Chef Eva Chin

Born and raised on a farm in Hawaii, chef Eva Chin grew up immersed in the breathtaking bounty that Mother Nature has to offer, inspired by the mountains, the ocean and earth. She learned at an early age that food is the connection between people and the land.

This connection is translated into her cuisine. Born and raised on her grandmother’s farm in Kahuku, Hawaii; equipped with Samoan and Singaporean heritage, food knowledge, and the nature surrounding her, Eva’s career as a chef was no surprise. Eva has staged and cooked at renowned restaurants around the world, including Maaemo in Norway, Jason Atherton Pollen Street Social, and Brae in Australia.

She credits much of her cooking style and success to her time spent working under Shane Osborn. Following her stint as Chef de Cuisine at Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar in Vancouver, Eva made the move to Toronto to helm the kitchen as renowned Kōjin (by Momofuku) where she brought diners the Hawaiin concept of Aloha ʻĀina—love of the land. Most recently, Chef Eva is focused on launching her passion brand, The Soy Luck Club, telling life stories through her food.

A relative newcomer to Ontario, Eva’s visit to the Murray family pork farm gave her the opportunity to understand local farm practices and ask the questions she needed to help tell the story of local  cuisine. “As a chef, I’m a believer in farm-to-table, and I’m also a believer in community to table,” Eva notes. She wants to understand not only the provenance of the ingredients she prepares, but the connection of the farmer to their whole community. “Back at my restaurant, we produce beer and as a by-product, we have spent grain that we actually donate back to the farmers as a fertilizer for their produce.”

An emphasis on zero-waste principles and whole animal cuisine is central to Eva’s culinary philosophy, and she is a great advocate of pushing beyond primal and exploring less-common cuts to ensure every part of an animal is used. “I think the pork jowl is the most underused cut in a restaurant setting. Ideally, in a perfect world, I would love all consumers to embrace the animal as a whole and utilize every part. I would love to see more pork jowls on menus; I would love to see people purchasing pork jowls in butcher shops and supermarkets to cook. It’s extremely tender and well-marbled – it’s just so underused.”