Le Café Classyco

133, rue Frontenac

Sherbrooke (Québec)

J1H 1J7

Tél. :  (819) 565-4148

Artiste en résidence :

Dominique Dubreuil

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Article paru dans The Campus

December 1, 2005

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THE CAMPUS

Vol. 61, No 7                          December 1, 2005                  www.ubishops.ca/campus                  

Keeping our deadlines - AHEM, SRC - Since 1944

10/Features/Features Editor:  Clark Davis/Campus@UBISHOPS.CA

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 Classyco Café

 Mauritian cuisine on the banks of the mighty Magog

By Justice Thatch Burroughs

and Reebok St. Claire

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 On a cold and drizzly Sunday evening, Justice Thatch Burroughs and Reebok St. Claire ventured into the relatively ‘dirt bag free’ area of Wellington St.  in Sherbrooke.  The destination, a dining diamond in the rough, perched precariously over the surging Magog River.  It is here that you will find Classyco Café, a small Mauritian restaurant located in the more cultural end of Wellington yet still only a short walk from the bus station.  In the pizza and Asian heavy Sherbrookian eatery market, Classyco Café brings a refreshing Mauritian twist to the everyday experience.

The Café serves a second purpose, that of an art gallery for owner, hostess, and BU grad Dominique Dubreuil’s works of art, which lend a colourful island feel to the already warm setting.  Looking past the decor, it’s obvious that the Café values its customers over its bottom line.  At most, there are twenty tables, including a comfortable, semi-private lounge area overlooking the Magog gorge.

 The menu follows the setting’s lead.  The simple menu allows you to choose your meat and preparation style, served on rice or linguine.  Options include Poulet à la cajun, Crevettes au coco Seychellois, or Vegetarian à la créole, to name but a few.  Each meal is prix-fix at 14.35$ (16.50$ after tax)  and includes soup and bread served with a variety of spreads. 

 The spreads themselves are worth the walk to Classyco Café.  Unique and ingenious pairings of cilantro and tomato, coconut and mint, and tomato and peanut are intriguing and perfect start to the meal, and upon request a spicy lemon-lime Chili sauce is available - highly recommended by the Justine and Reebok.

Appetizers lead the way to the soup, which was an island inspired pineapple-vegetable consommé.  At first this may seem bizarre and off-putting, but the pineapple matched perfectly with the crisp carrots and celery.  ‘Phenomenal,’ commented Reebok, who was lapping from the bowl towards the end.

 The entrées arrived promptly after the soup. Reebok’s cajun chicken was as good as it smelled, which was divine.  Chicken in a flavourful sauce was complimented by rice and light salad dressed with raspberry vinaigrette.  The Justice’s meal was equally impressive, consisting of shrimp and scallops in a coconut and cumin cream sauce tossed with linguine, also accompanied by the aforementioned salad.

 ‘The scallop and shrimps were cooked to perfection, and the mild sauce was delicate but flavourful, and in no way overbearing.  Unlike this article,’ commented Justice Burroughs.  In both cases the reviewers were rendered near speechless by the quality of the dinner.

 The owner / chef created his masterpieces in full view of the boisterious clientele, and he was eager to mingle and hobnob with his guests.  His open-plan kitchen allowed the restaurants homey feel to come through, and featured a stove that may well have been plucked out of a little Forks apartment, if not a back alley dumpster.  His wife, the artiste en residence, was our hostess and precariously breached the linguistic gap; however, her infectiously gracious demeanor instantly made one feel welcome.

 The Mauritian inspired Classyco Café is clean, tastefully decorated, pleasantly staffed, and offers some of the best fare that Sherbrooke has to offer, at a very reasonable price.

 Food 5/5 - Appetizers and main course were ‘maur-licious’ and serving size was excellent.

 Service 4/4 - Soup was slow to arrive, however there was only one server and restaurant became rather busy.

 Ambiance 5/5 - Beautifully decorated and very inviting.  Dominique’s island inspired art was a treat to take in while waiting for the next course.

Value 5/5 - Three courses for under $15.00 is good to sart with, but the quality really tips the scales.

 Freshness of garnish 5/5 - While there was little garnish, even the placemats seemed fresh.

 Percent Dissolved Solids in water (ppm) 4/5 - Cool and refreshing, tasted much like water, and no floaties.

 Overall 4.75/5 - Highly recommended.

 Tips: 

Brings your own winw; Classyco Café does not serve booze, but will gladly pop the cork for you.

Takes interac, Reservations required as this place fills up fast.

Open Tues-Sun, 5-9:30 pm

Location:  133, rue frontenac, Sherbrooke, Qc, (819) 565-4148