inthekitchen
inthekitchen
french with a twist
Big dreams , high ideals , and a sweet small space to share them
by Arvel Gray
Chef owner Cam Tran proudly shares his passion for cooking in bold , black script on the back wall of Café Ce Soir : Le Bonheur est dans la Cuisine – happiness is in the kitchen .
The phrase is borrowed from renowned French chef and advocate of nouvelle cuisine , Paul Bocuse .
Like Bocuse , Tran reimagines classic French dishes by using modern cooking techniques and regional ingredients . His petit Portage Avenue bistro delivers brunch , lunch and dinner to a growing restaurant and catering clientele , providing an international dining experience just steps from Winnipeg ’ s busiest thoroughfare .
“ You have to have fun in the kitchen ,” says the energetic 38-yearold , whose days begin with picking up fresh produce and end at one or two in the morning , when the last latte cup has been washed and dried .
The lone Winnipeg member of the slow food movement , Tran is a firm believer in the value of sustainable foods , strong relationships with local producers and the celebration of culinary traditions and regional cuisine . This creed takes him out of the kitchen regularly , whether foraging for wild mushrooms for a lobster puff , picking blueberries and Saskatoons for jams and pies , or meeting with rural farmers to purchase eggs , bison and chickens .
“ The slow food approach is based on three interconnected principles : good , clean and fair ,” he says . That means using quality , healthy produce that has been raised or grown in an environmentally friendly manner , and maintaining accessible prices for consumers and fair pay for producers .
12 ciao ! / feb / mar / two thousand seventeen