Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Robin Wasicuna was in an anxious and excited mood Saturday night as he was preparing for a journey that could mean a lot to his cooking career.

Wiseguy Foods founder Robin Wasicuna is attending the Canadian Chef Congress in Halifax this week. Here, he lounges for a brief moment in his kitchen Saturday evening before getting prepared for his last-minute getaway. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

The owner of year-old Wiseguy Foods was invited last-minute Friday night to be the NWT representative for the Canadian Chefs Congress, held this week at the Land of Evangeline of Family Camping Resort in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia. The biennial congress, created by Ontario-based chef Michael Stadtländer in 2008, is one of the most prestigious networking events in the Canadian culinary industry and brings together the most well-known chefs and food-related industry people from across the country.

Wasicuna will be among 13 chefs representing each province and territory. Among them are PEI's Michael Smith, host of Chef at Home on the Food Network, and Paul Paul Rogalski, an awarding-winning Calgary chef and 2008 finalist for the Canadian Culinary Championship. Wasicuna operates a popular food concession stand in Yellowknife, famous for its pulled pork waffles and giant portions. He also prepares meals for customers in their homes.

“I have been doing (culinary work) for 25 years and this is a big step for me,” said Wasicuna.

“Not only to show that the North is full of great cooking talent but it is also a chance to make my career. Or break it.”

After a hard Saturday of serving hot dogs and burgers at the Public Service Alliance of Canada's Family Day event at the Somba K'e Civic Plaza, Wasicuna was in a frenzy preparing to fill in for Chef Pierre LePage, who had to pull out as the NWT representative at the last minute due to staffing issues with his restaurant and catering business. Wasicuna got the call Friday afternoon.

“Basically, I think they just wanted a chef from the NWT there who is representing the NWT and just cooking a dish and that is what it has come down to now,” said Wasicuna.

He is hoping the conference will connect him to the best in the industry where he can get advice on the most cutting edge trends and ideas among Canadian cooks.

Wasicuna left for Halifax on Sunday afternoon to prepare a meal for Monday for 400 chefs and food industry types attending the conference. His menu for the group consisted of a bourbon peach compote with a braised pork belly, some pickled red onions and arugula.

Due the short preparation time, he was lucky to have some assistance for the prep work, which included Stadtländer and a team of other chefs and apprentices. On Saturday, he was directing a team of five cooks via text message on how to braise 23 kilograms of pork belly, and slice and prepare the thinly sliced red onions.

“Hopefully they are jumping on it,” he said.

Stadtländer, who filled the role of sous chef for Wasicuna's preparation earlier this week, said the Wiseguy chef was the obvious choice to represent the NWT because of his youth and enthusiasm toward cooking. The two first met in June when the Congress was scoping out a location for the next host city in 2014. While Stadtländer said Yellowknife was not chosen as the location, the encounter allowed Wasicuna to gain wider attention for his work.

“I just met Chef Robin when we were scouting locations and we had this kind of get together,” recalled Stadtländer in a phone interview. “He was a very striking and passionate young man cooking-wise.”

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.