Chef Shelome Bouvette – Chicha Restaurant

As one of the EAT! Vancouver Ambassadors, we’re catching up with the chefs at this culinary festival and here’s our check in with Shelome Bouvette from Chicha Restaurant!  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, including Peruvian Street Food from Chicha Vancouver’s Shelome Bouvette!

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

I am the Executive chef/ owner of Chicha Restaurant; a modern, small plates, casual Peruvian and West coast fusion restaurant. I have built my reputation as a chef based around my love of Latin cooking, fresh flavours, and colourful presentations.  Myself and my food are very expressive, haha.

Where do you eat in your city?

On my days off I love to spend them with my mom doing what we love the most…shopping and eating chinese!  Any day off eating dim sum with my mom is a great day!  Right now we are enjoying Pink Pearl and the Pelican on Hastings.

What would be your ideal food day? 

My ideal food day would start with a pour over from Kafka’s and then dim sum (of course!), then a shop at the local farmers market as I love our local BC produce!  Make a farmers market salad with a beautifully grilled free range, organic rib eye for lunch. And then for dinner head over to La Terrazza for that super decadent, delicious lobster carbonara!

What trend do you wish would die?

A lot of trends stems from the newer and younger generation’s idea, creativity, expression and as I get older I appreciate and support all of that.  Even if the end product is not my taste I support the process, the passion, the innovation…all the good stuff that makes our profession constantly evolving and special.

What trend/s do you wish would be next?

The trend that i want to see next and continue building and become the norm, the expected is Women leaders and equal opportunity and pay for all women in and out of the industry.  As Hilary Clinton said “women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world”.

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

I have a teenage son.  My go to recipe is a huge plate of nachos for us and his friends to share.  Food is better when shared with friends and family.

What equipment do you wish you had in your kitchen?

A Vitamix. It’s so powerful and makes soups and sauces so silky.

What cookbook do you suggest every cook should have?

The Joy of Cooking. All the basics. Try the skillet cornbread recipe and add cheddar cheese, scallions and jalapenos.

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

I will be preparing classic Peruvian basics with west coast ingredients.  One of my dishes will be a Dungeness Crab Causa; whipped potatoes with aji amarillo chili and layered with Dungeness Crab, mango and avocado.

What are you most looking forward to about Eat Vancouver?

I love each year how the event brings in visiting chefs and allows us to meet new chefs, learn about different trends in other cities, different ingredients used, etc