Montreal! In fact, it’s one of the best I’ve ever had so far! When I visited Montreal, Bouillon Bilk was definitely not on my list at all. However thanks to Eva from EatwithEva – a Montreal food blogger who introduced this restaurant to C and I, we were already riled up from all the rave reviews of Yelpers and Food Bloggers were saying about this place!
The restaurant itself was rather elusive. There was a lot of empty and sketchy store fronts in the area, and the restaurant’s sign was no where to be found either. Upon stepping inside the restaurant, it was gorgeous! The front windows let in lots of natural lights. The restaurant had a refined minimalist decor with a warm buzz of activity. This place does get busy though so a reservation is recommended.
Bouillon Bilk’s menu isn’t very extensive – around 5 to 6 dishes for starters and mains, and fresh oysters. However I much prefer smaller menu compared to larger menu as it means the chef is really focusing on perfecting each individual dishes. Apparently all the ingredients are sourced locally and the menu changes according to what’s available each season, thus some of the dishes I had for the night might no longer be available.
We decided to start off with an appetizer off the menu. On the initial bites, I found that the fluke was quite salty on its own, however the fresh slices of apples really helped to tone down the saltiness of the fish. The truffle added just a right amount of earthiness to the dish without losing the freshness and character of the fish.
Eva had the scallop dish which I got to try a bit and oh boy, the scallop was glistening when cut open! Loved the fresh pear that brought out the sweetness of the scallop. The brown butter sauce had a nutty aroma and richness which really brought the entire dish together. The only complain I would have was the portion of the scallop. Though there were several pieces on the plate, they were quite small for a main dish at a $31 price tag.
C had the sea bass and she loved it as well!
The venison was tender and had a perfect medium rare temperature all the way through. The meat didn’t have a gamey taste and it just melted-in-your-mouth-goodness. The rosti underneath was crispy on the outside, soft and meltingly, well, potato-ey within, it was so good! I believe the sauce contained both juniper and honeyberries, which provided a sweet, peppery taste that stands up perfectly to the robust flavors of wild game.
Throughout the night our server was attentive yet unobtrusive. I loved how the restaurant gave off a high-end vibe, yet you will see a good range of beautifully dressed individuals to casually dressed family. The food was executed well and the flavor profiles of each dish was exceptional. You can tell everything was meticulously prepared. This is as refined as it gets. Anything from meats to fish and vegetables was cooked to near perfection.