At The Pass with Coulson Armstrong

Toronto Restaurants Coulson Armstrong Stephanie Dickison.png

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. Meet Maria Janelle Marquez.

🕒 3 min read

Currently

Culinary Director, Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club

Formerly

Tamarack FarmsMister Jiu’s, Noma

Favourite dish to make right now

Fish cooked over charcoal.

Last cookbook purchase

Mukoita II, Cutting Techniques: Seafood, Poultry, and Vegetables by Japanese Culinary Institute

Have you read it/tried any recipes

Shiitake Dashi.

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

Year round Caprese Salad.

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

Fava/Broad beans. 

Biggest influences

Ester Restaurant & Bar in Australia, Angler Restaurant in San Francisco.

If you could eat at any restaurant in the world

Yardbird, Hong Kong.

Last thing you ate 

Multigrain toast, scrambled eggs, hot sauce.

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

Soy pickled ramps, white anchovy, Dijon mustard.

Maple Caviar Cruller.

Maple Caviar Cruller.

Guilty pleasure

Cheeseburgers; Chicken, rice, soy; Ice cream.

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

Bernhardt's, Skippa, Crosley’s

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars

The City Pool, Paradise Grapevine, Montauk

Go-to drink

Wine.

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

Tasting with your fingers.

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

Washing the dust pan after every use.

Hidden talent 

Connor Macdonald.

Best career advice you ever received

Travel. 

Worst career advice you ever received

Don’t be a flash in the pan, stay here and get paid minimum wage.

Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business 

Eat everything, try everything, read books non-stop.


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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