Today we welcome a talented new contributor! You might know him as Luca (@teenfoodcritic), and we’re happy to share the next generation of food writers (especially when they visit outstanding restaurants).
Fellow foodies, I don’t know where to start. It’s not often that I find myself speechless about a restaurant. ‘How is it, that you find yourself speechless?’ you may ask. Well, I’ll tell you all about it, in this special guest review, for A to Za’atar, who I would like to thank IMMENSELY for this tremendous opportunity (the pleasure is all ours, Luca!).
It all started, nine months ago, in January 2019, when my sister got accepted to study pre-med in Montréal. While my parents were thrilled for her, I couldn’t help but think: “Okay, am I going? And if so, where are we staying, and where are we eating?” Don’t get me wrong, I was delighted for her, but that question had been on a loop in my mind for five months until I finally decided to place the reservation at MARCUS behind my parents’ back. (The best decision I’ve ever made if I’m honest).
The day finally rolls around after months of anticipation. The four of us head over to the astonishingly beautiful Four Seasons in Montréal, and take the elevator to the 3rd floor. As soon as the doors opened, we were greeted by a friendly hostess for the MARCUS bar, who told us to continue straight to the restaurant. MARCUS is a contemporary brasserie that specializes in raw seafood. It is named after Marcus Samuelsson, who is the restaurateur behind this hotspot and the world-renowned Red Rooster in New York City, known for its comfort food. We’d been seated at a gorgeous table on the terrace with a view of the mural dedicated to Montréal’s very own Leonard Cohen.
I started with a delicious raw Cobia with yuzu and beef chicarròn (CAD16.00) while my mom ordered a deliciously buttery Salmon belly wrapped in nori and glazed in sweet Canadian maple syrup (CAD16.00). My sister had the Carabiner shrimp, with XO and lemon aioli (CAD30.00) which was bursting with flavor, and my dad had the Niçoise (CAD24.00), which he still dreams about. For mains, we shared a Sashimi platter (CAD85.00), which was astonishing, and each had a dish of our own. Across the table, we ordered grilled sea bass (CAD36.00), the best seafood spaghetti (CAD27.00) I’ve ever had — the noodles were thick and the uni butter was to die for — and a delicious rack of lamb, coated in black garlic (CAD48.00).
In between mains and desserts, our exceptional waitress, Stéphanie, had been casually conversing about the brutal Montréal winters, when we got to talking about why we were there (at MARCUS and in Montréal) and about my passion for food. She took me to the kitchen, where I met the talented executive chef, Nick Bramos. He talked about what it was like to work with chef Marcus, and we just had a laugh together. He was very generous and gave me a signed copy of MARCUS’ cookbook, on which he and Stéphanie later signed on.
Desserts came around, and it was composed of a considerable strawberry tart, and a delicious dark chocolate yuzu praliné, which was easily the most delightful dessert (tied with chef Izu from Gaia, Carine, and the Lighthouse’s Passion Fruit Cheesecake) I have ever tasted. I would legitimately drive (if it were possible) from Dubai to Montréal to eat this.
This concludes my A to Za’atar guest review for MARCUS. If you ever find yourself in Montréal, I would definitely recommend it, and if you don’t, I’d recommend you book a flight right now. I’m waiting!
