MIEL HITS SWEET SPOT
Chef making his mark
The road to chefdom is similar to that of many professions where a leader is required. Be it symphony conductors, quarterbacks, prima ballerinas or even five-star generals, first comes a desire to make it to the top, followed by the slog to get there — sometimes long, sometimes short, with the especially talented making the quickest strides. But it’s only once you’ve reached that goal that the real sweating begins. You must be able to not only lead the troops (and, in the case of chefs, control the food cost), but uncover your sense of purpose.
For chefs, the real pressure is to create a signature style. Gone are the days when everyone was either flambéeing Steak Diane or blindly copying from the Charlie Trotter cookbooks. Now, even if you’re making classic French or Italian food, your take on escargots à la Bourguignonne or vitello tonnato must be unique. And considering the immense amount of culinary talent the world over, standing out in 2017 is no mean feat.
Hakim Chajar is a young man who has always struck me as someone with such ambitions. The 36-year-old chef has quite the impressive CV. A graduate of the elite Formation supérieure program at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, Chajar received the 2010 Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux bursary, which led him to stages under such illustrious chefs as Michel Troisgros, Santi Santamaria and Christopher Kostow. On the home front, Chajar worked at the restaurants Otto, Ariel and Le 357c before heading to Laurie Raphaël, where he held the position of chef for a year. Not too shabby.
Chajar also made waves on TV, starting off as a finalist on Radio-Canada’s Les Chefs, followed by Les Chefs — La Revanche, the series placing former finalists head-to-head, which he won. Last year, he co-hosted TVA’s La Relève alongside fellow star chef Chuck Hughes. And on Monday, Sept. 4 he begins a new season on CASA TV of yet another series he stars in, Inspiration Chef. Chajar is definitely on his way.
No doubt this Casablancaborn, Sherbrooke-raised cook has the training and the talent, yet the one time I tasted his food I left the table scratching my head. That was at the now-closed Laurea, the swanky, though short-lived, restaurant that replaced Laurier BBQ in 2014. Of that meal, I wrote: “Chajar has a solid technique and his plate presentations are beautiful. Yet many of his plates left me wanting. Sometimes it was an excess of salt, sometimes a lack of spark, and sometimes an odd clash of flavours.” Harsh words, yes, but I still recall a certain detachment that comes from a chef obviously working with his head more than his heart. That may sound kitschy, but having analyzed chef dishes for decades now, I’m convinced the best are not flashy displays of technique so much as true appreciations and comprehensions of flavour. I got the feeling this young chef was simply trying too hard.
When news came that Chajar was opening his own restaurant in June, I was intrigued. The name Miel conjured up images of nature, sweetness and simplicity. Located in Point St-Charles, the restaurant is a two-room affair, with 45 seats surrounded by exposed brick walls, a bar facing an open kitchen, family photos hung here and there, and windows overlooking a streetside terrasse. The tables have a great polished rough finish, and the staff is smiley and friendly. I immediately felt welcome, and a mojito enhanced with rhubarb sorbet added to the warm and fuzzy feeling.
We also ordered a gin, tonic and cucumber cocktail that showed promise but contained about twice too much pepper. Those cocktails spoke volumes about the plates to come: plenty of interesting ideas, some real winners, but a few adjustments to be made to achieve greatness. That said, I really enjoyed my dinner at Miel, especially as it appears Chajar is less hell-bent on impressing. It’s still “cheffy,” mind you, but about 25 notches less so.
Miel’s menu follows the smallplate format — a big favourite with many chefs of late, and ideal for those who like to share. The first plate to hit the table was one of the best. Starring artichokes, it was prepared “barigoule” style (braised in broth). The tender chokes were topped with whisper-thin strips of lardo (think bacon, but only the fat part) and Parmesan shards. Though a bit on the salty side, with so many diverse textures and rich flavours in play, the dish was a success. Even richer was a composition featuring grilled duck hearts set over a bed of green beans dotted with labneh and sprinkled with sumac. I love a good duck heart, with their strong flavour and great resilient texture, and the beans were a smart choice over a starch, which would have weighed the whole thing down.
The dud dish of the night was the grilled quail. Served with green pea hummus, pepper compote, corn kernels and cucumber slices, the little birds were simply smothered in garnish. As for the meat itself, as much as I enjoyed the grilled flavour of the skin, the flesh was undercooked, adding to the mush fest on the plate. Not good.
But Chajar redeemed himself with the next dish: a marrow bone topped with scallops,
celery/parsley salad, and grilled bread crumbs to add that welcome bit o’ crunch. Scallops and marrow have a similar velvety/ slippery texture that lets them work well side by side, and the rest was kept simple, which is how I like Chajar’s cooking best. That same restraint was on display in a plate of pigs’ cheeks. Set atop a ball of celery root ribbons (described as tagliatelle), the tender cheek meat was served with reduced braising juices, fresh herbs and a sprinkling of almonds. Granted, it’s not the most summery of dishes, but boy, was it ever good.
This kitchen also shows flair with dessert creations. I tasted two: a chocolate dessert complete with meringue, crumble, mousse and tuiles, and a cheesecake served with strawberry sorbet, graham cracker crumble and more tuiles. My preference was for the summery cheesecake plate, but both desserts merit a thumbs-up, especially for their wowee presentations.
Dinner at Miel was a pleasure not only because of the overall deliciousness of the food, but for the friendly and solicitous service. Our waiter’s wine pairings were a bit off at times, and he did mix up wine varietals, calling an aligoté wine a chardonnay (tsk tsk!), but otherwise I loved his all-around enthusiasm and professionalism. The wine list is well chosen and fairly priced, with the majority of the bottles from France and Italy and several under $60. Yay!
So there you go — another new restaurant by an up-and-coming Montreal chef for you to try out. I certainly commend Chajar on his new venture. So many talented young chefs get bogged down in the complicated stuff these days. How refreshing to see this one embracing simplicity.