where jess ate

After closing their doors in June, Café Boulud reopened with a brand new facelift just in time for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Brought to us by Michelin star chef Daniel Boulud (@DanielBoulud), the restaurant is located on the second floor of the Four Seasons hotel in Yorkville. The space was designed by London-based designer Martin Brudnizki and the resulting French Brasserie is stunning. I loved the vintage ‘Mad Men’ feel of the space which features dark teals and wood elements throughout the restaurant.

Along with the renovated space, the menu has also been revamped. It’s inspired by Boulud’s hometown of Lyon and a quick glance at the menu brought back memories of my trip to Lyon a few years ago. There are many familiar dishes including the frisée Lyonnaise and quenelle de brochet which we enjoyed so much in France.

While Café Boulud primarily serves French fare, there are certainly influences from different parts of the world with dishes including the bouillon pho and the Frenchie burger (with morbier cheese, pork belly and a tomato-onion compote). It’s a very approachable and extensive menu – there’s surely something for everyone.

I was invited to the media preview of the ‘New Boulud’ and was thoroughly impressed with what the restaurant has to offer. Here’s a look:

Parisian Steak Tartare – seasoned table side, prime angus beef, pickled condiments, mustard egg dressing & romaine

Beignets de Calamar – beer battered with pickled hot pepper

Kale Grille & Romaine – carrots, cumin, black olives, spiced yogurt

Escargots Persillade – garlic, parsley butter, mushrooms

Charcuterie Board – pork, chicken, goose, duck, rabbit

Flétan Grenobloise – pacific halibut, cauliflower, capers

Homard aux Choux – rotisserie lobster, bok choy, ginger, beurre blanc

Quenelle de Brochet – Lyon-style pike quenelle, cognac lobster sauce

Blanquette au Vert – veal stew with herbs and green vegetables

Poulet à la Broche – rotisserie chicken, potatoes, greens salad

Cavatelli Ricotta – lamb ragu, broccolini, pecorino cheese

Île Flottante – steamed meringue, maple-caramel crème anglaise

Rotisserie Golden Pineapple – rum-baba, raisins, coconut sorbet

Soufflé Grand Marnier – orange crème anglaise

Profiteroles – vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate sauce, candied pecans

What a feast! And this wasn’t even the entire menu – I can’t wait to come back to try the rest of it. Our meal was delicious from the get-go, starting out with a lovely Parisian Steak Tartare which was served table-side. I’m a huge tartare fan and Boulud’s did not disappoint. The other appetizers were also delicious including the classic escargots and a fantastic charcuterie board which consisted of some delectable pâtés and terrines.

Following the appetizers were the fish and meat dishes. My personal highlights were the Quenelle de Brochet and Poulet à la Broche. I had a similar quenelle in Lyon and this was certainly more upscale. The texture was unbelievably light and reminded me of my mom’s steamed egg dish. It wasn’t the least bit fishy and that cognac lobster sauce was really something else!

I’m not normally a fan of roast chicken but I really enjoyed the Poulet à la Broche. It tasted as great as it looked – the presentation was gorgeous! The skin was crispy and the meat was wonderfully juicy and seasoned to perfection. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention those potatoes. They were so good that our table was fighting over the last few despite how full we all were.

I always love ending my meals with something sweet. There definitely wasn’t a shortage of sugar at the end of this meal! We were presented with a number of desserts including the unique Île Flottante. My personal favourite was the Profiteroles which were served inside a chocolate dome which melted apart as our server poured warm chocolate on top of it. These guys definitely know how to put on a show!

Like I said, I was thoroughly impressed with the revamped Café Boulud. Come and check it out for yourself! They are open for seven days a week for breakfast, lunch (Monday to Saturday; brunch on Sundays) and dinner. Can’t get a reservation? Don’t worry, they save several tables for walk-ins!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*