Join us in raising a glass to Chef Norm Pastorin of Basta! Filipino Kitchen, who took home third place at Canada’s Great Kitchen Party last week!
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is a national culinary competition and charitable initiative that celebrates Canadian food culture. Each year, chefs from across the country showcase their creativity and skill to a panel of judges for a chance to earn a coveted spot at the Canadian Culinary Championship.
Competing amongst some of the city’s top chefs, Chef Norm impressed judges with a reimagined take on a beloved Filipino dish, sinigang.
Sinigang is a traditional sour and savoury soup from the Philippines. For the competition, Chef Norm gave the dish a unique twist, incorporating local ingredients and applying his French training.
“Traditionally in the Philippines, it’s made with tamarind to give it that sour, savoury flavour. Here, we’re using rhubarb to keep that same flavour, but all with Canadian ingredients.”
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The Pairing
Part of the competition required each dish to be paired with a complementary beverage. To find the perfect match, Chef Norm teamed up with Hailey, The Common’s own cicerone.
“To keep it local, we decided to bring Hopfenstark's Blanche de L’Hermitage. A German-style witbier from Québec. Witbier is paired famously with shellfish, perfect for Norm’s dish.”
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Can I Get a Bite?
Good news: you don’t have to be a culinary judge to try this dish.
This fall, Chef Norm Pastorin’s sinigang will be available at Basta! Filipino Kitchen right here at The Forks.
Served more like it is in a typical Filipino household, this heaping dish has a sour savoury broth, green beans, okra, tomato, eggplant, daikon, and spinach, and the option to add beef, chicken, or fish.
Plus, head over to The Common to get a pint of Hopfenstark’s Blanche de L’Hermitage to complete the pairing. We only have one keg, so make sure to grab it while you can!
Congratulations once again to Chef Norm and the entire Basta! team! We’re so proud to have you as part of The Forks Market.