Self proclaimed as "a simple man, momma's boy, nerd and sick cook," chef Darren Rogers is also a determined contestant in season six of Top Chef Canada. The British Columbia native has worked and travelled across Canada and is the current chef de cuisine at Montreal's Park restaurant, looking to Antonio Park as an inspiration.
His motto, "Stay hungry, die full," has guided him on his career path. Now, he is taking it to the show and going for the title. Watch him push boundaries, take risks and create new dishes on the newest season of Top Chef Canada on Food Network Canada starting Sunday, April 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
When he's home in Montreal, he likes to go to these places to eat and drink.
Breakfast
L’Avenue. It’s just a wacky, silly brunch spot with two locations. They have good drinks and massive portions. But, usually, my breakfast just consists of purely coffee, in which case I hit up Cafellini or Lilli & Ol. Just a couple of hipster coffee joints, but damn, they can sling up a mean cup 'o Joe!
Lunch
I like Dinette Triple Crown. They have amazing hush puppies, fried chicken, classic cocktails, and on a nice warm day, you can pack it to go in a picnic basket and bring it across the street to the park! If you’re visiting the Atwater Market in the up season, Satay Brothers is always a swell choice!
Dinner
This is where Montreal shines. There are too many places to mention. I love Asian cuisine. A few bangers in the city are Kazu. The chef is always a pleasure to watch and interact with, and the food is the bomb-dot-com. Big in Japan is a very westernized version of Japanese pub fare. Yokato Yokabai--ramen, ramen, ramen! Get in, get noodles, get out. Simple.
Drinks
Big in Japan. Not to be confused with the pub down the street, this speak-easy-type joint is just up the street from its louder counterpart. They have fantastic cocktails and Japanese whiskies. It's nothing fancy, yet it screams sophistication. On the flip side, there’s the Drinkerie. It's loud, busy and always a good time.
