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ANDREW COPPOLINO andrewcoppolino@gmail.com HALO CHEF: UNIVERSAL FOOD AND A RICH CULTURE and I haven’t stopped. I simply brought the culture to Rockland.”
and rice that is packed with flavour and colour from heady turmeric. Kwanga, a traditional dish prepared in Democratic Republic of Congo and throughout Central Africa, is another Halo Chef signature dish: cassava (or yuca) is made into dough, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed to make it tender and slightly sweet. There is also a dish called samoussa, a variation of samosa, which is a dough pocket stuffed with spiced peas, potatoes or meat and deep-fried; for dessert, you can have a waffle or a pâte à choux (pastry dough) beignet. Universal foods differentiated by spices According to Justin Mukendi, the food at Halo Chef has a “universal” quality that in essence makes it familiar. “A chicken is a chicken, right? The diffe- rence between chickens from different parts of the world is only based on ingredients and the spices added. Cooks use different ingre- dients, for instance, at an Indian or Pakistani restaurant,” he says. It speaks to Christine’s experience cooking at home when she was a kid in Kinshasa: the ingredients she incorporates into the Halo Chef menu selections create the unique flavours in a dish that is made with common poultry. The seasoning for the goat, a popular African and Caribbean protein source, is proprietary however. “The ingredients for our goat are a secret,” $ISJTUJOFTBZTi8FNBSJOBUFUIFNFBUGPSB couple of hours, and then cook it on charcoal. That makes a difference from how other cooks make it.”
The saltfish is rinsed several times in water and then cooked with bell peppers and onions and is served with kwanga. There are also Congolese pondu (feuilles de manioc on the menu), a stewed dish of finely chopped cassava leaves, as well as fumbwa, African wild spinach stew; both are staples in Central African cuisine. Charcoal is a defining feature In answer to the question of which is her favourite dish to prepare, Christine Mukendi is hard-pressed. The chicken, goat and the ribs are right up there, she says, primarily because of her long history cooking them in the family – but the charcoal seems to be the defining feature. “The barbecue with charcoal, that’s what I’ve brought here. It reminds me of the way we cooked it back home. Slow cooked and not rushed is the way the flavour is created.” That flavour, according to Halo Chef busi- ness plans, will, the family hopes, create more profile for the business as they focus on cap- turing the palates of the local community and eventually beyond, says Christine Mukendi. “Rockland and its demographics are growing but also Ottawa. People are more interested in African charcoal cuisine.” Halo Chef is open Tuesday to Friday 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. Food writer Andrew Coppolino lives in Rockland. He is the author of “Farm to Table” and co-author of “Cooking with Shakespeare.” Follow him on Instagram @ andrewcoppolino.
As business evolves and grows – that includes catering functions too – Halo Chef opens five days a week in the late afternoon only, at least for now. Customers, says Gorcky Mukendi, range across demographics in what he describes as “actually an almost equal spread.” They are considering working toward enga- ging with a third-party delivery company like 6CFS&BUT CVUUIFZOFFEUIFOVNCFSTUP balance first; on occasion, they have them- selves driven food orders to some of their regular customers. As for the name Halo Chef, it seems to ring out as “Hello Chef!” but the family came up with name as way to blend, in a playful manner, a sense of “angelic” perfection when it comes to delicious food and chef, Christine, cooking it. Husband and business partner Justin says Christine’s cooking started out as a hobby that reaches back to her childhood. “Friends asked why she isn’t running a SFTUBVSBOU uIFTBZTi8FTBJE PLBZ JUTPVOET like a good idea.” The idea took root. The restaurant now has a dedicated fol- lowing – several customers came in to collect dinner orders in the short time I was visiting the dining room – that returns often for the popular smoky charcoal-grilled chicken. I have thoroughly enjoyed the earthy viande de chèvre, and the menu includes makayabu saltfish, along with deep-fried plantain (aloco),
It’s a unique restaurant on Rockland’s main street and one that has plans to grow: Halo Chef, specializing in African- and Caribbean-inspired coo- kery, has been open on Laurier Street for approaching three years now, and, according to the family who owns the business, they’re looking ahead to fur- ther opportunities. “One thing about the restaurant business is that there’s more to it than just preparing food. There’s marketing the business, the financial projections, investments. All of that. Right now, the team is getting their rhythm in terms of operations but thinking about expan- sion, more exposure, possible franchising and investment so we can revamp,” according to Gorcky Mukendi. Mukendi takes care of the restaurant’s financial matters, and the “team” he refers to includes Halo Chef co-owners Justin Mukendi and Christine Mukendi, his parents. Adding food culture to Rockland Christine Mukendi, who in early July led the )BMP$IFGUFBNUP"GSPGFTUJO5PSPOUPT8PPE - bine Park to serve their food – and thereby get out the restaurant’s name – does the cooking, which she might describe as something like her love language. “Cooking is my passion,” she says. “Prepa- ring food and cooking for people is the thing that I love to do the most. I started when I was back home in Congo when I was younger,
VACANCES ESTIVALES SUMMER HOLIDAYS PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT OUR OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED DURING THE WEEKS OF JULY 27 AND AUGUST 3 PRENEZ NOTE QUE NOS BUREAUX SERONT FERMÉS LES SEMAINES DU 27 JUILLET ET 3 AOÛT DE RETOUR À NOS BUREAUX LE LUNDI 11 AOÛT.
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— Homme de guerre grossier. 11. Exprime — Chevreuil. 12.Imaginer — Précieuses. VERTICALEMENT 1. Voler — Prénom. 2. Chafouine — Débarrasser de sa coquille. 3. Retirer — Crustacé marin. 4. Drame nippon — Jeune saumon — On peut en faire de la vodka. 5. Berne — Endommager. 6. Infection aiguë de la peau. 7. Non pollué — Athénien. 8. Fard pour les cils — Cri de douleur. 9. Elle se mâche facilement — Amour peu sérieux. 10.Poudre servant à préparer des bouillies chez les Turcs
— Après bis. 11. Pierre précieuse — Matière grasse. 12.Espace rasé circulaire au sommet du crâne — Navires de guerre.
HORIZONTALEMENT 1. Qui est porté à
l’insubordination — Il est très prolifique.
2. Dans le voisinage
— Insecte apte à se reproduire. 3. Démodé — Préparation de viande séchée, réduite en poudre et pressée. 4. Bien sûr — Cavités. 5. Hélium — Arbre — Marque le doute. 6. Grande station touristique mexicaine. 7. Remettre à neuf — Première lueur du jour. 8. Conduit naturel — Capable de. 9. Opaque — Commander — Adjectif numéral. 10.Ce qui sert d’excuse
WE WILL RETURN TO THE OFFICE, MONDAY AUGUST 11.
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