Mention the name @restaurantmastard, and everyone who cares about food in Montreal insists you dine at the little gem opened five years ago by chef Simon Mathys.
The chef’s menu, which revolves around prime ingredients from Quebec, is spare. Each of the give courses is described in just a few words. “I like things short and straightforward,”... More
Mention the name @restaurantmastard, and everyone who cares about food in Montreal insists you dine at the little gem opened five years ago by chef Simon Mathys.
The chef’s menu, which revolves around prime ingredients from Quebec, is spare. Each of the give courses is described in just a few words. “I like things short and straightforward,” says Mathys, who nevertheless lists the names of everyone who works for him on a separate card. “This is not a one-man show.”
The team effort reveals itself in the details at Mastard, where the men and women who introduce the dishes include the people who made them. A recent dinner launched with a clear ham broth infused with toasted hay, as restorative a taste as any this season and the chef’s idea of a big hug.
No plate was less than memorable, although this fish fan fell especially hard for shaved, steamed beet hiding a pristine scallop on horseradish cream, and roasted walleye sauced with pork broth, miso and cream dappled with parsley oil. “Sauces are my favorite thing to do,” says the chef, who finishes the walleye with spoonfuls of basil, zucchini and eggplant purees.
The only surprise is a pleasant one: The cost — a mere $75 for a night to remember. #montrealfood Less
