Top Chef Canada is back—and so are the chefs. Ahead of Season 12 (premieres October 14 on Flavour Network), we’re rolling out a fall Q&A series with the competing cooks who’ll be battling it out this season. Each chef will share one can’t-miss recipe or answer a single sharp kitchen question so you can steal their best tricks and taste a bit of what’s to come. Tune in for insider tips, autumn-ready dishes, and plenty of culinary bravado. —Noa Nichol
Chef Katy Cheung
What single moment — a dish tasted, a kitchen experience, or a failure — pushed you to become a chef, and how did it change you?
When I first started in kitchens my family and friends would come visit me at where I worked and I thought it was so sweet to have them come in to see me work and to enjoy the food that I make. I think every now and then when I see and feel that the guests are enjoying the food, it reminds me of that single moment and it makes me be able to love what I do as a chef.
As a contestant vying for the Top Chef Canada title, what do you think sets you apart from the other chefs, and how will you translate that strength into a winning strategy in the competition?
Having been trained in western kitchens my whole career and also growing up in Hong Kong has helped develop me into becoming a chef with a unique style that blends Chinese and western cuisines together. Because of that I think I have a strong voice that would stand out amongst the other chef.
Tell me about the biggest mistake you’ve made in the kitchen that actually altered your cooking forever — what did you learn and how do you cook differently now?
I think the biggest mistake for me was to not have confidence in who I am as a person. It’s not really anything related to cooking, but I feel like I struggled with a lot of things as a young cook in the industry and made a lot of mistakes along the way. But once I grew as a person and had more confidence in myself, my cooking definitely changed with it. I think it’s always a work in progress, but mistakes lead to lessons learned, and as time goes on you’ll trust yourself more as what kind of chef you want to be in the industry.
What’s one stubborn belief or non-negotiable you hold about food (technique, ingredient, or hospitality) that would surprise most diners?
- Taste! Recipes are rough guidelines, tasting promotes thinking and thinking promotes growth. It’ll become second nature to you and you’ll find yourself cooking in a way that’s much more fluid
- Lead with vulnerability. Work for the purpose for the greater good of the team. Treat them with respect. Invest and build a team of people who care about what they do, and care about each other.
Please share a special recipe: one signature dish you love to make (restaurant or home), with step-by-step instructions and any pro tips or shortcuts to get it exactly right. (Please send over a photo of this dish)
This is a recipe that’s really simple but can also be very versatile in its usage as it can serve as a good base recipe for other flavor pairings. This is a recipe for my fermented tofu whip (aka fu yue whip). In its most basic form, the whipped tofu can start off as a simple dip or spread that’s similar to yogurt or hummus for a nice veg crudite platter or even grilled meats/fish. To level up, I put this tofu cream into an isi charger to make an aerated tofu foam that’s nice and light for a summer salad or pasta sauce.
Fermented tofu is an ingredient and flavour that I grew up on and have fond memories of my grandma introducing it to me for the first time.
- Medium firm tofu x 454g
- Fermented tofu bean curd x 115g (I use liu ma kee brand from Hong Kong but I believe it might be discontinued now)
- Sesame oil x 90g
- Sugar x 65g
- Salt x 2g
In a blender place all ingredients and process till smooth and silky. If needed, use water to loosen up mixture to achieve the consistency that you are looking for. Taste and adjust with seasonings to your liking.Store in the fridge and can be used up to a week. To use in an isi whip cream charger, fill charger till maximum amount and charge twice.
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