Chef Ian McHale – Wildebeest

As one of the EAT! Vancouver Ambassadors, we’re catching up with the chefs at this culinary festival and here we check in with Chef Ian McHale – Wildebeest. EAT! Vancouver takes place from November 4 to 9, 2019  and features culinary collaborations between award-winning local and special guest chefs from across Canada and the United States. Experience a culinary experience like none other from this year’s events including: EAT! Dinner Series, EAT! Harvest, EAT! Pastry Day and EAT! Expert Classes.

Tell us a little bit about your restaurant and/or style of cooking.

My style of cooking is simplistic yet technical, our goal at Wildebeest is to make each ingredient the best version of itself.

Where do you eat in your city?

 I really enjoy going to Juice Bar after service. Great tunes, unreal wine and cracking food.

What would be your ideal food day? 

Noodles. Lots of Noodles.

What trend do you wish would die?

Bubble Tea!

What trend/s do you wish would be next?

I want people to be more concerned with the provenance of ingredients. There’s a story behind each ingredient and where it comes from and it would be great to see that take center stage.

What ingredients do you always have on hand?

Old Bay. It’s a spice mix from Maryland where I am from.

What’s your go-to recipe when you’re eating at home? 

I don’t really have a go-to but I especially love when I can cook breakfast at home.

What equipment do you wish you had in your kitchen?

A plancha – it’s a  flat-top griddle used in Spanish cooking that combines high-temperature searing with a small amount of smoking

What cookbook do you suggest every cook should have?

Le Répertoire de La Cuisine

What is one of the dishes you will prepare for Eat Vancouver?

Comox Valley Venison

What are you most looking forward to about Eat Vancouver?

Getting to spend time with talented chefs, we don’t have the chance to get together too often so it’s always great to be able to swap experiences