[dropcap size=big]J[/dropcap]ason Labahn, the executive chef at Vancouver-based Browns Socialhouse, talks about how his team prepares fresh ethnic dishes that stand out.
By Mary Luz Mejia
F&H: What ethnic cuisine is gaining traction in Canada?
Jason Labahn: South-East Asian cuisine is hot, including Vietnamese food. In Vancouver, Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches are big. I think part of that is because of the health aspect of these cuisines; they tend to be lighter in flavour due to the use of fresh herbs, acids, citrus and other fruit juices. There’s also a preference to use rice noodles as opposed to wheat, which ties into the gluten-free craze. It’s also exciting to see what’s happening regarding Peru. For a lot of people here, that cuisine is still foreign, [but] the amount of agricultural products coming from Peru is exciting to see.
F&H: You’ve mentioned that prominent chefs are looking to Peru for inspiration. Can you name a chef doing that?
JL: U.S.-based Spanish chef José Andrés…. I think he’s even opening a Peruvian restaurant. (Editor’s note: Chef Andrés recently announced he’s opening a Chifa — Chinese Peruvian cuisine — restaurant called China Chilcano in Washington, D.C.)
F&H: How does Browns, a franchise expanding into Ontario, stay current while competing with similar chains that also offer global takes on ethnic cuisine?
JL: Our president, Scott Morrison, and I stay on top of what’s happening in the industry and what customers want now. Our menu and food quality separates us from everyone else. Most of our competitors buy their soups and sauces pre-made. We make everything fresh from store to store. We have a solid recipe base that our stores use — recipes we develop at our development kitchen. We keep cooks cooking — that’s my motto. We provide our chefs with tested, current recipes that work and taste great, and we give them the ingredients to be successful. It’s scary, because it’s much easier when company X has lamb shanks ready to go, where you open a bag and you’re done. But we don’t work that way.
F&H: Do you adjust your ethnic dishes to satisfy gluten intolerance or spice thresholds?
JL: We looked at our menu and decided to see where we could offer gluten-free choices, so instead of a burger bun, for example, we offer a lettuce wrap — or we offer corn tortillas as a gluten-free alternative. That way we appease those with dietary restrictions and still offer something to everyone else. With spicing, it’s tricky, because I cook for the masses, so it’s about finding that harmony of sweet, salty, bitter, sour and spicy that appeals to a wider audience. I have to put my likes aside and find the middle ground. If something is meant to be hot, we’ll indicate it on the menu. As far as general seasoning, [we made] the chipotle sauce on our tacos 20 times or more before we found the right balance.
