Eric Wood | Le Travelist
Executive Chef
Originally from Edmonton, Chef Eric Wood was inspired to become a chef at the age of nine, while
accompanying his father on a business trip, he walked into a five star hotel restaurant by himself, and
ordered the tasting menu. He has worked at Hawthorne Food And Drink, FABARNAK, the YellowBelly
Group, Eagle Ranch Resort and L’azia, all of which he served as Executive Chef, and worked with industry
leaders such as Oliver Bonacini, SIRCORP, CHiP Hospitality, and Walt Disney World Resorts, prior to
becoming the executive chef at the restaurant at the Beverly Hotel in Toronto.
Le Travelist chats with Eric at the opening of Beverly Hotel just in time for the 38th annual Toronto
International Film Festival (TIFF). Here he reveals his top travel and dining essentials, tips and
destinations.
What is your go to snack when travelling?
I tend to travel to places with markets and street type
vibes, so I eat a lot of stuff from stalls, and carts, but
the go to snack to have on the run seems to be nuts.
Everywhere I have gone, be it roasted hazelnuts at
Pike Place Market (in Seattle), or candied cashew
clusters in Shanghai or Chanca in Peru. I gravitate to a
sweet and salty crunch, and will usually have a bag of
something with me. Also, fruit vendors tend to fill a
void too.
What do you love to find in the minibar?
I am a bit of a candy fiend on that side of things, and a
good chocolate bar never goes untouched. I also have
a bit of a whiskey tooth, so, a couple little bottles of
Johnnie Black are a good treat. Plus, if the hotel has
the thought process of stocking with local beer and
food stuffs, I really like this.
Which airline has the best food?
Singapore Airlines has always had good food, and I
have had good luck with Lufthansa as well. I would
love to do an airline menu one day.
Where in the world would you travel to in order to
satisfy a guilty food pleasure?
I love the Asian palette, and have some of my greatest
food memories from visiting Shanghai when my
parents were living there. I would go back in a
heartbeat for the soup dumplings from the stall across
from the Museum of Civilization. It is without question,
the best dumplings in the world.
What are the top 5 for restaurants in the world for
epicureans?
I like stellar fine dining, with good service that’s like a
ballet in its grace, and chefs with exceptional
technique and mastery of their regions, so, I can’t put
them in any ranking order, but, I would say:
1. Astrid Y Gaston in [Miraflores] Lima, Peru
2. Langdon Hall in Cambridge, Ontario
3. The Wampoa Club in Shanghai
4. Per Se in New York
5. Bras in Laguiole, France
Where do you find inspiration? (for your recipes)
I get very inspired by the community I am surrounded
by. I am curious, and I ask a lot of questions, and try to
understand the root behind why things are composes
the way they are, and why they need to be. as a result,
I tend to turn things upside down and find the
connections to other types of food. I think, as a
Canadian of my generation, I have grown up with a
very international palette, in what I would call a “PostFusion” mentality. So much comes from travel, and
from living in every region of the country I call home.
My parents live in the Maritimes, so I have a deep love
of the simple country seafood thing. My sister lives in
Peru, so I have been lucky enough to have very
authentic meals there. I also lived and worked in
Disney World early in my career, and was exposed to a
whole new world of food and cultures.
When on vacation, what food helps you overcome
homesickness or remind you of your childhood?
I think there is nothing more universal, and also more
diverse, than a burger, and a burger can always take
me home a little. I hate to reference it, but there’s a
commercial from one of the big guys that references
this, “no matter where you go, we are open” its true.
That taste of a simple burger, pickles and ketchup, just
makes me feel like a little guy again. You can also
pretty much universally get Reese’s Peanut Butter
Cups too, and thats always a good thing.
If you could eat only one food for the rest of your
life what would it be?
I have a real love and affection for sausages, another
of those universal foods that shows up in every
culture. On our first date, I told my wife that I could live
on sausages alone, and somehow I got a second date
after that. It’s really true though. be it Lap Cheong, or
Boudin Noir, as long as theres a little mustard, sign me
up.
Describe your signature dish/item:
Currently, the signature dish of this season and this
menu is Nova Scotia Halibut, with Sherry’d Beet,
Chervil and Orange pesto, and a potato Leek Fondant.
Its a tribute to a dish from Le Bernardin that I fell in
love with, and have tweakd over the years to have my
take. It’s a balance of perfectly cooked Halibut (which
can be unforgiving) the richness of the fondant,
against the sharp astringent beets.
Describe your cuisine in one sentence. How have
the different guests reacted to your cuisine?
My food is about the balance of precision and whimsy,
and the pursuit of pure, beautiful flavor, without overt
pretense. I try to make food thats approachable, but
yet, thoughtful, and think of the base level reaction of
the guest, taste of course is important, but I am really
interested in where it takes them, the sounds, the
memories. I love hearing how a burger reminds
someone of their uncle, or when the last time they had
gnocchi was with their daughter, who they miss.
People have responded really well to the food I make, I
think because I share an emotional connection with it
that I am trying to share with them. there is an
authenticity to it.
www.letravelist.com
Photo Credit/Source: The Beverley Hotel (BVRLY
Burger, Wrap Sessions, From the Sea, and The
Beverley Hotel), dobbernationLOVES (NS Halibut),
Renée S. Suen (Eric Wood photo), SF Brit (Shanghai),
Astrid Y Gaston (Astrid Y Gaston), Langdon Hall
(Langdon Hall)