Revisiting Au Pied de Cochon - 5th time and not charmed

Maybe this will be my last post before my short hiatus, it is necessary -- and a responsibility, in my opinion -- to write a revisited review about Au Pied de Cochon after my 5th visit.

But let's start with the pretty before I move on to the ugly.

I am the biggest fan of this restaurant, if not the most loyal. People whom I've met or spoken to, our topic of conversation would ultimately be reverted to me recommending them to this restaurant; should they ever come to Montreal. To me, APDC is the ultimate class of its own when it comes to Quebecois cuisine. Chef Martin Picard's bold flavors and buttery foie gras dream is indeed a success with the locals and visitors alike.

My first experience at APDC was a sweet one. It was the best dining experience I have ever had with food and service bar none. It raised my expectations on what a proper dining experience should be and to this day, I haven't been able to be completely happy with any restaurant's service since then. And that rings true for my subsequent visits to APDC too. Service and food in Au Pied de Cochon have not been great since my first visit - and I have given them 4 chances since then.

My second visit was still very much influenced by the charm of my first visit but I was not impress with my 3rd, 4th and 5th. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Chef Martin Picard was not there in all the other four times and service became slack. Our table was ignored for a full 15 minutes or more before anyone came to ask about us and take our orders. Never mind that despite reservations, we always had to wait 20-30mins to be seated. I suppose fame comes at the price of willing diners' time - however, I am willing to forgo this bit.

Food has been good but incomparable to the first time we were there. One of my companions had an overly salty sword fish stew, but to the credit of the waiter, that feedback was taken seriously. Their infamous Duck in the Can's foie gras was too soft the 2nd, 3rd and 4th time around; it was almost like eating a blob of uncooked chicken liver. The bold flavors of the food in APDC is becoming a little boring as well. It's missing something despite its velvety richness and tasty reductions - in my mind, food needs a certain balance to make you want to eat more. And it's becoming more apparent that food in APDC feels like it's being churned out by drones, lacking a certain depth or je ne sais quoi. Chef Picard needs to pay more attention to what's being churned out. Arrival of our meals takes approximately 30mins - 1 hour every time, regardless if it was full house or not. I can wait but the food has to be worth it; and it hasn't really been worth the wait since the first time we were there. No one came to check on us in the middle of dining like they used to on our 5th time there either (and there's a reason for this too, if you will read on), and so we couldn't really tell them how we felt.

I have always had high regards for APDC's waiters' level of professionalism but that is becoming marred by a picture of our waiter having drinking sessions with the table next to ours on our 5th visit. I understand the friendly atmosphere APDC wants for its customers but downing shots of alcohol with a guest while other tables need waiting is not professional.

Dining at Au Pied de Cochon has been a very bittersweet one; maybe more bitter than sweet. I felt that after my 5th visit with their service taking a little dive each time, I am beginning to wonder if they are becoming too complacent, too comfortable in their throne.

APDC is still my favorite restaurant and I would still recommend it to anyone who comes to visit Montreal as part of their cultural experience of the city. Don't get me wrong when I say this, but "Buck it up, guys".

It would be a waste to start slipping in standards and losing your loyal, non-alcoholic, clientele.