Quickfire with chef matthew ravenscroft
Get to know the chef behind Gia in Toronto!
What was your first job in the culinary industry?
That would be the Black Bull in Burlington when I was 13. It was chaotic and perfect at the same time.
What is your flavour philosophy?
With the right sense, almost anything can go together.
One ingredient you can’t live without?
Salt.
A cooking utensil that’s always in your kitchen?
Aside from a knife. It’s a draw between a pair of tweezers and a tiny spatula-flipper (but not an offset) that I think I “borrowed” from Gerry.
What’s your signature dish and why?
I try not to have one. I don’t think that’s how my brain works.
Go-to cooking technique and why?
Just feeling it out as I go. It feels natural and the best way for me. It also feels fantastic in that it is so fleeting.
Best memory as a chef thus far?
Seeing someone I’ve worked alongside grow and develop, learn new things, and become something they didn’t think they were capable of when they first showed up.
Worst memory as a chef thus far?
Everything that’s happened is a means of ensuring it doesn’t happen again. It’s something to learn from.
Go-to place for sourcing ingredients?
Fiesta Farms.
Where do you go to eat on your day off?
My kitchen or in my backyard. You’ll find me eating a ripe mango in the sun. But if I do go out it’s to, Pho Tien Thanh.
A restaurant you always wanted to work at?
Dang, I feel like that answer changes over time. Amass always felt captivating to me.
Your chef hero?
That feels like a loaded question. Anyone striving to make a positive impact on a not-so-positive, overly demanding, under-paid industry that has a lot of problems is awesome in my book. It’s amazing to see people saying, “we’ve had enough, and we want to show that it can be done differently” and living that every day where they can. That’s what we need to see more of.
What’s next for you as a chef?
The same thing I do every day, getting people to eat their damn veggies!
Head to Chef Matthew’s Instagram to learn more!