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Montreal Gazette
25-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Michelin stars trigger booking surge at Montreal restaurants
By When the Michelin Guide awarded one coveted star to only three Montreal restaurants earlier in May, the effect was immediate — reservations surged, phones buzzed and inboxes filled with booking requests. At Mastard, a restaurant in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, chef and owner Simon Mathys said demand has increased significantly. 'It's been crazy in a good way,' he said. Quebec's Michelin Guide, which is the third in Canada after Toronto and Vancouver, has drawn attention to the restaurants it featured. The three Michelin starred establishments in Montreal — Mastard, Jérôme Ferrer's Europea, and Sabayon — report heightened interest. But Mastard, which offers a single tasting menu served only on weekday evenings, will not be expanding its hours, Mathys said. The restaurant is only open for dinner and remains closed on weekends. 'We received a star for what we were already doing, so there's no point in changing,' he said. 'We want to preserve our quality of life.' Mathys lives nearby with his family. He said the local response has been notable. 'People were honking, neighbours knocked on my door to say congratulations,' he said. Europea's lunch menu is popular Jérôme Ferrer's Europea, a long-established downtown restaurant, has extended its booking window from three to five weeks following the Michelin announcement, according to Valentine Gros, who oversees the restaurant's gastronomic service. 'We've seen a big increase in calls,' he said. 'It's become very difficult to find a table.' Gros said the restaurant's $50 and $90 lunch menus have become especially popular, with bookings rising since the guide's release. The set lunch includes three courses, a glass of wine and a complimentary amuse-bouche. By contrast, the evening set menu is $185 with a $250 wine pairing option. 'It allows people to experience a Michelin-starred restaurant at a lower price point,' he said. Sabayon bombarded with messages At Sabayon, co-owner Marie-Josée Beaudoin said the restaurant was already fully booked most nights before the announcement. But since receiving the star, inquiries have increased. 'We've been getting messages from everywhere,' she said. 'There's a lot of interest.' The Quebec Michelin Guide was promoted in partnership with the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec and backed in part by six organizations across local, provincial, and federal levels. While full financial details remain confidential, the city of Montreal and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions confirmed contributions totalling $750,000. A 2024 survey by Quebec's tourism ministry found 70 per cent of would-be summer visitors were interested in the Michelin Guide. However, despite now being under the Michelin spotlight, the chefs and owners say their recipe for success remains unchanged. 'This is like inviting someone to my home,' Mathys said. 'And when you come to my home, I'm the one who decides what's for dinner.' Asked whether he might open the restaurant for lunch in the future, Mathys replied: 'No way.'
Kuwait Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Trump calls Putin, Russia, Ukraine to start truce talks
MOSCOW/WASHINGTON/KYIV: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Russia and Ukraine 'will immediately start negotiations' toward a ceasefire and an end to their three-year-old war, speaking after he held a call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. 'Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin immediately,' Trump said in a Truth Social post following his call with Putin, which lasted two hours. After the call, Putin said efforts to end the war were 'generally on the right track' and that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a potential peace deal. 'We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord,' Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The Kremlin said Putin and Trump are both for 'normalization' of US-Russia ties, adding the leaders also discussed Iran and a potential new US-Russia prisoner swap. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the statement that talks would begin immediately. A source familiar with the matter earlier said Zelenskiy spoke 'for a few minutes' with Trump before the US leader's call with Putin. Kyiv has said it is ready for a ceasefire now while Moscow has said conditions must be met first. On social media, Trump said he had 'informed' Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Finland of the resumption of peace talks in a call immediately after his conversation with Putin. In his social media post, Trump said the Vatican, 'as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!' Putin and Trump spoke after direct talks last week in Turkey between Moscow and Kyiv, the first since 2022 in the early months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Talks last week failed to agree on a truce. US Vice President JD Vance earlier repeated a warning that Washington could walk away from the peace process. Putin said the memorandum would define 'a number of positions, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement'. He said that if appropriate agreements were reached, there could be a ceasefire, adding that direct talks between Russia and Ukraine gave 'reason to believe that we are generally on the right track'. 'The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,' Putin said. 'We just need to determine the most effective ways to move towards peace. He thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv and said Trump noted Russia's support for peace, though the key question was how to move towards peace. Trump, who has promised to bring a swift end to Europe's deadliest war since World War Two, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire after three years when Washington joined other Western countries in arming Ukraine. European leaders have said they want the United States to join them in imposing tough new sanctions on Russia for refusing a ceasefire. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy spoke to Trump on Sunday ahead of his call with Putin. Putin was speaking from Sochi while Trump was in Washington. Shortly before the call, Vance told reporters that Washington recognized there was 'a bit of an impasse here'. 'And I think the president's going to say to President Putin: 'Look, are you serious? Are you real about this?'' Vance said as he prepared to depart from a visit to Italy. 'I think honestly that President Putin, he doesn't quite know how to get out of the war,' Vance said. He said it 'takes two to tango. I know the president's willing to do that, but if Russia is not willing to do that, then we're eventually just going to say, 'This is not our war.' We're going to try to end it, but if we can't end it, we're eventually going to say: 'You know what? That was worth a try, but we're not doing any more.'' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump wanted to see a ceasefire, but that he had grown 'weary and frustrated with both sides of the conflict'. Asked if a package of secondary sanctions against Russia remains on the table, she said: 'I think everything's on the table.' Putin, whose forces control a fifth of Ukraine and are advancing, has stood firm on his conditions for ending the war, despite public and private pressure from Trump and repeated warnings from European powers. – Agencies
Montreal Gazette
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec restaurateurs say Michelin Guide ratings ‘a recognition of who we are'
Reactions to the launch of the Michelin Guide's Quebec edition were mixed in Montreal's restaurant scene, Thursday afternoon, as news got around about who did and didn't get a star from the world famous and famously finicky food ratings behemoth. Jérôme Ferrer was still absorbing the fact that his restaurant had been awarded a coveted Michelin star. 'It's the fruit of 23 years of work. We're very, very happy,' said the chef and co-owner of Restaurant Jérôme Ferrer — Europea in downtown Montreal. 'For us, it's excellence. Michelin stars are a reference worldwide. It's a recognition of who we are.' Conceived by its titular chef-owner with help from Quebec actor, playwright and stage director René Richard Cyr, Europea offers a range of immersive and interactive eating experiences for customers up for adventure. 'I like to plunge my clients into a playful universe,' Ferrer said, adding, 'the real success belongs to the people around me, the team of professionals — 40 per cent of the people working at the restaurant have been with me since the beginning. I dedicate this to them, my partner, my friends. It's very emotional, for a little guy who started to cook age 15.' His restaurant was one of just three in Montreal — along with Sabayon in Point St. Charles and Mastard in Rosemont — and nine in the province to receive a Michelin star, with Quebec City's Tanière 3 being the only two-star restaurant, according to the guide. 'Is it really what our city deserves? I don't know,' Ferrer said. 'I'm very touched, but I also have a thought for all my friends and colleagues who didn't receive this supreme recognition.' Down in Pointe St-Charles, Sabayon co-owners Marie-Josée Beaudoin and her partner, chef Patrice Demers, were doing double duty answering phone calls as word spread of the Michelin star awarded to their intimate 14-seat eatery, which opened in August 2023. 'We're very happy,' Beaudoin said. 'It's really a nice honour. We didn't know what to expect. Our clients have told us we deserve a star but you never know. For Patrice, to see his cuisine recognized in the Michelin Guide is very prestigious. It's world renowned, and a recognized gauge of quality. After 25 years of doing this, the two of us, it's a nice cherry on top.' Sabayon offers a six-course tasting menu, Thursday to Saturday evening, as well as afternoon tea with three desserts, Fridays and Saturdays. Everyone who enters eats food cooked with care by Demers and served by Beaudoin, which she believes may have given them an edge. 'Michelin likes consistency,' she said. 'We're consistent in our way of doing things. And Patrice's signature as a pastry chef can be felt, even in his savory dishes. We try to showcase Quebec products, working with fish, seafood and vegetables, with very little meat. It's all about délicatesse and precision.' Though she and Demers were overjoyed at their achievement, they too had a pang for other notable Montreal businesses that did not receive a star. 'We expected more restaurants to be on the list, and to be with more of our colleagues,' she said. 'But it's the first edition; more restaurants will be added in the years to come.' Many of our city's best-known eating establishments — from Vin Mon Lapin to Joe Beef by way of Lawrence, Vin Papillon and Le Violon — did not receive Michelin stars but were instead to be found on the list of 44 Montreal restaurants (and 76 in all of Quebec) to receive a Michelin Recommended rating, the guide's equivalent of an honourable mention. Among them was Foxy, which was taken over from former chef-owners Dyan Solomon and Éric Girard in 2023 by sommelière (and former employee) Véronique Dalle and partner Bruno Lesieur. 'It's been less than half an hour and already half my contacts have called,' Dalle told The Gazette. 'I'm discovering what this means along with you. It's something positive. We're very happy to be mentioned. There weren't many restaurants; we realize only a small batch was selected, so I'm very thankful that they recognized our work. I'm happy to be among all these good restaurateurs.' On top of the recognition for Foxy's wood-burning oven- and coal-roasted fare came a bonus prize: a Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award, attributed to Dalle, though she was quick to clarify that the honour belongs to her head bartender Sabrina Touzel. 'We're five sommeliers on the floor,' she explained. 'The bar menu has been worked on in detail, along with the wine list. We're trying to do good work on all levels, but for sure our bar program is very interesting.' Another of Montreal's Michelin Recommended restaurants is chef Normand Laprise's Toqué!, an institution in the city. Reached between his lunchtime and dinner services, he said the recognition was bittersweet. 'It's disappointing for my team,' Laprise noted. 'Toqué! has existed for 32 years, but OK — Michelin makes their own breakdown. It's what they decided. Sometimes I find these things a bit funny.' He was still pondering Michelin's description of his restaurant as 'a classic address' that offers 'solidly traditional cuisine' inspired primarily by French gastronomy. 'Did they really eat at our restaurant?' he wondered. 'It's funny, they say we offer classic French cuisine — we're anything but that. There's no description of the plates. It's a bit odd, but it's a rating like the others. If it's not this year, maybe it will be next. 'I've been working with Quebec producers and distributors for 25 years. That's always been my philosophy: local, traceable products, not just from Quebec but good (quality). I feel like that didn't interest them and their rankings. I'll live with it. I can't do much about it. We'll keep working hard and taking care of our customers. If I was 31 and my restaurant had just been here two years, I might be more stressed. ... I know what I'm doing and what we want to do with the means we have.' The only restaurant in the province to receive two stars was Tanière 3, run by co-owner-chef François-Emmanuel Nicol and dining room manager Roxan Bourdelais. The restaurant won top honours at the Lauriers de la Gastronomie Québécoise 2024. Tanière 3 — which Michelin described as 'avant-garde' chef François-Emmanuel Nicol's 'gastronomic research laboratory' exploring 'all the nuances to be derived from the immense terroir of Quebec's boreal zone' — offers a blind tasting menu of around 15 courses either in the dining room or at the chef's counter. 'My god, I have no words at the moment to describe what we feel,' said co-owner Roxan Bourdelais, who also received the Michelin Outstanding Service Award. 'We're preparing for this evening's service and we're all having out-of-body experiences at the moment.' Though they had no expectations regarding Thursday's announcement, he and Nicol had ambitions. 'We were aiming for two stars,' Bourdelais said. 'If we got one star, we would have been super happy. We conceived the restaurant, in an unconscious way, with those standards. François-Emmanuel and I have the same vision of excellence we wanted to apply and push ourselves to maintain every day, and for the whole team to embark on.' The Michelin Guide's arrival is 'really big news for Quebec as a whole,' he said. Former Gazette fine dining critic Lesley Chesterman is not so sure. She was particularly disappointed that so many of Montreal's best restaurants were passed up for Michelin stars. 'I think there's going to be a big backlash,' she said. 'It's terrible. Some people there are very good, like Arvi in Quebec City. I'm so glad they got a star. And Mastard's star is well-deserved. But when I look at all the people left off the list, I'm sad.' Chesterman was at a photo shoot for her forthcoming food-and-wine book En accord, written with her partner, former Le Devoir wine critic Jean Aubry. 'I'm sitting with a group of people who have all worked in food and we're all shocked that Quebec got more attention than Montreal,' she said. 'I love Quebec City, it's a great food city, but Montreal is still the capital. It really makes me question who the judges are and their criteria.' The fact that so many notable Montreal restaurants were listed among the Recommended destinations did not make up for the lack of stars awarded in our city, she said. 'It just feels like compensation. The thing everyone was waiting for was the stars, and the stars are weird. It just feels odd. I don't know. I'm unpleasantly surprised.' This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 7:34 PM.
Montreal Gazette
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal nabs 3 one-stars as Michelin Guide debuts in Quebec
Inspectors for the inaugural Michelin Guide Quebec were clearly taken by the province's cuisine scene, doling out props to 102 restaurants. But breaking down the numbers on a city-to-city basis, it's obvious that Michelin's inspectors — all anonymous — were clearly more bedazzled by the food offerings emanating from our provincial capital than those from Montreal. While more attention was given to Montreal and Quebec City, the guide's mandate was the entire province. In the categories that matter most to restauranteurs and foodies — the two-star and one-star Michelin categories — the provincial capital dominated. Quebec City's legendary Tanière 3 snagged the only two-star awarded in the province, and of the eight one-stars given, four came from the aforementioned burgh. Michelin also awards the highly coveted but extremely rare three-star citation, but none yet have come to this country. According to Michelin, those awarded two stars dispense 'excellent cuisine worth a detour,' while one-star recipients denote 'high quality cooking — worth a stop.' In the minds of many gourmets, Michelin is considered to be the benchmark for what constitutes fine dining around much of the world. So in what will come as quite the shock to Montrealers — myself included — who hold our haute cuisine in such high esteem, the city only earned three one-stars in the Michelin guide: Jérôme Ferrer – Europea, Mastard and Saboyan. The eighth Michelin one-star went to Rimouski's Narval. Such local favourites like Mon Lapin — which copped the top spot on Canada's top 100 list in 2023 and 2024 and came second this year — as well as Beba, Le Violon, Montréal Plaza, Joe Beef, Au Pied du Cochon, Damas, Monarque and many more had to settle for just Michelin's Recommended list. Also among the 76 Recommends in this grouping were eateries as diverse as the high-end Toqué! and the lower-end Schwartz's. For the record, Mastard finished 40th and Saboyan, 48th and Jérôme Ferrer – Europea didn't make it at all on the recently released 11th annual Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2025. Between the starred restos and the Recommended ones on the Michelin scale are the Bib Gourmands, which recognize spots 'for great food at great value.' On its list of 17 Bibs are seven from Montreal: Annette bar à vin, Cadet, Casavant, Le Petit Alep, L'Express, Parapluie and Rôtisserie La Lune. The latter eatery is the newly minted BBQ creation of Mon Lapin's Vanya Filipovic and Marc-Olivier Frappier. Michelin judges doled out eight Bibs to Quebec City. 'Our anonymous Inspectors were thoroughly impressed with their dining experiences across the entire province of Quebec,' said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, in a press release. 'The selection boasts a wide array of distinctions and cuisine types — from Stars to Bib Gourmands to Recommended restaurants — all highlighting unique regional ingredients and extraordinary techniques.' The Michelin selections were officially announced Thursday at a small reception at Casavant, a Bib Gourmand recipient. In addition to Poullennec, also attending were Geneviève Cantin, CEO of Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec, Manuela Goya, vice-president of Tourisme Montréal and Sebastien Benedict, vice-president of the Alliance. Their presence was no accident as these provincial tourism associations among others were involved in ponying up an 'estimated $1 million' — according to one inside source choosing to remain anonymous — to bring the Michelin judging team around the province. 'But that's a small price to pay for what it will likely bring to the province and its restaurants by tourists and locals alike,' the source said. On the surface, it appears the province did quite well with its 102 Michelin mentions. But it seems clear here that Montreal restaurants have no bragging rights over their counterparts in Toronto and Vancouver, bearing in mind that the Quebec guide covers the province while the latter cities are largely city-based. In the debut Michelin Guide Toronto released in 2022, the city netted one two-star and 12 one-star notices plus 17 Bibs and 45 Recommends for a total of 74 citations. As of 2024, Toronto has 15 one-star and still only one two-star mentions for a total of 100 when Bibs and Recommends are added in. In the initial Michelin Guide Vancouver also released in 2022, the city fared better than ours with eight spots receiving one star (and none receiving two) plus 12 Bibs and 40 Recommends for a total of 60. Last year's guide included 10 one-star citations and a total of 76 when its 16 Bibs and 50 Recommends were factored in. Though not part of the 102 honourees, the Michelin Guide Quebec has saluted three Green-Starred restaurants for their sustainability and culinary prowess: Quebec City's Alentours, St-Mathieu-du-Parc's Auberge Saint-Mathieu and Stanbridge East's Espace Old Mill. In addition, the guide announced four special prizes: the Michelin Sommelier Award to Mon Lapin/Rôtisserie La Lune's Vanya Filipovic; Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award to fellow Montrealer, Foxy's Véronique Dalle; Michelin Outstanding Service Award to Tanière 3's Roxan Bourdelais; and Michelin Young Chef Award to Kebec Club Privé's Cassandre Osterroth and Pierre-Olivier Pelletier. **** Where did the stars go? These are the Michelin Guide Quebec's assessments of the one Quebec City restaurant awarded two stars and three Montreal spots given one star: TWO STARS Tanière 3: 'This 'den' (tanière) has, beneath its ancestral vaults, a series of four rooms, one of which affords views of the brigade at work, plus a counter surrounding the open kitchen. In what might be described as his gastronomic research laboratory, avant-garde chef François-Emmanuel Nicol explores all the nuances to be derived from the immense terroir of Quebec's boreal zone. Sophisticated cooking methods, succulent sauces and a rigorous balance of flavours make this cuisine a resounding triumph.' ONE STAR Jérôme Ferrer – Europea: 'Housed in an ultra-modern architectural setting, this restaurant offers diners a wonderful view of the team at work in the glass-paned kitchen. The chef has stylishly carved out his niche in the Belle Province. Fusing French culinary traditions with the riches of Quebec's terroir, his menu celebrates local ingredients.' Mastard: 'Quite a way off the beaten track, Mastard is led by chef-owner Simon Mathys. The contemporary space, designed for around 50 diners, is organized around a bar-counter. The chef devises a resolutely original carte blanche menu centred on local ingredients. Every dish is made with quality produce and executed in a modern and trendy style that won't fail to make an impression.' Saboyan: 'The chef has taken an atypical route to this kitchen, having trained in pâtisserie before turning his hand to cooking. Patrice Demers creates vivid, accessible and unpretentious dishes that allow the Quebec terroir to shine … Add to that the smooth and elegant service orchestrated by Marie-Josée Beaudoin but bear in mind that getting a table here is no mean feat!' This story was originally published
New Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
European leaders in Kyiv for show of solidarity against Russia
KYIV: The leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Poland were in Ukraine on Saturday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing to ratchet up pressure on Russia until it agreed a ceasefire in the three-year war. The four countries, part of an alliance Britain and France have called "the coalition of the willing", said in a joint statement they were "ready to support peace talks as soon as possible." The Kremlin has shown no signs of halting its invasion of Ukraine, despite US President Donald Trump pushing for a ceasefire, and warned earlier there could be no truce unless the West halted arms deliveries to Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a 30-day truce proposed by Washington and Kyiv in March, instead declaring two brief pauses in fighting that Ukraine has accused Moscow of violating. On his way to Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron said that once a 30-day ceasefire was in place, there could be "direct talks between Ukraine and Russia." Both Moscow and Kyiv have hinted they are open to negotiating with each other but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says this would only be possible once a ceasefire takes effect. Russia has occupied about a fifth of Ukrainian territory since February 2022 and intensified deadly attacks on the country this spring. The US embassy in Kyiv said on Friday that a "significant air attack" could occur at some point within the next several days. Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived together by train from neighbouring Poland, where they joined Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It is the first time the leaders of the four European nations have made a joint visit to Ukraine. They were seen embracing Zelenskyy and joined him in placing lanterns at a memorial for fallen soldiers in central Kyiv. For Merz, who took office only this week, it will be his first visit to Ukraine as chancellor. Macron had not been to Kyiv since June 2022, when he went with the Italian and German leaders of the time. "We are clear the bloodshed must end. Russia must stop its illegal invasion," the leaders said in a joint statement. "Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace." They warned: "We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine. Until Russia agrees to an enduring ceasefire, we will ratchet up pressure on Russia's war machine." They are later scheduled to host a virtual meeting to update other European leaders on moves to create a European force that could provide Ukraine with security after the war. Such a force "would help regenerate Ukraine's armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace", the leaders' statement said. Russia has said it will not tolerate any Western military presence in Ukraine once the fighting ends and has warned the proposal could spark war between Moscow and NATO. The symbolic show of European unity comes a day after Putin struck a defiant tone at a Moscow parade marking 80 years since victory in World War II. In an interview with the ABC news channel on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said arms deliveries from Ukraine's allies would have to stop before Russia would agree to a ceasefire. A truce would otherwise be an "advantage for Ukraine" at a time when "Russian troops are advancing... in quite a confident way" on the front, Peskov said, adding that Ukraine was "not ready for immediate negotiations." Europe and Ukraine argue more pressure is needed on Russia to respond. After meeting Tusk in France on Friday, Macron called for the speedy drafting of a US-Europe plan for the 30-day truce that would be backed by "massive economic sanctions" if one side "betrays it." Finnish President Alexander Stubb said at a meeting on Ukraine in Norway on Friday that the "United States has two sanctions packages on the table" and that countries were discussing action in the "banking and the energy sector." A French presidential official, who asked not to be named, said the visit just four days after Merz took office "demonstrates Europe's unity, strength, and responsiveness. And it mirrors Putin's celebrations." —AFP
