Our dinner at APDC is one of the most anticipated meals of our short trip. A favourite of the late Anthony Bourdain, this iconic ‘ Temple of Extreme Gourmet ‘ is known amongst foodies worldwide for its glutton and excessive signature dishes ( sins?! )…incorporating foie gras as a component in almost all of its protein creation.
The menu is a constantly changing one but retains a few of the perennial house specialities such as the ’Duck in a Can’, ‘Foie Gras Poutine’, ‘Stuffed Pork’s feet ‘…etc. as the core. Consequently, with this revolving door, some highly recommended gems, previously savored by fellow foodies, like the cool sounding ‘ Lobster roll topped with foie gras and yuzu glaze on a toasted brioche bun ‘ were sadly unavailable during our visit.
Before proceeding to review the spectacular array of food we ordered, devoured and thoroughly enjoyed. There is one special aspect of our meal which I needed to single out and address. It pertains specifically to the impeccable, caring and friendly service provided by the wait staff and management. Particularly, the professional way the latter handled, flawlessly and with flair, a disastrous scenario that unfortunately cropped up half way through our meal! This I will delve into more detail later on.
First, on to the food!
Due to the size of our party, the circumstances allowed us to order most of the tempting, attractive and exotic sounding offerings on the menu for sharing.
These include:
APPETIZERS AND MAINS
DUCK TEMAKI - Duck tartare, Cantabrie, Anchovies and Nori
TOMATO TART - Heirloom tomatoes & Bechamel
FOIE GRAS NIGIRI - Foie gras, Peanut, Maple flavoured Rice
FOIE GRAS POUTINE - Lobes of Foie Gras, Fries, Cheese Curds, Meat Gravy
DUCK IN A CAN - Duck Breast, Foie Gras, Butter Braised Cabbage, Celeriac Puree, Brown Butter
STUFFED PIG’S FEET - Foie Gras, Sweetbread, Morel Mushrooms and Meat Jus
GUINEA FOWL - Scallop Mousse, Black Truffle, Horseradish Fumet.
COD - Black Cod, Corn Sauce, Zucchinis, Wild Mushrooms
T-BONE STEAK - Quebec Prime, Pepper Sauce, Fondant Potatoes, Chanterelle.
DESSERTS
GRANITE FRAMBOISE
FOUDANT DU DOLCE DE LECHE
POUDING CHOMEUR
With so many outstanding dishes, ranging in mode from funky and sophisticated to rustic and homey comfort. Every dish is perfectly executed ( except one!! ) and all possessing its own unique characteristic and delicious taste profile. As such, it would be hard-pressed to select specific stand-out star dishes. However, the heavenly, umami packed single-bites taste bomb - Duck Temaki and Foie Gras Nigiri are definitely high on the list. Other note-worthy dishes included the gorgeous piece of perfectly cooked Cod rested on a generous pool of ultra-delicious creamy sweet sauce, the Guinea Fowl, which IMO, was executed and tasted better than the one I had at London’s 1* St John’s, last year, the gimmicky presented but surprisingly enjoyable ‘ Duck in a Can ‘ and last but not least, the 2nd rendition of our flavourful and tender T-Bone Steak.
Now, onto that unexpected ‘ Screw-Up ‘ of the evening!
With three beef loving carnivores in our party, it was a no-brainer that we ordered the ‘ Market Price ‘, Char-broiled Quebec Beef T-Bone in Pepper Sauce. Cut to order, we ended up with a gorgeous piece of 16+ oz, well marbled steak costing over $145! We were all swooning in anticipation when the impressive looking, well charred piece of meat, presented on a platter, arrived with fan-fare at our table. Unfortunately, the euphoria only lasted briefly, till we noticed the interior of the meat was way, way overcooked……to the point of well-done! Dry, void of any pink tint and really sad and unappealing looking. One bite and we left the entire plate untouched.
When the manager made his round amongst the patrons and arrived at our table to inquire how our dining experience has been so far. I simply pointed to the steak and said, ‘ Please take a look ‘! With no question asked, he swooped down quicker than a Bruce Lee punch, picked up the plate and simply said, ‘ I’ll take it back to the chef and get you another one….this time making sure it’ll be perfect. Please allow about a 15 minute wait ‘. When the replacement arrived, brought by our server, it was indeed perfectly charred on the outside and gloriously rare inside…….ABSOLUTE PERFECTION! The manager then came by to our table twice, checking to make sure the steak was to our satisfaction from end-to-end and apologising profusely each time! Such warm, attentive and caring hospitality!
So far, 3 hits out of 3……Not bad! Not bad at all!!
It’s on my revisit list!
