Portrait of a chef: Simon Laborde of Les Enfants Terribles restaurant

Isabelle Vallée
Blogger-curious and nosy

Professional and passionate about 2.0 marketing, Isabelle Vallée has long contributed to Montreal's cultural vitality by handling communications for the city's biggest fashion events. Now self-employed for nearly 5 years, she helps organizations meet their online presence challenges by offering 360° Web strategy, community management and personalized content marketing services. In January 2015, Isabelle launched the cultural platform lesbonsplans.ca, for which she acts as editor-in-chief and photographer. Curious, foodie, culture lover, she shares on this blog what to see, what to do, what to discover on the North Shore, in Laval and in the Laurentians.

Today, I'm delighted to transport you to the world of Les Enfants Terribles. Does the name ring a bell? A bistro concept restaurant that first made its mark on Bernard Street in Montreal, Les Enfants Terribles now has four locations in the greater Montreal area, including one here in Laval, at Centropolis, to our great delight! Here, we meet young executive chef Simon Laborde, who is passionate about local flavors and discoveries, and offers us tasty cuisine inspired by his travels.

Simon, you weren't really destined to become a chef. Tell me, how did you develop this passion for cooking?

It's a combination of circumstances really. First, I wanted to be a journalist. I studied arts and literature at CEGEP. While I was studying, I answered a job offer in the kitchen at Boston Pizza. I'd never really worked in a restaurant before. It wasn't long before I realized that, even though it was more assembly than cooking, I really had a knack for the job. It was a work colleague who suggested I do a DEP in cooking. From the very first day of classes in this program, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I did my first internship at the St-James (then a 5-Diamond establishment). At 22, I started working at Le Vallier restaurant, then helped open the Outremont branch of Les Enfants terribles, where I became executive chef.

Did you know that a brunch menu is available Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.?

Describe a typical day as executive chef of 4 (soon to be 5) branches.

I wake up, check the day's schedule on my phone, and in the first 15 minutes of the day, I change the whole schedule based on discussions with my teams (laughs). I also make surprise visits to the different branches to ensure quality and uniformity in terms of service, presentation, etc. I also take part in meetings with my bosses. I also take part in meetings with my chefs (I collaborate a lot with my chefs on menu development) and I take care of employee recruitment. I also negotiate prices and volume purchasing agreements with producers and suppliers. I must always ensure the quality of the products purchased.

And scoop, a Les Enfants Terribles restaurant will soon be opening in Magog.

How do you keep on top of new trends in bistronomy?

It's a lot easier today to stay on top of the latest trends with the Internet and Instagram. I open my Instagram and I can see what a chef from Copenhagen has posted. I also buy books. I think we have to be interested in what affects our profession. Shows like Chefs Table on Netflix also inspire us. As I do a lot of management, I also try to keep up with what's going on in the restaurant business. As soon as there's a new restaurant opening, I go and try it out. I also travel a lot.

Do you have any tips for people who want to cook more?

It depends on what kind of cooking you're talking about, but I'd say always have a base in the freezer: a chicken broth, a beef broth, because they often take a long time to make. It's also a good idea to have small sealed containers of pesto base in the freezer, another ingredient that can really simplify our lives. A recipe that might take an hour and a half can be made in 45 minutes.

A must-try dish at Laval's Les Enfants Terribles restaurant

Braised short ribs, of course (laughs). The beef cheek shepherd's pie is definitely worth a try too. I'd like to tell you a lot of dishes depending on the season. In summer, ancestral tomatoes stuffed with burrata, an Italian cheese, is magical!

Finally, what's the best table in your restaurant?

That's a tough question, because there are so many beautiful tables here in Laval. I'd probably say our round table overlooking the heart of Centropolis, or the long table near our wine cellar.

Education/Awards won or distinctions : Last year, Simon was the big winner of the TV show Le Combat des villes. We wish him the best of luck, as he is currently auditioning for the Canadian show Chopped. What's more, this summer he's taking steps towards an internship at the coveted Central Restaurante in Lima, Peru (named fourth best restaurant in the world). We wish him all the best!