The first thing that I notice when talking to Chef Nathin Bye is his infectious passion and enthusiasm for what he does. I caught up with Chef Bye during a lull in his busy schedule to talk to him about his passion, his food and WIldflower Restaurant.
Bye is a "prairie boy" who grew up in a large Ukrainian family where food was a big part of life.There's a warm tone in his voice when he says, "From a very young age I was always interested in being in the kitchen and helping in the kitchen versus doing anything else. Other kids were going to the park and all I wanted to do was make pies with Grandma."
Initially he tells me that he was going to do a law degree but his experiences working in the restaurant industry from the age of 14 pushed him in a different direction. He explains, "I lived off of the adrenalin of the restaurant industry and just fell in love with it."
Bye says that he transferred his passion to the culinary arts program at NAIT and while he was studying he was part of their Culinary Olympics team. There's pride in his voice as he speaks about the high standards for quality instilled in him by his experiences with the team. He goes on to tell me that he apprenticed at the Jasper Park Lodge and spent a few years cooking in hotel kitchens after graduating. Ultimately he became the owner and then the executive chef of Wildflower.
'Let The Ingredients Shine'
As we discuss Bye's approach to food and cooking there's growing energy in his voice. He says, "My philosophy on food is to keep it simple and let the ingredients shine. I've always been a huge fan of putting a twist on nostalgic favourites. My generation grew up on tuna casserole and meat loaf and lasagna. I love doing plays on that type of food while staying true to the restaurant's mandate of new Canadian cuisine."
Bye adds, "I'm a pastry chef at heart and a hot food chef later but I really enjoy blending the two together both artistically and flavour-wise. I enjoy taking components that are used in pastry whether its fruits, sauces or artistic composition of plates and transferring that to the composition of plates and entrees."
When I ask him about how he creates new dishes on the menu Bye says, "Its really important for me that I get my team's input. I'm privileged to have a great culinary and front of house team. We put all the ideas on the table and we kind of massage them. I want to do something that the public doesn't necessarily see that often. I look at something that isn't as accessible in terms of ingredients they can get their hands on or dishes they can't get anywhere else."
Local and Sustainable
The discussion moves on to the issue of sustainable and local products and I hear a sense of conviction as Bye says, "We can start off with the fact that people are getting more concerned about carbon footprints, where items come from and supporting local producers. I want to see Alberta's infrastructure grow and strengthen based on supporting each other."
Bye also uses Mikuni WIld Harvest in B.C. to obtain fresh, sustainably caught seafood. He explains, "When you're talking about being in a landlocked province being able to offer my guests fresh seafood that is less than 36 hours out of the water is wonderful.
When we talk about his favourite ingredient to work with and Bye laughs and says, "If I had to pick a favourite ingredient I think that ingredient for me would definitely be butter which I use quite a bit and really enjoy it."
Chef Bye talks about the enjoyment he gets out of educating people about good food. He says, "At Wildflower I wanted to make sure that we were educating our customers about different flavours, wine pairings, and where ingredients came from. I'm on a culinary mission to inject passion, excitement and intellect to Canadian cuisine."
'Not a Clipboard Chef'
There's a sense of determination emanating from Chef Bye when he talks about his personal, hands-on involvement in the day-to-day running of the kitchen at Wildflower. He explains, "What's important for staff is that they're just as passionate about the business as I am whether they're in the front or the back of the house. I work an 80 hour week and I'm hands on all the time. I'm not a clipboard chef and I never have been."
Bye ponders my question about what keeps him passionate and engaged in the restaurant industry before answering thoughtfully. He says, "There are two different things for me. One of them is definitely working with my team and coaching the next generation of chefs that are coming out of culinary school. I also like being able to treat my guests to truly unique food that is simple but cooked properly, great service and a memorable experience that's what really drives me forward."
For more information please visit: http://wildfloweredmonton.com
This interview with Nathin Bye was conducted via telephone on Dec. 5th, 2011.
