Ready and set for Pan Am
Corktown restaurateur promises to bring his A game with a menu inspired by multicultural dishes
If you’re hungry during the Pan AmGames, you can’t go wrong with Mexican chilaquiles made by a Bangladesh-born chef running a burger restaurant in Corktown.
Flame Shack owner Saber Chowdhury, you see, knows that his neighbourhood is one of the Pan Am hot spots and is about to get swamped.
He’ll be ready with an expanded menu, longer hours, a fresh coat of paint, new menu boards, TVs and more seating. “My passion is cooking,” says Chowdhury. Sometimes it really is that simple — but here’s the true backstory. Chowdhury came to Canada in 1990 as a 20-year-old refugee with $50 cash.
“I hear from Canada Immigration that Canada is the land of opportunity — I am one of the examples. For me, it’s really true.”
He didn’t get to go to cooking school, but worked his way up through the restaurant ranks at spots such as Mezes, Wayne Gretzky’s, Rosewater Supper Club, Red Tomato, Alice Fazooli’s and “a lot of Indian restaurants on Gerrard.”
“I work really hard and I pay my taxes on time,” says Chowdhury. “Now I have two houses and two beautiful children.”
He also has a beautiful wife, Abida Sultana, who helps him run Flame Shack. They live in one of their Scarborough homes, and bought the other as an investment.
Chowdhury opened Flame Shack, a Corktown burger spot, in June 2013. His daughter picked the name even though he cooks on a flat-top grill and not over a charcoal flame.
“I’m not Burger’s Priest or something, but I do OK. In this neighbourhood, people appreciate the food.”
Burger’s Priest is a small but expanding smashedburger chain in Toronto. Chowdhury likes the smashed-burger style, which he has sampled here and in the United States. “I’m very curious about food.” He buys Certified Angus chuck, grinds it himself, pats it into 6-ounce balls and smashes them on the flat-top with a little salt and pepper. He even makes Flame Sauce (inspired by In-N-Out Burger’s secret sauce) from ketchup, mustard, mayo, sweet relish, salt, pepper and cayenne. He makes twice-fried, hand-cut fries from unpeeled Russet potatoes.
“I tell people my place does not look nice,” Chowdhury admits of his bare-bones, mostly takeout shop, “but my food is good and fresh and healthy.”
He makes virtually everything from scratch. Right now there are burgers, wraps, sandwiches, hotdogs, salads, fries and milkshakes, plus daily specials such as butter chicken.
Starting July 7, though, there will be an extensive, multicultural menu for Pan Am, plus two extra staff. After all, Flame Shack, at Queen and Sumach, is near the Pan Am/Parapan Am Athlete’s Village.
You can expect Mexican, Haitian, Argentinean and more, inspired by Chowdhury’s extensive cookbook collection and Internet sleuthing.
“It’s not about money and stuff like that,” he insists as he shows me how to make Mexican chilaquiles. “It’s about helping get food in the neighbourhood.”
Flame Shack’s Chilaquiles
Star Tested This is Flame Shack chef-owner Saber Chowdhury’s take on chilaquiles, a Mexican breakfast or brunch dish. Chowdhury, whose restaurant is in Corktown, created this dish to celebrate the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am games. He makes his own tomato salsa and turns his puréed chipotles into salsa. I bought extra-chunky medium salsa. 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1/2 large jalapeno, seeded, finely diced 1/2 cup (125 mL) diced Spanish or white
onion 1 cup (250 mL) purchased salsa of your
choice
1 tbsp (15 mL) puréed canned chipotles in adobo sauce, or to taste 1/4 cup (60 mL) sour cream Very large handful tortilla chips (heaping 2 cups/500 mL) 1/4 cup (60 mL) grated queso fresco or Monterey jack cheese Toppings: 2 fried eggs (sunny side up) 1 avocado, diced 1 large tomato, seeded, diced 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped cilantro leaves 2 tbsp (30 mL) thinly sliced green onions In medium, non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add Spanish or white onions and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes to soften. Add tomato salsa and chipotle. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Using tongs, add tortillas, tossing until well coated. Sprinkle with cheese. Turn heat off; cover. Let stand 2 minutes to melt cheese.
To serve, divide tortilla mixture over 2 plates (they should be soggy). Top each with 1 egg. Sprinkle each with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and green onions.
Makes 2 servings. jbain@thestar.ca