Neil Taylor trades his love of English staples for Italian cuisine
Ask Neil Taylor to describe his cooking style and the witty toque is quick to respond, “seasonal, simple and fresh.” The executive chef of Vancouver’s Uva Wine Bar and Cibo Trattoria enjoys cooking simple dishes. “I know what goes together well, and I don’t like to hide behind anything,” he explains. Perhaps not what you’d immediately expect from someone raised on typically British food, but who said stereotypes were fair?
The 30-year-old native of Berkshire, England, grew up on roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, pork pies and the classic English fry-up, in a county west of London. But, when he crossed the pond three years ago to take up permanent residence in Vancouver, he left the “stodgy” stuff behind, swapping it for quality gourmet Italian fare.
With a flair for innovative dishes, fluid cooking precision and a clever combination of colour and presentation, Taylor has quickly made a name for himself at Vancouver’s Cibo on Seymour Street. Originally hired as a back-of-the-house consultant, the straight-shooting chef was wooed by the restaurant’s owners who convinced him to make Canada his home after stops in London, the U.S., and short stints in Australia at the Catalina Restaurant and Tilbury Hotel.
“After I left my job in London, I was travelling in India and through a friend of a friend — the original consultant of Cibo — I used to work with at The River Café in London, he put me in touch,” explains the chef. “I came over to look at the project, went home, waited for my visa and came back.”
Fast forward three years, and the married father of a five-month-old, says Vancouver “is a great place to raise a family,” and, he adds, “the city boasts some of the freshest local food around.”
Like many of today’s chefs, Taylor and his brigade of 10 believe seasonal and farmer driven food is best. “Locally grown, organic food tastes better,” he says. Whether he’s creating a risotto of morels and red wine, thyme, butter and parmesan ($16), roast-suckling pork with fresh porcini and crackling ($26) or grilled calves’ liver with pancetta, caramelized shallots and aged balsamic ($23), his approach is understated. “The whole signature dish thing is kinda stupid if you ask me,” he laughs acerbically. “I don’t have a dish that I say: ‘this is mine and I invented it and all that nonsense.’ I just put things together I know will work. It’s not rocket science.”
In just a few years, the toque has won over guests and critics alike, garnering unanimous approval for his local ingredients, plating skills and the overall restaurant vibe. Since his arrival at Cibo, the trattoria has won numerous awards, including the enRoute Best New Restaurant Award (Gold Winner, 2009), a Georgia Straight Golden Plate Award (silver, 2010) and a Vancouver Restaurant Award (2011 finalist). And, the chef ’s mantle at home showcases the Gold award presented to him during the 2011 Vancouver International Wine Festival, in the Judges’ Choice category.
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