Despite our busy schedules, my friend Nic Prong (@niccancook), executive chef at Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar, and I would make an effort to meet up for a wine + cheese ("w+c") night once every couple of months. Given our almost opposite schedules we found that this was the easiest way for us to catch up: Nic after service (him having w+c for dinner) and me after dinner (me having w+c for dessert). What we talk about naturally revolves around food - we would chat for hours on end about it. It's always fun, as an avid diner and food blogger, to discuss food and the city's restaurant scene with a chef because it tends to spark very interesting discussions. Having said that, I thought it would be a fun idea to do an interview w/ Nic here so that you guys can know more about him :D In the Q&A below, Nic explains his food philosophy, why he prefers being the 'big fish' in Mississauga rather than doing the 'downtown thing', and his thoughts on social media. Nic also discusses the issues surrounding young cooks and why they should stay away from watching the Food Network.Where have you worked prior to Ten?
I started off working for Mövenpick BCE Place as an apprentice when I was 14. I then went to work at Snug Harbour as a pantry cook (I worked there for 6 years). After there I took a corporate gig for Moxies which only lasted 6 months. I then came to Ten Restaurant where I have been for 8 years.
How have those experiences shaped who you are and how you cook today?
My time at Mövenpick was my introduction into the culinary world, more specifically the European Brigade style of kitchen structure. I was a young kid surrounded by adults and it was a bit of a culture shock. Snug Harbour taught me how to deal with high volume but while there I got caught up with all the trappings of restaurant life including drugs and alcohol which in all honesty set back my culinary development. Working at Moxies taught me that I never want to work in a corporate structure restaurant. In my eyes corporations have no place in the industry. When you put profit above quality ingredients, guest fulfillment and staff development, you end up destroying the beauty of the industry.
What is your style of cooking? How and why does it appeal to you?
I am an ingredients first cook. I try to let the ingredients create the dish with doing the least amount of manipulation possible. My classroom and inspiration is the bounty that is Canada and enjoy most highlighting the seasonality and cultural variations that surround us. I also like to be tongue in cheek (no pun intended) and have fun while doing nose to tail cooking.
Do you see any differences between diners in Mississauga and those in downtown Toronto?
The irony is that the daytime diners of Toronto are the night time diners in Mississauga. There seems to be something lost when a commuter travels west across the 427. I find a large contingent of suburbanites like to play it safe when dining out, the penne alfredo and chicken caesar crowd which at the end of the day makes them happy so I bite my tongue and make it. That being said there still exist some loyal 'foodies' here in 'sauga.
With so many restaurants opening in downtown, do you feel 'secluded' from all the action?
I'm often asked why I don't do the 'downtown thing' and I think it's this question that's one of the main reasons I stay put in suburbia. I fear that a lot of aspiring cooks feel that it's location that's going to hone their craft or somehow they will become instant stars. Unfortunately, more than not they find the opposite is true. There is much to be said for being the Big Fish. I may not get all the media attention but being a cook is about your relationship with your guest, not your relationship with Toronto Life or NOW Magazine. I have the opportunity to feed 300 people on any given Saturday and that's why I cook. Too many cooks or pseudo chefs are trying to get lights around their name these days and forgot that cooking is and intimate relationship between cook and diner and that's all you need.
