A creative collaboration
New restaurant in Charlottetown promises weekly culinary adventures
A P.E.I. chef is opening his own establishment in Charlottetown with a goal to explore different cuisines and challenge his team to break out of the norms and offer Islanders a diverse dining experience.
Chef Adam Loo's new venture, Ada Culinary Studio and Grab and Go, which is named after his daughter and great-great-grandmother, will offer a regular grab-and-go section along with a unique feature: a modular private dining room or, as he calls it, a culinary studio.
Instead of a fixed menu, customers can book the entire space and Ada's team will create a menu tailored to their preferences.
Loo intends to dedicate one night each week for the team to craft its own menu, rather than reserving the studio for private events. Seats for this special evening will be available for purchase, allowing guests to enjoy diverse cuisines on different weeks.
For instance, one week might feature Greek cuisine, followed by a Nordic or Korean culinary tribute the next. This means the team will need to do a lot of research and preparation to ensure the best experience for patrons, he said.
“It pushes our culinary team to have to be sharp because we have to have confidence in what we're presenting,” Loo told Saltwire in an interview March 18.
“The culinary team that I have, it's small, but it's strong and … they understand the vision. But also, they’re at a heightened point in their career where they really want to explore that creativity side. And I believe the only way to do that is to take on the challenge that's out there and break out of our comfort zone.”
‘MAKING FOOD IS ART’
Han Bin Lee, a member of Loo's culinary team who previously worked with him at Murphy Hospitality Group, said he likes Ada’s culinary studio concept and how it will bring creative menus every week, unlike many restaurants that stick to the same menu for months or even years.
Working at Ada allows him to showcase his culinary skills and continuously improve them, said Lee, who had a lot of culinary experience back home in South Korea.
He moved to P.E.I. about seven years ago for Holland College’s culinary program.
“That is challenging for sure, but I feel personally really happy to show my skills,” Lee said. “Making food is art. All great art takes time to make, but we will do it together. So it’s going to be fun.”
‘A COLLABORATION SPACE’
When speaking with Saltwire, Loo and his team were gearing up for the grand opening of Ada Culinary Studio and Grab and Go, which was scheduled for March 20.
The chef said his business is committed to supporting local suppliers. For example, the grab-and-go section offers a menu featuring items like beef, chicken and turkey sandwiches, with meats sourced directly in P.E.I. and vegetables from local farmers.
As for the culinary studio, Loo has already taken 15 bookings for it, even though it’s not open yet.
The idea for the studio came to Loo after more than a decade of working in the culinary field. He enjoys crafting food for different events where he has the freedom to do what he loves, which inspired him to start a business with a private dining room.
The culinary studio at Ada has a fully open kitchen that reflects his vision as a chef. He wants the kitchen to be front and centre.
“Our goal is to create an experience for our guests when they come through that they get to interact with us. So, you know, we curate a menu for you. … We also want you to learn while you're here, so we're going to tell you how we came up with that menu, we're going to walk you through how we pieced the flavours together,” he said.
Loo is also going to collaborate with businesses and chefs from all over P.E.I., as well as team up with local sommeliers and mixologists to create the best dining experience for patrons.
“Our biggest emphasis is really working as a collaboration space.”