Chef Osten Rice competing and won the Winnipeg Gold Medal Plates and went on to the championships in Kelowna.  Here is a few fun questions we through at him.

What was your first food memory?

Sitting by the ocean in Malmö, Sweden, I was maybe 10, eating this green-boned fish out of newspaper my uncle Sven had just finished smoking

What was in your elementary school lunch kit?

Mortadella, Calbrese, Peppered Pâté… on some kind of nice bread with Fruit, Granola Bar and Juice.

Where did you first learn to cook?

I worked a few places when I was starting out. But where I really learned to cook was at Restaurant Dubrovnik, a high end French restaurant located in a beautiful mansion overlooking the river. Chef Gojko Bodiroga really took me under his wing and nurtured my passion to learn. This was long before I started Culinary School.

Did you attend culinary school – if so, where?

I attended the Culinary Arts Program at Red River College

Where has been your favourite place to work to date and why?

Where I currently work, Wasabi Sabi. I take great pride in the experience we are providing guests.
This is the first place where I am truly able to express myself creatively and artistically, which is the very reason I’ve been on this path. I also have the flexibility to pursue new challenges through my consulting company chefosten.com

Who in the industry taught you the most?

There really isn’t an experience, good or bad, that hasn’t helped define the type of Chef I am today.
Learning how things shouldn’t be done, often had a greater resonance. Every Chef I’ve worked for has taught me vital lessons, each in different areas, which I use everyday.

What is your favourite style of cooking?

I appreciate any style of cooking that is minimal, with focus on quality ingredients and preparing them in a way that lets them shine.

What is your favourite ethnic cuisine?

Tough to narrow this down. I really appreciate so many different types of food and will continue to explore all that the world has to offer.

What ingredient(s) can’t you live without?

Star Anise and Ginger maybe. Being a Chef is all about adapting and exploring. Take away my favourites, I’ll find something else.

What are the most essential tools for cooking?

A sharp knife, proper set of pans and passion.

Do you have an unforgettable taste combination?

It was a salad of Green Apple, Mint, Goat Cheese and Wasabi Mayo paired with New Harbour Sauvignon Blanc. Incredible!

Ingredient you can’t get enough of?

Jamón Ibérrico de Bellota, Foie Gras, Black Garlic, Peppadew Peppers, Sea Urchin, Gooeyduck, Australian Pink Flake Salt, Indonesian Long Pepper, Cheese, to name a few.

Ingredient that will never touch your lips?

Well, I’m pretty much willing to try anything. Bring it on.

What is your most prized possession?

My phone. I have all my recipes in there, and I’m constantly doing research on the go.

What basic recipe/s do you advise for cooking novices to learn as a starting point?

Learn to make bread from scratch with your hands. This will teach you that good food takes time, allow you to get intimate with the process of preparing food and the reward that hard work and patience brings.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes with a classic Chasseur Sauce.

What’s your favourite cocktail?

Hendricks Gin and Tonic with extra Lime and some muddled Basil.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Corn dogs with yellow Mustard and Ketchup Kettle Chips.

What’s your definition of a perfect meal?

This is all about context. Good company, a comfortable setting, great food and wine and the luxury of time to take it all in.

What do you always have on hand for last minute entertaining at home?

Some good wine, great music and a bottle of Laphroaig.

How do you unwind after service?

A glass of peatey scotch, a full bodied red wine and a movie. After a particularly busy service I enjoy inviting my guys over to talk shop and have a few drinks.

Most overrated food trend?

Molecular Gastronomy. These are new techniques for preparing food, not a style of cooking. The term was coined in order to receive funding for a university course, they thought the title made the course sound more legitimate. For some reason the food industry adopted and disambiguated it. All food preparation is gastronomic and can be analyzed on a molecular level, leave that to scholars, stop scarring people with pretentious jargon.

Favourite culinary destination?

Spain. I have yet to go.

Most memorable meal last year?

A marathon of a meal that bordered on gluttony in Montreal at Au Pied de Cochon.

If you weren’t a chef what career would you have pursued?

Industrial Design.

What would you eat at your last meal?

A pound of Foie Gras, my moms Anchovy Pie, an a A5 Wagyu Steak

Who are you dream dinner companions?

Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, those guys know how to eat and drink!

What do you do in your off time?

Off time? When I’m not running a busy 140 seat restaurant I’m working on the 3 consulting projects I have on the go. I’ve got to make use of my creative energy while I’ve got it. One day I hope to sit back, travel and eat full time, all funded by the work I’m doing now.

Where do you eat in your city when you are not working?

Segovia Tapas Bar, hands down my favourite place.

Are there some regional dishes your city is known for?

In the summer we have fantastic Pickerel and smoked Goldeye. I love fried Pickerel with fresh lemon and a little greek yogurt mixed with capers and diced cucumber

What is the dish/dishes your restaurant is known for?

We have such a broad range of dishes. But the number one best seller is the Spicy Mango Prawns. Tempura Shrimp tossed with Spicy Mayo and Ripe Mango chunks served atop a bed of Greens with our Ginger Vegetable Dressing _________________________________________________________________________________________

What dish will you be cooking for Gold Medal Plates?

Beet Cured Butterfish, Miso Mustard Sauce, Fuji Apple and Golden Beet Slaw, Shiso Compressed Cucumber, Pickled Caper Berry and Taro Chip

Paired with 2011 Gray Monk Gewürztraminer

Why did you choose the particular wine/beer pairing for the dish?

My Sommelier and I tried many wines with this dish before making a descision. This wine not only went with the dish but enhanced it making the combination greater than the sum of its parts. Phenomenal.

What ingredients have you brought with you?

I brought everything with me. By sheer luck (not knowing that I would win gold when I designed the dish) the components couldn’t be more perfect for transporting on a plane. I figured I’ll be close to the Okanagan, so best to buy my Fuji Apples when I arrive.

Who have you brought with you to assist?

My good friend, Sommelier, Head Server, and Chef in his own right, Michel Pambrun

For the black box competition are there any strategies that you will employ to succeed?

Keep it simple, do what you know. This is not the time to experiment. Focus on doing a few things really well, not many things that are pretty good.

What challenges do you have to face as your travel to another destination to cook?

Taking several hundred pounds of food on a plane with me is definitely a first. I’ve done my research and am sure it will go well.

Who do you see as the toughest competitor this year?

At this level, every chef is exceptional in their own right. I don’t focus on what others are up to, I will do me at the highest level I can.