BEAUJENA ' S FRENCH TABLE Neighbourhood ..... St Boniface Address ........ 302 Hamel Ave Phone ......... 204-233-4841 Entrées ......... prix fixe $ 55
Beaujena ’ s French Table is the definition of a passion project .
The cozy St Boniface restaurant helmed by husband and wife duo Beaujena and Randy Reynolds clearly operates out of a love for food and an enjoyment of cooking . They serve what they want to serve — in a 7-course surprise tasting menu — open two nights a week , and even take to the streets in a food truck during the summer .
The proof of this zeal is in the pudding , as they say ; or in this case , in the perfectly crisped skin of a sockeye
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salmon , or an airy slab of semifreddo .
Before your meal begins , Beaujena Reynolds may say that they view this venture as a dinner party with friends every week . By the end of the night , you ’ ll agree . Amidst murmured conversation from other tables , diners settle in beneath sunny orange walls punched up with royal blue accents and paintings of flowers . A ceiling enshrouded in draped fabric and fairy lights adds to the quirky warmth .
Each month brings a new 7-course menu dreamed up by Randy Reynolds , who in seven years has never repeated a menu item . Surprise plates also translate into revelations for the palate , with dishes tweaked and re-imagined in enlightened combinations . Shrimp ceviche , brightly singing of lime , is set on a jalapeñoflecked warm corn pudding , a pairing that shows off a thoughtful mix of creativity and restraint .
Dishes show devotion to technique as well as an eye for flavour . Perfect potato gnocchi , outsides crisped by a pan fry , are pillowy parcels accompanied simply by green peas in a silky goat cheese cream sauce .
Classic French fine dining is the major influence , with frequent detours around the continent and twists on tradition . The pesto that lends grassy notes to a rich , earthy veal scalloppini swaps spinach for basil , and aromatic almonds for pine nuts . Atop the meat , a dusky bed of sautéed local chanterelle mushrooms is finished off with a blanket of marsala cream sauce .
After a palate-cleansing salad of watermelon and goats ’ milk feta , the chef appears with dessert — a personal touch befitting a restaurant that feels like home .
Beaujena ’ s is open Fri-Sat from 5 pm onwards . Reservations required .
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36 ciao ! / oct / nov / two thousand sixteen