Chow's about this: delicious bites at Canton Chef
Canton Chef
by Marielle Songy
Is there anything better than a pop-up, those enticing and often experimental temporary kitchens promising fabulous food without the commitment of going to a sit-down restaurant? New Orleans is teeming with them, and the newest addition to the pop-up scene is Canton Chef, which serves up a gastronomically-provocative mix of Asian and Louisiana flavors from chef Anthony Chow.
Chow was raised outside Chicago and spent time in Knoxville, Memphis, and Baton Rouge, before planting his roots in New Orleans. He was raised in his family's restaurant business, and it was here that he learned the ins and outs of the industry, cooking, and how to combine different flavors to create the perfect bite.
“I like all different types of cuisine and I like experimenting,” he said. “Canton Chef is my first food venture on my own, but growing up in my family’s restaurant I learned the basics of cooking and figuring out what works. I worked in restaurants in Knoxville and Baton Rouge while I pursued my degrees and got more experience there.”
Here in New Orleans, we love folks who love their family, and Chow created Canton Chef as a tribute to his grandparents; his pop-up’s name shares the name with the restaurant they owned right outside of Chicago when Chow was a kid. Even Chow’s menu reflects his dedication to his family, most notably with the Canton Chef Burger, which he says is prepared the same way his grandparents prepared theirs, on a flat top with a piece of American cheese.
“One thing that will always be on the menu in the Canton Chef Burger. One of my fondest memories of growing up in my grandparent’s restaurant is their fresh-ground burgers. They would trim their own beef and grind the trimmings to make hamburgers. A lot of places do this now, but back then this type of preparation wasn’t as common,” Chow said.
Other menu highlights include six-piece wings served with wasabi ranch with a choice of Cajun Mala Dry Rub, Salt and Pepper Dry Rub, Black and Gold Wet Rub, and Hot Wet Rub made with Crystal hot sauce. Chow's wings are cooked naked with no breading, a technique he prefers to keep his recipe simple. He explained, “I love wings and I love when they’re fried naked—I’m not a big fan of breaded hot wings. Ours are marinated with ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some other stuff and then fried crisp.”
Chow also makes various sauces for his wings, drawing inspiration from the combination of Louisiana and Asian cultures. For example, his Black and Gold wings are his take on Teriyaki wings with a name that comes from the variety of soy sauce and Bernard’s Louisiana honey he uses for the glaze. With football season quickly approaching, I think the Black and Gold wings are going to be a popular choice at Canton Chef.
I love Anthony's dedication to the combination of his Chinese culture and his Louisiana home, and one menu stand-out that is an example of this is the Boudin Spring Rolls, made with boudin, Shitake mushrooms, and glass noodles and served with a house-made sweet and sour sauce. Chow loves Boudin Balls and added his own twist to the dish. He explained, “When I lived in Baton Rouge, I used to love to get Boudin Balls. I thought that boudin in a spring roll would be amazing, especially paired with the mushrooms and glass noodles.”
The menu is rounded out with a Ginger and Green Onion Po Boy with sauteed shrimp and ginger and green onion sauce served on Dong Phuong Bread; Chips and Corn Cheese Maque Choux, a Korean-style corn and cheese dip; Spicy Tots with Gochujang Ketchup and spiced salt; and a House Special Muffaletta made with house olive salad, Vietnamese Mortadella, Chisesi Ham, Salami, and Provolone served on Gendusa Bread.
Canton Chef pops up at Carrollton Station on Saturdays from 6pm to 11pm, Sundays from noon to 10pm, and Mondays from 6pm to 10pm and at Cosimos on Thursdays from 6pm to 10pm.
by Marielle Songy
Is there anything better than a pop-up, those enticing and often experimental temporary kitchens promising fabulous food without the commitment of going to a sit-down restaurant? New Orleans is teeming with them, and the newest addition to the pop-up scene is Canton Chef, which serves up a gastronomically-provocative mix of Asian and Louisiana flavors from chef Anthony Chow.
Chow was raised outside Chicago and spent time in Knoxville, Memphis, and Baton Rouge, before planting his roots in New Orleans. He was raised in his family's restaurant business, and it was here that he learned the ins and outs of the industry, cooking, and how to combine different flavors to create the perfect bite.
“I like all different types of cuisine and I like experimenting,” he said. “Canton Chef is my first food venture on my own, but growing up in my family’s restaurant I learned the basics of cooking and figuring out what works. I worked in restaurants in Knoxville and Baton Rouge while I pursued my degrees and got more experience there.”
Here in New Orleans, we love folks who love their family, and Chow created Canton Chef as a tribute to his grandparents; his pop-up’s name shares the name with the restaurant they owned right outside of Chicago when Chow was a kid. Even Chow’s menu reflects his dedication to his family, most notably with the Canton Chef Burger, which he says is prepared the same way his grandparents prepared theirs, on a flat top with a piece of American cheese.
“One thing that will always be on the menu in the Canton Chef Burger. One of my fondest memories of growing up in my grandparent’s restaurant is their fresh-ground burgers. They would trim their own beef and grind the trimmings to make hamburgers. A lot of places do this now, but back then this type of preparation wasn’t as common,” Chow said.
Other menu highlights include six-piece wings served with wasabi ranch with a choice of Cajun Mala Dry Rub, Salt and Pepper Dry Rub, Black and Gold Wet Rub, and Hot Wet Rub made with Crystal hot sauce. Chow's wings are cooked naked with no breading, a technique he prefers to keep his recipe simple. He explained, “I love wings and I love when they’re fried naked—I’m not a big fan of breaded hot wings. Ours are marinated with ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some other stuff and then fried crisp.”
Chow also makes various sauces for his wings, drawing inspiration from the combination of Louisiana and Asian cultures. For example, his Black and Gold wings are his take on Teriyaki wings with a name that comes from the variety of soy sauce and Bernard’s Louisiana honey he uses for the glaze. With football season quickly approaching, I think the Black and Gold wings are going to be a popular choice at Canton Chef.
I love Anthony's dedication to the combination of his Chinese culture and his Louisiana home, and one menu stand-out that is an example of this is the Boudin Spring Rolls, made with boudin, Shitake mushrooms, and glass noodles and served with a house-made sweet and sour sauce. Chow loves Boudin Balls and added his own twist to the dish. He explained, “When I lived in Baton Rouge, I used to love to get Boudin Balls. I thought that boudin in a spring roll would be amazing, especially paired with the mushrooms and glass noodles.”
The menu is rounded out with a Ginger and Green Onion Po Boy with sauteed shrimp and ginger and green onion sauce served on Dong Phuong Bread; Chips and Corn Cheese Maque Choux, a Korean-style corn and cheese dip; Spicy Tots with Gochujang Ketchup and spiced salt; and a House Special Muffaletta made with house olive salad, Vietnamese Mortadella, Chisesi Ham, Salami, and Provolone served on Gendusa Bread.
Canton Chef pops up at Carrollton Station on Saturdays from 6pm to 11pm, Sundays from noon to 10pm, and Mondays from 6pm to 10pm and at Cosimos on Thursdays from 6pm to 10pm.
