At The Pass is a weekly series showcasing Toronto’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight. Meet Junzhe (Eddie) Ling.

🕘 5 min read

Currently

Cook, MIMI Chinese

Formerly

Campagnolo (stagiaire), amongst others

Favourite dish to make right now

Steam pork belly with dried fermented mustard greens (Mei Cai Kou Rou).

Last cookbook purchase

Bunch of ‘70s Chinese cookbooks compiled by some Chinese provincial publishers. I bought them from a Vancouver used bookstore.

Have you read it/tried any recipes

Not really, but I cross-referenced for some of the classic recipes. Plus many bookmarks to try later.

Name one dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus

Mozzarella, especially the cheap ones used for social media viral stuffed food.

And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus

Offal. It can be pork, beef, chicken, lamb – intestine, liver, heart, tripe, sweetbread, etc., They are definitely not acceptable by many of you. But with proper processing, they can taste so clean but special with various unique textures. Moreover, it reduces food waste.

Biggest influences

My family, to be specific my grandfather.

If you could eat at any restaurant in the world

月と亀 Tukitokame in Tokyo, since my friend mentioned it many times for their special curry.

Last thing you ate

Zongzi - bamboo leaf stuffed with glutinous rice, pork and salted duck yolk. The shape of them look kind of random. I still need to practice more on how to wrap them nicely.

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

Lard rendered by myself, mixed doubanjiang (fermented fava bean sauce), ajvar.

Guilty pleasure

10 piece McNuggets, Double Filet-O-Fish and Large Fries after midnight.

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

Actinolite, Crosley’s (RIP), Harry's Charbroiled. And outside Toronto but in the GTA: Ji Xian Ge (Scarborough), Nian Yi Kuai Zi (Richmond Hill), De Chou (Thornhill).

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars

Imanishi Japanese Kitchen, Sakai Bar, Cry Baby Gallery

Go-to drink

Funky sake. Cocktails containing Chartreuse.

One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake

Scissors in back pocket. It comes in handy for cutting labels, opening jars, and breaking apart cardboards. Just too dangerous…

And one habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs

Actually I am that young chef (cook).  If I have to say something, that would be trying to make staff meal with more thought, rather than use all the leftover mise you can grab. It’s a great chance to exercise your skill, try new ideas, and most importantly, make your workmates happy.

Hidden talent

I use my washroom as a darkroom. And I always attract my cat to ‘make cookies’ on my belly.

The best career advice you ever received

It’s always okay to make mistakes and you will make some mistakes, realizing them and that we can fix them.

The worst career advice you ever received

Being dishonest with the menu description to charge premium and allure customers.

Your advice for young cooks starting out in the business

Don’t panic, you got this.

In order to support chefs during this time, the monthly At The Pass series is now WEEKLY. Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration. And yes, you can nominate yourself.      

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