inthekitchen
inthekitchen
self-taught superstar
Chef Edward Lam and Chef Jil Osias experiment with fermentation , to create new flavours which work wonders in their dishes .
By Laurie Hughes
After a 20-year , hard-fought quest to perfect his flavour creations , Chef Edward Lam has perfected dishes that lift guests to a higher realm . The visionary chef / owner of Yujiro , Gaijin Izakaya , and Saburo Kitchen epitomizes today ’ s chef : defined not by formal training but by scrappy determination to follow a dream , battling through failures , and being willing to put in the time — lots of it .
Though Yujiro has won Winnipeggers ’ hearts as the top dog of his concepts , with its buttery fresh premium sashimi and luxe omakase extravaganzas , it ’ s his newest venture , Saburo Kitchen , where something special is bubbling up .
Meeting with Ciao ! in the new Hargrave Street Market locale , Chef Edward shows off his latest obsession : fascinating fermentation . A kaleidoscope of jars containing all manner of pickles and preserves that bring the gastronomic funk line the walls of the low-key food court kitchen , which produces dishes for the eatery while doing double duty as a fermentation lab where Saburo ’ s chefs create novel ingredients .
But how did this mad scientist of gastronomy end up here ? Like his kitchen experiments , the process was organic and unexpected .
Edward Lam ’ s dream was to open a restaurant , not be its chef . In fact , despite his Chinese upbringing , he could not even cook a pot of rice , he jokes . When asked about how and when he started cooking , he laughingly credits local chef Masa Sugita : “ He tricked me into it .”
Edward was a customer at Chef Masa ’ s restaurant when Masa enlisted him to help open Miyabi , a restaurant that would introduce the city to the concept of izakaya — a Japanese-style pub serving light appetizers .
From the outset , Ed was in the deep end , he says . Originally , the cooking neophyte thought chef Masa would be in charge of the kitchen . Instead , he reminisces , Chef Masa had him observe on opening night , then stepped aside on day two while Ed floundered through the service . By day four Edward was on his own , while Chef Masa attended to his other restaurant , Yujiro . A year later , Yujiro required his full attention , and he wanted Edward to buy him out .
Photography : Steve Salnikowski
20 ciao ! / summer / two thousand twenty-three