Relaunching Restaurant L’Orignal: Exciting Comfort Food

The words exciting and comfort don’t usually go hand in hand, especially when describing food. However, that is exactly what chef Omar Zabuair has managed in his reimagining of L’Orignal‘s mouthwatering new menu. The restaurant treated their family, friends, suppliers, and a lucky few others to a to-die-for seven course family style meal. Strangers sat next to one another and quickly became friends over house selected wine, prosecco, and their exclusive Bierbrier blended beer on tap. The modest Charles Bierbrier was even on hand to receive our heartfelt praise for his all-organic, light, but flavourful beer with no aftertaste.

L’Orignal‘s knack for bringing people together is what every intimate space dreams of. It’s warm, covered in wood, and has a feel good vibe that is amplified by the great personalities of Travis, the barman, and the inviting wait staff. But enough of how nice the new look and feel is, what’s important in a restaurant is the food, and L’Orignal certainly doesn’t hold back.

Soufflé! Just saying the word sets our salivary glands on overdrive. Chef Zabuair’s chanterelle and mimolette (cheese) soufflé is cooked once to get that perfect fluffiness, then again to crisp the outside and give it some crunch. Paired with creamed corn, it was one of the highlights of the night and a towering achievement.

Equally stuffed with delicious cheese was the homemade ricotta gnudi. These disappeared almost as soon as they were set down. The airy little disks were packed with flavour and sat in a spinach butter that only gave the dish more richness. The soft gnudi stood in sharp contrast to the vibrant emerald green sauce and just made the whole dish visually delicious.

L’Orignal brought out the meats next: a pork cabbage roll surrounded by soft mash potato and a bison osso bucco with bone marrow rice pilaf. The cabbage roll was simply amazing. The pork, hashed from milk fed pigs, was deliciously garlicky and surrounded by a supple and surprisingly tasty layer of onion and cabbage. On the other hand, the osso bucco paired with its curried rice was hearty and … well, meaty, in the truest sense of the word. Big chunks of fall-apart bison meat combined with the curry spices made the traditional dish just a little more flavourful. It’s comfort food, made exciting!

Retaurant L’Orignal has refreshed its look and feel in such a way as to make everyone in the city excited at the idea of dining there. It serves up comfort food perfectly suited to these colder days of fall. So for a great night out, grab a comfy sweater, brave the crisp night air, and make your way to the warmth and comfort of Chef Zabuair’s delectable food at Restaurant L’Orignal.

479 Rue Saint Alexis, Montréal, QC H2Y 2N7
(514) 303-0479