Clandestin Cuisine Créative — Restaurant in Gatineau

We had the pleasure of going to the Clandestin for supper a couple weeks back and overall had a good time. Despite this experience being good, I will not leave a 5-star review however for several reasons.

The food: "creative cuisine" is always to be praised as it opens up new territories in recipes and preparations. I ordered the tartare which was prepared following a more Asian approach, with shrimps and veggies. Unfortunately, the beef meat which was hiding all the way under this pile of ingredients, didn't have any taste anymore. In my humble opinion, the meat should be the highlight of this recipe, not the accessory ingredients. It was interesting but certainly not what I expected.

My girlfriend had the fried chicken burger, which was tasty and well presented. Fries were equally good.

We also had a carpaccio as shown on the picture which was very good too.

Now regarding the venue, this restaurant is small and can only accomodate probably between 20 to 30 people inside. It was packed, loud (especially because of a party of 8 right behind us), and quite frankly our clothing smelled like cooked and deep fried food after we left, which wasn't great.

A good experience nonetheless, hence the...

So I sit down, and am immediately struck by the eclectic mix of French hip hop and folk music piping in at just the right volume from the speakers. Nice. This is gonna be special. Like, homemade foie gras on cheddar-jalapeno French toast, drizzled with maple and some kind of ketchup-maison (or chutney? who cares--it was delicious). They also have a foie gras ice cream, served as a banana split, with the bananas prepared sous vide with rum. Amazing. And don't get me started on the beer and cider selection, which is absolutely unique. You simply won't find this selection anywhere else. Their fried chicken sandwich is a thing of beauty; the Asian-fusion noodle bowls are packed with a clever mix of ingredients. Service is laid back, the food is unpretentious and stick-to-your-ribs stuff, and the owner is a riot.

Honestly, treat yourself. And come hungry. This place is a hidden gem on the Gatineau side of the river, and as good as anything you'll find in the whole region.

Can't wait for him to fire up...

First experience here, though many colleagues seem to have known about it for a while. Had an incredibly delicious grilled cheese containing smoked nuts, with balls of crispy fried mashed potato, bacon and cheese, think bacon and a fried egg to the side. Sadly, it came off the menu at the end of February, but I have no doubt something else will replace it. If not, it gives the other menu items a chance, like the fried chicken sandwich, or the tuna poke bowl. Dishes are under $20. They also have a good list of lambics and stouts, including one that is a collaborative effort between Chinese and Estonian breweries - you don't see that every day - but you'll pay $19 for a 12.6% bottle of the stuff. I opted for a dry, sour cider instead, at $8 a glass, and very much enjoyed it. It's not so common to find on this side of the pond. It's not a cheap lunch, but service was quick, friendly and the food was excellent! I've paid almost as much for a far worse experience in the area. Well worth it. I will...