Learn North American French Cuisine: Chef Schools in Montreal, Quebec

Montreal is distinctly French in flavor and certainly in language. As large cities go, Montreal is inviting and friendly. If you’re looking to study cooking in a school in Montreal you should learn the French language if you don’t have a working understanding already. You’ll find some classes taught in English, but they are limited.

Local Culinary Scene

Part of any culinary arts education, though should include an intensive off-site plunge into the regional bounty and cuisine. Montreal dishes up an eclectic mélange of restaurants and excellent hidden away bistros, many of whose chefs put together interesting combinations of classic French with contemporary American influences.

Traditional and popular foods in the Montreal area include baked beans, maple syrup, bagels, poutine, and shepherd’s pie. A few highly acclaimed restaurants and bistros and their executive chefs, include:

• Les Caprices de Nicolas, executive chef William Frachot
• Joe Beef, executive chef Frederic Morin
• Garde Manger, executive chef Chuck Hughes

While you’re learning the art of cheffing you’ll also want to check out where to buy the wares of your trade—the Montreal food markets:

• Marche Atwater is larger than Jean-Talon. Shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, specialty meats, seafood, herbs, exotic spices, sauces and pastas and much more.
• Marche Jean-Talon located in downtown Montreal. Shop for farm-fresh vegetables and fruit, fresh butchered meats and seafood, coffees, Italian inspired food stuffs.

Popular Montreal Culinary Schools

Institut de tourisme et d’hotellerie du Quebec (ITHQ) -- This internationally acclaimed hospitality and restaurant industry school actually is located in a working resort hotel, complete with fine restaurant. Here is Montreal’s best culinary program. This is the type of hands-on, real world work/study environment most desirable for student chefs. Your career hinges on the experience and training you can put on your resume AND that which you can prove through skill in the kitchen. Only when you have the opportunity to apply the skills you learn in a classroom to real demanding situations do you have what it takes to call yourself a professional chef. The program is taught by chef/instructors and pros in the hospitality business.

Academie Culinaire is one of the best-known cooking schools in Montreal and is accessible to both novice and professional cooks, alike. This is a perfect option if you want to take intensive courses in a wide variety of culinary topics. The school also offers programs for children and teens. Available cooking classes are offered in the following areas:

• World Cuisine, including Moroccan, New York Style, Peruvian, Tex-Mex, Indian, Italian, California and many more.
• Desserts and Baking, including chocolate, baking techniques, cake decorating, pastries.
• Classics/Discoveries, include sauces, lamb and duck, healthy cooking, fish and seafood, tartar carpaccio, vegetarian cuisine, and soups.
• Basic Techniques covering intensive workshops in sauces and soups, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, and pastry and desserts
• Seasonal Courses
• Wine courses including Spain, Italy, France, and California