With Marc Thuet’s Liberty Village outpost, Atelier Thuet, settling into a solid groove, the culinary master, known for the slow-roasted, heart-attack inducing cuisine of his ancestral homeland, is stirring things up yet again. Thuet and life partner, the incomparable Biana Zorich, turned tongue-in-cheek when they rechristened their King West boîte, Thuet, Bite Me! (“With pleasure,” we respond.)

The snarky name alone is enough to conjure up curiosity and inspire contemplation of a visit. But rest assured, there is nothing juvenile about Thuet’s cuisine. As expected, he continues to astonish with gastronomic mettle — proving that he still has a few aces up the sleeves of his chef’s whites.

A formidable lobster with NoBeluga pearls ($16) has molecular gastronomy written all over it. Served piping hot in a caviar tin with a dollop of char roe for some added salty authenticity, the squid-ink injected Israeli couscous look so perfect you’ll want to string them. But the heart of the dish lies beneath the ebon-dyed grains, where succulent morsels of lobster meet up with a perfectly poached egg — a textbook lesson in how to perfectly combine flavours with textures.

Cuttlefish ($27) also gets an extreme makeover, this time masquerading as a bowl of al dente fettuccine. Cleverly filleted into thin strips below a wickedly seared sea scallop, razor clams and cockles, all finished with a buttery corn emulsion, it doesn’t get better than this. Even a Caesar salad ($12) is elevated from its usually humble existence. What appears to be a whole head of nicely chilled romaine heart is doused with a zippy dressing, gathered into a roulade disc in the centre of the plate, topped with a couple slices of cured Mennonite prosciutto, shaved parmesan and a la minute crouton strips.

In the hands of many an aspiring chef, all this razzle-dazzle cookery could easily backfire. But, like the great 18th-century chef Antonin Careme, Thuet delivers with simplified but highly refined mastery. His foie gras crème brulee ($16) is the definitive example of such greatness: smooth and creamy duck liver pate complemented by the sweetness of a nicely crisped sugar surface — pure candy-coated evil.

Mains, such as the succulent Red Deer ($29) with chestnut ravioli in a fragrant cloudberry sauce, are utterly divine. Fluffy cubes of gnocchi ($25) with tender tripe and melt-in-the-mouth pork belly swim in a pool of rich, zesty matriciana (a regional Italian sauce with bacon and onions). A luscious slab of tenderloin ($29) is so tasty, the accompanying fruity braised oxtail stew and sweetbreads in a sleek red-wine reduction served alongside seem as superfluous as a third nipple. But who’s complaining?

And for those diehards who crave the carvings of the old Thuet, the Alsatian sensation hasn’t abandoned all tradition; you can still find many of chef’s vintages, including the spit-roasted capon ($26 per person) and a crepes Suzette ($40 for two) flambéed tableside. Though the price is steep, the tummy-tingling aroma of caramelizing sugar mixed with butter and Grand Marnier wafting over will soon make you forget the recent collapse of capitalism and your home foreclosure. And perhaps the delicate pancakes are not as gossamer as they should be. But when we point this out to Thuet, his response (“this is fucking ridiculous,” if we recall correctly), makes us think this complaint will likely not appear again.

The name of the restaurant may be a bit cutesy for a place serving such exquisite fare. But rest assured Thuet has not bitten off more than he can chew. If you can get past the silly moniker, you are guaranteed a gastronomic adventure that few others will ever be able to deliver. And if you don’t agree, all that is truly left to say is, y’know, bite me!

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