Mi Corazon : An Interview with a Chef Passionate About Local Cuisine and Mexican Flavors

My passion for cooking comes from my mother, Sylvie, a true epicurean. She filled my memory with incredible culinary experiences. Some of my fondest moments are when we would go together to forage for wild mushrooms and other plants in the forest.

My first experience in the restaurant industry dates back to 1996, working as a dishwasher in a medieval-themed restaurant in Québec City. While training in culinary arts at the École Hôtelière de la Capitale, I worked as a cook in a pastry and catering business in Sainte-Foy. After completing my studies, I continued as a kitchen assistant in another restaurant, eventually becoming executive chef.

In search of new adventures, I became the chef for the crew of the sailboat Sedna IV, which took part in the documentary 1000 Days for the Planet. Upon returning to Québec, I worked in Montréal as a pastry chef in a private club, then as a chef at the Montréal Botanical Garden, all while slowly bringing the Mi Corazon Food Truck project to life.

When customers at a festival come to my food truck six times in three days.

The vegan cretons—the product that started it all—remains our most popular item. In fact, we won a Grand Prix DUX in 2024 in the “Value-Added Food Products” category for our vegan cretons.

As for the product that deserves to be discovered the most, although I also think of the sambal oelek and the chipotle-marinated green beans, I would say our vegan Bloody Caesar mix for its unique nature—we are the only ones making this mix in Québec.

My personal favorite is the chipotle-marinated asparagus, which allows people to enjoy Québec asparagus year-round. Finally, I would highlight the Kimchup as a product I am particularly proud of. This kimchi ketchup offers a deeper, more complex flavor thanks to fermentation, while also bringing out a spicier side.

Since our food truck operates only in the summer, sourcing local vegetables is quite easy during that time. On the Les Aliments Mi Corazon side of the business, to use Québec products year-round, we rely on several preservation methods, such as lacto-fermentation, dehydration, freezing, and pickling. In 2023, we launched a line of Québec-marinated vegetables (asparagus, green beans, onions, zucchini, jalapeño), all prepared in our production facility on the Plateau Mont-Royal and available year-round.

So yes, it’s a challenge, but when you can enjoy a Québec asparagus in the middle of January, it’s definitely worth the effort, isn’t it?

Radishes, without a doubt! I’d like to use them more in my picklings, and I’m considering including them in my line of marinated products. They’re a beautiful, crisp, and refreshing vegetable that can easily be enjoyed as an appetizer, just like pickles.

We have two projects that we’re trying to develop further. First, our Bière Truck, a rental service for events where we serve draft beer from Québec microbreweries (Québec microbreweries are rarely represented at large festivals).

Our other project is “Mi Bicicleta,” a food bike. We’d like to deploy it more often in Montréal’s parks, but unfortunately, a lack of staff often holds us back. This project is a real dream for us, as it embodies our vision of being as eco-responsible as possible. It’s a 4-foot-wide electric cargo bike that weighs a ton, and it allows us to engage with people in an innovative way—though doing so legally is quite a challenge. It’s like a mobile hot-dog stand, complete with hot water for handwashing to comply with MAPAQ regulations. By the way, they loved our initiative! We had the chance to bring it once to the Osheaga Festival in Montréal, where we served 500 gourmet vegan hot dogs per day. It was an incredible experience, and we hope to do it more often in the future!