Le Richmond has been doing many things right recently. Whether it’s expanding their brand to the Marché Italien next door or hosting themed brunches, the buzz around this high-end restaurant seems to never end. As such, it should come as no surprise that their newest themed brunch, the Christmas Brunch, was just as successfully delicious.
Given that the typical Quebec Christmas brunch involves a liter of maple syrup and more meat than you know what to do with, it was a nice change to experience a much more refined menu that would not leave us wondering why. Why eat so much? Why “accidentally” pour too much syrup? Why eat such sloppy food? Well, Le Richmond helpfully avoids these questions with lighter dishes like the incredibly tasty and delightful trout gravlax ($9) or the porchetta salad with the uncommon blood orange in the mix ($12).
Of course, such small dishes are but a preview of the more filling (though still not food coma level) dishes available for the month of December. The Lobster Benedict sang to us as it promised rich lobster mixed with perfectly cooked egg whites and runny yolks atop toasted polenta bread with a touch of caviar in the mix ($24). So too did the cranberry, walnut, and ricotta stuffed chicken breast ($21). It’s like Christmas dinner in one mouthful. Such a dish, of course, requires mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables on the side, just like mom makes.
At this point, we were joyfully interrupted by a fat man in a red coat. Oh yes, Santa was here. Ok, so maybe not THE Santa, but if your kids are up for a Sunday morning brunch, who are we to tell them otherwise?
We took a break from eating to browse Le Richmond’s amazing Italian market. Our will to save money during the holidays crumbled before their homemade tourtiere, which we saw many a table order for brunch, as well as their flakey and buttery croissants.
Finally, dessert! We cheated and ordered the considerable Panettone French toast which is typically a main. It comes drenched in maple syrup (ok, so we gave in to the call of the tree juice) and topped with berries and apricots galore ($17). We also loved the caramelized bread pudding with roasted pecans for crunch and sticky dulce de leche for pure mouth pleasure ($11). Keep your minds PG people. It’s homemade dulce de leche! Is there really any other way to describe what a sweet delight it is?
All in all, another amazing success from Le Richmond. It comes as no real surprise as they have yet to let us down. On that note, Brunch a L’Erable starts March 15th this year and also looks to be a delight. And finally, how sexy is this: a Black Swan inspired New Years Eve Gala. Black, white, silver, and feather should make for a delicious night of partying. Let’s hope that unlike the movie, nothing tragic happens!
Photos by Jonathan Brouillette, unless indicated otherwise.
333 Rue Richmond’ QC H3J 1R4
(514) 508-8749
