Patois
Craig Wong is pure Toronto. Three generations ago, his family decamped from Guangzhou, China, and settled down in Jamaica, which has a thriving Chinese-Jamaican community. Four decades ago his parents decided to move once more, this time to Toronto. Wong grew up in the ethnic hodgepodge of Scarborough, a diverse GTA suburb, then moved to France where he worked his way through the country’s top kitchens before returning home to open his own restaurant. During his time under Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse, Wong learned heaps about high-end gastronomy, but perhaps he learned the most about himself. When opening Patois, he wanted to ditch the pomp of haute cuisine. This place is pure fun: cocktails in sparkler-adorned pineapples, pool floaties hanging from the ceiling, thumping hip hop, and a crushable menu. The food is inspired by the Jamaican-Chinese fusion Wong grew up eating. Think succulent rotisserie jerked chicken with lap cheong dirty rice.
Craig Wong is pure Toronto. Three generations ago, his family decamped from Guangzhou, China, and settled down in Jamaica, which has a thriving Chinese-Jamaican community. Four decades ago his parents decided to move once more, this time to Toronto. Wong grew up in the ethnic hodgepodge of Scarborough, a diverse GTA suburb, then moved to France where he worked his way through the country’s top kitchens before returning home to open his own restaurant. During his time under Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse, Wong learned heaps about high-end gastronomy, but perhaps he learned the most about himself. When opening Patois, he wanted to ditch the pomp of haute cuisine. This place is pure fun: cocktails in sparkler-adorned pineapples, pool floaties hanging from the ceiling, thumping hip hop, and a crushable menu. The food is inspired by the Jamaican-Chinese fusion Wong grew up eating. Think succulent rotisserie jerked chicken with lap cheong dirty rice.
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