🕒 4 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

Chef, Burdock

Formerly

Dreyfus, Osteria Rialto, Le Swan

Favourite dish to make right now

Quince cake with almond cream

Last cookbook purchase 

Claire Saffitz’s Dessert Person. No regrets!

Have you read it/tried any recipes

I’m baking my way through it and every single one so far is incredible. I recommend starting from the Poppy Seed Bundt.

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

Turned vegetables! Good knife work should minimize waste, not highlight it.

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

Cabbage! As a Russian, I am so happy it’s finally getting some recognition.

Biggest influences

As far as people I’ve never met go, my influences are Angela Dimayuga and Christina Tosi. But real life is so much more formative. I’ve had the fine fortune of working with some really incredible women in this industry who have also blown me away - namely Emma Herrera, Jill Barber, and Jen Agg. I am also endlessly inspired by all the other young chefs around me who are opening restaurants, building community fridges, and making food zines.

If you could eat at any restaurant in the world

There are two spots that have been on my watchlist for a while now: Kachka in Portland and Apteka in Pittsburgh. I want to see more creative Eastern European cooking!  

Last thing you ate

Filet-o-Fish.

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

Capers, butter, white wine.

Guilty pleasure

Junk food. I’m not above a chain pizza shop Hawaiian slice with garlic dip.

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

Donna’s, Taverne Bernhardt’s, Albert’s Real Jamaican 

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars

Am I allowed to say Burdock? [Editor’s note: YES!] Otherwise, Civil Liberties, Paradise Grapevine, and The Little Jerry.

Go-to drink

Dirty Vodka Martini, extra olives.

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

Smoke breaks! Eleven days into the new year and so far so good.

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

Spontaneously bringing in fun ingredients just to play with. I miss the farmers’ market.

Hidden talent

I can make Italian meringue without a working stand mixer. 

Best career advice you ever received  

Carry yourself with confidence in the kitchen. Any kitchen. This was told to me by Zach Kolomeir (chef/owner of Dreyfus). 

Worst career advice you ever received 

Don’t work at a place where you’ve already worked. There’s nothing wrong with returning to home base and doing a hard reset.

Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business

Buy yourself one great chef’s knife. Don’t let anyone convince you that you need fancy toys to make it in this industry. Don’t pretend to be someone else to survive. Listen to your body, it knows a lot about you. It’s never too late to take up yoga.

———

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.   

For breaking news, updates, interviews + much more, follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter.