After 20 years pleasing critics and patrons alike as the executive chef and co-owner of Toronto’s iconic Yorkville eatery Pangaea Restaurant, Martin Kouprie has moved to the country!
Swapping views of bank towers for vistas of the Caledon Hills has been an easy transition; as one of Canada’s farm to table food pioneers, Martin has many long-established relationships in the area and works closely with nearby farmers, foragers, and ingredient suppliers so that he can deliver cuisine that has local, sustainable roots. “I love that I’m working in a community where I can offer my catering clients ingredients that are grown and foraged by my neighbours”, says Kouprie. “I earned my reputation showcasing fresh, seasonal foods and shortening the journey from the farm to my kitchen makes me very happy!”
Enjoyment and comfort are also hallmarks of Martin’s cooking; as a result, fans and critics rave about his ingredient driven signature dishes such as wild mushroom risotto and rabbit ballotine, dishes that are simultaneously comforting and sophisticated.
A Grand Cru veteran, Chef Kouprie supports the University Health Network as a worthy cause and counts this event as a must-do among his charitable activities because he knows the event has true effect. “It’s important to give back to the community,” says Kouprie. “Events such as Grand Cru, Second Harvest’s Taste of Toronto and similar gourmet fundraisers figure prominently in my calendar because they give me a chance to use my talents to help so many others.”
Martin’s high standards and culinary imagination have won him accolades from near and far: Gourmet Magazine, Toronto Life, The Financial Post, and The New York Times have all given his cooking their seal of approval. He is the author of Pangaea: Why it Tastes so Good and in 2016 he earned the coveted title of Certified Chef de Cuisine.