Laurie Raphaël

The owners of this smashingly creative restaurant tinker relentlessly with their handiwork. An overhaul of the space a couple of years ago gave it a more sophisticated look, tempered by decorating dashes of eye-popping red and electric pink. From what has long been one of the city's most accomplished kitchens, silky-smooth foie gras arrives on a teeny ice cream paddle, drizzled with a port-and-maple-syrup reduction. Alaskan snow crab is accompanied by a bright-pink pomegranate terrine. An egg-yolk "illusion" of thickened orange juice encapsulated in a pectin skin is served in a puddle of maple syrup in an Asian soup spoon. And so on. It's as if Willy Wonka was in the kitchen. Service is friendly and correct, and the meal's pace is spot-on. A second locale of the same name opened Montréal in fall 2007. At the Québéc location, though, there's a fancy public kitchen where chef/owner Daniel Vézina gives cooking classes.

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