At a Glance

"The latest trend in cuisine continues to be the strong focus on regional cuisine, on exploiting the natural products available to chefs," says Arjun Basu. "(Canadian) chefs are following the concept that if it grows together, it goes together."

Basu should know – as editor-in-chief of enRoute, one of Canada's premier lifestyle magazines, he is plugged into the latest trends and innovations across the country.

Since becoming editor-in-chief in 2001, enRoute has twice been named the world's best in-flight magazine by the World Airline Entertainment Association. The bilingual monthly is available exclusively on all Air Canada flights and every November, it publishes its widely anticipated issue on Best New Canadian Restaurants and Canadian food trends. Basu gave a sneak preview of the 2006 edition to Culture.ca.

Tapas meets local produce

In addition to using local produce, another Canadian food trend is that of small plates such as tapas and pinxtos, notes Basu. (Pinxtos is not a misspelling for pinto beans, but actually a type of tapas hailing from Northern Spain comprised of little bits of bread with any number of toppings like salmon mousse or spicy sausage or ham and cheese.)

"Some places are taking the tapas format and bringing other influences into it – Asian, for example," continues Basu. "Canadian chefs are taking the best ideas and trends of the world and marrying it to a very 'local' take on cuisine. Anywhere one eats in Canada, at least at the better restaurants, diners are really getting a taste of local produce."

Many good dining places

As for recommending specific restaurants, Basu demurs. There are far too many 'in' restaurants in Canada to mention. Almost every city in the country now has a strong scene – the ones in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montréal and Québec readily come to mind," he states knowledgeably. For precise lists, readers can consult the November 2006 issue of enRoute.

By Sheila Ascroft, October 2006