Le Majesthé, a fusion bistro nestled in the McGill peripheral, is truly a place that stands out for its excellent location and especially its food. It resides two blocks away from McGill University and one street away from the bustling shopping area of St. Catherine Street. The location of this restaurant, along with its proximity to public transit, guarantees its accessibility to both students and professionals alike
The Ambience
Walking into Le Majesthé, one’s line of sight is immediately met with a bright, open room where the walls are covered in bright and, dare I say, cheerful shades of blue and green. We were lucky to arrive at Le Majesthé during a quieter time and were led to our seats almost instantly by the welcoming staff. Right across from our table were massive windows that showcased the view of the street right outside of the restaurant; it was by no means particularly spectacular scenery, but the natural light coming through these windows were much appreciated nonetheless.
My friend and I looked through the decent-sized menu and received our food within fifteen minutes of us ordering. The food was served on an assortment of different tableware from simple and elegant to more unique pieces. There were minimalistic, wooden bowls as well as animal-shaped wares. Somehow, despite all these remotely different elements in the decor and presentation, everything matched together perfectly to create a relaxed and charming atmosphere
The Food
The food itself was plated beautifully and was incredibly appetizing. My friend ordered a sticky Taiwanese dumpling, a braised pork rice bowl and a brown sugar latte with pearls and no added sugar.
The sticky Taiwanese dumpling, according to my friend, is a type of Taiwanese street food, and the ones that Le Majesthé served were quite authentic. The braised pork bowl came with a sous-vide egg, and every flavour in the dish combined well. The latte was, from my friend’s opinion, very enjoyable and the taste of brown sugar really came through.
On my part, I ordered a gochujang kimchi pasta, a black sesame creme brûlée, and a galaxy calpico bubble tea. The flavours, like the pork belly and the parmesan in the gochujang kimchi pasta blended great together and made it a thoroughly gratifying experience. The kimchi in the pasta was not spicy; which, depending on your tastes, may or may not be preferable.
The black sesame creme brûlée was more creamy and less structured than what mayhap is the typical, but delectable regardless. My one complaint was the sugar on top of the dessert. The sugar was over-caramelized and gave a slightly burnt flavour to the crust on top as a result. However, the combination of black sesame with the cream in the creme brûlée was such a match made in heaven that it more than compensated for the mistake.
The galaxy calpico bubble tea, on the other hand, is a lot less impressive. Don’t get me wrong; aesthetically, the drink was very Instagram worthy. It is a two toned drink in purple and blue, and the effect is achieved using natural ingredients like butterfly pea. When my drink was served, the staff came over to pour and mix the drink in front of us, so we can take a video of the drink changing into its gradient of colours. On a slightly more negative note, the taste of the bubble tea was a slight miss for me: the tea was not overly sour, but the sourness did conceal the taste of calpico and everything else along with it. Despite that hitch, the pearls from Le Majesthé are always the perfect consistency, and having had other drinks on their menu before, the sourness being overpowering is definitely not a common denominator.
The Verdict
Le Majesthé is a wonderful way to treat yourself to excellent food at a very decent, and guilt-free, price point. Appetizers and desserts range from $4-$7, while mains range between $8-13. This bistro has quickly become a new favourite of mine, and I would definitely recommend it.
For those who enjoy either asian or western cuisine, or both, Le Majesthé promises a positive experience and something to everyone’s liking. And for those of us who grew up within both asian and western cultures, this restaurant provide something that is not unlike a physical representation of this dual identity forged into great food. In the end, Le Majesthé finds flavours from opposite ends of the globe that fit so well together, they might as well have been made for each other. And that, in itself, is remarkable.