Episode 7 of “Chef Artois,” hosted by Pay Chen, takes us to Ki Modern Japanese. This buzzing Bay Street destination known for its contemporary menu that puts a distinctively Toronto spin on sushi, yakitori and izakaya classics.
Ki’s kitchen is helmed by Hing Wong, a chef known for his creative panache. Torontonians are huge fans of Wong’s bold flavours, innovative techniques and irreverent makimono creations that incorporate unusual ingredients. His bigeye tuna roll, for instance, is a tantalizing combination of sweet (mango and kiwi), spicy (tomato salsa) and hot (karashi miso) elements. Today, Wong will be asking the “Chef Artois” contenders to re-create a modern Japanese triptych.
Home cooks Mat Mailandt and Falana Huggins will be facing the most daunting “Chef Artois” challenge to date. They’ll have just one hour to create not one, but three Ki dishes—two items from the sushi bar (modern makimono and new-wave nigiri), as well as a hot appetizer (haute gyoza). It’ll be no small feat to re-create these complex recipes, let alone to get them all done within the allotted time.
All three dishes necessitate culinary dexterity. Both the salmon maki roll (made with crispy leeks, avocado, arugula and pickled kohlrabi) and the nigiri (topped with espresso-soaked butterfish) demand pyrotechnical prowess, as they’re both seared with a blowtorch. The gyoza, meanwhile, will require fineness. Stuffed with minced, red miso-seasoned pork belly, these delicate dumplings can be a nightmare to fold. The silk-thin wrappers can easily burst, if overstuffed.
With 60 minutes on the clock, contestants Mailandt and Huggins step up to the chopping block and the Japanese tripleheader begins. This competition asks these two home cooks to be both sushi masters and dumpling experts, as well as phenomenal time managers. It’s a lot to ask. To find out who will triumph and be named the next Chef Artois, tune in above.
This bite-sized series—episodes are a satisfying 12 minutes long—was created in support of Rally for Restaurants, an initiative founded by Stella Artois to help support the restaurant industry as it rebuilds in the wake of the pandemic. In each weekly episode, two home cooks will step inside the kitchen of a Toronto restaurant to compete for the title of Chef Artois and win a $1,000 prize pack.
How to make Ki’s torched salmon makimono
Makes one roll
Ingredients
Torched salmon roll recipe
Spicy karashi sauce ingredients and method
To make the spicy karashi sauce, simply place all ingredients in a food processor. On a low speed, blend together.
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