After dining at Kyo Bar Japonais, located in the same building, I was anxious to try Brasserie 701.
First off let’s talk about its participation in MTLàTABLE November 3 to 19.
The special on-site menu for $68 each begins with a choice between Blood orange salad, Kalamata olives, baby romaine and cherry tomato confit Marinated artichoke salad, braised and poached with a tarragon-citrus butter
For the second service, there is a choice between soft shelled crab, mango vinaigrette marinade, avocado and mango jelly or Québec duck confit, grilled apple, hickory and honey-thyme vinaigrette.
The third service is a choice between Confit beef shoulder roast, shallot compote, braised salsify and Robuchon-style mashed potatoes or Dorado two ways, served with saffron broth and Pernod-braised fennel.
Finally, for dessert, there is Guayaquil chocolate tart souffle or Caramelized pear, sea salt, candied popcorn and fresh fruit sorbet.
The restaurant can accommodate 80 people in the main dining room and 20 more in a private room. There is also a seasonal terrasse.
This is a popular place for lunch and dinner. While the menu for the former service does change occasionally, I can give very high marks for the pan of homemade bread served hot in its pan with sea salt butter and eggplant soup, something that was a pleasant first for me. The salmon tartare comes with fresh cream with chives, dill, shallots, grapefruit supreme and green tabasco. Items like the burrata salad are very popular. This consists of warm squash, arcadian mesclun, croutons, raw and cooked beat, honey and autumn spice vinaigrette. The seabass filet is extraordinary, featuring a sauce composed of pickled cauliflower, fava bean purée, citrus and sorel sauce. It is so beautifully displayed and not a bone in place, just the way I like it. The day we dropped in one of their specials was nicely flavored chicken wings with crispy fries..
Brasserie 701 has an excellent wine and liquor list and servers like Charles, who just arrived in Canada and at the restaurant a few months ago from France.
This is a popular spot for birthday parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, team-building activities and any kind of celebrations in between! The restaurant welcomes groups for lunch, happy hour and dinner.
Brasserie 701 is located at 701 Côte de la Place d’Armes and is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. There is also a weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can call 514-904-1201 or log on to www.brasserie701.com. You can valet park for three hours for $20.
Soufiane Hanbali is the head chef,
Meanwhile, Kyo Bar Japonais combines the frenetic energy of an Izakaya with the cozy atmosphere of a sushi bar, with a menu that offers both types of cuisines and a selection of more than 25 sakes.
Here is a look at their MTLàTABLE menu.
First service (1 choice)
Tokyo fries: hand-cut Yukon potatoes, kimchi mayonnaise, okonomi sauce, green onions, kizami nori, sesame
Kyo salad: mesclun, Napa cabbage, shredded carrots, daikon strips, edamame, garlic chips, wafu sauce and tempura crisps
Second service (1 choice)
Choose 3 options among the following.
- (#1) Negihama handroll – Hamachi tartare, green onions, shallots, wasabi mayonnaise, tobiko, cucumber, tempura flakes
- (#2) Tataki Sake – Atlantic salmon, avocado cream, umeboshi dressing, pickled jalapeno, fried leek
- (#3) Katsu Curry – Panko breaded chicken breast, Japanese curry, cabbage, homemade fukujinzuke
- (#4) Nasueringi – Duo of grilled eggplant and king oyster mushrooms, Okinawan chao sauce, crispy shallot, chives
- (#5) Gyoza – Pan-fried wagyu dumplings, sweet chili shoyu, sesame, green onions
- (#6) Vegetarian Gyoza – Fried vegetarian dumplings, sweet chili shoyu, truffle oil, green onions
- (# 7) Kakuni Bao – Slow braised pork belly, steamed bao buns, pickled vegetables, coriander
- (#8) Kabocha Korokke – Croquettes of Japanese kabocha squash, cabbage, cherry tomato, okonomi sauce, kewpie mayonnaise
Third service (1 choice)
Mochi duo – jasmine and blackberry
Matcha roll – Saké-drenched strawberries, vanilla mousse.
Info: https://kyobar.com/en/. The address is 711 Côte de la Place d’Armes. You can call (514) 282-2711 or log on to www.kyobar.com