The second weekend of Ottawa’s Chef’s Table hosted at the NAC included a delicious spread led by Executive Chef Kenton Leier along with Pascal Ménard, the executive chef at Global Affairs Canada and Rideau Gate. Ménard has cooked dishes for Canada’s Governor General, Prime Minister, and other foreign diplomats and dignitaries such as former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The French-native cook came to Canada in search of new experiences, but he was also in various kitchens throughout Paris, Andorra, and Florida. He has worked at le Baccara in Casin Lac- Leamy and Hôtel Roc de Caldes in Andorra. This is Ménard’s second time as a headlining cook for Chef’s Table. He sat down with us to talk about his experience at the event and the inspiration behind his work.
Apt613: Do you want to tell us more about the type of dishes you served at Chef’s Table this year, and what your experience was like?
It (was) a little bit of everything, because I represent Canada with Global Affairs – my job is to use Canadian products to represent Canada for the diplomatic corps, ministers, head of state, and the monarchy. We did salmon from Nova Scotia with beets, and for the main course it was veal from Quebec stuffed with champignons, herbs, and shrimp in the center. We served some vegetables from around Ontario and Quebec because we’re not too far together. And the dessert was a trifle and inside was a cream of pistachio, and raspberry coulis, because it’s the time for raspberries in Canada. So I tried to incorporate products from around Ontario and Quebec. Sometimes it can be French or European style, but we tried to incorporate many cultures in our menu.
Apt613: What do you say inspires your cooking and presentation style?
I use my team to create the menu, because yes, I’m the chef, but I participate with my crew. So (if) you have an idea, we can do that; it’s not only me, it’s all my team. I give my direction, (they) give me an idea, and I incorporate it in the menu.
Apt613: Do you have any specific chefs or restaurants that have helped shape who you are as a chef today?
I don’t have a specific one, but for me, the thing that is very important is the base, the base of the kitchen. So if you have a nice product, you do not need to put much too many things around the product – you need to keep the product as simple (as possible), because you need to keep the flavour and where they’re from. So for me, that’s very important. You can add some product inside, just not to cover the flavour or the principle of the product in your plate.
Apt613: What do you love the most about French cuisine and getting to share it with others here?
I love to specify on meat and fish. I love to make those because when I started cooking in the restaurant where I learned cooking, we were doing everything like an old-school restaurant. We learn how to make bread, pastries, we touch (on) everything. The difference between me and the other chefs at the Ninth Floor, I love to remove the sugar from my dessert, (and have) just the flavour of the product I use. For example, if I’m doing a raspberry dessert, instead of putting sugar inside my mousse, I use white chocolate because it brings the sugar with the raspberry. We can’t use gelatin because it’s made from pork, so I found a recipe that used white chocolate to bring me the sweet and gelatin texture. At Global Affairs, we need to be careful because we have a lot of diplomats, and a lot of them are Muslim, so I needed to form a new technique.
Apt613: At Chef’s Table, you were able to curate your own menu alongside Kenton Leier, so how was that?
I learned the menu a long time ago this winter. I took pictures, sent them to Kenton, and (asked) if we needed to do adjustments for the event. The people really loved the menu and I think it was the first event that was sold out. So nice for me, and nice for the NAC, and lot of compliments at the end of the event, so I’m happy.
Apt613: Are there any specific or underrated restaurants here in Ottawa that you would recommend?
Mati, on Preston Street. I enjoy it because you have kind of a seafood platter and sushi.
