Cooking without flame at Kanu, the Green Onion Cake Man returns, chef Marc Lepine’s superb new book and the Wickaninnish Inn welcomes chef Carmen Ingham
new chef at wickaninnish inn
The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, a favourite of many an Edmonton diner, has a new chef, Carmen Ingham. Chef Ingham says his passion is showcasing ingredients that represent a “sense of this place, at the highest level possible.” He is at home on Vancouver Island, having cooked at Olo Resturant in Victoria and at Villa Eyrie Resort on the Malahat. The former exec chef at the Pointe, Warren Barr, is opening a resto called Pluvio restaurant + rooms with his partner Lily Verney-Downey in Ucluelet. Can’t wait to try that.
green onion cake man is back!
Sui To has been cooking for Edmontonians for several decades, since opening his first restaurant, the Happy Garden, in Parkallen. But he’s best known for creating the green onion cake. The fried pastry, chock full of scallions; a little bit salty and a little bit greasy, has become Edmonton’s ubiquitous festival food and, some might say, Edmonton’s signature dish. Sui To is a delight—funny, mischievous, probably a bit of a rascal.
“My wife wanted to move to Vancouver, so I closed the Noodle Maker and we moved to Vancouver,” he says. “But I didn’t like it, too grey, too wet, so I moved back.” Did your wife move back too? “Yes, a few months later.”
We’re glad he’s back in town. You can enjoy fried green onion cakes, hot and sour soup and a few other Northern Chinese classics along with a delicious pot of tea (his own blend) at the Green Onion Cake Man restaurant. Small and spare, with black and white Toti prints on the wall, it’s a comfortable spot for a casual lunch. Don’t forget to pick up a few frozen dumplings and green onion cakes (pan-fry ready or toaster ready) as you leave. Green Onion Cake Man, 9132 118 Avenue.
cooking without flame at kanu
We spent a bit of time in the kitchen at Kanu, Edmonton’s new plant-based eatery, with chefs Justin O’Reilly and Jordan Wiggins.
The kitchen is all electric, with no open flame. There are several induction burners lined up on the counter and a convection and turbo fan oven along with four blenders. “We are 50 per cent raw;” says Justin, “and we do a lot of blending and puréeing.”
That morning Jade Auclair was prepping cabbage to make kimchee (cabbage, ginger, garlic, shallots, chillies) for their top selling kimchee dumplings. “It cures in four to five days,” says Jordan, “and we use creamed cashew nut so the final flavour is not as sour.”
Justin is new to Edmonton, having spent most of his cooking career in Saskatchewan. He’s been busy building relationship with local farmers. “I love Doef’s—we can get jalepenos and other peppers from them and year-round eggplants and cucumber.” He also has some not so obvious resources.
“Matthew Kenney (the plant-based chef Sherry and George Schluessel partnered with to open Kanu) has restaurants around the globe and has built supply chains, so I can get things like bigger beet greens. I can call 35 chefs anywhere to find ingredients.”
the future of food
We are huge fans of chef Marc Lepine, having watched him win the Canadian Culinary Championships not once, but twice. His restaurant in Ottawa, Atelier continues to offer a rare and exciting dining experience, according to fellow CCC judge Anne DesBrisay, who co-wrote the book with Mark. It is a work of art, with stunning photography by Christian Lalonde, with 45 recipes, inspired by the seasons, local ingredients and innovative technique. Don’t let that deter you. Atelier is a journey into the mind of one of the world’s best chefs. Atelier, Figure 1 Publishing, $45.