Part 1
Based in Toronto, one of the most diverse metropolitan cities, we have been highly fortunate that we are living in a city very generous in its food landscape. I have heard first-hand accounts of relatives and close friends who live in less diverse cities and thus, are not exposed to practically every type of food imaginable. Let’s be real, cities like Toronto are hard to find and it would actually be difficult to NOT find a certain food or ingredient here. So Toronto, you are home. Even though this post would shine a better light on another region.
Enter… QUEBEC. Perhaps it’s the heavy influence of the French or perhaps it’s because it’s a different province. No, it’s definitely the French. Whenever I read about different cuisines of the world, there is one that usually is the top choice. You guessed it, French! Sure, to the more picky eater, escargot (snails) and tartare (cured beef/salmon) can be a bit daunting. But French cuisine sure takes you on an adventure that excites your tastebuds, in more ways than one. You can do it fancy or casual, expensive or reasonably priced. You know those picky eaters I mentioned a little while ago–I was one of them. However, I have never been disappointed with French food and rest assured, I can say with certainty that you won’t be either.
Maybe that’s why they say food in Quebec is the best in Canada. Or if they don’t, maybe it’s just me. My first two visits to the province of Quebec, to Montreal and Quebec City, were strictly tourism. Exploring the local culture, the landmarks and the famous basilicas, it really is a good reflection of Europe. But once you’ve visited the two cities, there’s not much to see a second time around, except for revisiting the sites. This time, the partner and I, getting kind of bored with the food scene at home and primarily craving poutine, decided to go on a food tour of Quebec instead. The goal–restaurant and cafe hopping.
Now that we are playing lockdown limbo, and indoor dining is temporarily restricted; here I am dreaming about all the exquisite dishes I had. I feel it apt that I share my Quebecan food experiences so here goes. Part 1 of this series begins with–brunch!
Foiegwa
Going to brunch is basically spending a good part of the day very laid back, with absolutely no rush and all the time in the world. Well you kind of have no choice because of the lineup! We had to wait nearly an hour to get a table for 2. Just a heads-up to those who are looking at this place. Once we were seated, we were in and out in around 40 minutes.
As usual, I can rarely choose between sweet or savory among brunch times. It may seem trivial, choosing among pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, omelets is difficult when put on the spot. And this menu warranted having both. Foiegwa had listed Perigourdine Omelette (omelette with duck confit) and Rosti with Smoked Salmon in their menu. They also had chicken and waffles but I had my heart set on another place for this (will talk about this in detail later!). Needless to say, duck confit in eggs can’t go wrong, and it certainly didn’t. The Rosti was very good as well, although the portion size could have been slightly bigger.
Rosti with smoked salmon, poached egg 
Perigourdine Omelette
This came with an easy fix as we also ordered the Foiegwa Pancakes, aka blueberry ricotta pancakes. The pancakes were easily the fluffiest and you could fully taste both the blueberries and ricotta but the star of the show was this sauce that drenched those glorious pancakes. I need this in my life.
