Fit For Royalty
This Fairmont Visa Signature
Dining Experience took place
at the Bibliotèque of the hotel’s
Champlain restaurant where one
of Québec’s hottest chefs, Stéphane
Modat, created a cutting edge
regional menu fit for royalty. Since
2009, Chef Modat, originally from
France, has devoted himself to
culinary creation with local ingredients. He has even co-written two
bestselling books with wellknown
sommelier François Chartier,
titled Les Recettes de Papilles
et Molécules and Papilles. The
menu he created for us definitely
reflected his brilliance in creating
harmonious dishes.
The evening began with les Mise
en bouche (appetizers), which
included three selections. Smoked
Iceland char and Brussels sprout
salad with jerky powder and mint
& squash puree pr ceded a cream
of wild ginger & oyster soup that
was topped with scorched citrus
foam and bread croutons. Finally,
a succulent duck foie gras “Dexter” style finished off this rich
first course. The main course was
named La Racineuse for the commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne
in eastern France. Chef Modat’s
French roots truly shined through
with this course and we were happy to be along for the flavour ride.
The Roasted Deer with squash
puree, baby turnip confit, boreal
spices & wild game stock seemed
a perfect cross between traditional
French cuisine and a more contemporary French Canadian style.
As an exciting twist the guests were
treated to a surprise dessert that
was not listed on the menu – adult
kinder-surprise eggs, complete
with rich dark chocolate shell,
chocolate mousse, and a milk
chocolate Lego man inside! The
smiles around the table were cont
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac: www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/
Restaurant Champlain: www.restaurantchamplain.com/en
gious as we cracked open our eggs
like kids on Christmas morning.
We also had the option to add
wine pairings to our evening’s
menu, carefully chosen to bring
forth all of the nuanced flavours
that these bountiful courses had to
offer. Champlain restaurant offers
several menu options for patrons
looking to explore the many dishes
created by Chef Modat. Options
include a variety of tastings menus,
5, 7 and 9 course meals, or an
extensive à la carte menu. You can
also ask your server about pairing
your choices with some of the finest wines from around the world.
And for a truly regal experience
take a seat at the King’s Table,
where a unique menu is specially
created for you and your guests (up
to 10) by Chef Modat himself.