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.

I went to Notre Dame Hockey school back in Saskatchewan. Following an injury, I moved back to Alberta where I had grown up, attending Sait – Southern Alberta Institutional Technology for a couple of years taking their culinary program. I did my apprentiship at Osteria de Medici in Calgary for 4 months. I then worked at Capo in Calgary, the Calgary Saddledome as a Catering Chef, then at Cravings in Calgary, then over to San Remo, working in a fine dining restaurant in Calgary. I then left to Europe for a year, worked on farms across Italy. In Granada, Spain, then to Cortona, Italy and then Nice, France. After a year, in 2009, I moved to Vancouver, and worked at Firehall Bistro in Pitt Meadows for a year, then as the personal chef for Steven Seagal while he was here filming. I then worked at the Maple Grill as the Executive Chef for 2 years, then I spent 4 months on a Yacht cooking, did Food Network “Chopped” tv show filmed in Toronto, and then I joined The Truffle House & Café as their Executive Chef a few months ago.

Did you have an interest in Cooking growing up?

I always loved the kitchen and always played in my grandmas garden, of both sets of grandparents. I have fond memories of picking mushrooms and berries. One of my grandmothers was a mushroom forager.

Tell me about your interest in Truffles

The first time I had truffles was at Capo in Calgary. Then again in Europe when I went hunting for mushrooms, this is where I fell in love with them and I created a company (Tartufo d’ Alba) to import truffles and truffle products into Canada from Italy. I then came to work as the Executive Chef at The Truffle House & Café in West Vancouver.

What are your favourite dishes using Truffles?

• Vinaigrettes – honey truffle balsamic on salads is one of my favourites
• Walnut truffle crème sauce on tenderloin

What are your favourite foods to eat personally?

Comfort food such as a Duck pot pie, Cuban style Panini, perogies and borscht

 

1st dish:

Apple and Feta Salad

Apples

Feta cheese

Arugula

Honey truffle balsamic vinnaigrete

Toasted pine nuts

Pan seared sockeye salmon

What was your inspiration behind this dish?

Daily special that is local, using sockeye at its prime right now, truffle house, using truffles and pine nuts for crunch.

What are your favourite restaurants to eat at in Vancouver outside of where you work?

• Siegels Bagels
• Trafalgar Bistro
• Stableshouse Bistro
• Maenam

What do you like to do in your Off Time?

• Gardening
• Snowboard
• Play sports
• Boating
• Fishing
• Playing with my dog
• Cooking
• Learning about Wine
• Entertaining

2nd dish:

Slow Braised Shortrib Truffle Parsnip Puree

Cherry gastrique

Local mushrooms: shimiji, crimini, black trumpet

What was your inspiration behind this dish?

End of summer, the cherries coming to an end, locally foraged mushrooms and the parsnip puree for fall.

What is your strategy in Menu planning?

• You can’t replace a menu when taking over a restaurant from another chef.
• I analyze the current dishes, then step them up one dish at a time, with my style and flair.
• Appreciating the farmers
• Utilizing my background in fine dining skills

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

By: Richard Wolak