The first edition of Royalmount: Les Saveurs, is running until March 22. Centered around the high-end shopping complex’s urban park, this limited-time culinary series is spotlighting a curated selection of the restaurants through exclusive menus, special tastings, and chef-driven experiences designed to spark discovery and entertainment.
Participating restaurants include RH with a special caviar tasting, Momiji by Otto with a sake tasting experience and a special five-course omakase experience, Balam with a special five -course menu and tequila/mezcal tasting, Sammi & Soupe Dumpling with a Xiao Long Bao × Wine Tasting experience, Le Fou Fou with a Winter Tasting Passport, and Sansotei Ramen, with a special festival combo.
 |
| The beef tartare from Prime you can get at Saveurs. |
I got an advance tasting at Le Fou Fou where the passport included beef tartare from Prime, bao chicken from Sacré Bao, a taco from Hogar (I substituted the pork for beef) and dessert from A La Table (the uber-popular banana pudding was sold out, so I happily substituted a delicious chocolate cake. Tiramisu has a shrimp arrabbiata, but their kitchen was closed the night I went. That experience goes from March 15 to 22.
You can purchase your passport here.
Balam, meanwhile, is the fourth and largest restaurant of La Catrina Group, located in the urban park of Royalmount and featuring 2,500 square feet with 75 seats, including 15 at the central bar and a seasonal terrace. The kitchen has created a menu that honors Mexican roots while reinventing them with modern touches. Fresh local products are combined with imported ingredients to achieve the authentic Mexican taste with a Montreal flavor. A smokehouse is used to create unique flavors by smoking corn for corn soup with mushrooms, jalapeño, and cilantro, tomatoes for guacamole, whole fish, and smoked duck served in tacos with radishes, Serrano onions, and crispy tomatillos. From tacos to ceviche to Cornish hen with mole sauce and bone-in beef ribeye, each dish is an explosion of flavors. The tortillas are handmade daily.
The exotic cocktail menu was developed by Nectar & Mixologie (Lawrence Picard). Among the star cocktails, the Temazcal (mezcal, Saint-Germain, passion fruit, lime juice, habanero) and the Humo Sagrado (mezcal, hibiscus syrup, ginger beer) are served in a smoke bell for a stunning presentation and unique taste.
 |
| Jaime with our meals. |
The design studio Renard Flare and designer Maude Coudé created the sublime decor of Balam, which transports us to the Riviera Maya. In fact, the name Balam means jaguar in Mayan, an emblematic figure of Mayan culture and a symbol of deep connection with nature. The textured beige stucco walls are reminiscent of the color and grain of sand, exotic plants abound, and the rounded alcoves are a nod to the ocean waves. The beautiful straw light fixtures add a warm, organic touch to the space.
 |
| Balam's beautiful interior. |
My mother was my guest as I took advantage of the Saveurs. While the tortillas were not on this menu, we asked manager and server Jaime to include some for us. They came with freshly made guacamole. It was a great start, followed by bowls of delicious ceviche, oysters (ostras con Margarita). For the main course I had the tantalizing duck (pato y mole) while mom chose the pescado a la talla, a sea bass she was quite pleased with. Finally, it was decadent churros with chocolate sauce for dessert. You also get a drink, a mezcal maracuya. The smoothness and smoky flavor of mezcal combined with the tropical and refreshing intensity of passion fruit, creates a unique and balanced blend.
For more details on the festival go here.
No comments:
Post a Comment