Вінніпеґ Український № 3 (49) (March 2019)

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KOZAK FOOD An IKIGAI story hile interviewing Lesia Harasymyak for this W article your correspondent could not stop thinking about Japan. Not because instead of pyrizhky or cheburek I was craving sushi, it is the atmosphere of Kozak Food located in Silver Heights that reminded me of Sukiyabashi Jiro - a ten counter-seat sushi restaurant, tucked away in an office building basement in Tokyo, Japan. Despite its location and limited seating capacity, this is one of the most renowned sushi restaurants in the world. The restaurant is owned and operated by Jiro Ono, a 93 year- old sushi master who has devoted his life to the art of making sushi. Jiro Ono is often portrayed as a man owning an Ikigai: a Japanese term that translates into: “reason for being.” Ikigai is about finding joy, fulfillment, and balance in the daily routine of life. This balance is found at the intersection where your passions and talents converge with the things that the world needs and is willing to pay for. Sometimes ikigai is described as “a reason to jump out of bed in the morning.” Although it is not validated by worldly recognition - only you can discover and affirm your own ikigai - we have the feeling that Lesia has found hers! Before immigrating to Canada from Peremyshliany (a small town 50 km from Lviv, Ukraine), Ms. Harasymyak and her husband, who is a butcher, owned a small restaurant. “My mother, my aunt, my whole family were in the catering business. We specialized in catering weddings.” Recalls Lesia. “We really enjoyed it!” The Harasymyaks relocated to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba from Ukraine in 2000. They never gave up their dream of owning a catering business, but as most of us know, it takes time to establish yourself in a new county and culture. Lesia has been nudged into start- ing her own venture when after 12 years of working for the same company, she lost her job. “ ‘Danier Leather’ closed all of their Canadian stores” she recalls. Being unemployed and collecting Employment Insurance was not exactly how she had imagined her life in Canada, so she enrolled in a Business focused educational program with the goal of becoming an Entrepreneur. After graduation, Lesia began the process of establishing a restaurant and catering business. The Harasymyaks ideally were searching close to their home, but also for a location where a Ukrainian food business would capture the public’s attention. Although location is a factor for successful business, Lesia believes that the quality foods of Kozak Food, is more important. “I have people coming from Stonewall, Manitoba every week. They say our borscht and pierogi are worth the 45-minute one-way drive.” Pierogi is not difficult to find in Winnipeg, but it is not an easy mission to find them made with thin rolled dough, a heaping amount of potato and real cheese filling topped with bacon and onions. “They taste like home,” say a couple of regulars, who were counting the days of Harasymyak’s return from holidays. “We mean it when we say ‘HOME MADE’” confirms Lesia “We never use cheese powder in our pierogi or canned beets in our borscht and compromise quality.” “Every morning I wake up excited about the upcoming day at Kozak Food. I usually come in at 8 a.m. and leave after 7 p.m.” Before 11 a.m., when the store officially opens, she answers emails, voice messages, makes the place look ultraclean, and cooks fresh pierogi, holubtsi, pyrizhky, chebureks and mlyntsi for the entire day. “Kozak Food is fresh food!” emphasizes Lesia. “although we carry some frozen food for people who are unable to drive here on a daily basis.” Before leaving for his job outside the restaurant, Mr. Harasymyak, assists his wife with food preparation and cooks his famous borscht. Mr. Harasymyak’s family borscht recipe made with pork ribs is a hit! “It is more popular than pierogi” says Lesia. The success of the Kozak Food borscht is not a surprise, considering that probably every second Manitoban has tried some variation of borscht at least once. The popularity of cheburek (deep-fried turnover with ground pork and dill fill-
ing) is truly remarkable. “At first we did not know how to explain what cheburek is,” recalls Lesia. “Now it is one of the best-selling items on the menu. People call them ‘Ukrainian pizza pops.’“ The Harasymyaks are determined to expand their menu even further. All new food items are initially offered for catering only. Lesia explain they can assess if an item is popular before placing it on the menu. Mlyntsi (thin, crepe-like pancakes with beef or cottage cheese filling) are currently in the “assessment phase.” “Don’t be afraid to start,” advises Lesia. “If you produce a quality product and make customer service your number one priority, you will succeed in whatever business you set your mind to. Especially here, in Canada” she adds. The question most asked is where Kozak Food’s second and larger restaurant will be located. “We frequently have large groups of people showing up hoping to dine in or calling to reserve tables for a large party.” Says Lesia. “Will Kozak Food grow into a full-scale restaurant one day? We will see.” As much as we would look forward to a second location of Kozak Food in the south part of our City or an upscale Ukrainian restaurant on Corydon, we encourage Kozak Food to grow at its own pace. After all, Jiro Ono has been operating his little restaurant since 1965, never turned it into a chain food service, nor expanded his dining area, and yet there is a never-shrinking waiting list of at least 400 people looking forward to spending 300 U.S. dollars on Chef Jiro Ono’s 20-course omakase menu. УВ 5 Questions to Lesia Harasymyak 1 2 What is the best thing about Winnipeg? The people What is the last ‘good read’ you enjoyed? Valerii Debelyi’s article about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in the recent Ukrainian Winnipeg magazine 3 4 What was your most memorable trip? Our trip to British Columbia What is the advice you gave to your daughter and would want her to pass it to her children? Never forget your roots, your culture or your language 5 What is you favourite Ukrainian tradition? Vyshyvanka and Ukrainian food, of course
Page 2 and 3: 4 Рієлтор 5 Announcements. 6
Page 4 and 5: Рієлтор Люда радит
Page 6 and 7: OPINION. ДУМКА НАСЛІДК
Page 8 and 9: “Я ЇДУ ДОДОМУ, ДО С
Page 10 and 11: ВПЕРШЕ У ВІННІПЕЗІ
Page 12 and 13: Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus Celebr
Page 14 and 15: CALENDAR of EVENTS IS BROUGHT TO YO
Page 16 and 17: Марія Кривошеєва Ф
Page 20 and 21: INTERVIEW. Інтерв’ю Borys
Page 22 and 23: A conversation with the ADMINISTRAT
Page 24 and 25: UKRAINIAN WINNIPEGGERS IN KILDONAN-
Page 26 and 27: New Easter CD by CHABLUK FAMILY Mar
Page 28 and 29: Ukrainian Professional Business Clu
Page 30 and 31: In the spring of 1976, UPBC approac

Вінніпеґ Український № 3 (49) (March 2019)

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