We decided to cap off a fun morning in QC, with a nice lunch. During our walk around QC the previous day, we wandered away from Rue Saint-Jean and came across one of the restaurants I had on my list; Le Saint-Armour. The lunch menu, while not cheap, looked interesting. One of the Servers came out and chatted with us. Since the restaurant was a short detour from the way back to the hotel; we decided to stop and have lunch.
We were led to our table by the nice gentleman who chatted with us yesterday. He even remembered us.
The elegant, though simple exterior of the restaurant belies the charming, classy, and quite elegant dining area. A garden like ambiance, what seems to be a former courtyard is topped with a glass ceiling….the natural light and colors just give the place so much character. Quite romantic…..
It was easy to pick our choices from the lunch menu…I think we're getting a bit predictable these days….
The baguette was lovely and warm; which doesn't seem to be the norm in QC.
And of course, I started with the Foie Gras.
The foie gras was very refined; super smooth, perhaps too much for my tastes these days; which is now evolving to enjoy more earthy flavors. The purees were interesting; Sea Buckthorn Jelly, slightly bitter with a touch of tanginess and sweetness, and "Apple Spruce", which tasted like a basic apple based sauce.
The Missus's choice was more interesting, called "Asparagus Elegance".
The asparagus had such a nice, pronounced flavor, it seems that vegetables really shine in this part of the world. The parma ham was tender and added a nice salty component to the dish as did the cheese; a washed rind cheese from Charlevoix (in Canada), which added a fairly mild, milky-acidity to the dish. Of course there was that perfectly poached quail egg.
The Missus got the Pork Cheek for Her main, which She loved.
The mushrooms and sunchokes really added nice earthy tones to the dish. The pork cheek was perfectly braised…spoon tender; though the sauce was a bit too strong for my taste.
I got the "Red Deer"….possibly the most tender venison I've ever had.
I could cut that venison with my fork! The jus was seasoned perfectly and added a velvety, earthy elegance. The Missus loved the cauliflower and sweet potato purees. And that one lovely piece of mushroom in the corner had me wishing for a whole plate of it.
Dessert, is of course the Missus's department and She enjoyed both.
I thought the chocolate cake was very nice….not too sweet.
And then there was my shining moment. While waiting for coffee service, I walked over to the restroom. As I was returning, a party of four middle aged Asian women walked up and told the hostess, "we have reservations for xxxxxx". They were Japanese! They sat at the table right in front of us. The Missus was quick to point out the 20k Hermes bag one of the women had. They spoke very little English and the good natured Server was trying his best to explain items on the menu to them. In the end he smiled and said; "Madam, I can explain the menu in five languages….unfortunately, Japanese is not one of them…." I decided to seize the moment, walked up to the table, bowed slightly, and said "sumimasen", one of the few words I know in Japanese. Luckily, when it comes to food…perhaps it wasn't perfect, but I was able to go down the menu and say…."hotate……buta tontoro (while pointing to my cheek)…rokuniku….bīfu-sutoroganofu……." all the four women made that Japanese game show sound "aaaah"! They then asked me if I am Japanese and I mentioned that I'm sansei….so speak very little Japanese. They all thanked me and went ahead and ordered. I walked back to the table head held up high! As the Missus smirked, shook Her head, and said; "you're such a show off!" But even She couldn't bring me down. Heck, I milked what little Japanese I knew!
And heck, Le Saint-Armour was probably the best meal we had during this trip. Great food, superb service…..
Le Saint-Amour
48 Rue Sainte-Ursule
Quebec City, Quebec
We did some shopping at Place Royale on the way back to the room. Picking up a few gifts.
The Missus looked at this shop and laughed…..
Nope it's not "Prada"….it's Frada!
We were having a great time in Quebec City!
