Chef De Cuisine

 

 

Matthew Carmichael spends his summer months walking 20 minutes to his passion: preparing, shopping for and cooking the local produce he has come to learn and love at his restaurant.

 

Carmichael credits his passion for food to his grandmother who grew up in Kolkata, India. 

 

“My grandmother was always a big influence, she used to make all these great curries and fish soups, and I remember at our family cottage just watching her,” Carmichael said. “I used to eat so much of her food. That is the first time I really started to love food.”

 

Carmichael attended the University of Ottawa where he wrote his thesis on food and tourism from a Canadian point of view. He referenced chef John Taylor from Dumas Café, admiring his use of local cuisine. He started to work in Taylor’s kitchen for the next four years and Taylor mentored him as a sous-chef.

 

“[Taylor] taught me a lot about the use of local products and paying respect to them, and proper cooking and technique,” Carmichael said.

 

After working with world-renowned chef Susur Lee in Toronto, Carmichael moved back to Ottawa and now works for Restaurant e18hteen and Social Restaurant and Lounge.

 

Carmichael said the opportunity to work with amazing worldly products makes his job worth it.

“Any given day I can work with a big side of tuna or a big lobster, wicked mushrooms from around here – that’s what keeps me going,” Carmichael said. “It’s not really a job to me. It’s more like a lifestyle.”

 

Carmichael said he prefers using local produce because it has a fresher taste and it supports the regional economy.

 

Carmichael is responsible for planning the menu, maintaining a positive environment, maintaining a labour cost and food cost, sanitation, and motivating the staff.

 

Carmichael’s story is also one of perseverance.

 

After a week-long placement at Lee’s restaurant in Toronto, Carmichael wanted to be hired longer term.

 

“[Lee] said no on the phone, he said it wasn’t going to work out. Then I said you don’t understand how much I want to work for you, I will work for free until there is a position available,” Carmichael said. 

 

This request changed Lee’s mind and Carmichael honed his skills at the restaurant.

 

“I could have said, ‘OK, thanks, bye,’ but no,” Carmichael said. “If you want something don’t take no for an answer.”

 

 

 

Tim Conrad’s start to cooking wasn’t conventional: baking on the night shift at a local Tim Hortons. Now, Conrad is a celebrated line cook at Kelsey’s Bank Street location.

 

“I came [to Kelsey’s] and I was actually looking for a front-of-house spot but they said ‘you have kitchen experience so we will take you to the back,’ ” Conrad said. “I have been here for three years.” 

 

When asked about the experience of working on a line, Conrad demystified common Hollywood stereotypes.

 

“It’s not as bad as you would think. It is not like [the movie] Waiting, we have ridiculously high standards here and I appreciate that,” Conrad said.  

 

However, Conrad said it’s frustrating when the restaurant is short-staffed. At points, two people will leave in a two-week span.

 

When Conrad began cooking at Tim Hortons, he never thought it would be his job later in life.

“I never really thought I would like cooking. I like putting out good food and I enjoy it when I get compliments on the food that I make,” Conrad said.

 

Currently, Conrad is in transition to becoming a manager at Kelsey’s. 

 

He said Kelsey’s has four different stations for cooking food: broiling, sautés, fryers and pantry. Usually there are five cooks in the back, one on each station and one helping to get food out on time. 

 

“Communication is big on the line,” Conrad said.

 

Besides cooking, Conrad trains new cooks almost every night. He said a hands-on approach is the best way to learn cooking.

 

One of the worst parts of the job for Conrad is getting food sent back since it slows down the line dramatically.

 

“It’s really annoying, it ticks you off, it totally sucks,” Conrad said.

 

Overall, Conrad sees his experience at Kelsey’s as positive.