Arguably this month's most exciting chef collab, this Thursday, April 7 and Friday April 8, Toronto-based chef Eva Chin and US-based chef Lucas Sin, are coming together to create an unforgettable, now sold-out, dinner at Leslieville's Avling Brewery.
Curating a menu centring around Southern Chinese-style dishes inspired by heritage-driven flavours and their lived experiences, the chefs who refer to each other as long-lost cousins, only recently met two weeks ago over hot pot with a group of friends. Immediately bonding, "on account of a spiritual Cantonese connection," reads chef Sin's recent Instagram post, the idea to work together on a special dinner came to fruition.
"We recognized a lot of specific culinary memories shared together and we really understand our double identity," says chef Chin. "The identity of being Chinese and Chinese-American at the same time. All these factors made us realize we have to transfer all that energy and thought into cooking. And it was our chance to communicate to the public about our stories through food."
"At the end of the day, what we both really realize is that it's okay if people don't understand the stories and deep cuts of this menu and the food," says Chin. "When we were growing up eating these foods made by our families, we also felt like we didn't truly understand it. And that's the point; we want our stories and our culture to be heard; it's not even just about understanding. Our food and culture is very much a part of North American culture and history."
The menu for the evening begins with Peppercorn Bone Broth, followed by a series of snacks and three courses, including dessert to finish. It not only puts an emphasis on Cantonese flavours and the duo's feelings of nostalgia that transpires from them, but also shines a light on Canada's bounty, stressing sustainability.
Note a slew of ingredients sourced from across the country on the menu – oysters from Fanny Bay off the coast of Vancouver Island, yellow split peas from Saskatchewan and Ontario-grown sea buckthorn, ginger and scallion, to name a few.
"Born here but not raised here," says chef Chin on the ethos of the special dinner. "Born somewhere else, but settled here. Bridging the gap between generations of our culture through embracing the circularity of local farmers and sustainable eating practices of our new surroundings."
One of the offerings carrying the most sentiment on the menu, is the second course. Tamarack Farm lamb "braised with our fathers' love" made with lettuce and chickpea miso and fuyu gravy, accompanied by farm grown choys and cured lamb XO sauce.
"It really bears deep winter family memories and culture for me," says the chef. "Coincidentally, both Lucas's mom and my mom both did not like lamb, but both our dads loved it. Not only that, but it was a true winter tradition, once the wind picks up, wherever we are at that time, my dad pulls out the claypot and makes his lamb belly bean curd stew."
Being based out of a brewery means dishes are naturally getting paired with Avling's beer, a perk that's included in the ticket price. Second course gets a splash of Avling's Sangfroid Barrel-Aged Blend.
A reminder that this is a sold out ticketed dinner event, so if you've missed your opportunity to attend chefs Chin and Sin's Long Lost Cousins dinner, you'll just have to admire from afar and check out their independent ventures.
Here in Toronto, Eva Chin is the executive chef of Avling. Experimenting with innovative dishes reflective of her upbringing, Chin incorporates a focus on sustainability and local farming on her menus. Always putting an emphasis on sharing culture through cuisine, reflective in meals like her Lunar New Year dinner, the chef also helms Chinese banquet supper club The Soy Luck Club, alongside executive sous chef at Avling, Steve Allery.
On the other hand, you'll have to take a trip to New York City or New Haven to experience chef Lucas Sin's dynamic menus that emphasize accessibility and creativity. Chef of fast-casual restaurants Junzi Kitchen and Nice Day, Sin blends traditional Chinese and Chinese-American dishes to create some "New Chinese favourites," like Mapo Mac and Cheese. He too runs supper clubs, under the name of Shy*BoyzClub alongside chef Eric Sze of Taiwanese restaurants Eight Eight Six and Wenwen.
