Michelin-star chef Daniel Boulud’s French Brasserie in Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, Café Boulud, serves a seasonally changing menu rooted in French tradition, highlighting both bistro classics and contemporary dishes inspired by Chef Daniel’s family meals in Lyon, executed with finesse by chef de cuisine and longtime Boulud protegé Sylvain Assié. The snazzy dining room by London-based designer Martin Brudnizki — acclaimed as one of the world’s top restaurant designers known for bringing a lived-in luxury to his projects such as Le Caprice, J Sheekey, and The Ivy in London — is comfortable and sophisticated with luxurious yet understated details like Hermès wallpaper, Ralph Lauren sconces, retro walnut panelling, mod Jaguar green and tan leather banquets and rich oxblood red 1950s-style chairs, which evoke a playfulness as well as elegance to the space, inviting guests to sit back and surrender to Daniel and Sylvain's rustic yet meticulously executed bistro classics.
Arriving for a festive Sunday Brunch in early December, the Four Seasons was decked out with the most beautiful Christmas trees and fresh fragrant floral arrangements, to mark the beginning of the Christmas season. The heart of the Café Boulud's menu is traditionally French, offering dishes that both Chef Boulud and Chef Assié grew up with in the countryside of France, such as Quenelle de Brochet, northern pike with a cognac Nova Scotia lobster sauce, Croque Madame made housemade jambon de Paris, gruyère cheese, topped with a fried egg, and Handcut Steak Tartare served with pickles and mustard-egg dressing. Equally impressive is Café Boulud's emphasis on charcuterie with a program led by master charcutier Gilles Verot, with a selection of housemade terrines and pâtés. One of the standout dishes on the brunch menu however was the Berry Tartine, which was both beautifully composed and absolutely delicious, served on spelt bread toast slathered with fresh sheep’s cheese and strawberry rhubarb compote, and topped with a mound of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. The Eggs Meurette with red wine poached eggs, braised short ribs and mushrooms on toasted sourdough bread was also excellent, as are Boulud's outstanding selection of desserts. Nothing says weekend quite like a delicious, leisurely brunch and a plate of warm Madeleines.
Festive Christmas Tree and beautiful fresh floral arrangements outside
Café Boulud inside Toronto's Four Seasons
Fragrant pink roses
The snazzy interior is comfortable and sophisticated with luxurious retro walnut panelling, mod Jaguar green and tan leather banquets and rich oxblood red 1950s-style chairs
Café Boulud Sunday Brunch Menu
White Negroni Spritz with bitter lemon liqueur, Lillet, fresh squeezed lemon juice and prosecco
Warm flaky croissant
Berries Tartine made with spelt bread toast, maple pecans, fresh sheep’s cheese
and strawberry rhubarb compote — outstanding!
DB Caesar Salad with tomato confit, anchovies, rosemary croutons, pesto and grated parmesan
Salade Nicoise with confit and seared tuna, olives, tomatoes haricots verts, potato,
quail's eggs and mesclun greens
Grilled Kale and Fig Salad made with grilled kale, romaine, roasted fig cured duck breast,
girolle and balsamic vinegar
Alois Lageder 2016 Pinot Grigio from Italy's Alto Adige
Brilliant straw yellow and rich in flavour
Egg Meurette with red wine poached eggs, braised short ribs and mushrooms on toasted sourdough bread
Steak and Eggs with two sunny side up farm fresh eggs, grilled flat iron steak,
potato rösti and béarnaise sauce
Freshly baked warm lemon Madeleines
Chocolate Brownie Parfait with flourless chocolate cake, iced cream, whipped ganache and topped with praline chocolate croquant
Cappuccino
Breton Galette with Ham and Gruyère
Serves 8
Recipe courtesy of chef Daniel Boulud
Crêpes:
2/3 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup water, plus extra as needed
2 tbsp salted butter, melted, plus extra as needed
Filling:
8 large eggs
1/2 lb Gruyère cheese, grated
1/2 lb Breton sliced ham
1 cup cooked spinach leaves, optional
4 small vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced, optional
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground white pepper
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, milk, and 1 cup of water. Whisk from the inside out, gradually pulling in the dry ingredients from the sides until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Whisk in the melted butter. Then, whisk in ½ cup cold water, or enough so that the batter has the consistency of heavy cream.
Heat a 12-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and ladle approximately ⅓ cup of the batter in the center. Immediately tilt the pan to evenly distribute the batter into a thin, even layer. Return to the heat and cook undisturbed until lightly browned at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes. Then flip with a spatula and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat until batter is finished.
Return the crepes, one at a time, to the pan over medium heat, and brush the surface with melted salted butter. Separate an egg and reserve the yolk. Spread the egg white onto the crepe evenly by tilting the pan. Then place the egg yolk in the center. Sprinkle cheese around the yolk, and add 2 to 3 slices of ham on top. Scatter spinach leaves and tomato slices, if using, around the yolk. Fold in the corners of the crepe to make a square. Cover and cook until the cheese melts and the egg is cooked, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle yolk with fleur de sel and pepper and serve immediately.
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