01/19/2026
Quebec veal sweetbreads, delicately dusted in potato starch, are gently smoked with barley and oolong tea, then pan-fried until crisp and yielding. A gochujang-laced veal jus—layered with soy, sesame, ginger, scallion, and doenjang, brings depth and warmth. Roasted parsnip purée grounds the dish, while a crisp kohlrabi kimchi, grown in own garden, adds brightness and lift. Chinese chestnut purée and sesame-candied almonds introduce subtle sweetness and texture, finished with fresh scallion and aromatic perilla oil.
This dish speaks to Canadian terroir through a multicultural lens. Rooted in French technique and Canadian ingredients, it draws bold influence from the Korean pantry—an homage to the Korean Canadian community that has shaped Chef Darren’s culinary journey.
The inspiration traces back to his first restaurant, downtownfood, opened at 27 above a Korean karaoke bar. It was there, after hours, that he was welcomed into the generosity, precision, and depth of Korean food culture. What left a lasting mark was the Korean approach to meat—an ethos that elevates already world-class Alberta beef, and naturally extends to sweetbreads.
Years later, this dish carries that influence forward: a meeting of cultures, techniques, and memories—expressed on the plate with clarity, respect, and intention.
EightYYC
