Meet the Chef · Montréal, Québec
Meet the Chef at MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace, Four Seasons Montréal: Marcus Samuelsson on Markets, Memory, and Plant-Forward Cooking
From a grandmother's kitchen in Gothenburg to a terrace above Montréal — the acclaimed chef on berbere, the joy of the market, and the dish he builds around a koji portobello.
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On the third floor of Four Seasons Montréal, with a spacious terrace open to the Québec sky, MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace has become one of the city's premier dining rooms — a stylish brasserie that moves from power breakfasts to late-night cocktails. Behind it is Marcus Samuelsson, one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, whose cooking carries Ethiopia, Sweden, and New York in equal measure. We sat down with him to talk about where his cooking began, the three ingredients he can't live without, and why the plant-forward movement is one trend he believes is here to stay.
"The joy of cooking starts with curiosity and an open mind, and the rest will follow."
A Cooking Philosophy Built Across Continents
Samuelsson's cooking begins, as he tells it, in more than one place at once. He was born in a small village in Ethiopia and spent his first three years there before he and his sister were adopted by a Swedish couple and raised in Gothenburg. It was there, in his grandmother Helga's kitchen, that his love of cooking took hold — learning to make meatballs and ginger cookies, and finding the fire that would send him chasing flavor. He made that passion his profession at culinary school in Göteborg, apprenticed in Switzerland and Austria, and then took the leap to New York City. "All of these places live inside me when I cook," he says. They are the reference points and memories he reaches for in the pantry, and in how he thinks about a dish.
It Starts at the Market
Ask Samuelsson for a telling detail about himself and he goes straight to the market. His favorite place in any new city, he says, is the market — where he wants to wander and talk to every farmer and vendor, getting to know what they have and where they are from. That, to him, is the joy of cooking: it begins with curiosity and an open mind, and the rest follows. It is a philosophy that shows up on the plate, too. He is a deeply visual person, drawn to beautiful presentation — not fussy food, but the care behind the visual feast. When you work with incredible ingredients, he says, you want to do them justice.
The Three Ingredients He Can't Live Without
Pressed to name the foods he reaches for again and again, Samuelsson keeps it to three: berbere, chicken, and pickled herring — a trio that maps his life neatly across the Ethiopian spice box, the universal comfort of poultry, and the Scandinavian table of his childhood. He is just as generous about the food of others. Asked to name a favorite, he insists it is a trick question — he wants to try everything — but he will happily crown one dish: the fried chicken at Charles Pan-Fried Chicken in Harlem. He has made fried chicken countless times, in his restaurants and at home, he says, and nothing beats the taste, the flavor, and the whole experience of what Charles makes. "He is the master."
A Dish Worth Ordering
For a taste of how Samuelsson thinks, he points to one of the restaurant's most creative plates. In Montréal, he and Executive Chef Jason built a caramelized koji portobello with basil, ají amarillo, and sour cream — a dish he describes as beautifully balanced, with a high, bright note of acid from the yellow hot pepper brought back to earth by the mushroom and a touch of cream. It is a small study in the balance he prizes: bold flavor, careful restraint, and respect for the ingredient at its center.
The Trend He Believes In
Samuelsson is wary of trends as a rule — they come and go, he says, and he doesn't stop to pay attention unless he's convinced one will last. One has more than earned his attention: the plant-forward movement, which he has watched only grow over the years. It is how he and his wife, Maya, often eat at home, and he loves seeing the creativity other chefs bring to vegetables. It may be called a trend, he says, but it's one that is here to stay. The same openness runs through what he drinks: he's been excited by how inventive bartenders have become with non-alcoholic drinks, pointing to MARCUS's own Azteca — Seedlip, lime, lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, and agave — as a refreshing, well-balanced example.
Beyond the Plate
For all the restaurants and accolades, Samuelsson is quick to name his greatest recent gift as something far from the kitchen: he and Maya just welcomed their baby daughter, Grace — the greatest gift of all, he says. It is a fitting coda for a chef whose cooking has always been about people and place as much as technique — the farmers at the market, the grandmother at the stove, the family at the table. At MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace, all of it lands on one stylish terrace above Montréal.
MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace — At a Glance
- Chef
- Marcus Samuelsson (with Executive Chef Jason)
- Restaurant
- MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace
- Property
- Four Seasons Montréal
- Cuisine
- Contemporary brasserie — global, seafood-forward, plant-friendly
- Setting
- Third-floor dining room and terrace
- Signature dish
- Caramelized koji portobello with basil, ají amarillo & sour cream
- Location
- Four Seasons Montréal, Québec, Canada
Plan Your Visit
MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace at Four Seasons Montréal serves breakfast through late-night cocktails, with a spacious third-floor terrace and a globe-spanning brasserie menu. Reserve a table or plan a stay in the heart of Montréal.
Reserve a TableFrequently Asked Questions
Who is the chef at MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace in Montréal?
MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace at Four Seasons Montréal is led by acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, working with Executive Chef Jason. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson is one of the most celebrated chefs in the world.
What should I order at MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace?
One of the restaurant's most creative dishes is the caramelized koji portobello with basil, ají amarillo, and sour cream — a balanced plate with a bright, acidic note grounded by the earthy mushroom and a touch of cream. The bar's non-alcoholic Azteca is a standout pour.
What kind of food does MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace serve?
MARCUS is a contemporary brasserie whose menu reflects Marcus Samuelsson's global influences — Ethiopian, Swedish, and American — with a strong plant-forward sensibility. The restaurant serves everything from breakfast to late-night cocktails.
Where is MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace located?
MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace is on the third floor of Four Seasons Montréal in Québec, Canada, with an indoor dining room and a spacious outdoor terrace.
What three ingredients can Marcus Samuelsson not live without?
Marcus Samuelsson names berbere, chicken, and pickled herring — a trio that reflects his Ethiopian roots, universal comfort cooking, and his Scandinavian upbringing.
How do I make a reservation at MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace?
You can reserve a table at MARCUS Restaurant + Terrace through the Four Seasons Montréal dining page or the restaurant's reservation link. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night cocktails.
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