Le Plateau Bistro

Le Plateau Bistro: 3045 Tutt St. (in Tutt Street Square) Kelowna, BC

Chef: Katelyn Elizabeth Boutilier
Team: Apprentice Kayla Mitchell. Servers: Natasha Luntan and Wes Heald
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch. 5 p.m. till late for dinner
Seats: 22
Cuisine: Traditional French
Price Range: $$$
Reservations recommended

When you walk into Le Plateau you get a sense that something delicious is about to happen. Although small, this restaurant delivers big flavor in all its dishes. The setting is cozy and gives a feeling of being in a quaint French bistro.

Chef Katelyn Boutilier is the youngest chef in B.C.; however, this does not translate into inexperience, as your taste buds will soon discover.

Their cheese plate starter is best paired with Dirty Laundry Riesling. I was pleased to find this restaurant serves as much B.C. grown and created foods as possible. They also had my favourite cheese – Blue Juliet from Salt Spring Island. This is a creamy blue cheese without the overwhelming flavor that hard blue cheeses bring to the palate. In addition there was a mint and chervil spread, smoked cheddar, a double Brie and fresh honeycomb. The cheeses were served with crispy apple wedges and fresh toasted artisan bread from Okanagan Grocery.

If you like crab, the Dungeness Crab Cakes are for you. Chef Boutilier divulged her secret of mixing the crab with a bit of halibut to get the texture just right and then pan searing the mixture which is served with a light salad.

She also makes her own fettuccini to go with her Cured Chicken Liver Fettuccine which is marinated and pan roasted in a red win jus and served with shaved parmesan.

One of my two favourite dishes from Le Plateau is the B.C. Honey Mussels. Bite into the mussel and your mouth is bathed in a spicy tomato sauce finished with paprika oil. More delicious toasted artisan bread is served with this dish as well as the best French fries (pommes frites) you've ever tasted.

My absolute favourite at Le Plateau is the Angus beef tenderloin served with gentleman's butter. (a mixture of butter, shallots, garlic, and other secret herbs with just a hint of red wine jus) This dish puts the tender into tenderloin as it literally melted in my mouth. The glazed vegetables were cooked to perfection, allowing all their freshness to come through. If you only order one thing at Le Plateau this is it.

To finish the evening off we were treated to a beautifully constructed latte served with a chocolate and sour cream cake drizzled with a Grand Marnier and raspberry compote and vanilla ice cream on a bed of cocoa crumbs.

Chef Boutilier is very conscious about serving local food and drink. Their wine cellar consists of 72% B.C. wines and 28% French. Their menu lists the various local and provincial suppliers as well.

Kudos go out Natasha, our server, who has a vast wealth of knowledge on all the wines in the Le Plateau collection.

I would highly recommend this treasure of Tutt Street. It's a great place to go on a romantic date or a relaxed evening with friends. As an added bonus they also cater. Bon appetite!

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