Culinary Interlude with Chef Matt Burns
Intimate fine dining in our bathrobes at RESTÖ in Nordik Spa, house-pickled Hunnions with BRAVO’s Season 5 “Below Deck” Chef, and all the crisp bright Autumn backdrops that Ottawa has to offer.
Towering at 6 foot 4 inches with a devilish grin and hair as black as a raven, Chef Matt Burns opened the door to his home and let out a great bellow of delighted affirmation. “Ayyyyyyyyy!” With the inflection that only a true Canadian can muster, he knew that our reunion had long been overdue. The next three days would be filled with nothing but stories, food, reminiscent camaraderie, laughter, entertaining, and of course, more food. Culinary Interlude brings you an intimate look into Matt’s life (and not just as a chef), as to what drives him creatively and how he has found balance since becoming a recognizable face from television.
Since his season staring as Chef on the hit Bravo reality tv show Below Deck season 5, Chef Matt returned to his hometown, the Capital of Canada, Ottawa, of southern Ontario. Let’s get the Below Deck question out of the way, What did he love most and like least about doing the show? Straight from BurnZee, “Least- I didn’t like that I had to play by the rules, but thats what you sign up for… most fun is all the glam and all the random people I met around the world afterwords. Being recognized and fame— bizarre!” This is where our first Culinary Interlude with Chef Matt Burns begins, and over the height of the autumn foliage for a pampered October weekend.
We started our visit to the French-Canadian town with a beautiful vertical hike in Gatineau Park, an area that is quiet and feels remote, though just a few miles from downtown Ottawa. Matt frequents the trails here to relax and unwind with his Australian doodle named Guinness.
“Youthful green chefs are becoming more bold and taking more chances... experienced chefs these days want security, to show the work and go home”
~ Chef Matt
The foliage colors were in its height of the season, which this year happened to be early October. When I think of Canada, I think of the maple leaf and of their beautiful autumn colors, and this visit did not disappoint. We arrived to an overlook of the town and it was breathtaking.
We took a breather and sat down at an opening in the trail, it was the perfect serene moment to discuss the stresses of the job and why we seek quiet, connections with the outdoors. Matt views food as he does almost everything else, as a means to express love and gratitude for a life well lived. I asked him, how do you deal with the stresses of the job and how do you compliment it with your life outside of the restaurant? He took a sigh and explained that life for him has shifted, that what matters to him most now is having security, showing hard work and then separating from it in his personal time. He says, “I love my home and all the people in my life. I take pleasure in caring for my house, in tending my yard, and enjoy just puttering around and hanging with my pup, Guinness… I enjoy a great bottle of red wine and sharing it with close friends around a fire. I’ve made the transition from working day and night in yachting to now working only days at Nordik Spa, which makes it easier to balance having a more enriched life.”
We discussed the modern culinary scene vs. the competitive, old generation chefs of the 80s and 90s. Matt feels that chefs he comes across currently place more importance on collaborative work, that experienced chefs these days want security, to show the work and go home, and the less stress the better. With those in the position of managing and running restaurants or galleys, mainly those born in the 70s and 80s, and having the long hours and strain of having a chef’s life, now want more security over trying to prove themselves. It’s the youthful, green chefs and line cooks that are becoming more bold and taking more chances. Matt says, “I suppose it’s what we’ve all been warned of, that what you want out of the career shifts as you age.”
We agreed that the traditional, more military-style hierarchy of professional kitchens has long been evolving. Building a team is essential in modern days and you simply can’t do it alone. He reminisced about his younger years, new to the culinary scene and his memories of collaborating with a rag-tag team of chefs at Ottawa’s contemporary fine-dining restaurant, E18ghteen. Matt adds, “We were helping each other, not sabotaging- because unfortunately there can be a lot of sabotage in the industry…. As a yacht chef- I once had another chef friend of mine who was next door to us in the Med, and he texted me saying the boss is asking for something specific and that he didn’t have any lard or butter to make the dish. That problem was easily solved for him and I just literally threw him over a jar… I’ve also been on the receiving end, so it works both ways.” I asked him, if he could give one bit of straightforward advice to young chefs starting out, what would he say?
“Don’t settle for minimum wage- get paid— don’t work for free. Know your value and add tax!”
Where does Chef Matt Burns like to wine and dine?
Chef Matt and Chef Meg
His top two spots are fellow Chef friends, Mike Radford of Whalesbone and Walid El-Tawel of Fairouz.
First Stop: Whalesbone
Tucked off Bank Street, we ducked into the Whalesbone to get out of the rain. It was a quiet weekday, with fewer diners than normal that pack into this cozy, small hotspot in Ottawa. They’re an oyster house, but they’re more than just oysters. They are the go-to place if you want fresh seafood. The business was established in 2001, and expanded to now three locations, one retail outlet, a new online store, and a catering company. We arrived hungry and wanting to stuff ourselves with anything and everything delicious, and we certainly succeeded. Matt took charge, knowing what to order and how to best enjoy the experience there— a bottle of wine, a bottle of sparkling springwater, and a platter of oysters to start.
Next, what turned out to be our favorite dish, the steamed green gable mussels with a fragrant coconut broth and thai flavors of fresh herbs, chilis, lime and peanuts. We sucked the bowl clean. Third Course- the Sea-Cuterie Board with smoked oyster mousse, traditional gravlax, mussel escabeche and fried smelts (the chicken wing of the sea!) topped with a smoky aioli. Fourth- Albacore tuna crudo with shiso, puffed lentils and oregano oil— Fifth- Dry-aged beef carpaccio topped with aged blue cheese, sweet cherries, bitter charred radicchio, and earthy rosemary, and lastly the Hot & Sour Porkbelly with roasted delicata squash and crunchy, spicy radish. It was prepared perfectly, having braised for hours in some sort of soy-mirin heavenly glaze, then fat-side seared in a pan when ready to order— melt-in-your-mouth, arguably better than sex, juicy meaty goodness. Trust me, if you ever go to Ottawa- stop at one of their locations and feast. Whalesbone is a member of the Oceanwise sustainable seafood program (a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program), that provides an assurance that the items on their menu are good choices for keeping ocean life healthy and abundant for generations to come. Their focus on only providing the best while sourcing from sustainable, eco-conscious purveyors, is a must in my book and an admirable effort.
The experience at Whalesbone was divine~ the combination of fresh seafood, excellent wine, good company, enjoyed in a dimly-lit, rustic atmosphere that feels like a home away from home; while the rain poured down seemingly silently outside of our window, and kept warm in our sweaters and turtlenecks that we eagerly were ready to wear— there is arguably nothing better. Autumn is now fully upon us and we couldn’t be loving life more.
Second Stop: Fairouz
An upscale gem of Middle Eastern cuisine, it literally sparkles when you walk through the door— the lights twinkling and glassware sparkling, there was a quiet bustling in the dining room, with guests packed in every table, smiling and laughing with sharing platters spread across their tables. Fairouz has an extremely talented and passionate young chef at the helm, Chef Walid El-Tawel, who had formerly worked with Matt and Mike Radford at Restaurant E18hteen. For our dining experience, we were taken on a modern journey through the middle east with traditional flavors prepared with modern techniques and served in a gorgeously renovated old home. The dishes here span a diverse selection of Arab, Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, Kurdish, and Greek flavors yet maintain a large degree of homogeneity. Chef Walid spent dedicated time to researching 15th- and 16th-century middle eastern cookbooks, looking at ancient trade routes and how they influenced cuisine. His care and meticulousness in developing dishes that tell a true story, reflect his own need to share and define his own legacy.
We started with choosing the wine- a Lebanese blend of Cinsault/Syrah /Cabernet Sauvignon from Bekaa Valley called, "Jeune Red.” It’s youthful, unoaked, and deliciously fruity. The wines produced in Lebanon are amongst the oldest sites of wine production in the world, yet have a clear French influence in the grape varieties they now offer. I was tempted to order a bottle from Paso Robles, a region I know and love, but I was there for a new experience, to be taken through a story that I wasn’t so familiar with. We ordered some small dishes off of their Mezze menu, the Muhammara dip they are known for, their freshly made Pita with zaatar that was amazingly fragrant with cumin seed, Baharat crusted Tuna lakerda and the seared Nabulsi cheese with turkish coffee-hazelnut nutella and cardamom. The plating was stunning and the food simply delicious. We opted for more wine and more food— additionally sharing the fried cauliflower, stuffed whole trout, and their lamb kebab. It was everything I had hoped it would be— an exotic culinary feast with friends in admiration of the artistry that continues to raise the bar for dining out.
Chef Matt’s Current Work at Nordik Spa
CI- Working at the ultimate relaxation destination in all of North America must have been a hard sell for you, transitioning away from the high-stress, non-stop belly of the beast galley onboard superyachts. Walk me through a typical work day for you now at Nordik.
MB- I go from 7am-3pm I prep, taste, teach, order and then I get to go HOME! The teaching part is fun and my favorite.
CI- How much do you balance what you want with what you believe the public wants?
MB- A lot of sacrifices there, we have to listen to the public, making sure for example that there’s not butter in the soup and always having alternatives for allergies; making things differently like a beurre blanc. It has become apparent that people with food allergies are only increasing and you have to really have your menu engineering be well thought of to respect and cater to as many people as possible.
CI- Share your tips on what to order at Nordik and how to best enjoy the experience?
MB- Order the local beers by Beau’s… it is delicious, and food-wise I recommend to order the octopus and arctic char dishes which are stunning— briny, salty, and everything that octopus should be. The Canadian maple syrup in the sweet potato soup is local and phenomenal. The best experience here is to take the day, do not take 2-3 hours, no no no no no! Take the full day, don’t leave until it’s dark out.
Well, we conquered the spa as well. I had an early 8:30am massage appointment that we arrived for shortly before my scheduled time and we stayed in Nordik until past 7pm! Over 10 hours of non-stop indulgence, pampering, and bliss. Nordik is THE Disney World of Spas for adults. The experience, complete with,
4 restaurants (of which Chef Matt contributes to all)
Nordik’s Thermal Cycle of Hot+Cold+Rest= Wellness, multitude of treatments and rituals such as the Aufguus (my favorite), is a truly magical one-of-a-kind experience that Chef Matt led us through for the entire day. We ate in all of the restaurants, in our bathrobes, and in its fine-dining location, RESTÖ. Matt described some of his dishes in detail, how they are prepared and what inspired him to create them- such as the Octopus dish with heaps of capers, ginger, and garlic… to the signature Nordik Burger, topped with Hunnions pickled onions (his side business, that we will delve into later in the article!). I must say, I have never in my life eaten in a swanky, fine-dining restaurant in my bathrobe surrounded by others also in the same relaxed state and exposure as myself. I could definitely get used to this... Nordik , WHY are you not all over the USA yet?!
What’s Next for Chef Matt?
CI-How did the idea for Hunnions come about?
MB- A Guest onboard a yacht from Toronto said to me, “hey I’d like to cook for my family one day and would like to go provisioning together.” He taught me how to make a traditional Jamaican dish with fried grouper, mash and pickled onions and I just thought, Yes! Pickled onions need to reach mainstream.
*Order your own jar of Playfully Hot Hunnions -here-
CI -What’s next? Any other projects currently in the works?
Toying around with the idea of cbd- 5 mg & 10 mg protein balls, and am working with corporate at Nordik on developing new ideas for a 7-star experience.
Still curious about Chef Matt?
More from his Interview with Culinary Interlude~
What is your favorite IG account to follow for inspiration?
@Garyvee
What 10 foods would you take to a deserted island?
Dark Chocolate
Coconut ice cream
Fois gras
Ribs
Coffee
Cheese- Canadian-made Balderson 4 yr aged cheddar
Avocado
Franks red hot sauce
Sour keys juju candy
Lemons
Describe the perfect outdoor setup for entertaining guests.
Nighttime, fairy lights, live music, canapés
Where is your favorite market and why?
Spain in Barcelona~ they have a large market that is pretty spectacular and I used to go there a lot. The colors, the fruits and veggies and radishes that are so fresh and delicious.
Favorite knife? Favorite knife size?
10” integrated steel, Japanese blade
Favorite style, color, shape of plates?
I love blank canvases so white, big and flat and I also like the eggshell color.
What could we find in your refrigerator at home that you have to have on an everyday basis?
Dijon, Franks hot sauce, cheese, almond milk, eggs, ham/pig/pork, Hunnions, yogurt
If you could have a table at any restaurant in the world for a dinner reservation tonight, which one would it be?
Osteria Francescana or French Laundry (who can choose only one!)
Follow Chef Matt’s Culinary Adventures on IG @chefmattburns and @hunnions
