I spent Christmas in Montreal last year. My family informed me that we would be dining at one of the trendy Japanese restaurants that’s loved by locals the night before Christmas Eve. This was a first visit for all of us.
When we arrived at the restaurant, I thought we were at the wrong place. The sign read, “Fleurs et Cadeaux, 夏莲花店”. I know the word “Fleurs” in French, and the Chinese says “Xialian Flower Shop”. I was a bit perplexed and intrigued.
We entered, well… IT IS a Japanese restaurant. The place was hustling and bustling. So, making a reservation is a good idea.
The menu has a decent selection, and our server was very knowledgeable and helpful.
We kicked started the evening with a bottle of Zaku Gen No Tomo Sake (CDN$95) to start. Despite not being a big fan of sake, this one was a revelation – smooth and packed with flavour.
Moving on to the dishes, each one was a culinary masterpiece:
MOUSSE À L’OURSIN (CDN$11)
Description: Crème à l’oursin, chips de crevettes | Sea urchin cream, shrimp chips
The shrimp chips are tasty, light and have the perfect texture. The sea urchin cream was incredible!
ONSEN TAMAGO (CDN$5)
Description: Oeuf parfair, awase dashi, huile de truffe (tiède) | Perfect egg, awase dashi, truffle oil (lukewarm)
It’s the perfect egg indeed. The egg yolk gently exploded in my mouth. Delightful.
CANARD VIEILLI AU MISO BLANC (CDN$20)
Description: Canard vieilli 3 jours au miso blanc, légèrement carbonisé | 3 days white miso-aged duck, lightly charred
Beautifully cooked duck. I’d never had anything like that.
PORC BRAISÉ AU GINGEMBRE (CDN$21)
Description: Flanc de porc, riz vapeur, huile gingembre-nanami, daikon oroshi | Pork belly, steamed rice, ginger-nanami oil, daikon oroshi
The pork belly is tender and flavourful. What a treat!
LÉGUME DENGAKU ÉPICÉS (CDN$12)
Description: Legumes du moment, laque au miso rouge, habanero fermenté | Veggies of the moment, sweet red miso glaze, fermented habanero
A perfect combination of fresh veggies. That sweet red miso glaze, hmm, hmm, hmm.
POULET NANBAN (CDN$16)
Description: Poulet rose-des-vents, sauce soya aigre-douce, sauce tartare à ‘’ail noir | Rose-des-vents fried chicken, sweet-sour soy glaze, black garlic tartare sauce
One of the best fried chickens I’ve ever had. The skin is lightly battered and crispy, and the meat is tender and juicy. Absolutely delicious!
F&C CHIRASHI SUSHI (CDN$42)
Description: Sashimi, ikura, tsukemono, gari, wasabi, shari
This Gorgeous dish is packed with fresh sashimi, red caviar, preserved veggies and sushi rice. All the ingredients create a flawless balance.
TEMAKI SUSHI (CDN$84)
Description: Sashimi, tsukemono, nori, shari
This is an impeccable dish with a variety of sashimi. And… we really enjoyed creating our own sushi rolls.
CRÈME CARAMEL AU MATCHA
Description: Matcha Caramel Cream
I’m a sucker for matcha. This dessert is light and delectable.
GÂTEAU ÉPONGE À LA CAMERISE
Description: Sponge Cake with Honeyberry
I thought the sponge cake would be sweet but it’s not. Beautiful texture and love the combination with honeyberries. What a great way to finish the meal!
The desserts weren’t on the menu. Unfortunately, I don’t remember how much they were.
Below is a video I created for our dining experience.
What Else to Know
There’s a bar downstairs, and if my memory serves me right, the owner DJs at night sometimes.
Address: 1002 Rue Saint-Urbain, Montréal, QC H2Z 1K6
Phone Number: (514) 866-4411
Parking: there’s a small parking lot on the side of the restaurant. Street parking is also an option.
Reservations are highly recommended.
For additional details, you can check out their website at https://www.fleursetcadeaux.com/
The Posh Foodie 