His menus focus on layered flavours , unique preparation and presentation , and availability of ingredients . Lunch might include a salad niçoise that substitutes soya beans for potatoes ; dinner offers bison in a classic tartare . Everything is made in house , from the pizza dough to the mayonnaise , save for baguettes procured at local bakery A L ’ epi de Blé .
It is clear in everything he does that this multi-talented renaissance man of the kitchen has a passion for his craft . During an interview with Ciao !, Cam darts between bubbling pots on the stove , prepping for a special event and a catering gig at once , while spinning yarns about his latest projects , which include writing a cookbook ( The Art of Crème Brûlee ) and completing a course in welding ( conveniently allowing him to make his own cake rings and other cooking tools ).
The restaurant is celebrating its fifth
inthekitchen
but not his greatest passion .
In 2010 , a serious car accident prompted him to reconsider his life and work , compelling the once passionate baker to move to France to study as a pastry chef at the Michelin starred Gastronomicom near Montpellier . The instructors were exacting , pushing nearly every student to the point of tears , but he learned discipline and critical techniques , like making Italian meringues and crème brûlee infused with flavours .
His internship in St . Tropez was yet another skill-stretching experience . When the head pastry chef quit , Tran found himself running the kitchen .
“ In France , chefs supply all their equipment ,” he says . “ I was left without any tools and had no money to buy them . For three months I created desserts for the hotel with just a hand whisk .” He notes that many of the French recipes had no ingredient list , forcing the budding talent to
This multi-talented renaissance man of the kitchen has a passion for his craft .
year in business , a feather in the cap of the Vietnamese immigrant whose career path has more than its fair share of twists and turns .
His father had been a glassblower in Vietnam but escaped after the war , one of the last boat people to flee the country . Cam , a child at the time , and his mother and sister followed , but were arrested and sent to prison . Thanks to benevolence of friends who bought their freedom , they attempted the journey again and the family was reunited in Winnipeg .
“ We lost everything in the war ,” he recalls , “ and afterwards we lived on the street , lucky to eat a bowl of rice with some beans .”
Cam began working as a teenager , part time , with his father who cooked at The Moon Palace , forerunner to the Marigold . He graduated from the Culinary Arts program at Red River College in 1999 and after working at a handful of restaurants , quit the business and worked for seven years as a nursing assistant and advocate for special needs . The job fed his bank account rely on his intuition and great palate .
Before returning to Winnipeg , he spent five months in Asia , immersed in the foods and flavours of his childhood . Some of those memories have influenced his menu , like bison spring rolls marinated in teriyaki sauce , or escargot reminiscent of the dusky mollusks he used to retrieve from a backyard swamp .
Armed with a vision to bring simple , delicious food to his old neighbourhood , he set about creating a gathering spot bursting with joie de vivre .
His welcoming , 23-chair café with rich umber walls , open concept kitchen and tempting dessert case does just that . A small staff that he treats as family helps serve a dining room that is consistently packed , validating his gift for reinterpreting old school gastronomy .
An ambassador of happiness and poster child for multiculturalism , the bon vivant continues to redefine the best of Gallic cuisine , with every banana cream pie , every dumpling , every Croque Monsieur is prepared by hand and with heart .
14 ciao ! / feb / mar / two thousand seventeen