where jess ate

While in Montreal for my #TASTEMTL trip in November, I had an unforgettable dinner at Park Restaurant (@Restaurant_PARK). With incredibly fresh ingredients and flawless execution, this certainly isn’t your average sushi restaurant.

I have to thank Stella of Food Junkie Chronicles (@foodieyu) for bringing me along! Would you believe it if I told you we came to Park for a second dinner? We had actually dined at Imadake earlier in the evening… Sometimes I think we have bottomless stomachs!

We sat at the sushi bar and went with the omakase (aka the chef’s choice…and usually the best choice!). I always opt to sit at the bar since I love watching the chefs work their magic. The man behind the restaurant is Executive Chef Antonio Park (@ChefAntonioPark) who was born in Argentina and trained at the Culinary Institute of Japan. He has an impressive resume which includes experience at New York’s three Michelin star Masa. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to what he had in store for us!

Here’s a look at what we indulged in:

Kimchi Caesar

Kimchi Beef Bouillon – garnished with kimchi, daikon, braised beef, udon noodles and green onions

Swordfish Tataki – served with a white beet salad with ice wine vinegar and a lobster vinaigrette

Kaimin Tai – acupunctured red snapper

Sayori – half beak topped with freshly grated ginger & green onions

Shima Aji toro – yellow stipped horse mackerel belly topped with Japanese caper peppers aged 2 years in soya

Kanpachi Toro – Amberjack belly topped with chimichurri (South American salsa)

Hamachi Toro – Yellowtail belly topped with pickled Korean-style jalapeno and benitade (Japanese four season sprouts)

Roasted Scallops in Brown Butter with Pan-Seared Foie Gras – with a celery root remoulade, jerusalem artichoke puree, oven roasted cipollini onions and beet sprouts

Trio of Uni Sashimi – sea urchin from Quebec, California and BC in a sweet onion and carrot sauce topped with shiso (japanese mint) and garnished with pickled garlic ramps

Sashimi Bowl – o’toro (sustainable fatty tuna from Japan), Chinook salmon belly, kanpachi toro (amberjack belly) garnished with kinome (Japanese bonzai tapping leaves), hogizo (flowers of Japanese mint) and dwarf peach in truffle oil

Torched Chinook Salmon Belly – with maple syrup and a basil edamame puree

Kohada – gizzard shad grilled with steak spices

O’Toro – garnished with white truffle from Alba

Chocolate Ganache – with a hazelnut feuillantine, red beet coulis, sweet potato puree, pumpkin jam, toffee crunch and lychee

Like I said, this isn’t your average sushi joint. The ingredients were unbelievably fresh and with each piece of nigiri that Chef Park prepared for us, he’d describe all the components in detail and explain where the fish was sourced from. He has so much passion and is clearly proud of what comes out of his kitchen – he definitely has reason to be!

It was quite the dining experience – there wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy. But let me talk about my personal highlights. I’m a huge fan of uni, so it’s no surprise that the trio of uni sashimi was one of my favourite dishes. Each of the pieces of uni were sourced from different locations and eating them one after another really emphasized their differences.

The sashimi bowl was another incredible dish. Consisting of o’toro, Chinook salmon belly and kanpachi toro, the bowl consisted of some of my favourite cuts of sashimi (aka the fatty cuts). All the pieces of nigiri we tried were impeccable and the toppings were well thought out.

Without a doubt, Park Restaurant is a must-visit for sushi fans!

At a glance:
• Brought to you by Executive Chef Antonio Park who has experience at New York’s three Michelin star Masa
• Serving up Japanese fare – Definitely not your average sushi bar
• Located in the Westmount neighborhood of Montreal
• Can’t go wrong with the omakase
• Incredibly fresh ingredients and impeccable execution