Jean-Philippe Tastet Files First Review of Charles-Antoine Crête's Montréal Plaza

The critic for Le Devoir is the first to review what is arguably the most anticipated restaurant in Montreal this year: Montréal Plaza. It's admittedly early in the game to assess the restaurant from chef Charles-Antoine Crête—Montréal Plaza has been open just three weeks—but Jean-Philippe Tastet writes that the Plaza Saint-Hubert spot is already offering "une cuisine très juste et une prestation d’ensemble très au-dessus de la moyenne."

As expected, Montréal Plaza is buzzing upon Tastet's visit; there's an air of great expectation. "En arrivant, tout le monde sourit comme lorsqu’on va à un rendez-vous galant et qu’on pressent de grandes choses." Tomato soup to start. It doesn't sound like much but Plaza's take unfurls an "explosion de bonheurs." The momentum continues with a plate of tender whelks, bathed in a mirepoix. Pork belly with daikon ribbons, pickled onions, and honeyberry also wow; as does a "hallucinant" beef sashimi with chanterelles and radish. The critic takes pains to applaud Plaza's desserts too, especially a pine granité with strawberries and Ungava gin. "Ce plat est si savoureux que je vous mets au défi de ne pas mordre le premier tronc de sapin que vous croiserez cet automne (...)."

Crête's cuisine is complemented by Montréal Plaza's eye-catching, surprising, and much-discussed décor. The restaurant's floor staff is courteous, warm, and precise. Tastet doesn't work with a star-rating but it's safe to assume that with concluding lines like this, Montréal Plaza has earned its hype: "La cuisine vibre de cette énergie appliquée qui distingue les maisons où le travail est fait consciencieusement, y compris dans la douce folie d’un chef hors normes."