R&D (restaurant)

R&D
The restaurant in 2024
Restaurant information
EstablishedApril 7, 2015 (2015-04-07)[1]
Owner(s)Alvin Leung[1]
Eric Chong[1]
Head chefEric Chong
Food typeAsian Fusion
Chinese
RatingBib Gourmand
(Michelin Guide)
Street address241 Spadina Avenue
CityToronto, Ontario
CountryCanada
Websitewww.rdspadina.com

R&D is an Asian Fusion restaurant located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The restaurant is co-owned by Alvin Leung, known for his 3 Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant Bo Innovation, and Eric Chong, the inaugural winner of culinary reality competition show MasterChef Canada.[1]

History

The restaurant opened in 2015 in Toronto's Chinatown neighbourhood, in collaboration between Leung and Chong, who met on MasterChef Canada. Chong was a competitor on the show's first season, while Leung was one of three judges on the show.[2] After winning the competition, Chong received an offer from Leung to train with him in Hong Kong and eventually open a restaurant together.[3]

The business's name, R&D, stands for Rebel & Demon - a moniker created to reflect the personalities of both chefs.[1] Chong is labeled the "Rebel" for pursuing a career in cooking despite his family's initial wishes for him to remain in engineering, while Leung is known as the "Demon Chef".[4] R&D's meaning is two-fold, also reflecting both chefs' engineering backgrounds, where 'r&d' (research and development) is an important aspect of the field.[1]

Chong initially started as the sous-chef for the restaurant, while the title of executive chef was given to Nelson Tsai.[1] Chong took over the reins as executive chef a year following the restaurant's opening.

Cuisine and notable dishes

The restaurant primarily serves Asian fusion dishes, anchored by Chinese cuisine and Canadian ingredients.[5] It also draws upon French and Korean cooking techniques.[6] A core part of the restaurant's menu is its 'Canadian take on traditional Chinese dim sum', serving items such as char siu bao in icing sugar-topped "Mexico buns" and fun guo filled with chicken and black truffle.[7]

Chef Eric Chong, and the restaurant's, signature dish is the wok lobster (stylized: @WOK_LOBSTER) - a butter-poached lobster chow mein[6] based on the same dish which Chong served in the final round of his MasterChef win.[8]

Recognition

The business was named a Bib Gourmand restaurant by the Michelin Guide at Toronto's 2022 Michelin Guide ceremony,[9] and retained this recognition in 2023 and 2024.[5] A Bib Gourmand recognition is awarded to restaurants who offer "exceptionally good food at moderate prices".[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Abraham, Lois (6 April 2015). "R&D: Collaboration between 'MasterChef Canada' winner and judge set to open". CityNews Vancouver. CityNews. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  2. ^ Wrobel, Maggie (27 May 2014). "It ain't easy being MasterChef Canada: How Eric Chong went from cooking homemade soufflés to being a $100,000 winner". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  3. ^ Van Paassen, Kevin (10 April 2015). "From MasterChef to Toronto restaurant owner: How Eric Chong's career went from 0 to 100". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  4. ^ Mok, Charmaine (17 July 2022). "Hong Kong 'demon chef' Alvin Leung on food art, life and death, heaven and hell, and his new menu The Masterpieces". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Bib Spotlight: R&D". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "R&D - Toronto". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  7. ^ Nuttall-Smith, Chris (24 July 2015). "R&D: The MasterChef-helmed restaurant is far from a winner in real life". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Consider the Lobster Chow Mein Tonight". Vice. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  9. ^ "What went down at Canada's first ever Michelin Guide award ceremony". Toronto Life. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2024.