Chef Jean-Sébastien Giguère will be in good company at Time Out Market Montréal—home to some of the best chefs and restaurants in the city under one roof.
The Market is thrilled to welcome the chef—an alum of iconic restaurants like La Cabane au Pied de Cochon, Toqué!, Le Coureur des Bois and Restaurant H3—as the new signature chef on the block, along with his local brasserie concept: Climats.
Climats, also the name of his acclaimed book, will be opening at Time Out Market Montréal at the beginning of February, and fans of the chef’s innovative, terroir-driven dishes are counting down the days. "In every establishment where I've worked, the atmosphere somewhat dictated the menu. It's my way of keeping my team and myself motivated," he explains.
Currently at the helm of La Cabane du Coureur and the two lauded wine-focused restaurants Le Coureur des Bois and Restaurant H3, Climats is the newest addition to the chef’s family of restaurants, a challenge he will tackle with the rigour and creativity he is known for.
Passion for good food and a love of eating have always been a part of Chef Jean-Sébastien’s life. His Italian grandmother instilled the importance of good manners in him before plunging into the culinary world at l'École hôtelière de Laval. Thanks to his natural leadership, the chef went from being a dishwasher at the renowned restaurant Derrière les Fagots (in the company of supernovas like Martin Juneau, Danny St-Pierre, and Charles-Antoine Crête) to overseeing pastries.
Upon receiving his diploma at the very young age of 16, Normand Laprise recruited him to Toqué! where he spent 8 excellent years. What followed next was a succession of key roles at some of the city's best restaurants: the opening of the sugar shack at Pied de Cochon; four years as executive chef at Decca77; the opening of Tavern 1909; and finally chef and co-owner of the Cogir Restaurants group, which owns Le Coureur des Bois, La Cabane du Coureur, and Restaurant H3.
"Climats is my vision of a Québecois brasserie," he explains. "There will be a certain modernity to the menu without compromising on warmth and accessibility, always using as many local Québec products as possible.”
Over the years, Chef Jean-Sébastien has developed strong relationships with many Québec producers and artisans which allows him to work exclusively with ultra-fresh, high-quality ingredients.
From duck and poultry farmers to local vegetable farmers, with a few bakers in between, knowing where his ingredients are sourced is crucial for the chef. "I know the fishermen who caught the northern shrimp and halibut that’s on my menu, along with the exact farm the duck and vegetables came from," says the chef. He even had his oversized hot dog rolls custom-made by artisanal bakery le Tamelier (look for the larger-than-life “guédille géante” on the menu next month).
Make sure you come hungry in February to taste all the dishes by this talented chef. We’re talking about an unctuous three-cheese Mac'N'Cheese (with a truffle crumble, no less), crispy halloumi tacos, a duck confit burrito busting with with maple-marinated cucumber and the halibut fish'n'chips of your dreams. And that’s just the beginning. The only question is which dish to try first.
For more information about Time Out Market Montréal, click here.
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