🕒 3.5 min read 

At The Pass is a weekly series showcasing Toronto’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight.

Currently

Kitchen manager, Extra Burger

Formerly

Aside from helping in my camp’s kitchen growing up (prepping food for 100 people) I do not have prior kitchen experience! 

Favourite dish to make right now

Soft scrambled eggs.

Last cookbook purchase

Ship to Shore: Straight Talk from the Seafood Counter by John Bil

Have you read it/tried any recipes

Not yet. But I’m excited to try the clam chowder recipe. I bought it because I couldn't get behind seafood as a kid, but I’ve come around and now I love it. So I want to get to know the things I didn’t understand about it so I can be a master! 

One dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus 

Anything plagiarized.

And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus

Kimchi. I haven’t tried making it myself yet but I do plan on it. it’s so delicious from PAT Mart on Bloor and The Local Market on Queen. I find it’s yummy with almost anything! And it's got good probiotics in it, which is always a plus.  

Biggest influences 

Leonard Cohen and my family.

If you could eat at any restaurant in the world

Bar Brutal in Barcelona.

Last thing you ate

A McDouble. 

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

Louisiana Hot Sauce, Butter, Mushrooms.

Guilty pleasure

Rock ‘n Roll Part 2 by Gary Glitter. And hot dogs, although in all honesty, no food is a guilty pleasure in my mind because there’s nothing to feel guilty about when it comes to eating!

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

Donna’s, Bar Isabel, and Superpoint. 

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars 

Black Dice, Ted’s Collision, and Echo Karaoke Bar.

One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake

Using things around me as percussion instruments.

And one habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs

Cleanliness.

Hidden talent

Breaking down cardboard boxes.

Best career advice you ever received

“Make sure your days off are days off.” - Rob Jones, a partner at Extra Burger

Worst career advice you ever received 

“Don’t get into the restaurant industry.” 

Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business

Don’t say “I know” all the time. Being teachable is the best quality to have.

In order to support chefs during this time, the monthly At The Pass series is now WEEKLY. Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration. And yes, you can nominate yourself.

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