Eatdrink #78 July/August 2019

18 | July/August 2019
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
Restaurants
Global Cuisine Takes Flight
Katana Kafé & Grill in London
By TANYA CHOPP
For those who are willing to travel,
great rewards await. In the case of
Katana Kafé & Grill, the good news is
that you don’t have to travel too far.
On the outskirts of London, nestled beside
the roaring tarmack of London International
Airport, lies a hidden gem that patrons may
not wish for you to know about. The Katana
Kafé & Grill has been a London fixture for well
over a decade and in that time it’s managed to
cultivate a loyal clientele, while also, somehow,
still flying under the radar.
Run by two red seal chefs, Jaime Peña and
Executive Chef Chris Morrisson, Katana is
everything you’d expect from a downtown
establishment. But the distance from the city
core has allowed them to dance to the beat to
their own drum, without any need to ‘keep up
with the Joneses.’
“What attracted me to Katana was that it
was completely unique,” says Chef Morrisson.
“The menus were different, even back then.
This is not your typical restaurant.”
Doing their own thing has led to a menu
that’s incredibly flexible for diners with all
manner of tastes, including those with dietary
restrictions.
“When I was taught to cook, 10 to 15 years
ago, it seemed as though everything got
floured. But in the last five years I haven’t
cooked with gluten intentionally,” says Chef
Morrisson. “Instead, we try to use chickpea
flours and rice flour, etcetera. Plus we’re
focused on getting back to basics, and cooking
like French cooks used to — using reductions
to thicken sauces. So, many of our dishes end
up being gluten-free from top to bottom.”
“We bake all of our breads, and even make
our own natural yeast. Our sourdough bread,
while not gluten-free, is still made from our
own starter. Sourdough is also known to be
more gentle, as the fermentation process eats
the gluten. The soup on our menu is always
dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian, while
Katana staff members, left to right, include : Jaime Pena, Krista White, Reta Coghill, Chris Morrisson,
Ben Ferraro, Charlie Zucchero, Cameron Bonnyman, Chris Scott, and Heather McAllister.