An Au Pied de Cochon Montreal review was a no brainier after our visit last week. We dined on some of the best and most gluttonous foie gras in the world. Take a culinary journey with us, as we eat our way through this Montreal institution. How do I start a raving review of Au Pied de Cochon that hasn’t been spewed into the pages of the best culinary magazines and newspapers? For starters, the restaurant is the brainchild of chef Martin Picard, who according to New York Times, “put his restarant on the gastronomic map when he put foie gras on poutine back in 2004.” Time referred to P.D.C (acronym for those in the know) as a “bastion of excess beloved by Anthony Bourdain and other gastronomes.” Yea its reputation precedes it. Let’s proceed….
The Glamazon Diaries Au Pied de Cochon Montreal Review
This restaurant is definitely one of my top ten best restaurants in the world!
The Mood
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It’s indulgent, rich, decadent and unforgiving to anyone watching their figure. So eater be warned! The energetic atmosphere is accompanied by an accommodating and well versed staff, including it’s chef, Michael Labelle-Picard. His command of the menu and corralling the staff to ensure quality service to all patrons during the high traffic dinner time was impressive. The space is tight but cozy. Our reservation ensured us prime seating near the open kitchen and bar. This afforded us the pleasure of interacting with the chef and restaurant staff, who were especially helpful to Makeda, a non-French speaker.
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Non-French speakers are presented with an English menu to help them navigate the dining experience. The menu has been upgraded since my last visit ten years ago, so there are even more delicacies to be enjoyed, particularly seafood. I warned Makeda in advance that not only would a dinner at P.D.C be a memorable experience, but it would hinder any type of physical activity (if you know what I mean) following such a bacchanal. Your stomach and liver are the only organs you are going to put into full work speed after dinner. Rest assured, your entire body will reach a whole other level of Nirvana that it won’t matter anyway.
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The Starters
We kicked off dinner with our customary oysters and gin martinis to open our palettes and rev up our appetites for what was to come. This is the equivalent of me rolling up my sleeves to get ready for a great culinary experience. Let’s face it, this restaurant is pure FOIE GRAS heaven. After the martinis came a bottle of Moulein a Vent, the Rolls Royce of Beaujolais wines.
It’s worth noting that the wine list is extensive and caters to every palette and budget. We commenced with the Plogue à Champlain, a small mound of buckwheat pancake, layered with melted cheese, mashed potatoes, bacon, topped with a slab of seared foie gras and drizzled with P.D.C maple syrup. The wine reduction underneath is worth ordering extra bread to clean your plate (but at your own risk, there’s much more to come).
The quality of the foie gras is elegant and delectable. It’s rustic, yet elegant as I said. Masculine, yet feminine.
Makeda cooks a lot of Cajun and Creole cuisine at home so she was familiar with the Andouillette. You Caribbean folks also know what’s up! Nothing, I mean it, nothing compares to this dish. The flavors aren’t complicated or extreme, they’re just down right mesmerizing to the palette. We went through the plate in less than four minutes. This is where Makeda looked me straight in the eye and proclaimed “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” Welcome baby!
We really took in all the flavors in the perfectly cooked sausage served with a jar of Au Pied de Cochon house Maple Butter Mustard. At that point you start to lean back in your chair and don’t mind the fact the service has been a bit slow. They know. It’s a busy place and they want you to savor every single bite.
THE MAIN COURSES
As a glutinous eater, you’re already full, but you came here for one reason: to try the boudin noir pot pie with foie gras. It’s like wearing La Perla with garter belt to boot, a Givenchy dress, Louboutin pumps, an Hermès scarf, a Louis Vuitton bag and Fendi accessories at once. Way over the top. But so goooood! The flaky crust is light, boudin or blood sausage is seasoned and cooked to perfection. The pièce de résistance is the foie gras…mounds and mounds of foie gras that top this crown jewel. It’s the richest plate I ever had the opportunity to enjoy in my entire life. I go to this restaurant just to remind myself that such a dish exists. I don’t know who had the idea to also order the Duck Magret but Good Lord! what a delight!
We finished our dinner with tears of joy and full bellies. We polished off our wine but had a digestif of grappa, compliments of the chef. It is my favorite digestif to literally digest a decadent dinner like the one we had just consumed. I’m glad to say we survived Au Pied de Cochon. Unfortunately, we had absolutely no room for dessert. I hope you enjoyed our Au Pied de Cochon Montreal review. À bientôt!
Au Pied 536 Avenue Duluth Est, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, QC H2L 1A9 Website (514).281.1114
