Located in Edmonton’s La Cite Francophone, and just across the street from the University of Alberta’s French campus, one has high hopes for a French Restaurant found here. Happily, the staff at Bistro La Persaud rise to the challenge. We decided to stop in for a Sunday afternoon Lunch/Brunch and discovered a new Edmonton gem. At first glance, the restaurant looks a little unremarkable in the daytime, and the diffused fluorescent lighting did little to help. I imagine it looks quite different at night, with a more intimate feel and softer lighting.
On Sundays only the brunch menu is available, but this is hardly a problem as there are a number of interesting dishes to try, all with at least a little bit of a breakfast feel. After intensely studying the menu, I selected the Ravioli aux Oeufs (Eggs Ravioli) and Kasia chose the Oeufs Benedict (I think you can figure this one out). As soon as our order was placed we were presented with a selection of pastries and preserves, all prepared in-house. These were, of course, delicious. In short order our dishes arrived, both looking and smelling mouth-wateringly good (I apologize for the quality of the pictures, they were taken on two phones).
The egg filled ravioli was a first for me, and is really just the beautiful orange yolk of a very fresh egg enclosed in the ravioli pastry. Although simple, the dish was phenomenal, with the yolk just slightly runny and well complemented by the shaved cheese, fresh herbs and truffle/brown butter sauce. It is extremely rich, but the portion is not huge and thus does not tempt you to over-indulge.
The Eggs Benedict was definitely the most original variant I have seen, with the poached eggs perched at the top of two brioche toast towers. It tasted even better, with the lavender hollandaise fragrantly bringing the classic flavors together in a imaginative new way. Needless to say, both plates were soon devoid of even the smallest remaining scrap.
With such imaginative and satisfying brunch dishes, I cannot wait to try the rest of the menu. Chef Emmanuel David has put together several very nice menus (Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and Charcuterie) that have us eagerly planning our next visit. Although not well-known just yet, I foresee finding an open table here will soon be a rare thing.
It’s my new favourite!
OH! I would love to try that Egg’s Benedict! It looks amazing!
Together with my two friends, we tried the Bistro for lunch on two different occassions. While the place looks great, the menu is interesting, and the food tastes great, the portions are truly “very small”. The steak tartar is, in my estimate, about 1 oz of beef tenderloin for example, and costs $16. It is accompanied by home made chips (a bit of a strange combination for a steak tartar fan). The order of pate ($7) is beautifully served, but represents “one bite” (size of a twoonie, and about 1 inch high). The same goes for the fig terrine ($6) – a VERY small triangle, with 3-4 slices of miniture bocconcini of the top. The lunch for two, with one glass (5oz) of wine each came to about $70. Unfortunately, we had to go elsewhere to eat right after since we were quite hungry…My suggestion would be an introduction of some lunch specials (decent size and value gourment meals). This may help to fill the restaurant during lunch time. The place was almost empty both times we came in.
I personally have not noted the portions to be “very small”, but this can be a matter of personal taste/opinion. One must remember that this is a French bistro, with the portions never being too large and the presentation being just as important as the components of each plate. I will have to dine there again before I could address your other points further (price, etc.), but I recall that we left well satisfied when we dined.