oooh baby i like it raw!!!

Lustucru
Would you believe it?
i think that might be what Lustucru translates to from quebecois. Cru also means raw, in case french isn't your mother tongue.
Clever.
So this new raw bar opened up on Parc avenue right next to Isabel's work and we couldn't wait to try it considering most of us are terribly obsessed with raw meat.



First off, the menu. There was an interesting variety of meat like bison carpaccio, magret de canard, the classic beef tartare of course, lamb tartar, and even horse tartare which was a bit jarring for all of us. In terms of fish, they offered salmon and trout. There was also a chalkboard menu that I'm assuming changes frequently with main courses scribbled all over it but we were there for the bite sized plates of uncooked meat so we didn't try any of those meals.

For the regular raw menu, the portions are tiny but well priced. The salmon tartare comes with an avocado wasabi mayo mousse which sounds exciting but is overall somewhat bland. The menu says there's ginger in the mix but I couldn't really taste it. Avocado and salmon is an obvious combination and I would have enjoyed it if they would have been more creative with the dish. Or if it would have simply been more flavourful.



Next, I ordered the magret de canard which was by far the best plate for me. It was delicate and delicious, covered in olives and came with a yogourt nut mixture and figs which complemented the duck perfectly.
The bison carpaccio was also interesting but I'd have to say I prefer bison tartare. The texture just didn't do it for me. And it came with deep fried vegetables which I don't like at all.



The wine Philippa picked was absolutely amazing! It was a chardonnay called Chaverny Blanc 2009, Domaine Sauger, for 35$.



So I tend to judge a restaurant's bread service pretty harshly because i don't understand how a place can simply expect people to just eat cold white bread with cold hard butter. If nothing else, the bread should be warm!!
I like when there's a variety of bread, like Garde Manger, they have white, whole wheat and olive bread. All three!!! And not only do they offer butter but also the most delicious caramelized onion walnut creme cheese dip!
That's a bread service.
Lustucru's white baguette was actually quite tasty but they didn't win any points in terms of creativity or effort. It was cold!

Basically I enjoyed my food but there was lacking something in the overall experience that would entice me to return for a second visit. The bite sized dishes were great but not mind-blowing and the ambiance wasn't warm and cozy enough to make it a regular spot. I'd still rather pay a bit more and go to L'assomoire to quench my seafood tartare and ceviche cravings.



xoxo
sabrina