Two former engineers turned TV stars have come together to open R&D, a new restaurant in the heart of Toronto's historic Chinatown.
Michelin-starred chef Alvin Leung, who serves as a judge on CTV’s MasterChef Canada, joined forces with the show’s first winner, Eric Chong, to bring a fresh Canadian spin on classic Asian dishes.
Chinese restaurant standards like chop suey and sweet and sour pork ribs are featured on the R&D menu, alongside fusion mashups like shiitake polenta fries and tofu poutine.
Leung said the restaurant's name stands for "rebel chef" and "demon chef," (he himself has been dubbed the "demon chef"), but is also a nod to their common engineering training. Leung has a background in mechanical engineering, while Chong has a degree in chemical engineering.
Eric Chong, the first-ever winner from MasterChef Canada, Alvin Leung, three-star Michelin chef and executive chef Nelson Tsai of R & D Restaurant appear in this Alvin Leung photo
"People think R&D stands for 'research and development,' and in some sense it is, because the dishes we do have a little bit of edge to them," he told CTV's Canada AM.
To develop the restaurant's menu, Leung and Chong travelled together across Asia, sampling local flavours and dishes.
Chong, who apprenticed in Leung's award-winning restaurant Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, said his cooking is inspired by his childhood growing up in Canada, and his grandfather’s dim sum.
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