Full name: 

Andrew Han

Where do you currently work: 

Owner/Executive Chef/Creator of Kouign Café

In what city do you live: 

Vancouver, BC

Where did you grow up: 

Chinatown – Vancouver, BC

Favourite comfort food: 

Savoury – My mom’s pho

Sweet – A good coconut bun (but not just any coconut bun – the bun to sweet coconutty filling ratio has to be correct and evenly dispersed)

Favourite ingredient to cook with:

Butter! My favourite ingredients tend to be the spices and herbs my mom would use most. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, star anise, cilantro, basil, scallions. Those make me think of my childhood.

Best childhood food memory:

Rainy sick days spent at home watching my mom make congee for me as the windows in the house fogged up from all the cooking.

Favourite thing to bake:

I tend to lean towards enjoying things that are more technically challenging like our Kouign Amann. The satisfaction of watching those flaky layers form during the proof and bake off makes me very happy. Other than that, I just love creating sweet and savoury combinations that challenge the way people see food/baked goods and flavours.

Favourite type of baking to eat:

Anything from a good classic Chinese bakery really takes me back to my childhood and makes me feel love.

Your go-to restaurant that never disappoints:

Café Medina has been one of my all-time faves for a long time. I could eat there every day, but I have to watch my figure.  

Who is your most significant culinary influence:

That would be my mom, without a doubt. I am really blessed to have a mother who is an amazing cook and who introduced me to baking and fed me so many incredible inspiring foods with love.  That’s powerful.

Biggest challenge you had to overcome in your culinary career:

The biggest challenge had to be opening Kouign Café in the middle of the pandemic.  This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the endless unpredictable complications that keep coming my way can be very draining and defeating. That said, this has also been the most rewarding experience of my entire life and if I had to do it all over again, pandemic or no pandemic, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

What do you drink at home: 

Since the pandemic, I’ve been drinking my box of red wine!  Otherwise just plenty of water.

Music you listen to while you cook: 

Motown, 80’s, 90’s, the Hamilton soundtrack, Disney, the Dirty Dancing soundtrack – basically anything I can spontaneously burst into song to!

Why and when did you start cooking: 

I believe it was the year 2009. I was working for the CRA as an appeals officer

for years and realized I wanted to do something I was passionate about.  What that was going to be I had no idea. It wasn’t until a friend of mine commented that every time he calls me, I’m watching something on the Food Network, and he asked if I had ever considered going to culinary school and opening my own shop. I laughed it off initially, but the next day something clicked. I’ve always loved food and pastries. I grew up watching my mother cook, passing down her traditions, her culture, and all these beautiful flavours and doing it with love. That is an immensely powerful thing and I realized that all of those values and traits were instilled in me from very early on. More than food itself, I love the act of cooking: of serving, hospitality, sharing the flavours of my upbringing, and putting smiles on peoples’ faces while doing it.  Food should make people feel something; it should be an emotional experience and that is what I love so much about it – the challenge of connecting and making people feel good without saying a word.

How does your cultural background influence your cooking style:

My cultural background has everything to do with my cooking style. I cook the flavours I grew up with. My mother is Vietnamese, my father is Korean, and I grew up in Chinatown eating all sorts of Asian cuisines and flavours that I hold very close to my heart. That connection to food and flavours is a huge part of my culinary vocabulary and tends to be what I crave most of the time. There’s something truly magical about the connection of food to childhood, innocence, and nostalgia. It gives me the warm and fuzzies.

3 words to describe your cooking style: 

Love, nostalgia, and magic

3 words to describe your personality: 

Goofy, playful, and focused

Your aspirations for the future: 

At this point, I just want to continue being able to reinvent the foods I grew up with in fun and exciting ways and to reach and teach as many people as I can to share some food, love, magic, and joy wherever I possibly can. AND to be on more seasons of Wall of Bakers, of course!

Check out Andrew’s recipe for The White Rabbit Shortbread.

Full name: 

Christinn Hua

Where do you currently work: 

Creator at Millie Desserts 

In what city do you live: 

Toronto, Ontario

Where did you grow up:

Mississauga, Ontario

Favourite comfort food:

Buttermilk pancakes topped with vanilla bean ice cream, honey, maple syrup, whipping cream, and fresh strawberries

Favourite ingredient to cook with:

I’m obsessed with whipping cream – I love using it in desserts, but also in everyday cooking too. You whip it long enough and it becomes butter, you can transform it into clotted cream, turn it into cream cheese: this is modern day alchemy at its best! Beyond that, I use whipping cream in savoury cooking to richen and thicken sauces, soup, curry, and to tenderize meats.

Best childhood food memory: 

I didn’t speak a word of English until I was five years old. My best childhood food memory is of my birthday that first year of school in Kindergarten: I proudly showed up that day in my favourite dress, ready to participate in the class birthday ritual of picking a special birthday book (thank you Mrs. Knudsen!). My parents surprised me by bringing in individual cakes from the Asian bakery to share with everyone. It didn’t matter to my classmates that I couldn’t verbally communicate with them very well, and I distinctly remember the feeling of pure, unbridled joy from sharing my favourite cake with all of my new friends. It was this experience that solidified to me that cake is the international currency of love. Looking back, it’s no wonder why dessert is so important to me.

Favourite thing to bake:

Definitely cake. I love baking cake for friends and family because it’s a symbol of the celebration or milestone I have the honour of being a part of. There is so much power in the simple joy of an amazing dessert experience and I love recreating that every chance I get.

Favourite type of baking to eat:

Serendipitous adventure baking is my favourite kind of baking to eat – accidentally stumbling on gems while on an adventure – examples include picking up “pans” (buns) in Japan, finding basque cake in Spain, trying poffertjes and stroopwafels in the markets in the Netherlands… the magical list can go on and on!

Your go-to restaurant that never disappoints:

I go to Rol San with friends regularly for dimsum; you can’t go wrong bringing together great people with fresh dimsum. I grew up “dimsumming” with my family and love being part of a tradition where I can share some of my nostalgic childhood favourites with people who are important to me.

Who is your most significant culinary influence:

My Grandma was my most significant culinary influence. She did most of the cooking for my family when I was growing up, and she understood my sweet tooth because she had one too. She would wake up at the crack of dawn every morning to begin planning the meals that day. I loved sitting at our dining room table on weekends where she would patiently teach me the secrets to wrapping the perfect spring roll and fresh roll, foods that denoted special occasions and celebration in our family.

Biggest challenge you had to overcome in your culinary career:

The pressures of the industry are a reality and the grind is constant – the biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome in my culinary career is figuring out how to stay balanced. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely path for anyone, and as a female founder navigating industries traditionally dominated by men – food suppliers, tradespeople, restaurateurs – there were times I felt very isolated. For me, balance means cultivating a lifestyle where inspiration can find me on a daily basis. I try to do this in a few ways: by surrounding myself with people who know more than me, being open to learning from them, reading, and setting aside time to wander, even if only for a few minutes. It’s the little things that add up to make for an inspired life, and it’s an ongoing challenge.

What do you drink at home:

Tea – I enjoy jasmine pearls during the day and camomile in the evenings.

Music you listen to while you cook:

I love putting the record player to use when I cook! When I’m baking, I love listening to anything from French Cafe music to Carla Bruni, with some Dolly Parton and Diana Ross sprinkled in there. When I cook comfort food, I listen to country music (think “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band).

Why and when did you start cooking:

From a young age, I’ve tried to reconcile my Canadian experience with my parents’ and grandma’s tastes and palates. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I’ve always had a hard time understanding why the people closest to me didn’t share my love for desserts. My first food memory is of flipping through a cookbook; I was fascinated by photos of food I’d never tried before. I was probably three or four, but I vividly remember my favourite section at the very end, of all the cakes and confections. I was ten years old when I finally decided it was time to revisit the beloved cookbook. My brother’s favourite dessert is apple pie, so I proudly declared to him I was going to make it for him for his birthday. I didn’t tell my parents about this attempt, and they came home to pots and pans and flour and sugar and apples everywhere. I didn’t have half the ingredients the recipe required, but I persisted. I was going to win over every single member of my family with my baking, kitchen upside down or not, regardless of the years it would take to actually develop the skills to do so. 

How does your cultural background influence your cooking style:

My cultural background absolutely influences my cooking style – I love incorporating ingredients and techniques I learn as I travel to find more about my own background. It influences the ingredients I use, the techniques and flavour combinations. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I always had a hard time understanding why the people closest to me – my parents and grandparents who had immigrated to Canada, some of my dearest friends I met abroad – didn’t have the same palate and love for desserts. I wanted to create the perfect dessert for the people I love, with the flavours they were familiar with.

3 words to describe your cooking style:

Unconventional, whimsical and intuitive

3 words to describe your personality:

Passionate, creative and authentic

Your aspirations for the future:

I want to continue sharing my journey and my love of desserts, and I’m excited to explore new ways of doing this. I love being a part of the changing landscape of this industry, especially as we continue on a path of inclusion and diversity. Just as I looked up to role models on the Food Network when I was younger, I’m honoured and excited about the prospect of inspiring a new generation as an Asian Canadian female who embarked on an unconventional path. 

Check out Christinn’s recipe for Black Sesame Souffle Cheesecake

Full name: 

Lenore Faithlyn Grace Johnson

Where do you currently work: 

LenJo Bakes

In what city do you live: 

Kitchener, Ontario

Where did you grow up: 

The GTA; Brampton specifically

Favourite comfort food: 

Macaroni and cheese or a burrito

Favourite ingredient to cook with/to bake with: 

I love to bake with lemons or passion fruit and I love to cook with garlic or cheese…or chicken!

Best childhood food memory: 

Making brown butter Rice Krispie Squares with my mom. (Alright, I admit I didn’t know they were “brown butter” – I just left the butter in the pan for too long…) Also, whenever I got a sprinkle soft serve cone from the ice cream truck.

Favourite thing to bake: 

Brownies or cakes

Favourite type of baking to eat: 

Good cheesecake – baked, of course, or ice cream (not technically baking, but dessert!)

Your go-to restaurant that never disappoints: 

Lancaster Smokehouse in Kitchener, Tanpopo Ramen in Auckland, or The Anchor in Ripley, UK

Who is your most significant culinary influence: 

Amédé Lamarche – my first instructor at George Brown College

Biggest challenge you had to overcome in your culinary career: 

Finding a way to be okay with being the only woman in a kitchen and a Black woman at that. Not letting the abuse get to me while still speaking up and standing by my decisions. Essentially refusing to be diminished by others who thought they knew more or better because my specialty was pastry (instead of “real” cooking).

What do you drink at home: 

Orange juice in the AM, water, some type of cider, or a glass of Lola Gewurztraminer in the PM

Music you listen to while you cook: 

It could literally be anything! Disney, gospel, Adele, T-Swift, Dolly Parton, Motown, The Civil Wars, Leon Bridges…I prefer sad songs, but I’m pretty open.

Why and when did you start cooking: 

I interned at a cake shop in Kitchener while I was studying at the University of Waterloo in 2011. That was my first foray into seeing if I could work in a kitchen professionally. I’ve been in the kitchen with my mom and dad my whole life, though! Why did I start? .

Because it was fun and I loved it…turned out I was pretty alright at it too (but because of practice, not natural affinity)How does your cultural background influence your cooking style: 

My parents are from Jamaica, but I’m not sure if it influences my baking style at all. I’m still very French method-centric as it was how I was taught. My background has had a huge influence on my palate though! I love gingery and spicy things; deep caramel and molasses flavours; and can never put enough rum in anything rum flavoured.

3 words to describe your cooking style: 

Traditional (methods), internationally-inspired (flavour pairings), and sustainable (everything)

3 words to describe your personality: 

Independent, compassionate, and honest

Your aspirations for the future: 

Aside from continuing to build LenJo Bakes into a fantastic neighbourhood bakery, I’d love to get back into teaching! The pandemic made it incredibly difficult to teach in-person and I’m really keen to get back into the classroom to share my passion of baking and science and crafting with anyone who wants to learn. And travel extensively – obviously getting back on a plane to continue eating my way across the world!

Check out Lenore’s recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies.

Full name: 

Raveena Oberoi

Where do you currently work: 

Just Cakes Bakeshop 

In what city do you live: 

Vancouver, BC

Where did you grow up: 

Abbotsford, BC 

Favourite comfort food: 

A good pasta

Favourite ingredient to cook with: 

Cardamom, apple, and spices

Best childhood food memory: 

Making cookies for my grandmas with our afterschool tea. This is how I first started to get into baking.

Favourite thing to bake: 

I love making simple entremets with a variety of textures and layers. But I also love just going to the basics of good chocolate chip cookies, or a really really good vanilla cupcake.

Favourite type of baking to eat: 

Cheesecake

Your go-to restaurant that never disappoints: 

Minerva’s – a quaint Italian-Mediterranean place in the city!

Who is your most significant culinary influence: 

My mum and aunt. I grew up watching them whip up some fantastic dishes, usually on a whim, in the kitchen. They also loved to entertain, and I picked that up from them, too!

Biggest challenge you had to overcome in your culinary career: 

Imposter syndrome. Thinking I wasn’t enough of a chef to open a bakery – to keep expanding.

What do you drink at home: 

I’m all about a good ol’ traditional chai.

Music you listen to while you cook: 

RnB from late 90s, early 2000s. I also love musicals.

Why and when did you start cooking: 

Baking was my form of therapy growing up. I was a super shy and insecure girl, but I found my confidence in the kitchen. To this day, it remains my safe space. 

How does your cultural background influence your cooking style: 

My cultural background influences my cooking style so much. I often find myself drawing to the flavours of my culture in dreaming up new bakes and desserts. I find food has such a way in evoking memory and feeling, and I love doing that. I love playing with the flavours of my childhood and paying homage to the way I grew up as well.

3 words to describe your cooking style: 

Simple, robust, and flavourful

3 words to describe your personality: 

A little silly, ambitious, and dreamer

Your aspirations for the future: 

My ultimate business goal is to have Just Cakes’ cake jars and vending machines across Canada, and maybe another show or two 😉

Check out Raveena’s recipe for Cardamom Dream Mousse.

Full name: 

Shobna Kannusamy

Where do you currently work: 

Soirette Connections
 

In what city do you live: 

Vancouver, BC

Where did you grow up: 

Malaysia, UK and New Zealand

Favourite comfort food: 

Kuey Teow Soup – It’s thin, flat rice-noodles with chicken and prawns, set in a flavourful chicken broth. This dish is warm and comforting, like a hug!

Favourite ingredient to cook with: 

Eggs – their versatility still astounds me to this day!

Best childhood food memory: 

Ais Kacang – This is a quintessential Malaysian shaved ice dessert with toppings such as sweetened red beans, corn, grass jelly, coconut, fruit slices and drizzled with rose syrup, gula melaka and evaporated milk, sprinkled with roasted peanuts. This thirst-quenching concoction hits the spot on sunny and humid days, which is almost every day! We used to buy them from the vendors at the weekly night market, while mom was doing the more serious fruit and vegetable shopping.

Favourite thing to bake: 

Butter cakes
 

Favourite type of baking to eat: 

Lemon Tart

Your go-to restaurant that never disappoints: 

St Lawrence Restaurant in Railtown – Japantown, Vancouver. Chef J.C. Poirier showcases his Quebecois heritage through lovely seasonal menus, much like storytelling through his plates.

Who is your most significant culinary influence:

These chefs were who I looked up to and what prompted me to go to pastry school some odd 20 years ago, and I still admire them for thinking outside the box and innovating with flavours of the globe. Chef Peter Gordon (of the Sugar Club in NZ and London) opened my mind about integrating flavours of culture and heritage with modern styles and romantic plating, whereas Chef Jo Seagar (NZ chef and author) introduced me to sturdy culinary techniques which then became the backbone for my daily cooking.

Biggest challenge you had to overcome in your culinary career:

I had to find the courage to adjust my career sails after running my own bakery for 10 years and closing its brick-and-mortar presence. I felt like I was at a crossroads with what the shop was known for and everyone I was “letting down,” and who I was as a pastry chef without its physical presence. I had to figure out how I was going to continue to serve my community while being more present as a wife and mom. I found my new footing, and with the support of this big-hearted industry, have been able to continue offering my best through collaborations with local small businesses, a new and inspiring baking blog for avid home bakers, and helping other local businesses with creating new and exciting desserts to enjoy!

What do you drink at home: 

Gray Monk Gewurztraminer, Oyster Bay Chardonnay 

Music you listen to while you cook: 

90’s Hip-Hop and R&B, Old-School House, and Jazz 

Why and when did you start cooking: 

I started cooking as an 18-year-old, when I started to live alone while studying in New Zealand, away from my family! I moved from University dormitories into a little apartment and had to learn how to grocery shop and cook simple meals from scratch! My close friend gifted me a book called Dollars and Sense by a wonderful New Zealand cookbook author and chef, Alison Holst. I learned to bake from this book, to satisfy midnight cravings while studying, or to simply distract myself from assignments! It would become my cooking and baking bible, and the book that changed the course of my life after discovering the kitchen 🙂

How does your cultural background influence your cooking style:

My cultural background has made a significant impact in my professional baking. Once I injected more of my heritage into my offerings, I felt more at ease with my style, and my confidence started growing! My customers were also falling in love with our offerings, which had a fun, nostalgic twist that they really resonated with. Using ingredients I grew up with like calamansi, pandan, durian, lychee, pineapple, curry leaves, saffron and spices like cardamom, cloves and black pepper in desserts, led to defining my cooking and baking styles. I am proud of owning that piece of me!

3 words to describe your cooking style: 

Fun, thoughtful, and heartwarming 

3 words to describe your personality: 

Vivacious, adventurous, and bubbly 

Your aspirations for the future: 

I look forward to continuing my journey as a pastry chef by injecting more delight, creativity, and fun for baking in my community through more recipes and collaborations. And to keep learning to be inspired and, in turn, to encourage the next generation to learn and explore with their favourite recipes and ingredients. It is my belief that baking is as soul nourishing as much as it is a language of love that transcends generations, cultures, and time. With that said, I would want everyone to pick up that whisk and start whipping.

Check out Shobna’s recipe for Calamansi Coconut Pavlova.

Full name: 

Stephanie Duong

Where do you currently work: 

My pastry shop, Roselle Desserts

In what city do you live: 

Toronto, Ontario

Where did you grow up: 

Mississauga, Ontario

Favourite comfort food:

Spaghetti carbonara

Favourite ingredient to cook with: 

Butter! Savoury or sweet, all dishes taste better with the addition of butter!

Best childhood food memory: 

I remember going to my best friend’s house for dinner when I was 16. For dessert, her dad made pavlova. It was this stunning centerpiece of light meringue piled high with fresh berries and a light dusting of icing sugar. I’d never heard of such a dessert and that first bite is still etched in my memories. Tender. Crispy. Marshmallow-y. I had no idea such a perfect dessert existed.

Favourite thing to bake: 

I love making cake. Whether it’s a no-frills chiffon cake or a multi-layered entremet that has at least several components, cake was my introduction into the life of a pastry chef. I’d jazz up a box of Betty Crocker mix in high school and bring it to share with my friends during lunchtime.

Favourite type of baking to eat:

I am powerless against a good cookie. Especially chewy, nutty ones. I can eat a dozen amaretti in one sitting without even blinking.

Your go-to restaurant that never disappoints: 

White Lily Diner

Who is your most significant culinary influence: 

For French pastry, Chef Pierre Hermé inspires my work. I admire his focus on simplicity and intensity of flavour. I’ll never forget the first time I had his vanilla tart. I couldn’t stop smiling and it was the moment I realized that vanilla is more than “just vanilla.” It’s what he does so magnificently – he spotlights a single flavour in his seasonal pastry collections. You can tell in the design, construction and creation of his desserts that his goal is to make something delicious but not overly precious. It’s not an easy thing to do.

Biggest challenge you had to overcome in your culinary career: 

2020 certainly put us through the ringer. We had just opened our second location for a few months. The new space was a blank slate and my husband and I dedicated an entire year to building it exactly the way we had always imagined. The plan was for it to be our flagship shop, complete with a new line of products we had never before offered. When the pandemic hit and we had to close for a couple of months, that space no longer made sense. Simplifying our business by going back to one location and decreasing our offerings ended up being a blessing in disguise. It gave us a chance to re-focus and finally catch our breath. 

What do you drink at home: 

Green tea and water

Music you listen to while you cook: 

Disney songs always help me be a little extra productive. I currently have the Encanto soundtrack on repeat.

Why and when did you start cooking: 

When I was a teenager, I started experimenting with those Betty Crocker mixes. And then I went through a big macaron phase. I don’t have any memories of baking in the kitchen with my mom or grandma. My mom is an excellent cook, but she rarely made desserts, so it was fun for me to explore that world on my own.

How does your cultural background influence your cooking style: 

My inspiration comes from the things I like to eat and that is strongly influenced by the flavours I grew up with such as tropical fruits, coconut, pandan. I focus on making my desserts balanced and reduce sugar and sweetness so that the natural flavours can shine through.

3 words to describe your cooking style: 

Simple, elegant, ingredient-inspired (that’s four words haha)

3 words to describe your personality: 

Easy-going, funny, generous

Your aspirations for the future: 

To continue to run my business and make people happy. 

Check out Stephanie’s recipe for Lemon Madeleines.