Les Fougères – Chelsea – August 2020

The evening started with a delicious East Coast oyster with red currant mignonette (with currants from the Les Fougères garden) paired with a Quebec L’Orpailleur Brut. This was followed by an escargot dish featuring a wonderfully profiled combination of tamarind, coconut, and koji (which I later learned is a mold used to ferment alcohol and produce miso and soya sauce – who knew). For me, this was definitely one of the most interesting and flavourful preparations of escargot that I’ve eaten.

From there things only got better! The next course featured a perfectly cured duck prosciutto (gotta try to make this) paired with cantaloupe and lemon verbena – an edible plant. It was incredibly unique and the dish offered the perfect balance of textures and flavours. Next it was on to the dish that Chef Texeira famously presented for the elimination showdown on Top Chef Canada – Beef Tartare Vindaloo. This mouthwatering dish was packed with amazing curry and cardamon flavours and served with a delicious Portuguese Fitapreta which only served to enhance the wonderful flavours.

Not to be outdone, we were then treated to two amazing dishes from Chef LaSalle: Fogo Island cod cheeks and Piri Piri grilled quail. It’s difficult to say which of these two I enjoyed more, but both were both elegant and delicious in their own right. The cod cheeks took a bit more time to warm up to, but once the complex flavours of fennel and mandarin orange started coming through this dish was undeniably delectable. And, paired with organic carmen peppers from the local Roots & Shoots Farm and Iberico chorizo, the quail was succulent and perfectly tender. Two unforgettable dishes to say the least!

The grand finale of what turned out to be a completely satisfying 4+ hour dining experience came in the form of a goat cheesecake with wild blueberries and raw honey from Les Fougères’ own Apiverte hive. This dessert was a standout and most around the table agreed that it was one of the top dishes of the night. Light and airy it offered a beautiful balance of texture and sweetness, and it was a perfect way to finish the evening (or so we thought). Chef Texeira then surprised us with an extra sweet course – a special “Taiyaki” or fish-shaped snack filled with Nutella and local sea buckthorn – wow!

Overall, this was one of the more truly memorable dining experiences we’ve ever had. The amazing meal was only heightened by the impeccable service and accommodating staff at Les Fougères. In addition, we enjoyed on point wine pairings with each course served to enhance the overall experience. A huge bravo to all that were involved in putting this event together. Fingers crossed that we’ll be able to experience it again soon.