Last year the Montréal epicurean community was shocked when one of the city’s most cherished restaurants, DUEL, was closed due to a fire. DUEL had secured itself as one of the hottest places to dine in all of Canada. In fact, it was so hot that apparently the fire in the kitchen got out of control. But in a classic style of the phoenix, from the ashes of one amazing Montréal restaurant comes a new bistro birthing.

I recently had a delightful lunch with my colleague, the divine Tamy Emma Pepin, at the newly opened BIRON. Whereas DUEL was quite formal, and even theatrical at times, BIRON has a brighter, more relaxed feel. We lunched in leisure, leaning against the exposed brick wall and appreciating the stellar food presentation. It felt relaxed; but make no mistake, Biron is still considered fine dining.

The big boss and chef David Biron has copious experience in Asian cooking, which he melds in an experimental fashion with the traditional French roots of the Montréal Foodie scene.  To eat, I had a delicious Miso soup as an entrée, followed by succulent coconut shrimp served on a bed of fluffy potato-leek purée. We finished with a mouthwatering, baked-on-site, vanilla meringue fruit flan. The experience was unpretentious, yet scrumptious.

And the menu does revolve, so I recommend a seasonal visit to keep you on your toes.

BIRON
1429 Amherst Street (Close to St. Catherine Street)
(514) 528-1429
info@restaurantbiron.com (email for current menu)
Monday to Friday: 11 am to 10 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 3 pm

INSIDER TIP: Biron also features a “Prêt à Manger” (take out) counter featuring sandwiches, soup and sushi. Now that spring has sprung, why not pick up some lunch and wander up a couple of blocks to Parc Lafontaine for a picnic?

And here are some photos from our lunch…

The dee-lish coconut shrimp

The staff gets ready for the next dinner rush

Stop looking at the alcohol, this photo is about a clock

Take out counter and the menu

This what the restaurant looks like from the outside