A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Eleven Minutes With The Co-Founder Of ‘Elementa’, Chef Josh Blumenthal

josh

Josh Blumenthal came to Vancouver by way of Edmonton, trading in an almost finished English degree for cooking school and a job at South Granville‘s famed West under chef David Gunawan. From there he went abroad to toil/train in London (Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, Galvin at Windows, Viajante) and dine across Northern Europe, soaking up experience and knowledge along the way. He’s made his mark at Wildebeest in Gastown, and just finished a year as the chef at Kitsilano‘s legendary Bishop’s to focus on Elementa, a local group of young chefs/gourmands who put together spectacular, seasonally specific pop-up dinners inspired by the bounty of where we call home, the Pacific Northwest. We can’t wait to find out what’s next from…

josh

You’ve been unemployed for a few weeks now. What’s next for you, professionally? Trying to find the right fit; a place that shares similar views concerning, ethics, sustainability, morality and professionalism when it comes to food.

In 10 words or less, describe the Elementa concept: Creating singular dining experiences emphasizing locality, creativity, collaboration and fun.

The cliché that you overuse? You can’t snow the snowman.

What keeps you up at night? I’m a pretty sound sleeper.

Shoe of choice? Doc Martens.

Your three role models? Chris Galvin, Alain Passard, David Kinch.

Favourite Vancouver building? Tie between the Marine Building and 340 Cambie Street.

The thing that is bad for you that you will never stop eating? Chocolate.

What local restaurant kitchen do you envy the most? Lumiere/Feenie’s [rip].

IMG_5357

The different career path that you could have gone on? Librarian.

Your ancestry? All German on my Dad’s side, mostly French on my Mom’s.

Three films you would gladly watch again? Rushmore, Point Break, Lost In Translation.

Three favourite dishes in YVR? “Masa’s Rice” Congee and Salted Halibut at Burdock & Co; Parmesan Sformatino & Cardoons at Ask For Luigi; Phô at Mr. Red Cafe.

Under what circumstances would you join the army? Maybe if Canada was invaded? I’d probably prefer some sort of guerilla resistance in that case anyway though.

Your most regrettable purchase ever? Limited edition white adidas trainers with the London skyline outlined in red.

What was the luckiest moment in your life? Meeting my partner at a Neon Piss/Nu Sensae show.

What was the unluckiest moment in your life? Falling asleep on a night bus after work in Mayfair and waking up at the end of the line in rural Essex, faced with Chavs and an aggressively expensive taxi ride home.

What are you the most proud of? My friends and family.

What are you the least proud of? Putting my career before them more often than not.

The biggest mistake you’ve ever made? Trusting the wrong people with the fate of my career.

The best thing about cooking? Working with amazing products and great people.

The worst thing about cooking? Getting salt and acidic things in small cuts.

The talent that you wish you possessed? I’d be pretty stoked to be able to play the piano really, really well.

What is the one animal that scares you the most? Snakes.

Scariest situation you’ve ever been in? Having an oven explode in my face while working in London., after which a doctor in the St. Mary’s Hospital trauma ward informed me that I narrowly avoided being blinded and losing my sense of taste and smell.

What inspired the Elementa dinners? How did they come about? I think Elementa was initially born out of boredom. We felt that something was lacking in the city’s dining landscape. We wanted to find an outlet for our creativity and test the waters with a more ambitious style of menu. Co-Founder Ashley Kurtz and I initially planned the first dinner with our friend and colleague Lorenzo but CBS (Canadian Border Services) had other plans for him. Luckily enough an amazing group of our then co-workers wanted to help us out and have since become the core team of our motley crew. We all got together to cook, have fun and to create a type of cuisine and dining experience that was modern, interesting, hyper-seasonal and free of any preconceptions or cultural connotations that seem to limit most restaurants.

Elementa20

Restaurant trend that needs to die? It’s sad that “farm to table” is a trend. Sourcing locally, sustainably and ethically is the only responsible way to operate a restaurant. It’s a total bummer that people in our industry think it’s a novelty or trend. Also, excessively large portions of protein and Instagram chefs (30K followers, 0 credentials).

Your favourite curse word? Scheiße Haus.

Least favourite word? Mixologist.

The Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Rolling Stones.

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

Dogs or cats? Dogs.

What object of no monetary value will you keep dearly until you die? I have a binder full of menus from places I have worked or eaten at that I’d be pretty crushed if ever lost.

The most beautiful places in the world? The Pacific Northwest, Yoho National Park, Rural UK, Iceland.

Your first memory? Sitting in the kitchen sink watching my mom clean lettuce.

The first album that made you love music? The Clash – London Calling (listen).

The song that you could listen to on repeat for an hour? This Must Be The Place – Talking Heads (listen).

The one place that you have the least interest in ever visiting? Prison.

The best way to go, in the very end? Peacefully at home in bed or in the vegetable garden.

There are 2 comments

  1. I really enjoyed this interview thank you for sharing. I staged at Wildebeest when Josh was there and I got my start at Feenie’s, so it touched my heart to see that mentioned. I also love what Elementa is doing, it is still hard to find a place to work that does things as sustainably as some cooks would like.

  2. I really enjoyed this interview thank you for sharing! I staged at Wildebeest when Josh was there, and I also got my start at Feenie’s so it warmed my heart to see that mentioned. I love what Elementa is doing and love the quote about “..the only responsible way to operate a restaurant”.