Sappho … In 9 Fragments

Directed by Ottawa native Jessica Ruano and features Victoria Grove. 

Mise-en-scène par Jessica Ruano d’Ottawa et mettant en vedette Victoria Grove. 

After a sold-out extended run to critical and popular acclaim in London, England, Sappho … in 9 Fragments by Jane Montgomery Griffiths will have its Canadian premiere June 2013 in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, presented by Jer’s Vision.  

Après une série a guichet fermés prolongée à succès critique et populaire à Londres, en Angleterre. Sappho ... en 9 Fragments écrit par Jane Griffiths Montgomery aura sa première Canadienne en Juin 2013 à Toronto, Ottawa et Montréal, présenté par Jer’s Vision.  

Info / l'info: http://sappho9fragments.com/   

Tagline / Tag Line:   

Within a secluded cavern, Ancient Greece’s first love poet laments her erasure from history, while a chorus girl named Atthis is seduced into a modern-day Sapphic romance.  

Dans une grotte isolée, la premier poète de l'amour de la Grèce Antique lamente son effacement de l'histoire, tandis qu'une fille de chœur nommée Atthis est séduite dans un romance Saphique moderne.  

 

 Review / Critique :

Sappho was a Greek lyric poet born on the island of Lesbos between 630 and 612 BCE. The bulk of her poetry, which was well-known and greatly admired in antiquity, has been lost and only fragments remain. Yet these fragments have maintained her immense reputation and a certain mythical status have developed. Her name is the origin of Sapphic love (romance). Talented actress Victoria Grove weaves the parallel narratives of Sappho’s erasure from written history and the love of a chorus girl for an older actress. She plays both characters with effortless precision; combining spectacular physical and athletic choreography and Ancient Greek prose; resulting in a visually stunning and aurally stimulating work.

 

 Sappho était un poète lyrique Grec, né sur l'île de Lesbos entre 630 et 612 avant notre ère. La majeure partie de sa poésie, qui était bien connu et largement admiré dans l'antiquité, a été perdue et seuls quelques fragments restent. Pourtant, ces fragments ont maintenu que sa réputation immense et un certain statut mythique à été mis au point. Son nom est à l'origine de l'amour (romance) saphique. L’actrice talentueuse Victoria Grove tisse les récits parallèles de l'effacement de Sappho de l'histoire écrite et l'amour d'une fille de chœur pour une actrice plus âgée. Elle interprète les deux personnages avec une précision sans effort ; alliant une chorégraphie physique  et athlétique  spectaculaire avec   l’ancien prose Grec en ; ce qui entraîne un œuvre visuellement superbe et auditivement stimulant.

 

Reverbnation / Twitter Project D↔ Projet ReverbNation / Twitter D

                

 

Project / Projet

  

Short commentaries and brief biographies of musicians with whom I have connected with on Reverbnation and Twitter. As well to be profiled on this project I need to be able to hear complete versions of your music (samples are not enough to give a full appreciation).

Commentaires   courtes et biographies bref des musiciens avec lesquels j'ai connecté avec sur Reverbnation et sur Twitter. Ainsi, pour que je vous profile sur ce projet, j'ai besoin de pouvoir entendre les versions complètes de votre musique (échantillons ne sont pas assez pour donner une appréciation complète).  

Jimmy Dukelow a.k.a. / aussi connu comme Le Mystique   

Lead Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Drums and Keyboards / Guitare, Chant, Basse, Batterie et Claviers; 

 based in / basée en Sterling Illinois.  

Jimmy Dukelow began writing and playing music since he was 12 and his first published song “Angels, Roses and Stars” was in 1997. His music reflects a wide range of styles and with crisp lyrical guitar and keyboards sounds with  vocals ranging from baritone and tenor to the falsetto, Jimmy Dukelow continues the exploration begun by Jim Morrison and the Doors into the concepts of mysticism and spiritual healing from within. Pink Floydian and Huguenot concepts also have strongly influenced his music.  “The Path” with its sweeping beauty and poignant lyrics capture Le Mystique’s message completely.  

Jimmy Dukelow a commence à écrire et jouer de la musique depuis qu'il a 12 ans et sa première chanson « Les Anges, les Roses et les Étoiles » publiée en 1997. Sa musique reflète un large éventail de styles sons de guitare et claviers lyrique et vif avec sa voix allant de baryton et ténor au fausset, Jimmy Dukelow poursuit l'exploration entamée par Jim Morrison et les Doors sur les concepts de mysticisme et de la guérison spirituelle au sein. Des concepts Pink Floydien et Huguenot ont également influencé fortement sa musique.  « Le Chemin » avec sa beauté panoramique et les paroles poignantes capture le message de Le Mystique complètement.

World War Z by / par Marc Forster

 

An apocalyptic action film claiming to be based on Max Brook’s 2006 novel of the same name. The novel is a collection of individual accounts of a decade long war against zombies whereas the film centers on a retired United Nations investigator, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) who is ‘volunteered’ to go on an international mission to investigate the cause and find a cure for a deadly pandemic that turns its victims into zombies.  

I have seen many zombie movies and this would rank as one of the least scary when it comes to special effects. They looked more like rabid chipmunks straight out of Saturday morning cartoons – some of the scenes were actually quite hilarious. They moved so fast creating such a high level of confusion and chaotic cinematography that the eminent danger of the situation was not easily apparent. Brad Pitt does not fit as ‘the hero type’ in this genre of film. 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later were far superior.  

I have not yet read the novel but the comparative reading of the scenarios for the movie versus the novel I have come to the conclusion that the spirit intended by Max Brooks was not respected therefore the claim that the film is an ADAPTATION is invalid.

 

Un film d'action apocalyptique qui prétend d’être basé sur le roman (2006) de Max Brook du même nom. Le roman est une collection de comptes rendu individuelles d’une longue d'une guerre de dix ans  contre les zombies tandis que le film est centré sur un ancien enquêteur des Nations Unies, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) qui est « volontaire » pour aller sur une mission internationale pour enquêter sur la cause et trouver un remède pour une pandémie mortelle qui transforme ses victimes en zombies.

J'ai vu beaucoup de films de zombie et ceci se classerait parmi les moins effrayants quand il s'agit d'effets spéciaux. Ils ressemblaient plus à des tamias enragés tout droit sorti des dessins animés du samedi matin – certaines scènes sont réellement tout à fait hilarants. Ils bougeaient si vite créent un tel niveau de confusion et d'images chaotiques que le danger éminent de la situation n'était pas facilement apparent. Brad Pitt ne convient pas comme « le type d’héros » dans ce genre de film. 28 Jours Plus Tard et 28 Semaines Plus Tard était de loin beaucoup plus supérieurs.  

 Je n'ai pas encore lu le roman, mais la lecture comparative des scénarios pour le film et le roman que j'en suis venu à la conclusion que l'esprit de Max Brooks n'a pas été respecté par conséquent la réclamation que le film est qu'une ADAPTATION n'est pas valide.

 

Best image from the film / Meilleure image du film

The Korean Film Festival / Le Festival du Film Coréen

 

Organised by Ciné-Asie with the support of the Embassy of Korea in Ottawa

Organisé par Ciné-Asie avec le soutien de l’Ambassade de Corée à Ottawa   

First edition will present 10 feature films and 5 shorts in Montréal from July 4 to 10, 2013.  

Première édition présentera 10 longs-métrages et 5 courts-métrages à Montréal du 4 au 10 Juillet 2013.    

At / Au  Cineplex Odéon Forum (anciennement AMC) –2313 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Montréal QC (Métro Atwater) and / et Jardin Botanique de Montréal  – Auditoire Henry-Teuscher – 4101 rue Sherbrooke Est. Montréal QC (Metro Pie-IX) 

Link to trailer / Lien pour la bande announce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTqVwonbilU 

 

Info : http://koreanfilm.ca/   
 

Chronicle of Events Attended / Chronique d'Événements Assister:  
 

 During / Pendant: 

War of the Arrows, 2011, 122m, Kim Han-mi   

After their father, a skilled archer for King Gwanghae is killed by rival forces, Nam-yi and Ja-in find refuge with their father’s friend, Mu-seon.  13 years later, Ja-in is about to marry Mu-seon’s son, Seo-goon.   During the wedding, Nam-yi (now a skilled archer) is in the mountains hunting deer. Hearing the rumble of an invading army, he returns to the village to find it devastated and its inhabitants either killed or taken captive by the Qing army led by Jyuushinta. Ja-in is among the captives. Spectacularly choreographed fight scenes involving the bow and arrow and hectic chase scenes ensue.

 

Après que leur père, un archer qualifié pour le Roi Gwanghae est tué par des forces rivales, Nam-yi et Ja-in  se refuge a l'ami de leur père, Mu-seon.  13 ans plus tard, Ja-in s'apprête à épouser le fils de Mu-seon, Seo-goon.   Pendant le mariage, Nam-yi (maintenant un archer qualifié) est dans les montagnes pour la chasse au cerf. Entendant le grondement d'une armée d'invasion, il retourne au village pour le trouver dévasté et ses habitants tués ou emmenés en captivité par l'armée de Qing, menée par Jyuushinta. Ja-in est parmi les captifs. Des scènes de combat spectaculairement chorégraphiés impliquant l'arc et des scènes de poursuite mouvementée s'ensuivre.

 

Architecture 101, 2012, 118m, Lee Yong-Joo  

Lee Seung-min, a successful architect, is approached by Yang Seo-yeon to design her dream home on her family land on Jeju Island. As it turns out, they knew each other 17-years-ago when they were both in college.  As he spends time with Seo-yeon in designing her house, he begins to reminisce about their time together in college, his inability to express his feelings for her and wondering why she came to him. Will the feelings of first romance be rekindled or will both move on – he with his fiancé in America and she settling into her redesigned family home?

 Lee Seung-min, un architecte réussi, est approché par Yang Seo-yeon de faire les plans pour  sa maison de rêve sur son terrain familial sur l'île de Jeju. Comme il s'avère,  ils se connaissaient il y a 17 ans  lorsqu'ils étaient tous deux au Collège.  Comme il passe du temps avec Seo-yeon dans la conception de sa maison, il commence à évoquer des souvenir de leur temps ensemble au Collège, son incapacité à exprimer ses sentiments pour elle et il se demandait pourquoi elle est venue à lui. Est-ce-que les sentiments d’une premier romance vont être ravivées ou tous les deux se remettra en route – lui avec sa fiancée en Amérique et elle  installer dans sa maison familiale redessinée ?

Masquerade / Mascarade, 2012, 131m, Choo Chang-Min 

 A riveting historical drama interpreting what happened during a missing 15-day period in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. The only entry read "One must not record that which he wishes to hide” during the reign of Gwanghae (1574-1641). Fearing assassination, the Kings orders his Chief Secretary to find a look-alike. He finds Ha-sun, an acrobat and joker. When the king is ‘poisoned’ Ha-sun is commanded to stand-in, at first, doing everything that he is told. But as he learns of the true nature of the King’s Court, he becomes more seriously involved raising questions from those around him.  

Un drame historique fascinant, interprétant ce qui s'est passé pendant une période de 15 jours manquante dans les Annales de la Dynastie Joseon. La seule entrée lisait « On ne doit pas enregistrer ce qu'on veut  cacher » pendent le règne de Gwanghae (1574-1641). Craignant l'assassinat, le Roi  ordonne à sa secrétaire en chef de trouver un sosie. Il trouve Ha-sun, un acrobate et un farceur. Lorsque le Roi est « empoisonné » Ha-sun est commandé de lui remplacer, au début,  de faire tout ce qui lui est dit. Mais comme il apprend que la vraie nature de la Cour du roi, il devient plus impliqué sérieusement, soulevant des questions de ceux qui l'entourent.

Miracle in Cell No. 7 / Miracle dans la Cellule No. 7, 2012, 127m, Lee Hwan-Kyung 

Mentally challenged Lee Yong-Gu leads a happy life with his six-year-old daughter Ye-sung who must assume the role of a parent.  The police commissioner’s daughter dies mysteriously. Yong-Gu is falsely accused of raping and killing her. He is sent to a maximum security prison (cell no. 7) facing execution. Ye-sung is sent to an orphanage. When Yong-Gu saves an influential inmate from being killed by his rival, he asks that he be reunited with his daughter. A powerful and emotional film that shows the bond between father and daughter and the injustice that is rampant in our justice systems.     

Lee Yong-Gu, mentalement handicapés, mène une vie heureuse avec sa fille de six ans, Ye-sung qui doit assumer le rôle d'un parent.  La fille du chef de la police meurt mystérieusement. Yong-Gu est faussement accusé de l’avoir violé et de la tuer. Il est envoyé dans une prison de sécurité maximale (cellule n ° 7) face à l'exécution. Ye-sung est envoyé dans un orphelinat. Quand Yong-Gu sauve un détenu influent d'être tué par son rival, il demande qu’il soit réuni avec sa fille. Un film puissant et émotionnel qui démontre le lien entre père et  fille et l'injustice qui sévit dans nos systèmes de justice.     

July 5 “A Story of Friendship” at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau (3000 Rue Viau)    

A celebration of the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Korea borrowing from the traditional shamanic ritual – Gut – introducing Canadians to the essence and dynamics of Korea’s 5,000 years expounding on its perfect harmony between ancient traditional performances and contemporary.

 

 Le 5 juillet « Une Histoire d'Amitié » au Centre Pierre-Charbonneau (3000 Rue Viau)   

Une célébration du 50ème anniversaire des relations diplomatiques entre le Canada et la Corée empruntant le Gut – le rituel chamanique traditionnel –afin de présenter aux Canadiens   l'essence et la dynamique des 5 000 ans de la Corée exposant  sa parfaite harmonie entre les anciens performances traditionnels et les contemporains.

Avant-premiere July 4 at the Montreal Botanical Gardens – Henry-Teuscher Auditorium

A day of immersion into the culture of Korea through its music and dance, a symposium on perspectives on the language, its culture and arts and its cinema followed by a reception whereby one could partake of its culinary delights. The day ended with a special screening of Jeon Yun-su’s 2007 film ‘Le Grand Chef’ which projected cinematically Korea’s wide variety of culinary colors.  I had previously seen the film at Fantasia 2008. I have the same impression of the film (see capsule review below) except that the following points could also be pointed out – Korea has a wide variety of culinary colors and takes great pride in its cuisine. Its spirit will often be found in its cuisine and its people will always be free even when under domination. Taking the day as a whole Korea has successfully been able to keep its ancient traditions alive and being able to assimilate itself into the world that surrounds it. 

Avant-première le 4 Juillet au les Jardin  Botanique  de Montréal – à l’Auditorium Henry-Teuscher 

Une journée d'immersion dans la culture de Corée à travers la musique et le danse, d'un colloque sur les perspectives sur sa langue, sa culture et ses arts et son cinéma suivi d'une réception par laquelle on pourrait déguster ses délices culinaires. La journée s'est terminée par une projection spéciale du film de   Jeon Yun-su ' Le Grand Chef (2007)’  qui a projeté cinématographiquement le large éventail de couleurs culinaires Coréen.    J'avais déjà vu le film à Fantasia 2008. J'ai eu la même impression du film (voir mon critique capsule ci-dessous) sauf que les points suivants pourraient également être soulignés – Corée à une grande variété de couleurs culinaires et est très fier de sa cuisine. Son esprit se trouve souvent dans sa cuisine et son peuple sera toujours libre même sous domination. Prenant le jour au complet la Corée,  avec succès, a pu maintenir ses anciennes traditions et être capable de s'assimiler dans le monde qui l'entoure.

Before / Avant:

Mother / Mére, 2009, 128m, Bong Joon-Ho 

 How far would a mother go to protect her son?  In a small country village, a very devoted widow lives with her slow-witted son, Do-Joon. When called a retard, he goes ballistic.  Trouble follows him everywhere. When a local high-school girl is found murdered, he is quickly accused and convicted.  Wanting to protect him from harm and refusing to accept his guilt, she starts her own investigation.  To prove his innocence, she will go to any length; even making up her own rules. Shoddy, confusing and extremely slow paced, this film ranks at the bottom of mother-son films.   

Dans quelle mesure qu’une mère irait enfin de protéger son fils ?  Dans un petit village de campagne, une veuve très dévouée habite avec son fils, Do-Joon. Lorsqu'il est appelée un retardé, il devient balistique. Le trouble le suit partout. Quand une fille de lycée locale est trouvée assassiné, il est rapidement accusé et condamné.  Désireux de le protéger contre les préjudices et refusant d'admettre sa culpabilité, elle commence sa propre enquête.  Pour prouver son innocence, elle ira à n'importe quelle longueur ; même constituant ses propres règles. Mauvaise qualité, source de confusion et un rythme extrêmement lent, ce film se classe en bas des films de mère-fils.

Le Grand Chef, 2007, 113m, Jeon Yun-Su
After a tragic end to a cooking competition, Seong-Chan quits his profession as Chef and retires to a small rural town to be with his grandfather. But incredible talent cannot be kept down so when a competition is announced to determine the rightful heir to "Royal Chef” he is unable to resist. He will be facing his long-time rival. With its typical Korean humor and its subplots this film is a joy to watch despite a poorly handled main plot.

Après une fin tragique pour un concours de cuisine, Seong-Chan quitte sa profession de Chef et se retire dans une petite ville rurale d'être avec son grand-père. Mais un talent incroyable ne peut pas être maintenu vers le bas, alors quand un concours est annoncé pour déterminer l'héritier légitime du «Chef Royal» il est incapable de résister. Il fera face à son rival de longue date. Avec son humour Coréen typique et ses intrigues secondaires, ce film est un plaisir à regarder malgré une intrigue principale mal gérée. 

 

The Host / Monstre, 2006, 119m, Bong Joon-Ho 

In the year 2000, an American military pathologist dumps over 200 bottles of formaldehyde into the sewage system that leads into the Han River. Over the years, there are numerous sightings of a strange amphibious creature in and around Seoul. In 2006, the creature comes out of the river and terrorizes the city.  With superb special effects, fascinating plot spiced with political commentary and comedic elements, this film is a classic of Korean cinema and has become the country’s highest grossing film of all time. 

En l'an 2000, un pathologiste militaire Américain jette plus de 200 bouteilles de formaldéhyde dans les égouts qui l’emmène à la rivière Han. Au cours des années, il y a de nombreuses apparitions d’une étrange créature amphibie dans les alentours de Séoul. En 2006, la créature sort de la rivière et terrorise la ville. Avec des effets spéciaux superbes, une intrigue fascinante épicée avec des commentaires politiques et des éléments comiques, ce film est un classique du cinéma Coréen et est devenu le film le plus rentable de tous les temps de ce pays.

 

Nancy Snipper's comments on Fringe 2013 shows she has seen

 

June 22 at Venue 4 (Scène Mini) June 22

 

I was delighted to attend three soloist shows where each actor performed with stamina, great characterization and self-deprecating humour. That being said, it is one thing to act and another to write a script that is not merely a showpiece for your talents. I think the message in these two of the plays got lost: “Little Orange Man” and “Zack to the Future”. Certainly there was great wit in the latter and impeccable comedic timing. Zack Adams is a great talent. However, in both plays, the script/scenarios meandered and the result lacked emotional impact for me.

I was most impressed however, with Erika MacDonald’s performance in her biopic play, “Tap Me on the Shoulder”. She sequenced events detailing how she became a rapper very well. Furthermore, her rapping was excellent. She really was professional in her delivery, and highly focused.

However, the same can’t be said for Ingrid Hansen’s “Little Orange Man” – a play involving plush-toys that serve as characters. The story was too absurd, and the interaction with the audience was rather childish. It was about herself as a girl suffering from ADD who misses her granddad and looks for him in the sea, but not without dozens of mini tales thrown in between the search for him. If only she had gotten to the point. Hansen’s  energy is electric, but a story must have substance, and it lacked that. This is sad, because it really – to my mind – was about mourning the loss of her granddad.

 

LINK to Sylvain Richard’s chronicle for 2013 Fringe / LIEN pour le chronique de Sylvain Richard pour le Fringe 2013.

 

 

 

L’Appel de la Forêt…

 

A visual wonder with an important message!  

[Reviewed by Nancy Snipper] 

Director Pascal Sutra-Fourcade takes us on a journey into the astonishing forests of Madagascar, Cameroon, Eretria, Brazil and Australia. The great interviewer and lover of nature, Yann Arthus Bertrand meets up  with dedicated biologists, forest engineers and conservationists who have given up their lives to stop deforestation and innovate ways to make villages independent.  We see how lemurs are responsible for spreading seeds in the jungle to promote growth. We learn that Cameroon is involved with the illegal exporting of wood to France and China. We behold the amazing calcified rock forests whose sharp pinnacles reach high into the sky of Madagascar. These lunar-like foundations are actually calcified fossils that date back millions of years. 

But this documentary is a story about heroic people too. We meet Père Pedro who singlehandedly built a city for the poor in Madagascar, and most of the population lives in deprivation. Children follow him as if he were a piped piper. We meet a wonderful man who goes to schools and plays his guitar as he sings lyrics about nature and its value. The song is funny; its refrain is: ants are as important as humans. In Brazil, one brave Portuguese anthropologist is in charge of protecting over 50 indigenous aboriginal tribes who have never seen the White Man. He goes into the forest and sets up camp near the pygmies. They come to him. The scene that follows is hilarious as we see how they act towards him and his team.  In another scene we meet a rare Australian bird whose tail fans out over its head. It can produce over 100 sounds that imitate other birds. Two of the sounds resemble the closing clicking sound of a camera shutter and a police siren. Then we hear another sound – that of a bulldozer coming right into their habitat.

   

Trees are precious, and for everyone cut down, our own lives are threatened. It’s a fine balancing act; many poor villagers are being taught to preserve the forest, yet they need the wood for survival. I was most impressed by the Japanese American who began making mangrove forests in the water with the people of Eretria and planting tiny trees for the people in Eretria. It’s all about food and community.

Over and over again, we see villagers literally taking destiny into their own hands, shaping it in order to preserve their beloved and most magnificent forests that bless the world in a million ways. They are beautiful and we need them to survive – as this film so splendidly proves!  I refer you to the poetry section of this blog; look for my poem called, “Gatineau Trees”. Wherever they grow, trees are miraculous.  

(This film was viewed, compliments of Le SuperClub Videotron, 5000, rue Wellington, in Verdun,  Quebec.)  

(Ce film a été visionné, avec les compliments de Le SuperClub Videotron, 5000, rue Wellington, à Verdun, Québec.)

Decca 77 ... Two Personalities

 

 

 Chef Jean-Sébastien Giguère makes it doubly delicious and daring!

                                                                by Nancy Snipper

Ten-year-old Decca 77 sports architecture that is creatively cool and sophisticated without being pretentious. Its sleek cutting-edge interior of greys, black and brown tables with suede chairs and banquettes is full of eye catching surprises – like that long wide suede red cushion running along one wall near the main bar. Marble, marble everywhere: black on the counters and grey on the walls.  Wonderfully huge glassed-in cages hold hundreds bottles of wine for all the diners to see. There’s a white queen size leather chair that sits smack at the entrance. It seems to be waiting for an important diner to pose in, and above it, strides an enormous rectangular white glass chandelier. Its enormous space can accommodate 120 people. 

 

This exciting interior is a great introduction to Decca’ 77’s new shining star, Chef Jean-Sébastien Giguère. You know that any chef who worked with Christophe Geffray - former private Chef of France’s President François Mitterand - and Normand Laprise at Montreal’s stellar restaurant Toqué! is moving places. There are just so many cuisine coups in this chef’s tall hat to mention here, but suffice it to say, that his talent is so huge, Decca 77 snagged him knowing his impressive culinary pedigree would give the restaurant something so daring and new that tongues would be wagging long after diners left the restaurant. 

 

The most important innovation that this stellar chef has brought to Decca 77 is the double cuisine personality expressed through two distinct dining experiences. Part of the restaurant is a Brasserie, and the other a restaurant. It’s an exciting concept, but it does mean double work for Chef Giguère. Dishes served in the Brasserie space highlight  simplicity, quality, efficiency and very affordable prices. The restaurant space showcases Chef Giguère’s artistry, precision, and the mastering of his craft with incredible know-how and flare.  

 “I’m finally living my dream of running my own kitchen. Both sides of the restaurant allow me express my creativity in different ways, and to design menus that incorporate local ingredients as much as possible.”  

The food I tasted was incredible. If you have a party, a wedding or business meeting, you must insist Giguère’s team serve these wonderful little starters: foie gras sandwiched between a slim meringue wafer topped in a dot of strawberry puree. The sweetness at the end mixed with the silky foie gras was doubly delicious. 

 

Another starter from the Brasserie menu featured a triangular number that was so original, I wanted to frame it, but I ate it instead! It consisted of 1608 melted cheese from Charlevoix, and it made an awesome combination with the Shitake and Oyster King Mushrooms that all rested in a subtle caramelized glaze that slinked sensuously around the triangle. 

 

I was eager to set my taste buds into the restaurant side of culinary excellence. Every dish I had was a stand out, perhaps because one of the trademarks of this daring chef is the way he is able to mix sauces with the main dish and introduce a variety a tiny legumes and sweet surprises to create a new flavour sensation. Take for example the Calf’s sweetbread. It came with rhubarb confit and black garlic. There were even tiny bits of hazelnuts and onion and celery to give kick and colour. This was my favourite main dish. 

 

 

My dining companion really liked the salmon that came from the Brasserie menu.

 

 

 

but I thought the filet mignon with these tiny baby clams, asparagus and bordelaise sauce was extraordinarily different. 

 

 

I have decided not to include every photo of all the dishes we enjoyed included some truly winning appetizers.  After all, something must be left to surprise your eyes and palette.  

 However, allow me to finish off with the dessert tray served on black slate. We had strawberry soufflé, (from the restaurant menu), Kalhula Tiramisu, melt-in-your mouth chocolate truffles and Bomboloni flavoured with orange, chocolate and vanilla sugar. The iced nougat and pistachio arlette was sinful. I was ready to fly to heaven (or be lifted – I had eaten so much)!  

 

Lest I forget to mention, you may recall that wire cage full of vintage wines… well… we had the chance to enjoy wonderful pairings with our meals. The wines came from several private domains from Italy, France, Spain, Argentina, and New Zealand and not one of them exceeded the year 2011. 

Most were dry, one was citrus and another pungent (the red Bourgogne). 

  

The food, the atmosphere and the warmth of the waiters, as well as the charm of Christophe Truffert, Decca 77's general manager makes for an exciting dining experience both in the Brasserie and the restaurant. For those who just want to head for a drink after work, there a mid-level floor with a lovely bar where business people come to relax. 

For you information, go to: http://www.decca77.com/.

Decca 77 is located at 1077 rue Drummond, Montreal, Quebec, H38 4X

For reservations, call (514) 939-7329.