Parc-Ex Restaurant Denise Taps Sichuan Chef Anita Feng | Eater Montreal

"In Parc-Extension, I've seen Denise majorly shake up its offerings by bringing in Anita Yue Ming Feng—the owner of the now-closed, much-loved Villeray restaurant Trilogie—to run its kitchen; this marks Feng’s first permanent return to Montreal’s restaurant world since she closed Trilogie in 2017, after which she did one-off pop-ups. When Denise opened in late 2017 in the southeast corner of the neighbourhood it featured artfully presented Vietnamese and pan-Asian dishes, but Feng will pivot the restaurant toward Sichuan offerings while co-owner and film director Khoa Le says the rejigged restaurant will still aim to highlight Asian tastes and create a festive atmosphere of inclusion and experimentation: “We’ve never tried to define ourselves. Denise proposes something fun, genuine and authentic.” A master of the cuisines of southwest China, Feng puts local twists on traditional favourites — for example her Longevity Salad mixes hand-cut spiralled cucumbers with shiitakes, rhubarb and chili crisp laced with a spicy red oil for a harmonious blend of sweet, spicy and tangy notes; her piquant Yuxiang eggplant features eggplant strips in a ginger, garlic and fermented pepper sauce garnished with Chinese chrysanthemum leaves; and Tofu hua pairs cherrystone clams and pickled mustard roots in a bowl of warm silken tofu flecked with doubanjiang chili paste. Menu items will change every few weeks based on market availability and inspiration, these dishes are matched with microbrewery Harricana’s mixed fermentation sour beers or sommelier Morgane Muszynski’s sake options, and Feng’s new menu is already in place at Denise." - Ivy Lerner-Frank