by MARK SLUTSKY

Somewhere, somehow, there must be a secret law dictating that every North American city must boast at least one establishment called “Lava Lounge.” (Chances are this dictate was drawn up by the hospitality industry Illuminati at some dark point in the exotica-ridden ’90s.) Montreal has had at least two, both on St-Laurent—there was one Lava Lounge up in Little Italy, around St-Zotique, which seems to have closed a little while ago, and the last couple of years have seen a new resto-bar bearing that moniker open up on the busy strip of the lower Main, just below des Pins.

You expect exotic, or at least borderline kitsch decor in an establishment called Lava Lounge, and this joint doesn’t disappoint. The interior is decorated in what you’d have to describe as some sort of neo-retro-Afro-Asian-lounge-tropical-exotica pastiche, with swirling patterns, dark wood, weird pillars (that don’t quite reach the ceiling) carved to look like they’re woven and a smattering of African—or African-ish—masks. The atmosphere is dark and den-like, which works well after dark, and not so well in the middle of the day with the front windows thrown open and bright sunlight streaming in, creating an effect very confusing to the eyes.

A block of text on the inside cover of Lava Lounge’s menu explains that the restaurant’s “much talked-about cuisine” results from some sort of combination of North American and European dishes with an Asian and/or tropical twist. The result, spearheaded by chef Bertrand Labarriere (who has run kitchens as far afield as Calgary, New York and Miami) is... ambitious, to say the least.

Besides a handful of standards like nachos ($10) and bruschetta ($5), most of the place’s appetizers seem to be oriented towards seafood fans. They’re mostly in the $9–$11 range, but a (definitely shareable) sampler tapas plate of five will set you back $13.50. The fried calamari ($9.50) is coated in a thick, crunchy batter—definitely the “onion ring” school of breaded squid. That’s served with a tomato/cumin coulis that had a little too much of a ketchup vibe for my taste.

The acras de morue salée ($9.50) are basically deep-fried balls of codfish in what they call an “Oaxacaca sauce,” which was more like an avocado spread than a sauce proper. These had potential but they tasted way too fishy, almost bitter, even, which made me fear the kitchen wasn’t exactly working with the freshest materials available. One of the better, and more interesting appetizers, is the warm lamb pâté ($9.50), served in a little pastry shell with a spritz of lemon, which provided for a tasty, savoury couple of bites.

The menu’s plats principaux provide for some lively reading; they really like piling on the flavours here. Take the Poulet Lava ($19), chicken stuffed with goat cheese and prosciutto and served on a bed of sweet potato risotto, or the snapper stuffed with crab, vegetables, lemon, tomatoes and curry rice ($22). Or marinated medallions of pork ($18), served with grilled pineapples and sweet potato fries... There’s a lot going on (price-wise, too, I should mention). But does it work? Well, the blackened Cajun salmon ($18) was a tasty dish, perfectly cooked throughout and well-spiced, although perhaps a little too drenched in lemon sauce. And I felt I had to try the “Presidential” filet mignon dish ($28), which was just too strange to pass up: a sizeable portion of tenderloin and a mish-mash of Duxelle mushrooms, all wrapped up in a crêpe. An odd dish, and an extremely rich riot of flavour; all in all it was little much for me, especially with the accompanying potato purée, which was heavily flavoured with horseradish.

As you might expect, the desserts are rich and complicated too, although with somewhat better results—the warm brownie topped with bananas, ice cream and chocolate sauce ($6.75) was a treat. Overall, though, I couldn’t help thinking of the meal we could have gotten at, say, Club de Chasse et Pêche for the same amount of money.

TIPS? QUESTIONS? COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF? E-mail eattothebeat@gmail.com

Lava Lounge
ADDRESS: 3671 St-Laurent PHONE: 287-3251
HOURS: Sun–Thu 4 p.m.–midnight, Fri–Sat 4 p.m.–2 a.m.
BEST FEATURES: The big menu and the
entertainingly bizarre atmosphere
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: You can make it happen
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
NO-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $9–$15 per person (lunch), $15–$40 (dinner)
before tax, drinks and tip
RATING: ** out of ****