Le Bec a Vin

BY SEBASTIEN ROBILLARD
TWITTER: @Seb_Blog
EMAIL: FASHIONBPM@GMAIL.COM

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to be invited to try the menu at Le Bec a Vin. The chef and I had been following each other on Instagram and that’s how we got connected. I have to admit that I’m more of a city guy but the trip to Boucherville was worth while. They have a great team there and for every dish that was brought to us I have to say that the wine pairing was perfect bringing out the flavor of both the food and the wine.

When I asked the Chef, Jean Philippe Tee what was the inspiration behind the restaurant his answer was ” We wanted to create a place where people could come and try new dishes for an affordable price. We don’t claim to be reinventing the wheel but we always try and spin it differently!”

And that they do, we’ve had some good dishes that did have a new spin to it. For starters we were served a scallop ceviche served with pineapple quinoa, fish eggs, burned onion, sriracha caviar on a fresh herb foam. It looked more like a tartar than a ceviche so that was a fun presentation and the taste really came out with the Cuilleron’s Condrieu La Petite Cote 2013.

Who doesn’t like Mac n Cheese? This one served with lard and some spicy Cheetos crumble was a very fun dish to have. The Cheetos crumble just gave it some crunch and an extra cheese flavor and again the Hidden Bench’s 2012 Felseck Vineyard Chardonay was and excellent choice from the sommelier and also a nice discovery for me.

The beer and maple syrup marinated duck breast was also super tasty. Served with truffle roasted carrots a beet blood jelly and to bring a nature smell to the table torched pine needles. Now the pine needles are just for decoration and not to be consumed, but usually what’s on your plate is all eatable. The southern France Cabernet-Sauvignon Domaine de Brau 2013 was again right on to go with this dish.

To prepare us for desert we were served blue cheese roulade with Zahtar spices and oat and almond crumbles topped with salmon belly and Sauternes pipettes. You have to like blue cheese if you’re to enjoy this dish the Sauternes kinds of smooth out the taste a little but blue cheese still overtakes the flavors.

At this point we were pretty full but who can turn down Churros? As the rest of the menu the 5 spices Churros with pineapple caramel and coconut foam was excellent. I’m usually not a fan of coconut but foaming it really lighten the taste of hit and I truly enjoyed it. To pair with this sweet dish the 2013 Plantation’s Rhum from Nicaragua was very good.

If you want to try out their menu they will have a 40$ Cocktail Dinatoire on April 14th 2016. This includes 1 drink and unlimited finger food for you to try. A reservation is needed and you can see the information on the picture below.

I don’t always get to have good conversations with the Chef’s of the different restaurants I try but since I had the opportunity I did a little Q & A with Chef Jean Philippe Tees.

When did you know you wanted to become a chef?

I’ve always been a passionate guy and I knew an office life would never cut it. I had a problem with authority and rules in general as a teenager so the chaos of the kitchen always spoke to me. I got my first job in a kitchen at 14 years old and haven’t really looked back since!

What inspires you to create the different dishes?

I get inspired from so many different things it’s hard to pinpoint them. I try and make people feel about food the way I feel about it. I have such a love for this industry and make sure all of my customers feel that with every bite.

Is there any products you like to work with better than others?

I think it’s part of my generation to try and use local products as much as possible. Trying to work with what is available to you at a specific time is a nice challenge. ..well that and anything pork related.

If there would be one dish you would have to make over again and again, what would it be?

I try and do that as little as possible – I’ll work on similar dishes but always try and improve on what we’ve done in the past.

What’s your favorite food?

I’ll always have a special spot for southern cooking. Having spent a lot of time in those states, I’ve always loved how eating is an event for them, it’s a way to show your close ones that you appreciate them and quite simply delicious!

who inspired you in the culinary world?

I have nothing but respect for Marco-Pierre white and his intensity – reading his book has put a lot of his actions into perspective and you got to respect a guy for following his own path.

Then there’s guys like Ferran Adria and Heston Blumenthal who keep pushing our industry forward and being innovators.

If you could use only one kitchen device/tool/gadget besides standard pots/pans/knife, what would it be?

I’d have to say my thermo circulator – it allows me to get more done at the same time while making sure everything is prepared to its peak. As much as I value the work I and my team does on the line. The thermo helps avoid some human errors!