A dinner at Le Mousso is a very special occasion, and can be appreciated on several levels. The food is beautiful, delicious, novel and exciting, and the team itself is inspired and talented.
Chef Mousseau-Rivard took on a lot of responsabilities towards his craft and his team. The integration of seasonal hyper-local ingredients presents particular challenges that are answered with interesting and engaged sources, such as a locally-produced (!) kaffir lime and artic char from urban fish farming. The multicultural heritage of Montreal are incorporated in the dishes, for instance as a kimchi rosette on top of an amuse-bouche, the XO sauce with the scallop from Gaspé, the nasturtium petals and leaves ubiquitous to our summer streets, and the intensely technical, near mythical lièvre à la royale of French gastronomy.
As dinner starts around 18h30 for the whole group, we are introduced to the rythm of the evening. Each dish is offered and presented with humor in French to the group, or in English to discrete tables. The amuse-bouche trio is delicate and full of flavour, with tender scallop in savoury lamb and spice oil, and fermented fried potato ball topped with roe. The artic char cooked at low temperature retained a beautifully moist and tender texture, and the interest in the umami from fermentation was apparent in the use of elements such as homemade soy sauce and pickled habanada. The seasonality of the ingredients shone with scallops (Gaspé and Îles-de-la-Madeleine), lobster, shrimps, and tomatoes. The summerly three-coloured gaspacho accompanied by a shrimp sando, a play on grilled cheese and tomato soup, rested on top of a tender chawanmushi, letting us mix flavours and textures. There was also respect for the zero-waste approach, as different elements of the lobster (tail, legs, roe, bisque) were used, even in the dessert (which was a personal highlight of mine)! It featured a puck of cassis crystalline sitting on top of a fragrant pine-infused pana cotta. On the very top, a lobster claw-shaped cookie added a savoury element that contrasted with the sweet, tart and creaminess of the layers below, a bit like a pie shell. Even the mignardises deserve mentions, especially the crisp corners of the financier mixed with the deliciously salted miso caramel filling.
By the end of the evening, somewhere around 21h30, sunlight has been replaced by the gentle glow of artwork on the walls, and a beautifully cozy atmosphere filled the dining room. The tableware, designed in collaboration with the local ceramicist Gaïa (Catherine Auriol), is reminiscent of polished river stone and pebbles, and the generously spaced wooden furniture gave each group intimacy. The young talent in the kitchen seems to be mentored in a way that encourages their growth, with opportunities given to their personal expression. The team operates like a little family, which welcomes us in as guests. This is sealed at the end of the meal by an invitation to take a (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) shot, toasting to the great night and health to all good friends.
Dining at Le Mousso was an exciting meal that was part culinary, part entertainment, and part educational. The evening was intellectually engaging and shared with a great team that welcomed us with generosity and joy. Very special!
PS. The shot was half Miele amaretto and half Franklin Origine whiskey. All local! read more