I started working at the Wooden Monkey about a year ago. While I was working at Bear Restaurant, I had mornings off and a friend of mine from NSCC, Chef Rhonda Starkey, now at the Sea Rover Inn, needed some help with her prep crew at the Monkey. I was very excited to be working in two of Halifax’s best restaurants. It marked the start of a very busy summer for me.
Back when I was in cooking school, I joined the Jr. Chefs Association. One of our meetings was held at the Wooden Monkey and hosted by Lil MacPherson, co-owner and creator of the WM. She was full of information, had great food philosophy, and very passionate about being environmentally conscious. I knew then that some day I would spend some time working at the Monkey.
In early October, 2009, I started working full-time at the Wooden Monkey and moved up from prepping to cooking on the line. After some kitchen management changes, I was given the position of Chef de partie. Essentially, my job was to run lunch and dinner service. After a few busy months, one of the sous chefs left to go on maternity leave and the other one came back from finishing her red seal certification.
It was great being exposed to the extensive range of local products that the WM uses. I can confidently say that I know where to find the best of the best that Nova Scotia has to offer. I also got the chance to cook for guests with a wide variety of allergies and intolerances, as well as vegan and vegetarians. It was a completely different realm of cooking for me. Having that exposure will always affect the way I think about and prepare food for any of my guests in the future.
After a year at the Wooden Monkey, and with the end of my apprenticeship nearing, it felt like the right time to step back from my position. I will soon be back working with Chef Ray Bear to finish my training at his new restaurant (opening soon!). And as always, I’m trying to grow my catering business Relax Dinner Parties, and have recently started doing gigs with my first mentor, Chef David Whalen.
I’m also working on a new project that will allow me to connect with all the great Halifax area restaurants which I’m sure will keep all of my free time unfree... J That’s the nature of this business, and it’s a reality that everyone in this industry must come to terms with… you need to be cooking with all your burners…and make sure nothing burns!!!
Thanks to everyone at the Monkey for the great times and wonderful experiences, all the loyal guests that came to eat and always supported the restaurant - and especially to Lil and Christine.
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