— to be named ‘Canje’, after Guyana’s national bird

AN overseas-based Guyanese award-winning Chef, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, who is based in Austin, Texas, USA, is set to open his sixth restaurant in the state – which is set to be named after the Canje Pheasant, Guyana’s national bird.

His team accompanied him on a visit to Guyana to be able to experience the rich local culture through a firsthand basis; the experience of which will be fused to craft their new menu. They met with the media at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Georgetown, on Wednesday.

Bristol-Joseph was recently named one of Food & Wine Best New Chefs for 2020; the pastry savant is one of the co-owners of five restaurants in Austin, Texas, including Kalimotxo and Hestia. He grew up baking with his aunt in Guyana and moved to the United States shortly after graduating from High School in his home country.

He is here with his team comprising of Chef Alicynn Fink, who Bristol-Joseph described as one of the “backbone” of the operations, as she is involved in every aspect of the restaurant and the business overall and Chef Randle Egbert, who is responsible for overall decoration and design, staff and keeping information flowing.

Also visiting are Chef Albert Richter, who is the master behind crafting the restaurants’ dishes due to his wide taste palate, which he exhibits through bold and creative dishes and Chef Kevin Fink, the Executive Chef of all their restaurants who ensures the business keeps developing, and plays the role of the leader of the group.

SWAG AMBASSADOR

Bristol-Joseph is the restaurant’s Corporate Pastry Chef; he is responsible for creating “anything sweet” to support the business concepts. His friends describe him as the “swag ambassador” due to his charismatic personality while interacting with guests and employees at the restaurants.

“Most important thing with all of these people, we are all really good friends, our relationship has span for 13 years; when you spent that much time with each other we have a true bond and a true friendship,” Bristol-Joseph said.

Their trip to Guyana is in preparation of opening their new restaurant, Canje, as they believe that the trip will provide an opportunity for the entire team to go into local communities to capture various delights and experience the raw Guyanese cuisine, firsthand.

He disclosed that the team will be engaging in a range of activities to have the full Guyanese experience which will be blended for Canje’s menu. They will be visiting the markets, national monuments, local restaurants and will spend a day at the creek to have the ‘black water’ experience.

Bristol-Joseph reflected on his background while growing up in Guyana as he explained that those experiences have tremendously shaped his career and life. He explained that his team was excited about the new concept ‘Canje’ and there was much more in the pipeline for the future.

SHOWCASING GUYANESE DELIGHTS

He posited that not only will Canje present the opportunity to showcase Guyanese delights but sourcing of ingredients from local producers in Guyana to supply the restaurant was an area that his team was looking to explore and he was definitely opened to building local partnerships.

“The goal is always going to be to be uplift. For us it’s not only about the food because I think we are living in a modern society where you can go on Instagram or YouTube and find any cuisine that you want and read up on it,” he said

“The other important part is the culture, it’s the people, it’s making those natural connections and being inspired by stories and techniques that people are using … so the bigger part of this visit is to connect with the people more than just the food,” he added

He told the media that “currently, it’s not on the agenda” to open a local-based restaurant in Guyana where his own skills may be displayed. He said the current objective is to impact the Austin, Texas, community through local cuisine, and continue to build from there.

The team highlighted that they were excited to get into the communities and explore the various cultures and ethnicities. They were also anxious to visit the local markets and explore fresh produce which can be incorporated into dishes.

Director of The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Carla James, highlighted that the initiative tied directly into Guyana’s diaspora engagements and was a step in the right direction. The GTA and other stakeholders were committed to strengthening Guyana’s tourism partnerships.

She posited that Bristol-Joseph’s adventure to establish ‘Canje’ will provide the opportunity to highlight Guyana’s unique culturally infused cuisine with a steep and rich history that reflects the true essence of what it truly means to be Guyanese.

“I am certain that chef Tavel and his partners will do an amazing job of representing Guyana while of course adding their own personal touch to those dishes that are unique to our country,” she said, adding: “I am excited about the many possibilities for tourism development that this opportunity will present to us, as Guyana is represented on the international scale and the potential to use chef Tavel’s skill to build local capacity in the hospitality industry.”

Also present at the event was Visit Guyana’s Stacey Dos Santos Rahaman, who extended a welcome and congratulations to Bristol-Joseph and his team. She highlighted that Visit Guyana, a tour agency, is always elated when overseas-based Guyanese return home, with their foreign friends, to explore and discover Guyana.

“In terms of food tourism, Guyana boasts a number of restaurants serving up a fusion of finger-licking foods, from creole to fine dining, we’ve got it all. In addition, visitors can now enjoy culinary tours where they can sample our street food, like eggball, and most recently experience a seven curry tour which gives the visitor both a taste of our cuisine and some of the history behind it,” she said.

She explained that Guyana’s culinary journey is a rich one, inspired by the various ethnicities the country boasts and Bristol-Joseph sets an example for local chefs, who are now more exposed to the world, and are experimenting with local ingredients to broaden the country’s culinary landscape. They are also given the opportunity to showcase their talents at events such as Guyana Restaurant Week.