Chef's table at St. Lawrence, 1 Michelin

Since the original post in 2018, St Lawrence has been awarded 1 Michelin. Congrats to getting 1 star ! Claimed as one of the hottest new restaurant on the outskirts of Vancouver downtown is a home where food is shared from chef J-C Poirier's hometown in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec. J-C Poirier was Rob Feenie’s righthand man at the famed Lumière restaurant.

The restaurant located in the "developing" part of town and there are metal bars to protect the establishment. We arrived just in time for the first seating and secured a seat at the chef's table.

My memory of my grandmother's kitchen revolves around this identical pair of scissors that my grandma used to cut open chickens and shellfish with.

The sous chefs prepare and pass over the dishes to JC and JC carefully goes over the details and add the finishing touches like a surgeon. Throughout the night, JC checks over orders carefully and lays out sides from left to the right, often signaling to the kitchen.

St. Lawrence Restaurant JC's prep station

The interior feels homely, imaging dining at the home of the chef instead of a formal white tablecloth service. The chef's table is located right in front of the kitchen and is a entire slab of patterned emerald like granite with six seats. Come early to get a view of J-C at work.

Right at the entrance is a well stocked bar and since the line gets long, start off the waiting process with an apertif.

The menu is simple and very french Canadian, a fleur de lis on the front. I was very pleased to see a no cellphone sign on the first page of the menu. Dining is a social experience that revolves around great food, wine and company, not distractions.

The night starts off with two slices of bread and whipped butter. There is an aroma to the bread, the same muskiness from a glass of dark beer. A small corner where bread is prepared, you can see the crusts are saved, probably for another dish. Butter is scooped into a quenelle with a spoon.

St. Lawrence Restaurant bread and butter

Two slices of tender bison tongue served on Ravigote. Ravigote is a classic french sauce that is made with vinegar and herbs. The side is a parsnip salad, a first time for me eating a parsnip salad.

Mushroom in a white sauce with puff pastry shell. Sautéed until dehydrated mushrooms served on a puff pastry shell then drizzled with thick and creamy sauce. It feels like eating a cream of mushroom soup pizza.

Pork chop, Oka cheese & butcher sauce

A thoroughly brined, crispy and moist pork chop finished on the cast iron pan. It is then served with melted Oka cheese and served with picked cornichons for acidity to balance the richness. Oka cheese is very Quebec, it is a semi soft pungent cheese started Trappist monks in Quebec. The inside of the pork chop is unbelievably tender and flavorful. I loved the dish and asked JC if he used sous vide to cook it. JC stated that that start with the best pork, then brine it and finish on the cast iron to achieve the crisp skin. This is hands down the best pork chop. There are some excellent pork chops from John Howie's and the legendary 3 forks steakhouse in Dallas but the taste, texture and the balance of this dish is way off the charts.

St Lawrence Restaurant tender pork chops

This is a Spartan sized dish and should be shared.

Dinner is deeply satisfying for both the stomach and the soul. The unapologetic use of sauce and butter makes you want to walk a marathon but every calorie from St. Lawrence is worth it!

St Lawrence Restaurant special menu, only 2 per day

Tips:

Main portions are enormous
Only dinner is served
Be careful if parking near the restaurant, leave no valuables in the car. Alternatively, coming from downtown to here by bus is very convenient

Website: http://stlawrencerestaurant.com/

Conde Nast review of the restaurant: https://www.cntraveler.com/restaurants/vancouver/st-lawrence