Fleeing the 1980 Cambodian civil war, chef Chanthy Yen’s grandparents and parents arrived as refugees in Windsor, Ontario. IT’s a sleepy Canadian town that’s ten minutes away from Detroit, Michigan. Yen grew up in his grandmother’s kitchen. She taught him everything he knows today about traditional Cambodian cuisine. This ignited a true passion for cooking in him, and more importantly, it opened for opportunities.
Chanthy Yen’s Huge Opportunity
As he grew older, Chanthy Yen went to cook his way around the world, working with acclaimed chefs like Ferran Adria, Andoni Luis Aduriz, and Magnus Nilson, before settling in Montreal as the executive chef of Parliament, a restaurant that’s inspired by British pubs. In 2020, the restaurants were closed, and this allowed Yen to see another opportunity. In late May, he opened a Cambodian street food pop-up inside Parliament, called Touk. This seemed to be an instant success, with sold-out dinners and lines down the block. He garnered international press from as far as Phnom Penh. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the current world events, Yen has never felt clearer about his future.
Chanthy’s Great Success
Touk serves only a handful of Cambodian dishes. Some of them cannot be found in any other restaurant in Montreal, perhaps even in Canada. His grandmother’s teachings filtered through his Canadian lens, using contemporary techniques. Touk is temporarily inside Parliament, which is an elevated British pub, where he was the executive chef before the government closed the restaurants. He poured all his care and creativity into each dish, from essential Sunday roast to whelks on toast. He became Parliament, just like any chef who steps into the mold of where he or she cooks. However, when the national events forced him to re-examine what he’s doing, he had to re-examine himself.
Chanthy Yen felt in his heart that he could never fail. The confidence to cook his food and not the food of others helps him to stay at the top of his game.
Chefs Reveal Which the 5 Best and 5 Worst Delivery Foods Are
Having a warm meal delivered to your home or office can be ideal. However, not all the dishes that are offered for delivery will survive the transportation journey from the restaurant to your doorstep. Some foods make great delivery meals, whereas others are likely to leave the consumer disappointed.
Here are 5 of the best and worst foods to have delivered.
5 Best Delivery Foods
Tacos
Tacos are a safe bet to have delivered, especially if they have fish in them. This is perfect for someone who doesn’t like to cook fish in their home. However, tacos that are served in a soft flour or corn tortilla can hold up better during transport compared to those in a fried or crispy shell.
Soups and Stews
These can hold their heat well, which means that by the time you get them, they’ll still be hot. Soups and stews can be put in the fridge or freezer and reheated later.
Casseroles
These dishes can be stored in the fridge for days without changing the texture of the dish, and reheating doesn’t affect the flavor. Popular casseroles include baked ziti, moussaka, and shepherd’s pie.
Lasagna
If you want leftovers, lasagna is what you should be ordering. It’s great hot or cold, freezes and thaws well, and it has a long shelf life.
Dry Noodles
Dry noodle dishes are easy to reheat, so you don’t have to worry about your food getting cold. These noodles are popular in Asian cuisine like the soba noodle, udon noodles, and chow mein noodles.
5 Worst Delivery Foods
Noodles in Sauce
Noodles that are heavily coated in a sauce can become mushy. It’s likely for them to lose their texture during transport, and they are rarely a good idea for delivery.
Salad
Delivery salad doesn’t usually live up to its fame when it is delivered. Most salads come with the dressing on the side, but when you mix it at home, it is usually not as good.
Fried Food
Any food that is fried in oil, like french fries, fish, fried pickles, and mozzarella sticks, will likely be soggy upon arrival.
Breaded Foods
Any dish with a breaded coating can end up being cold when it is delivered and soggy. If the food is packaged in the wrong container, it won’t be crispy. These include corn dogs, chicken tenders, and crunchy cauliflower bites.
Calamari
Calamari tends to have a rubbery texture once it is soggy, which can happen after it spends some time in the box.