Congratulations to Eric Chong, chef of the One-MICHELIN-Star aKin and the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Toronto & Region Young Chef Award Winner!
Chef Eric Chong rose to national fame after winning the first season of MasterChef Canada over a decade ago. Under the mentorship of Chef Alvin Leung, who was recognized with Two MICHELIN Stars for Bo Innovation, Chong honed his culinary chops and launched R&D in Toronto, which earned critical acclaim with a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand award. aKin, which is his latest restaurant in partnership with Leung, brings technical precisions and flavors from countries across Asia with a fine dining tasting menu that pushes boundaries.
We spoke with him about his journey to becoming the chef he is today.
What inspired you to become a chef?
My grandfather was a self-taught dim sum chef. K is capitalized in aKin because it's named after my grandpa Kin. Huge inspiration, seeing him cook dumplings when I was six. Growing up, he’d be like, “never be a chef. The hours are too long.” But I just loved being around food and eating. I was really fat growing up.
What's the journey been like so far?
Pretty unconventional. I was a home cook watching cooking shows. Winning MasterChef over ten years ago changed everything. I got to experience MICHELIN restaurants around the world. Alvin [Leung] mentored me, and getting to see that level of cuisine was completely eye opening.
What is your favorite memory at aKin?
The whole experience has been a fulfilling and great joy because it's been like a lifelong dream to have a fine dining restaurant. Getting to see this come to fruition after two years of work with the team we've built with guests actually resonating with the food. The greatest compliment is when they say, “Oh, wow, this reminds me of this dish, but it's done in such a modern and refreshing way.” That's exactly what we're going for.
What is your favorite thing on the menu?
We change our menu pretty frequently compared to other tasting menu restaurants. Some from the past would be our take on laksa coming from Malaysia. Currently on this menu, which is all street food inspired, the Singaporean chili crab and the Hainanese chicken rice dish are both really sensational.
What do you think about sustainability?
Sustainability is really important. We have incredible produce here in Canada. Strawberries, peaches, lobster, crab. Hyperlocal ingredients like spoon tomatoes, which we’re featuring on our menu. I have a close relationship with our produce supplier Zakari Farms. They're trying to grow a lot of stuff for us that we would normally import, like calamansi, makrut lime leaves and lemongrass.
I have a child, and I want the earth to be good for him. Sourcing locally and limiting how many times we order a week. Being a tasting menu only, you can really minimize waste because we literally prep everything day up for the exact amount.
What motivates you in the kitchen?
There's two things. One is trying to prove people wrong. After winning MasterChef, people still call me “just a home cook.” I don't know what it takes to get that label off. Two is trying to bring Asian restaurants up to a higher level. In Toronto, it's always fighting this label of “oh, it's just a Chinese restaurant. Why can they charge so much?” To be able to cook and do what I love every single day is more than enough inspiration.
How do you motivate your team?
By working super hard, because I think people who see their leader work harder than them pushes themselves to try and match the standard. But at the same time, I treat them all like family. I've invited them all to my house. We go out for dinners together. Personality and vibes are more important than skill, because at the end of the day I see these people more than my own family, so it's really important that we all get along.
Why Toronto?
Toronto is my home. I grew up in the GTA. All my friends and family are here. This is where I made my life, so I really want to stay in Toronto.
Who would you invite to eat at your restaurant that hasn’t dined there yet?
On one hand, Gordon Ramsay. If he loves the food, it's really cool. If he hates it and yells at me, that's also equally as cool. Jackie Chan, a global icon who would totally understand this type of food and really resonate with it. That would be such an honor.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to become a chef?
Being a chef is a passion driven industry, so you have to make sure that you're in it for the right reasons and that you're extremely passionate about it. The long hours on your feet. You're working on every day that other people are off on the holidays. But when you genuinely love what you do – creating, cooking, and putting smiles on people's faces, it is effortless.
Hero image: Nicole & Bagol / Chef Eric Chong
