Chef Shelome Bouvette

Vancouver is home to some of the best chefs in the world, many have worked for the top chefs and restaurants around the world as well as around the city. Dishing with the Chefs is a series of Interviews with some of the top chefs in and around Vancouver.

Chef Shelome Bouvette

Shelome Bouvette started off her career in the culinary program at Vancouver Community College in 1994. She then worked as a Sous Chef and then as a Pastry Chef at Mescaleros, then as a Sous Chef at Trafalgar’s, then Allegro and then at the Alibi Room she was the Sous Chef and then the Chef. She then worked at Tomato Café, and then as the Prep Chef at Bin 941. In 2003 she became the Executive Chef at Lolita’s Restaurant.

What are your favourite cuisines to eat personally?

Dim Sum

What are the top 5 ingredients we would find in your home pantry?

  1. Olive oil
  2. Garlic
  3. Wine
  4. Butter
  5. Lemon

What Challenges you cooking in your restaurant?

Making people happy with the food. Being one step ahead always researching food.

What style of Mexican food do you make at Lolita’s?

My interpretation of the flavours of Mexico including the colours and presentation.

Have there been any ingredients that have been hard to find in Vancouver?

Yes there have been many, such as Mexican cheeses, different types of dried herbs such as Ezpote, canned chillis, Huitlacocke (a fungus), Ear of corn (sauces), and Carne Asada (Mexican beef jerky).

The First Dish:

Ceviche Habanero

Ceviche Habanero

Oceanwise seafood

Mandarin oranges

Guacamole

Habanero pepper

Pickled chiote

Blue corn tostadas

What was your inspiration behind this dish?

It’s traditional, most ceviches are too tart, I wanted one with depth, sweet, sour, flavourful and colourful.

If you can’t find the specific ingredients, then what do you do?

I make the ingredients from scratch or I substitute.

Where do you go to research food?

Chicago and Seattle

Who is your favourite Chef?

Rick Bayless

How do you keep the consistency going year after year?

  • Hard work
  • Always checking your product
  • New dishes
  • Focus

What are the top 3 dishes that customers have come back for since day 1?

1)    Ceviche

2)    Turkey Tostada

3)    Beef Taquitos

What do you like to do in your Off Time?

  • Spend time with my son
  • Checking out new restaurants
  • Bike riding
  • Night market and community events

The Second Dish:

Chili Seared Local Albacore Tuna

Chili Seared Local Albacore Tuna

Black bean

Papaya

Avocado salsa

What was your inspiration behind this dish?

People love Albacore Tuna and local is great to use. All local ingredients, sustainable, flavourful all Oceanwise.

What are your favourite Restaurants in Vancouver outside of where you work?

  • Sun Sui Wah
  • Calabash Bistro
  • Guu on Thurlow
  • Gyoza King
  • Hapa Izakaya

Where do you like to Hangout?

  • La Brasserie
  • Boneta
  • Cascade Room

The Third Dish:

 

Mexican Chili Southern Pecan Tart

Mexican Chili Southern Pecan Tart

With backyard plum sauce

What was your inspiration behind this dish?

Incorporate Mexican flavours into traditional desserts. We like to add some spice.

What has Inspired you Lately?

All the farmers markets, people are getting more inspired by shopping locally.

Who are your Mentors?

  1. Rick Bayless
  2. John Bishop

What is the One Thing you could Tell People about your food at Lolita’s?

Well it is more than one, vibrant, colourful, comfortable food with-out an ego.

Stay tuned for the next chef in the Dishing with the Chef series.

By: Richard Wolak

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