A team with great taste!
Offering dishes prepared with care and focused on local products is a delicate art. With this clear vision in mind, Chef Anthony Coniglio and his team at Bistango work day after day with passion. Together, they make every effort to ensure that the customers who sit at their table enjoy every bite of a cuisine that is both classic and inventive.
Teamwork takes on its full meaning at this popular restaurant on Avenue Germain-des-Prés in Quebec City. When Chef Anthony Coniglio develops a new menu, he gives his team carte blanche to share ideas. By experimenting, they can add exciting, contemporary touches to classics such as filet mignon served with bone marrow, beef cheek, aligot, onions and Perigourdine sauce, or salmon tartare with fried Won Ton. The goal? To bring out the most delicate flavours from certain local products such as honey, duck, oysters, or cider, and showcase them in dishes prepared with boldness and creativity.
According to the chef, two words perfectly define his young team members: talent and rigour! This cooking enthusiast doesn’t hesitate to praise the team that works alongside him at Bistango for their know-how. "Everyone works together, and if I were a customer, I'd have a hard time choosing a dish, because everything on our menus is worth trying," said Coniglio, who cut his teeth in the kitchens of renowned French restaurants such as Hôtel Le Vallon de Valrugues, and in restaurants and hotels in Bangkok, Laem Chanbang, and Pattaya.
From France to Quebec
Anthony arrived in Quebec shortly after the birth of his twins: "When I accepted the role of chef at Bistango, I was looking for a safe place for my family to live that also offered stimulating career opportunities," explained the Frenchman with Italian roots, who is enthusiastic about his new professional challenge. It was the same story for sous-chef Timothée Boucar, who also recently moved from France to Quebec with his young family: "It seemed like the perfect place to raise children and work in an interesting environment," he said happily. For Bistango’s pastry chef, also of French origin, choosing Quebec as the place for her home and career was the right choice: "I always had the impression that this province offered a world of possibilities where everyone could find their place. I was not mistaken," said Charlotte Alves.
What makes Quebec shine in the kitchen
Anthony
"The trusting relationships we’ve been able to create with local producers. In Quebec, it’s not easy. There are a lot of players offering choice ingredients, but the sourcing is complex. We’re happy to have found Le Canard Goulu, La Villa vinaigre et jardins, and Les Élevages Westmount for our Wagyu beef. We work hard to build relationships, but the richness of the dishes depends on choice ingredients and the dose of creativity and research that we bring to the table."
Timothée
"Quebec, with its long, harsh winters, forces the agricultural sector to put a lot of effort into food preservation in order to provide access to a wide variety of products year-round. Many producers freeze or preserve products to maintain the flavours of items that they want to offer their customers. It's fascinating to work with these types of products.”
Charlotte
"I like the contrast between the seasons in Quebec. You can use a wide variety of ingredients that allow us to experience different emotions. Right now, I'm working with maple, but also with buckwheat, spruce, and sweet clover. Spring awakens my creativity a lot. Everything I do tastes like renewal.”
The world cuisines that inspire the team
Anthony
"I would say it's Mediterranean cuisine. It’s the perfect answer because it doesn't force me to deny either side of my Franco-Italian origins. I love the culinary traditions associated with the water's edge. I can relate to my grandfather's pasta with squid ink and grilled octopus as well as to the chicken salads and couscous that we finish with olive oil and lots of fresh herbs.”
Timothée
"I like Asian cuisine in general. I'm inspired by the cooking methods of several countries on that vast continent. I like the way they season without salt or use cooking methods like the wok, where ingredients are introduced in a precise order to maximize their taste and create a delicious mix of flavours.”
Charlotte
"I can't choose. I like to let myself be inspired by where I am."
A few quick questions
What's your specialty when entertaining at home?
A : I go by feeling. It’s important that my guests enjoy their meal and have a good time.
T : I often opt for stewed dishes. Preparing them in advance lets you enjoy people's company.
C : I make a lemon meringue pie, it's simple and delicious!
For a family lunch, you like to cook...
A : I’m a bit of a shoddy shoemaker these days. I’m cooking less at home. With my twins, I try to focus the time I spend with them on discovering foods, and I’m already getting them involved in the kitchen.
T : Sweet crepes.
C : Chocolate, tartines, cheese, eggs, and potato pancakes.
Your favourite holiday recipe?
A : Beef Wellington or foie gras, classic French dishes!
T : I like to cook dishes that are not too hearty, like fish or seafood.
C : Black Forest cake, it reminds me of my childhood.
