Le Cuisinomane discovers: Recto Verso, Kundah Hotel and Liège Wine Bar

Recto Verso

Laurentides
814 Pierre-Péladeau Road, Sainte-Adèle, QC, J8B 1Z4

We are in Pays-d’en-Haut, in Sainte-Adèle, in an ancestral house acquired in 2005 by chef Bruno Léger to bring his dream project to life: a “farm-to-table” restaurant. Bruno has a deep love for nature—forests, gardens, and wild landscapes. When he’s not in the forest gathering ingredients that will later appear on the menu, he is either tending to his gardens or cooking in the kitchen.

His menu clearly reflects this philosophy, especially in spring, summer, and fall, when vegetables, herbs, plants, and other treasures of Quebec’s terroir are abundant.

I sat at his table in early May and had the pleasure of tasting several freshly picked ingredients: the first fiddleheads of the season, daylily shoots (sometimes called “daylily leeks” because of their leek-like flavor), wild garlic (also known as wood garlic, appreciated for its delicate garlic taste and versatility), mizuna (a mustard leaf that works beautifully in salads), agastache (a plant with minty and slightly fruity notes), and probably other greens that slipped past my radar.

Alongside these came snow crab, northern shrimp, and halibut from Gaspésie—a menu that truly tastes like spring. I particularly loved the spring rolls with mizuna, cucumber, and celery, topped with a generous portion of fresh shredded crab, which you dip with delight into a wild garlic emulsion. Delicious.

To drink, the restaurant offers a well-curated wine list, along with an equally impressive selection of beers from Quebec microbreweries.

An address I highly recommend if you want to get a real taste of what Quebec tastes like.

Kundah Hôtel – Resto indien

Capitale-Nationale

325 de la Couronne Street
Québec City, QC G1K 6E7
 

Chef Raphaël, from Kundah Hôtel in Quebec City, admits he has always preferred cooking “cook’s food” rather than purely gastronomic dishes. After working in some of the city’s excellent restaurants (Saint-Amour, Laurie Raphaël, Champlain), he knew he wanted to explore a different direction.

After a three-month trip to India, his passion for the world of spices and traditional dishes from the most populous country on earth was ignited.

Circumstances—particularly COVID—gave him the opportunity to open a restaurant with two partners that truly reflects his vision. He seized the chance to cook the food he loves to eat. After dining there (twice in just a few months), I can say it suits him perfectly.

“Indian cuisine, Quebec products” is written boldly above the kitchen. Promise made, promise kept. By working with many Quebec artisans and producers, Raphaël takes the foundations of Indian cuisine—curries, sauces, grilled dishes—and respects the spices while using mostly local ingredients.

For example, sea-buckthorn puri replaces the traditional pani puri snack, where chickpeas are replaced by sea-buckthorn and tamarind chutney becomes rhubarb chutney. As the chef explains:

“The sharp acidity of rhubarb reminds me of the acidity of tamarind.”

The Palak Bergeron dish is both amusing and mouth-watering. Instead of traditional paneer cheese, this creamy spinach and sweet potato curry hides generous chunks of cheese curds, half-melted.

Other Indo-Quebec pairings follow:

• kooloo with whelks and Stimpson clams
• whole Quebec char cooked in banana leaf with aromatic garnish
• fabulous snow crab biryani
• tomato lobster curry from Gaspésie
• pakoras with either local mushrooms or northern shrimp

Even desserts join the fusion with a “Grand-père jamun”, a clever nod to the Indian gulab jamun and the traditional Quebec “grand-pères in syrup."

The atmosphere is just as lively, energetic, and colorful as the dishes. Cocktails and ciders are favored over wine, whose list could be slightly more extensive.

Bar à vin Liège

Lanaudière

465 Notre-Dame Street, Suite 108, Repentigny, QC J6A 2T3

With its raw décor—somewhere between a bistro and a wine cellar restaurant—a warm welcome, lively atmosphere, chalkboard menu, and a natural wine list filled with excellent bottles from Quebec and small producers around the world selected for their responsible approach, you might think you’re in Montreal.

But no—we’re in the Lanaudière region, at Bar à vin Liège.

This small bistro had been on my radar for some time. A seasonal menu, honest dishes, and a great list of natural wines—exactly my style. I visited toward the end of May, when I eagerly jump on the first spring vegetables and the first seafood arrivals from Gaspésie and Bas-Saint-Laurent.

On the chalkboard that evening:

• scallops from the Magdalen Islands
• heirloom tomatoes
• Quebec venison
• shrimp from Bas-Saint-Laurent
• duck hearts from a local producer
• as well as wild boar, guinea fowl, and bison from regional artisans

I started with the tomato, presented in several variations: raw, macerated in sea-buckthorn juice for added brightness, and served as a tomato water—confirming my decision to order the house bread. Fresh, light, and tasting like summer.

Next came salty northern shrimp in a dashi broth (made with seaweed), accompanied by cubes and strips of kohlrabi for texture.

I finished with duck hearts, an offal I particularly enjoy, served with mushroom purée and sautéed fungi.

An address to keep in your notebook anytime you plan a visit to the region.

Conclusion

Now it’s your turn to add your own flavor by supporting restaurants that work hard all year to highlight not only Quebec products, but also the artisans and producers behind them.

Browse restaurants recognized in the Aliments du Québec au menu program >>

— Le Cuisinomane