A Taste of Canada: Our Chefs' Best-loved Ingredients

Matthew Swift, Alt Hotel St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: Crab and Lobster 

Ask chef Matthew Swift how often he updates the menu at Terre Restaurant & Café and he responds with a chuckle: "Every day!"  

For him, choosing one signature item feels next to impossible. He sources readily available products to craft dishes that showcase the seasons, which, he points out, are “long in Newfoundland."

Unlike some provinces to the west, the seasons here have a considerable influence on what ends up on the plate. "In winter, for example, there's a lot more meat on the menu. We're allowed to serve game, so we might feature partridge or moose."

During the winter months, cod is particularly in the spotlight. “We strive to use only local Newfoundland products. […] Our growing seasons are different. We have winter greens and root vegetables, which we preserve. We don’t see radishes until June, but we have crab, lobster, and scallops starting in spring. Some fisheries also open a little earlier than others.”

His greatest joy? “Crab. We get it right from the boat.” Lobster season is also cause for celebration. The chef and his team travel to Garnish, on the Burin Peninsula, to get a jump on the first haul of the season. “There’s an area where the season starts a week or two before the rest of the island. On the first day, we drive down, camp out, and wait for the boats to return to get the first lobsters. It’s a very exposed peninsula, with 100-kilometre-per-hour winds. It’s cold!” Anything for the freshest ingredients! 

Patrick Dubé, Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa: Tomatoes and Lamb

Just like Chef Swift, Chef Patrick Dubé, who has been at the helm of Les Labours and Le Bercail restaurants for six years, also can’t settle on a single favourite product. With this being the only hotel in a rural area, the exercise proves even more challenging.

In Baie-Saint-Paul, the chef can choose from a veritable cornucopia of high-quality products to complement what grows in the massive on-site garden. “The tomatoes we harvest in summer are exquisite,” he says. “We showcase [them in every way imaginable.” The pizza and Bolognese sauces are made from their own harvest. "We cook big batches in summer so that we can offer it in winter."  

A focal point of the hotel’s expansive grounds, the 5,000-square-metre garden produces 36 varieties of vegetables and 25 edible flowers. "That's 8,500 kilos of vegetables for the two restaurants over the summer," the chef proclaims.

The 2,000 heads of garlic planted in the summer are used to flavour dishes year-round. “We also grow our own Espelette peppers. We’re moving closer to self-sufficiency all the time. Of course, winter is a different story.”

While vegetables feature prominently in both restaurants, Chef Dubé states that their signature product is lamb, “on a pizza or as a prime cut. I raise 20 lambs, which are processed once a year. We take really good care of them to ensure the ideal weight and marbling.” Nothing is wasted: everything is used.

It’s clear that Chef Dubé is obsessed with his playground. "Charlevoix is truly part of Quebec's breadbasket. No other place can claim so many artisans and producers with such high-quality products in such a small region." 

Ivan Rueda, Alt Hotel Toronto Airport: A Passion for Beets 

Chef Ivan Rueda defines the cuisine at Sosta! restaurant in the Alt Hotel Toronto as “simple and generous Italian cuisine.” “We aim to stand for natural, sustainable and wholesome food,” he continues. “We don’t try to do too much. We love the simplicity of quality ingredients, and we work with what we have.”

His favorite ingredient? Beets! "I love beets because in Ontario, they're high quality and available year-round. The season typically runs from June to October, but they can still be harvested in November, right up until winter. They can also be kept in greenhouses, plus they store very well."

He insists that the restaurant’s beet and goat cheese salad is a must-try. “We make a light  goat cheese mousse, using cheese from Mariposa Dairy in Kawartha Lakes. It’s bright and lively, with a lovely pink colour. Then we add a little kale and a homemade vinaigrette.”

“We have many loyal guests at the hotel, and we want to keep finding ways to delight them. It’s the comfort food that keeps them coming back.” 

Mandar Kulkarni, Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer: Veggies, Veggies, Veggies! 

Although he has been a fixture on Toronto's culinary scene for more than a decade, chef Mandar Kulkarni joined Germain Hotels with the opening of PUNCH restaurant in April 2025. "PUNCH is like a modern London restaurant," he explains. "There's a whole cultural history around Indian and British cuisines, and Indian restaurants have become an integral part of British cuisine. We aim to bring the energy of the London culinary scene to Toronto and offer those subtle Indian flavours and spices that characterize British cuisine."

“There’s a whole cultural history connecting Indian and British cuisines, and Indian restaurants have become an integral part of British food culture. We want to bring the energy of the London culinary scene to Toronto, along with the Indian flavours and spices that now punctuate much of British cuisine.”

Born in Mumbai, the chef says he draws inspiration from his own cultural heritage, while focusing on local products. “I love local ingredients. We work with many farm-to-table suppliers. We get a lot of root vegetables and seasonal vegetables. The heirloom beets and carrots, for example, are incredible. We’re trying to incorporate them more and more into our menus. As we get closer to summer, we’ll switch to fresh produce like tomatoes, asparagus, and local berries.”

And he’s yet another chef who is hard pressed to name an ingredient of choice. “I love all vegetables,” he asserts. “Cauliflower, root vegetables… Celeriac is one of my favourites. I adore celeriac.”

His passion for lettuce and kale is such that you find yourself wanting to devour them while he sings their praises. “Revival Roots is a local supplier I work with that grows spectacular greens. […] It’s the best kale and arugula I’ve ever tasted.”

The must-try dish on your first visit to Punch? The chaat slaw. A delightful blend of flavours and textures, “It’s a simple street food that I wanted to elevate,” explains the chef, “to make it a little more romantic, refined, gourmet. So we turned it into a salad. Several raw vegetables are used in its composition, including three or four kinds of radishes, two types of beets, cucumbers, peppers, onions, carrots... […] It’s an explosion of flavours.”

Hungry yet? 

Learn more about the sustainability initiatives at Germain Hotels.