This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Whether we adhere to their principles or not, certain gourmet awards irresistibly attract our attention every year: Canada’s 100 Best, the CAA four and five diamond ratings, the first Michelin stars to come to Quebec. Without forgetting, of course, Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants, whose top 10 positions of the year were announced with great fanfare this week. Which Quebec establishments have earned a place in this prestigious list?
The suspense was at its height, Monday evening: the owners of 30 Canadian finalist restaurants, including 8 from Quebec, had converged on Toronto, with stars in their eyes, to find out if they would be included in the list of the 10 best new restaurants in the year of Air Canada.
It must be said that for more than 20 years, the unveiling of this list has undoubtedly been the most followed in the country, shining the spotlight on establishments whose recent openings have left their mark on the Canadian gastronomic scene. Preselected by around fifty aficionados, then visited incognito by a chief taster who determines the big winners, the finalist restaurants know that this list will bring them great visibility on an international scale.
“Just being part of the pre-selection list is a great honor,” recognize the three owners of the Italian-inspired neighborhood restaurant Caméline, located in Gatineau. We’re constantly trying to improve and be creative, so it means a lot to us, this recognition from our colleagues in the industry. »
This year, culinary creator Tara O’Brady inherited the delicate mission of designating the 10 restaurants that would win the precious sesame. According to her, it is the projects carried out as a couple (spouses or partners) that have shone the most on the Canadian scene, as eloquently proven by the Montreal establishment which occupies the first position in this list: Sabayon!
Sabayon at the top
The predictions were going well a few days before the announcement of the top-10 of Air Canada. And the Sabayon microrestaurant, established in the Pointe-Saint-Charles district since August 2023, was among the favorites. For what ? First of all, because the very talented pastry chef Patrice Demers is not at his first distinctions. Its former restaurants Les Chèvres and Les 400 coups had both made the eminent list, and Sabayon rose to 5e place Canada’s 100 Best new restaurants earlier this year.
We must also recognize the incredible tandem that Patrice Demers forms with his wife and sommelier, Marie-Josée Beaudoin. Together, they have continued to leave their mark on the gastronomic scene, whether at the head of Patrice Pâtissier or of pop-ups memorable, like that of the Fulgurances Laundromat in New York in 2023.
From day one, Sabayon has enjoyed phenomenal popularity. “Our places sell out in just a few minutes,” admits the chef, “and we unfortunately have to refuse three out of four people when booking online. »
Such success can be explained. With only 14 places, the Sabayon offers, three evenings and two afternoons per week, a unique and most intimate gourmet experience. “This is our most personal project with Marie-Josée,” says Patrice Demers. We set it up alone, and we invested our 25 years of experience in catering, we serve what we like to eat and drink. So, we will not hide it, being part of the best new Canadian restaurants [du palmarès d’Air Canada] is a source of great pride. Because we also work hard to please others above all else. »
Other restaurants here
Sabayon was not the only local establishment to win top honors this year. Maison de Soma, a remarkable exploratory farm restaurant in Mont-Tremblant, mixing local products and Asian-sounding cuisine — also winner of the Gourmet Tourism of the Year 2024 prize at the latest Lauriers de la gastronomie québécoise — rose to 3e position of the palmarès.
Furthermore, at 6e place, let’s highlight the sensational arrival of Parapluie, the first Montreal restaurant with old-fashioned charm and an inventive menu from the duo composed of chef Robin Filteau Boucher and maître d’hôtel Karelle Voyer.
“I have dreamed for more than 15 years of a restaurant in my neighborhood where I would welcome people as in my kitchen, with creative and accessible dishes,” explains the chef, who did not expect to join so soon after its opening on 9e position of Canada’s 100 Best new restaurants, let alone being among the finalists for Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants.
“Everything happened so quickly! he whispers. It’s a real fairy tale, seriously. But I can guarantee that we put all our love into what we do, and we don’t have imposter syndrome. »
In closing, let us also mention the seven other establishments which reached the top 10 positions this year. In the leading trio, we find Mhel (2e place), a restaurant mixing Japanese and Korean cuisine in Toronto. Then, we travel between Canadian provinces and culinary styles with the Takja BBQ House (Toronto, 4e), Café Malabar (Victoria, 5e), le Bar Prima (Toronto, 7e), le Fat Rabbit (St Catharines, 8e), Gary’s (Vancouver, 9e) et Crumb Queen / Andy’s Lunch (Winnipeg, 10e).
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