English: Jimmy Yu Chinese: Yasmin Lai

AS FEATURED IN EDITION NO. 7 OF FêTE CHINOISE MAGAZINE: Perspective 覺•渡

Venue: Patois & Bar Mignonette, Canada Art Direction: Melissa Haggerty Photographer: Claudia Hung Make up & Hair: Ivy Lam

We caught up with Chef Craig Wong, the Toronto-based owner of the award-winning restaurant Patois and upcoming Bar Mignonette, to explore his views on sustainability. We wanted to know what the actual practice of this word versus lip service means to him as a chef, restaurateur and cultural champion. During the pandemic, he was a part of a collaboration with IKEA that focused on cooking with scraps. That exercise, in turn, inspired the images in our feature. In this special conversation, we examine the concept of sustainability through three lenses: first as a culinary philosophy, then towards the preservation of culture and, finally, the conservation of the restaurant industry. 

「永續飲食」，一個工業時代的概念，為甚麼這世代又重新熾熱起來？根據聯合國環境署指出，全球每年浪費近十億噸食物，且浪費數量逐年增長。無可否認，全球的急速發展和各種創新理念在生活上給予了我們意想不到的方便，卻又同時帶來地球資源短缺，以及越見嚴重的糧食危機，那人類能夠存活多久?

承此，如聯合國所言，「永續飲食」將提倡成為習慣。適逢其會，疫情期間，IKEA傢俱店聯同十位北美名廚發行了一本名為《The Scrapsbook》電子書，以推廣「零廚餘」永續飲食的生活理念，多倫多王智榮是唯一獲邀的華裔廚師。故我們拜訪了這飲食節目主持人、食店老闆，在他著名食店Patois 及Bar Mignonette，探討一下餐飲行業對於「永續飲食」的解讀和實行是相屬還是相違？

As a Culinary Philosophy at Patois 

Craig believes creating the best gastronomic experience should not only be about using the best ingredients; it is equally important to be conscientious about food waste and putting every usable portion to the best use. He views sustainability as a state of mindfulness that challenges him to yield the most value from everything he prepares and serves. Food is not just a commodity. Craig and his culinary team believe that since every dish is prepared for nourishing the body and soul, each ingredient deserves to be lovingly cared for and appreciated. It is comforting to learn that very little food goes to waste at his restaurants. Craig and his chefs constantly challenge themselves to develop primary, secondary and even tertiary uses of their foods. Just look at their most popular and award-winning Roasted Jerk Chicken: a menu item that is served hot and fresh all day long. In preparing this signature dish, the meat breaks down throughout the day and is then used to create a flavour-packed sauce. The bones from the chicken are then used to make a stock, which goes on to become the base for the sauce in their famous chow mein. Craig and his team are always finding ways to upcycle in order to get the most value out of every ingredient. It is also a way to respect the original animal or plant, as he constantly reminded that “something had to die in order for us to eat.”

We often associate healthy eating with the freshest, most vibrant and visually beautiful ingredients. While not incorrect, this ideal often deters the novice home cook from using aesthetically imperfect, older foods that are not only still fit for consumption, they have full potential to be beautifully presented. Fusing his classical training and experience cooking all over the world, Craig has mastered his ability to create stunning dishes using ingredients that others might normally discard. A perfect example of this practice is his elevated fried rice. This dish takes the stems of the broccoli and gai lan (instead of the usual florets) and makes them the stars of the show. Even the shitake mushrooms are fully utilized: the tops go into the wok, while the stems are added to the soy sauce and left to marinate. This last step adds extra depth to the flavour and an undeniable umami to the plate. Craig further explains how a little knowledge and experience can go a long way with his traditional Ginger Milk Pudding recipe. He vastly prefers ‘old’ ginger for its coagulating properties as well as the depth and spiciness it adds to the pudding. He stresses that the same effect cannot be achieved using younger, fresher ginger and recommends grating a root that’s at least three-weeks old. 

尊重食材，永續循環

「食物不僅是貨品。」Craig認為，烹調出色的膳食不等於只選用最佳的食材；對材料的尊重、善用而不浪費，其實同樣重要。Craig以善用食材為己任，不停挑戰自己務求展現它們最大價值，Craig和他的團隊希望藉著每一道菜滋養食客的身心。「永續性」零廚餘煮意早已融匯在他的習慣和思維。不難發現，在Patois廚房內的廚餘近乎零，每種材料的不同部分會被用於或循環成另一材料。以他首本名菜〈加勒比燒雞〉為例這道每天新鮮烹調的熱賣菜餚，Patois團隊會把當天賣剩的燒雞分拆成肉和骨，雞肉會慢煮成濃郁的燒烤醬，而雞骨會熬製成高湯並演化成炒麵汁料。總而言之，無論是葷是素，Craig對每份材料也珍而重之，他深深明白：「每當我們用膳，地球就有一些生物因我們而死。」

While his restaurant specializes in Chinese-Caribbean cuisine, Craig is constantly looking to other countries for ideas and inspiration for sustainable food culture. Craig reveals that in Brazil, the most popular cut of meat is a relatively inexpensive one called the picanha. It is a triangular cut from top-sirloin cap, and when grilled with coarse salt, it produces the most juicy and flavorful results. This cut is approximately 1/10th of the cost of tenderloin. Finding value in off-cuts that aren’t as popular can be a huge factor in sustaining not only his own restaurant, but also reducing food waste across the industry. He explained that a single cow only produces two tenderloin; thus the hefty price tag. When a restaurant can sacrifice the perceived prestige of an ingredient and create something compelling with a humble alternative, these savings get passed onto the customer in the form of delicious flavour and value. Craig is constantly on the search for these opportunities before they become mainstream and overhyped. He jokes, “I’m always looking for the next oxtail before it becomes oxtail.”  

零廚餘不是新煮意

零廚餘不只是要減少餐桌上的食物浪費。每當談及健康飲食，我們自然會聯想到新鮮、色彩鮮豔和形狀漂亮的食材，一般家庭就因此選擇丟棄還可食用、外觀受損的食物。對文化先驅Craig而言，這是可以避免，他認為只要花點心思，次等食材也可以成為佳餚。例如，當廚師偏愛選用蔬菜綠葉的部分時，他會選擇那被忽略的菜莖注入菜餚，他的招牌炒飯就是一例子；處理冬菇時，Craig會把那被丟棄的菇蒂加到豉油裡作佐料，提升豉油的鮮味；又或把廚餘的檸檬皮成為雞尾酒的主角。其實，零廚餘不是新煮意，很多功夫菜餚也是由此衍生，經典的中式甜品薑汁撞奶，就一定要採用最不起眼的老薑，Craig強調，薑夠老是令自然凝固的竅門，同時老薑汁的辛辣又會提升味道的層次。出色的廚師愛把不同地方菜融會貫通，Craig也是其一。醉心鑽研加勒比海特色中菜之餘，他也經常研究其他地方菜吸取靈感。他認為「永續飲食」不是某地方菜的專利，譬如，巴西人追捧價廉的牛里脊，只要灑上岩鹽烤烘，美味無比、肉味濃郁多汁，而里脊肉的價錢只是牛柳的十份之一。他主張發掘「不起眼」的食材，除了有助減低經營成本外，同時也帶動惜食的潮流。Craig期許自己一直站在前方，引領同業嘗試一些冷門烹調與食材。他笑言：「我在尋找牛尾普及之前的牛尾。」

Sustainability of Culture

Food and cooking is one of the most important ways in which culture is shared and preserved. It is with this in mind that Craig translates his Chinese-Caribbean heritage into every curated dish. This journey has not been without its own challenges, and he acknowledges that one of the biggest he’s faced is due to the ill-perceived value of Chinese cuisine in the industry — a reality often perpetuated by competition within the Asian community itself.

“People need to get away from the notion that Chinese food should be cheap,” Craig laments. Chinese cuisine is labour-intensive in its preparation and restaurants under-price themselves. Exceptional dishes that require extensive knowledge, experience and preparation are not priced to reflect all of those considerations. It seems crazy that people are willing to pay $25 for fresh pasta, but only $12 for chow mein, which shares an origin based on Chinese ingenuity, as well as labour and complexity. Context and ambiance impact the perception of the value of food; competition ends up driving the price downwards. 

European countries — and even the Japanese — take the path of being craftsmen first. They stand their ground and dictate what their value is worth, in contrast to Chinese culture in America, where making the sale and survival is key. As a result, fewer dollars are being spent in Chinese restaurants, thereby perpetuating an outflow of talent from traditional cuisines like dim sum. Masters of the craft are being lost forever as the amount of effort and dedication it takes to become an expert does not often result in a fruitful career.

中華文化的轉機

食物是傳承文化的橋樑。Craig不斷在菜餚上花心思，顯現自己的華裔加勒比海背景。不過，宣揚家鄉文化不容易，「為何人們總認為中菜一定要便宜呢」，Craig嘆息道。說中菜的烹調是各國菜系中最複雜的，絕不為過，但為何中餐館收費一般低於主流食店？我們願意花$25去嚐意大利麵，卻會吝嗇$12買炒麵，合理嗎？可惜，在美州，中菜的收費往往不能反映食材的珍貴，及中廚的經驗與手藝。歸根究底，大部分餐館老闆開店為養家，沒有市場推廣或營運經驗的他們，以為減價是最有效的競爭方法。現實裡，導致食客在中餐館花費越來越吝嗇；在低廉的工資下，很多卓越的中菜廚師唯有另謀高就。珍貴的中菜烹煮手藝如點心製作等也開始慢慢失傳。Craig鼓勵說，這無可奈何不一定永續，只要同業同心做好本份，只以品質作良性競爭，明天一定會有轉機。

Sustainability of Industry

In order to survive during the lockdown, Craig and Patois stayed nimble by taking inspiration from touring rock bands. Instead of shuttering down, they focused on multi-city deliveries and brought their great food to their customers’ homes. Not only did this transition keep their restaurant open, they were able to rehire front-of-house staff by bringing them into delivery roles. For Craig, even more important than taking care of the business was looking after their community of restaurant workers.

Despite these efforts, Craig worries about the experience of restaurant dining in the post-pandemic era. He notes that in-store dining won’t necessarily disappear, but it has definitely shifted along with consumer behaviour that came with being able to enjoy restaurant quality food at home. He remains hopeful that society will tire of eating out of disposable boxes and that the longing to reunite with friends and family will inherently result in a meaningful rebound in local restaurants. 

Sustainability is about survival. But simply surviving, as a standard, is a low bar that needs to be challenged. Local restaurants are more than food delivery; they foster the sharing, preservation and proliferation of culinary knowledge and culture. They nourish our bodies and fulfil the human need to gather and share our lives around the table.

Craig offers up a perfect summary to everything we’ve been discussing: “When the experience is taken into consideration, and people take time to observe how the story is told, — and restaurateurs aim to elevate not only food quality, but presentation, environment and context — then the whole industry and culture will be elevated.”

餐飲行業的永續

新冠疫情下，餐飲業是其中受重創的行業，逆境求存，必須靈活變通，Craig參考了樂隊巡迴表演的模式，開拓了一系列跨城市的餐飲體驗送貨服務。這變革讓餐廳有能力持續運作，提供工作給整個團隊。對比起個人利潤，Craig更在乎社群的共同利益。他直言，疫情過後人們外出用餐的意願會相對減少，不多不少已被外賣餐食寵壞。樂觀的 Craig期待食客始終會對塑膠盒裡不冷不熱的食物失去興緻，選擇再次踏入餐廳跟朋友家人聚餐。「永續性」是指可長久延續下去的可能性，食店要永續經營必須由體驗著手。以下節錄了Craig的一段話，正好為本文作結：

「當用膳體驗被列入考慮，當食客願意花時間去了解餐廳背後的故事，當餐廳經營者都致力提高菜餚擺盤設計、用餐環境和氣氛，而不是單單集中鑽研食物質素，當這一切都同時進行的時候，那餐飲行業和文化將會永續。」

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