Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario: Meet the Chef

WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF

PUBLISHED JANUARY 2020 • 4 min read

5 Reasons to Visit® sat down with Executive Chef Dan McCowan of Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario.

Executive Chef Dan McCowan of Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario

Where did you grow up and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy? 

I was born in Scarborough Ontario, but grew up in the Waterloo Region. My dad is from Guyana, so I grew up eating a lot of West Indian food. I’ve have also traveled a lot to different parts of the Caribbean, so I like to pull from that influence as well. Lately, I’ve been experimenting more with Latin cuisine and am planning another trip soon for some more inspiration!

Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario

Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself. 

When I’m not at the restaurant I can usually be found out in nature with my dog Jazz hiking, kayaking, fishing or out foraging!

Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already. 

Tough to pick a favourite, but I’d likely go with a classic West Indian goat curry and roti. Comfort food at it’s best!

Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario

What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without? 

Lemon, cilantro and good olive oil.

We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?

A perfect dish is all about balance. It should not only harmonize the flavours, but have a good array of colours, textures and be able to let every element shine through on their own, as well as altogether. 

Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario

Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?

Last year I did a different take on “Pudding & Souse” which is a traditional Bajan dish made of pickled offal cuts of pork (such as foot or tongue) and steamed sweet potato. With the help of my local butcher making some Guyanese blood sausage (known as black pudding), I made more of a composed salad that was very elegant with braised pork head and tails, crispy fried pig ears, cucumber, chilled curried potato and spiralized pickled cucumber. It was a bit of a risky dish not really knowing how it’d be received by the clientele here in Southern Ontario, but it turned out fantastic and the positive feedback was very satisfying!

Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario

Share your most recent awards and accreditations with us! 

Some personal awards have included the OHI “Top 30 Under 30” in 2010 and KW “Record Readers Platinum Award for Favorite Local Chef” in KW 2015. Red House Restaurant has also been able to consistently sustain the #1 ranked restaurant on TripAdvisor locally.

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?

I’m noticing a shift towards simplicity of plating and a strong focus on locally sourced products—which is something I’ve definitely been embracing as Waterloo Region is surrounded by amazing farmers who produce incredible ingredients for us to work with. There’s also a huge uptick in vegetarian and vegan cooking. Being able to offer people with a vegan diet thoughtfully and beautifully crafted dishes goes a long way as opposed to treating them like an afterthought. That trend will continue to grow exponentially.

What’s your favorite cocktail or liquor?

I’m more of an IPA beer drinker, but I also love a good Negroni.

What do you love about being the Executive Chef at Red House Restaurant in Waterloo, Ontario?

Being the Chef and Owner at Red House Restaurant, I love the ability to not only create the culinary program, but be able to affect the entire dining experience. From working with the FOH staff on the style of genuine service we provide, to the art on the walls, music on the playlist, feel of the dining room, etc. A restaurant experience is about so much more than just the food so it’s nice to be able to control all these things to create the whole experience from top to bottom!