Quebec City – mmm-yoso

Quebec City – A Quick Trip to Lévis, Dinner at Le Lapin Saute, and the Secret of the “Red Door” (A K-Drama Tie-in)

September 11, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, French Restaurants, Quebec City, yoso-silly

We took a short break after our wonderful lunch. Getting back up, the Missus was itching to "do something….anything". I asked the concierge about taking the Ferry across the St Lawrence to the city of Lévis. The very friendly concierge said that just the views of Quebec City was worth the $7.10 CAD (about $5.75) round trip. So off we went. The rather cloudy, rainy weather made for a rather dramatic view of Chateau Frontenac and Terasse Dufferin from the river.

When we arrived at dock, we just walked out and took a look around. The Missus saw these stairs and of course we ended up walking up.

We felt a bit odd when we reached the top; it was almost like we walked into someone's yard.

There were some nice looking homes on this side of the river.

And the views were wonderful.

This is Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire de Lévis Church.

We took a loop, before heading back down to the dock via the not so picturesque street. And then headed back to QC. We took another break before heading off to dinner.

The place I selected for dinner was on busy Rue du Petit-Champlain. A place named Le Lapin Saute and yes, lapin means "rabbit" in French. The restaurant looks really colorful from the outside and was totally packed! Folks were eating out on the patio in spite of the drizzles.

Luckily we had reservations.

I had been wanting to try a beer and ordered the Anne Baillargeon from Microbrasserie de l'ile d'Orléans.

A very light, fizzy, blonde lager….nice and refreshing.

There was one item I really wanted to try here; the Rabbit Poutine.

You are given a choice of gravies; we chose the version with mustard and it did not disappoint as it added a nice touch of pungent-sweetness that cut the richness. We love the potatoes in Quebec; this version was crisp, but all the fried potatoes seemed to be quite dark, but very sweet. The braised rabbit was very moist and tender, very clean tasting, with a slight almost chicken flavor.

The Cassoulet however, was a mixed bag.

While the sausage was wonderful as were the lardons; the beans were tough and undercooked, the rabbit dry and tasteless, and the duck confit dry and very salty. There was a lack of thyme-garlic flavor and the dish, other than being salty was a disappointment. The Missus started requesting my cassoulet immediately after.

The service was very friendly, even though the place was slammed. You gotta love Canadians, they are always so polite!

I'm certain we'll return; if only for that poutine and perhaps one of the nice looking salads next time.

Le Lapin Saute
52 Du Petit-Champlain St
Quebec City, Canada

Before heading back to our room; I decided to take a photo of the Red Door.

What's up with the Red Door you might ask? Well, while walking on Rue du Petit-Champlain during our first afternoon in QC, we noticed a preponderance of Korean tour groups and everyone was taking a photo next to this door. So, when we returned to our room I Googled "red door quebec city" and oh my! Apparently, a K-Drama, known as Goblin, was partially filmed in Quebec City. The series was the second highest rated drama in Korean cable history. And it's made Quebec City a destination for Korean tourists! The Red Door is the portal from Korea to Quebec City and plays a rather large role in the K-Drama. Who'd have thunk? We'd actually run into another Quebec City Goblin filming location before we left the next morning. I texted the photo of the Red Door to our friend and K-Drama junky, "Xiāngjiāo" and got a really excited response "oh-my-god…how did you find the door"! Funny thing, we didn't find the door, the door found us.

I guess that's how Quebec City works!

Thanks for reading!

Quebec City – Lunch at Le Saint-Armour

August 31, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Quebec City, Travel

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!

Morning in Quebec City, a Visit to Paillard, and Épicerie J.A. Moisan

August 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Canada, Markets & Grocers, Quebec City, Travel

The rises early Quebec during early June; before 5am. And we took full advantage of it; heading out before six. We enjoy taking early walks when on vacation, especially when visiting places that are popular with tourists. Things look a bit different and you get to meander around and spend a bit more time admiring things. Like the La Fresque des Québécois, which celebrates the rich history of the city. There's a wonderful post on this mural on this site. It was still early so even La Maison Smith a very popular bakery and coffee shop wasn't opened yet.

The quiet lanes were very different at this hour, so peaceful, but still very charming and full of character.

There was nary a person to be seen; except for the folks walking their dogs in the light drizzle.

We headed back up Escalier Casse-Cou, deciding to head to Terrasse Dufferin and get another look at Château Frontenac. And wouldn't you know, unlike the day before, the sun decided to make an ever-so-short appearance. But it was enough time to take some lovely photos.

During winter there's actually a toboggan slide on Terrace Dufferin, must be qutie a thrill.

We took the steep stairs up La Promenade des Gouverneurs; the Governors Walk.

There are some pretty nice views from here.

Up to the Plains of Abraham, where the pivotal battle between the French and the British took place during the French and Indian War. This battle basically determined the fate of New France.

We'd seen some very in shape men and women running up and down the steps while walking up….I'd forgotten that La Citadelle was also located close by. It is still an active military installation and home to the Royal 22nd Regiment. We skirted the walls and headed down côte de la Citadelle.

Heading down one of the smaller side streets off Rue Saint Louis we came across this statue of Marie de L'Incarnation who was sent to New France to help establish the presence of the Ursuline Order of the Catholic Church.

You can read more about the story by enlarging this photo.

We wandered around a bit more; coming across places like Le Monastère des Augustines.

By now, some espresso and perhaps something light to eat sounded good. I had a place in mind on Rue Saint-Jean named Paillard.

Upon arriving, the Missus wasn't too impressed with the cafeteria like set-up. But I told Her that Paillard had a reputation for making a decent croissant; something we hadn't had much luck with in Montreal.

An espresso for the Missus, an Americano for me, croissant, and some sparkling water.

The croissant ended up being pretty good. Nice flakiness, a touch of butter, light saltiness, perhaps a bit too chewy, but we were satisfied.

We'd actually return the next morning for coffee and a light snack.

Paillard
1097 Rue Saint-Jean
Quebec City, Canada

It was still too early to start thinking about lunch. So I told the Missus there was one more place I wanted to see. To get there, we had to head up Rue Saint-Jean. Near the Porte Saint-Jean are the old fortifications/city wall.

The view from here was different.

A few blocks up Rue Saint-Jean resides Épicerie J.A. Moisan, established in 1871, said to be the oldest existing grocery in North America.

With over 3000 products, you can really take your time here. And we did.

It is a food lover's paradise.

Looking at the beer selection, I inquired about something local….the response? "Monsieur, this whole case is pretty much local." And the nice gentleman helped me pick something out.

We had a great time shopping for gifts…everything from sweets to JA Moison shopping bags.

I'm sure we'll be back again. Heck, we enjoyed the neighborhood so much, we might even stay in the Auberge upstairs.

Épicerie J A Moisan
699 Rue Saint-Jean
Quebec City, Canada

We really enjoyed the neighborhood, full of bakeries, pubs, restaurants, and yes, the poke fad has arrived here as well.

More of a residential area….it seems a bit Quebecoise-Hipster, but really neat.

And then there's this sign…..which I loved.

By this time we'd starting getting a bit hungry. It was time to find some lunch and we knew just the place!

Thanks for reading!

Quebec City – Walking Around the Upper and Lower Town and Dinner at Panache (now named Chez Muffy!)

August 17, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Canada Food and Restaurants, Fine Dining, French Restaurants, Quebec City, Travel

I enjoy train travel and while not quite in the same class as riding the Shinkansen in Japan, I enjoyed the three-and-a-half hour ride from Montreal to Quebec City. We were in business class, the seats were comfortable enough, the wifi decent. The Missus however got bored fairly quickly. I'd make sure that She had some movies and shows to watch on the way back to Montreal. We arrived at Gare du Palais; it was already about 430 pm, the sky overcast, slightly drizzly, but we'd been sitting long enough. So we walked to our hotel.

The one thing the Missus wanted on this trip as to "not feel like I'm in North America"…..well, QC sure didn't feel like we were in the US that's for sure.

We made our way to our hotel, which is now one the Missus's favorites, the Auberge Saint-Antoine. Things just seemed to be set-up perfectly for us, the rooms comfortable and cozy, the service was great, but not intrusive, the rooms quiet.

We had dinner reservations at the restaurant in the Hotel, named (at that time) Panache (more on that later). But the Missus really wanted to get going. Our location in the Old Town was perfect, quiet, but just a five minute walk to Place Royale. You want to feel transported to Europe? Here you go…..

Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Victoires crowns this small, but charming square, established by the "Father of New France", Samuel de Champlain in the 1620's when it was called Place du Marche. The name was changed in 1686 when the bust of Louis XIV was placed in the center of the square.

From here a few charming streets stretch out.

The most charming being Rue du Petit-Champlain which claims to be the oldest lane in North America. It's full of shops, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. Touristy? Yes, but also quite charming and at least during our visit pretty chill and relaxed.

At one end of the lane is a funicular that takes you up to the Upper Town; but of course, this is the Missus, so we used the Escalier Casse-Cou, also known as the Breakneck Steps.

Built in 1630, this is the oldest stairway in Quebec City. There are actually quite a few well known stairways in Quebec. We'd run into a few during our stay. It's slight uphill walk on one of the oldest street in the city Côte de la Montagne, built in 1620, for many years it was the only street linking the Upper Town and Lower Town.

Taking a left at Rue Port Dauphin, you come to Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec which, in several incarnations (having been burned down twice) has been here since 1647.

That's the Monument Du Cardinal Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau. Taschereau was the Archbishop of Quebec from 1871 to 1898.

And just a short walk away is the most photographed hotel in the world; Château Frontenac.

That still looked mighty impressive, even on a drizzly day.

The wide open boardwalk that surrounds the hotel and extends parallel to the St Lawrence River is the Terrasse Dufferin. The views from here are quite lovely.

This is the monument to Champlain in front of the hotel.

Notice the Harp Player next to the monument….he kept playing thru the drizzle…..talk about dedication!

And there's also this rather odd looking "Elephant Sculpture" by Salvador Dali.

We noticed that QC has its own style….not overly formal….but just, well QC……and they seemed quite proud to be Québécois.

It started raining a bit harder, so we decided to head back to the hotel. Of course, the funicular was not an option.

We took a short stop at Parc Montmorency, which has quite a history. And quite a view…..

From the cannons.

We got back to the hotel, freshened up, relaxed a bit, then headed off to dinner, which was just downstairs.

The place was named Panache. I say "was" since the place has been renamed to….ahem, Chez Muffy at the end of June. Why "Chez Muffy"? Well you can read about that here.

So, I've decided not to dwell on this meal very much. I'll let you enjoy the photos. The service was excellent and this was far from a cheap meal. When we mentioned we'd be sharing; they split everything except the Celeriac Spaghetti.

I keep wondering why they serve cold bread here in Quebec. That just seemed like the norm.

Of course we had Foie Gras which was really great in a mulled red wine sauce and a not too sweet orange marmalade.

The wine it was paired with was outstanding, really elevated the flavors, both sweet and earthy of the dish, without being too cloyingly sweet.

Very nice.

Though perhaps my favorite item of the meal was the beet tartare, which was simply delici-yoso, the combination of capers, shallots, mullet row, and lemon confit really gave this simple sounding dish complexity.

Celeriac Spaghetti.

Elk.

The sautéed kohlrabi with pistachio was delicious.

Dessert.

Ume flavored marshmallows.

Panache (now Chez Muffy) – in the Auberge Saint-Antoine
8 Rue Saint-Antoine
Quebec City, Canada

Where in the World Were We?

June 4, 2017 mmm-yoso Canada, Montreal, Quebec City

In spite of being quite busy and rather short in the vacation time category, the Missus and I managed to sneak away for a few days. We went to a place that had been on my "list" for a while and opportunity just seemed right for this trip.

It was a fantastic time……

Our first stop was in a wonderful city, multicultural, friendly, artistic, and just plain fun.

Our second stop was a beautiful and picturesque city….full of history.

And this mysterious "red door"………..

And then of course; there was the real reason….the food of course!

While the upscale/fine dining was indeed fantastic.

It was the local specialties that really blew us away.

Hearty comfort food at its best.

While it was rainy most of the time…..we were really here to relax; though we still managed to put in about ten miles a day walking.

There's a live and let live attitude here……which was a great escape from the angry, sometimes hate-filled, rhetoric that has been brewing recently.

After all, when your song comes on….you have to be like this guy, who dropped his grocery bags, and let loose.

"Some days you gotta dance
Live it up when you get the chance
Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense
Gotta loosen up those chains and dance"

Anyway, it's time for me to scoot and catch up on my rest.

Thanks for reading!

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