Our franchises Le Blossom

The Village is home to a new sake bar and sushi spot, as Le Blossom has opened up on de Maisonneuve, near Amherst.

It’s a coproduction between a trio of established restaurateurs: Dan Pham, now a mini-magnate in the neighbourhood with his Vietnamese pub Le Red Tiger, and Hawaiian snack bar Kamehameha, and twin chefs Viet and Nam Truong, who own Plateau sushi spot Geisha Box.

As reported when the project was announced, Blossom walks the line between restaurant and bar. Japanese rice wine sake is a big focus: Pham paired with multiple private importers to fill out a list of over 20 sakes, and mixing whiz Lawrence Picard put together a small cocktail list, including a couple of refreshments made with Japanese hard liquor shochu, and one with sake. It’s rounded out with a few beers, Japanese whiskys, and a short wine list leaning towards lighter white options.

The white-heavy wine list (and all the sake) are for good reason: it’s to better match the menu that centres around tempura and sushi — temaki hand-rolls with yellowfin tuna, lobster, scallop, and more, and tempura vegetables, shrimp, and fish, alongside karaage fried chicken, all with dipping sauces to match. A few udon noodle bowls, including a curry option, and sponge cake desserts (including a matcha take on it) round out the offerings.