Antonio Park.Illustration by Photo illustration by The Globe and Mail. Source photo: Eva Blue
Off Duty is a series of lively conversations with influential people, from CEOs to celebrities, on life, work and the art of taking time off.
Antonio Park doesn’t want to know your name, how old you are or what you do for work. He does, however, want to know your dietary preferences. Then he wants to challenge you on them.
Park – who is of Korean descent and grew up in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay – is one of Montreal’s most illustrious chefs. In November, he opened his first Toronto restaurant, called AP, on the 51st floor of the Manulife Centre in Yorkville. It serves up Japanese and pan-Asian dishes with Park’s signature South American influence alongside sweeping views of the city.
Known for his time as a judge on reality series Chopped Canada, his celebrity fans (Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez love his cooking) and his successful Montreal eateries including Park Restaurant, the chef has made quite a name for himself in Canada’s food scene.
But Park’s love of the culinary world is about much more than any acclaim he’s won or even the food itself; it’s about the people he gets to share it with and the fond childhood memories that informed his decision to pursue this career in the first place.
He also has four children, including an eight-month-old, and somehow manages to cook for them as well as the countless other happy customers whose bellies he fills with fresh, locally sourced, delicious ingredients each night.
Where does your love of food and cooking come from?
When I was growing up in South America, my mom used to grow all kinds of produce in the backyard, like mangos, cucumbers, peppers, onions, green onions and zucchini. She loved to cook and I would help her by peeling garlic and cutting onions starting at the age of six or seven.
Also, in the eighties, my parents owned a laundromat and a factory. Our house was attached to the factory, and we had around 50 employees who lived in dormitories in the same building. At meal times, I would help prepare food for everyone and we would all gather to talk, share and eat together. And that’s really how I fell in love with food. I basically lived in a restaurant as a kid, and I always wanted to do work that was similar to that incredible childhood experience.
You’ve opened many restaurants over the years. What’s special or different about AP?
AP is my first real restaurant in Toronto. I did help open a sports bar at one point, but I wasn’t on that project from the beginning and it was a very different concept, so I consider this my first Toronto restaurant. The concept revolves around using only local ingredients to create Japanese food with a pan-Asian twist.
With AP, I wanted to create something different that’s influenced by my cultural background, but also by Montreal. Historically, there haven’t been many Montrealers who’ve been able to open restaurants in Toronto – at least not successfully. It feels like there’s a bit of a rivalry there, but I’ve lived in and I love both cities so this place means a lot to me. And while it’s called AP because those are my initials, the name has extra meaning because I also have a few very close friends who live in Toronto and share those same initials. I wanted them to be a part of it, and I wanted the restaurant to feel like they’re walking into their dining room.
How has all your success in the restaurant industry affected your personal life?
If you’re in the restaurant business, you can’t really have a life. I have a family, so I make sure I’m there for them, but it’s difficult. It’s a life filled with never-ending pressure and stress, so you absolutely have to love it if you’re going to do it. Thankfully, I really do.
If the restaurant industry is so hectic and stressful, what exactly do you love so much about it?
I love the pressure. I love the attention to detail and the excitement. But the part I love most is getting to know people in a completely different way. Instead of knowing what’s going on in their personal life or what they do for work, I know if they’re gluten-free or whether they prefer rice over flour, raw over cooked. And once you start to really get to know someone’s preferences, that’s when you can slowly introduce them to new things. Once they trust you, you can open up so many doors for them in terms of what they eat. I love changing people’s minds.
What are five ingredients you have in your kitchen at home at all times?
Garlic, ginger, salt, something sweet that isn’t white sugar – so either maple syrup or honey – miso and oil. Sorry, I know that’s six.
Do you ever have time to consume any media?
I listen to a lot of music when I’m driving, doing preparations in the kitchen and when I’m resting. I still listen to a lot of the music I loved growing up. Just like food is connected to memories for me, so is music. So I listen to Paul Oakenfold, Montell Jordan, Babyface, Tom Jones, Abba, Queen.
But I also like more modern stuff. My kids love BTS, so I love BTS. And I can’t say I don’t like Drake. Sometimes I like listening to Adele. I’m a little all over the place. Before I go to sleep or when I’m resting, the one singer I always listen to is Luis Miguel.
How else do you find time for rest and joy?
I spend time with my kids. When I’m with my children, I somehow forget about the world of being a chef. Kids make it easy to disconnect because they’re always just being honest and completely themselves – they can’t help it. They have this purity to them, and it rubs off on you when you’re with them. When they tell you they love you, they really mean it.
As a chef, what do you hope to see more of when it comes to how people approach their food?
I want people to keep cooking at home. I also want people to start asking more questions about the food they put in their body. Not everything that looks like it’s healthy is actually good for you, and not everybody can digest the same foods in the same way. You have the right to prioritize your body and your health, so when you buy groceries, when you go to a restaurant, ask them about where they source their ingredients. Because at the end of the day, as they say, you are what you eat.