I mentioned in another forum that if I received any encouragement, I'd post something about our new restaurant and the TV series that's being made about it. Since two people asked me to post, I'll take advantage of the opportunity to shill away!
We've had our small-event catering company, ZenKitchen, for the past couple of years. We've also offered a monthly gourmet vegan dinner, often with wine or beer pairings, drawing between 40 and 70 diners to every one. Our chef, (my business- and life-partner), Caroline Ishii has provided cooking lessons at The Urban Element and the LCBO, as well.
The monthly dinners floated between various venues, including the now-defunt Chelsea Club, and the vast majority of our customers have been hard-core carnivores who were surprised to learn that they could be satisfied with a vegan meal.
Now, we're transforming the business into a 40 seat restaurant (16 more seats on the patio). We bought the former Le Panache space at 634 Somerset St. W, between Percy and Bronson, and we're currently renovating with an ambitious and unlikely opening date of June 19.
The food trend we're following is called "healthy indulgence" - responding to the desire of some diners to have a healthier option without sacrificing flavour or presentation. And do our best to provide organic, local and wholefood dishes.
We focus a lot on flavour, using grills, smokers, and complex stocks and sauces, as well as fermented and pickled foods.
ZenKitchen will be a full-service fine-dining vegan restaurant. We'll have a wine program, drawing mainly from VQA producers, and offer local beers.
Finally, Caroline will continue to offer cooking classes in our surprisingly large kitchen, and I've offered to host some events for the National Capital Sommelier Guild, of which I'm a member.
And that's only one part of the project!
Last fall, we were approached by an Ottawa TV production company, Mountain Road Productions, to be the subjects of a 13-part documentary TV series that will show on the W Network next fall. It's called The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave and follows us through all parts of the business, from developing a business plan to looking for space to hiring staff and then running the joint. And whether we're a hit or a miss, they'll be there to film the outcome.
They will continue filming with us through the summer, so some diners will have an opportunity to watch - or participate in - the show being produced. Kind of like a floor show, but with the lights facing the audience...
My daughter lives on Arthur Street in Chinatown--I am looking forward to a non-asian choice for a dinner (or hopefully lunch?) option. I do love my asian food but this will be a refreshing change.
Our plan, Jane-Buck, is to open Wed-Sun for dinner, to be closed on Mondays and to open on Tuesdays for cooking classes and special events. If we find Sundays slow, we might try opening Monday instead.
Kombu
We've had our small-event catering company, ZenKitchen, for the past couple of years. We've also offered a monthly gourmet vegan dinner, often with wine or beer pairings, drawing between 40 and 70 diners to every one. Our chef, (my business- and life-partner), Caroline Ishii has provided cooking lessons at The Urban Element and the LCBO, as well.
The monthly dinners floated between various venues, including the now-defunt Chelsea Club, and the vast majority of our customers have been hard-core carnivores who were surprised to learn that they could be satisfied with a vegan meal.
Now, we're transforming the business into a 40 seat restaurant (16 more seats on the patio). We bought the former Le Panache space at 634 Somerset St. W, between Percy and Bronson, and we're currently renovating with an ambitious and unlikely opening date of June 19.
The food trend we're following is called "healthy indulgence" - responding to the desire of some diners to have a healthier option without sacrificing flavour or presentation. And do our best to provide organic, local and wholefood dishes.
We focus a lot on flavour, using grills, smokers, and complex stocks and sauces, as well as fermented and pickled foods.
ZenKitchen will be a full-service fine-dining vegan restaurant. We'll have a wine program, drawing mainly from VQA producers, and offer local beers.
Finally, Caroline will continue to offer cooking classes in our surprisingly large kitchen, and I've offered to host some events for the National Capital Sommelier Guild, of which I'm a member.
And that's only one part of the project!
Last fall, we were approached by an Ottawa TV production company, Mountain Road Productions, to be the subjects of a 13-part documentary TV series that will show on the W Network next fall. It's called The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave and follows us through all parts of the business, from developing a business plan to looking for space to hiring staff and then running the joint. And whether we're a hit or a miss, they'll be there to film the outcome.
They will continue filming with us through the summer, so some diners will have an opportunity to watch - or participate in - the show being produced. Kind of like a floor show, but with the lights facing the audience...
I'm happy to answer any questions.
Cheers,
Dave
ZenKitchen