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Yan Khalfon,
Juicy Olive,
Woodbridge, Ont.
By Gary Lipovetsky, President of MenuPalace.com
 Yan Khalfon is just 34 years old, but he’s been working in the restaurant business since he was 19, which means nearly half of his young life has been spent in and around restaurant kitchens. After graduating from culinary school in Israel, he spent some time with the Hilton hotel chain, working in Israel and then later in Denmark, before ultimately moving to Canada, where he has been ever since. At his new Woodbridge, Ontario restaurant, Juicy Olive, Khalfon draws upon all of his culinary experiences garnered in Europe and in the Middle East to create a cosmopolitan, sophisticated menu that is winning new customers each and every week.
MP: When did you come to Canada?
YK: I came to Canada with my wife in 1999 to work in a hotel as a chef. With all my hotel experience, I have a strong background in banquet cooking, but I also know how to prepare à la carte cuisine as well. And that banquet and à la carte experience comes in very handy in running my current restaurant.
MP: Did you always want to own your own restaurant?
YK: Yes, after working in hotel kitchens for a few years, and especially when I started working in restaurants, I decided that I wanted to have my own place.
MP: What type of cuisine do you serve at Juicy Olive?
YK: It’s a combination of European food — Italian, French, Mediterranean. We serve a lot of really nice meat and fish dishes — and all are classically European.
MP: How important is it to prepare authentic food and a variety of items to your customers?
YK: I aim to create the best dishes I can for my customers. And by preparing European recipes, I can give my customers enough variety to choose from, whether it is Italian food, seafood, or cuisine from Greece or France.
But when I first saw this space — I knew it was the perfect spot for me, because it has a cosy banquet room that holds up to 100 people, as well as the regular restaurant on the other side. So I get to use both my experiences as a banquet chef and an à la carte chef, and therefore, I can offer guests anything they want for a private party. If we are hosting any type of wedding or event — Italian, Indian, Russian — my customers can chose whatever style of cuisine they want for their menu.
MP: That’s great, and it’s perfectly suited for Toronto because we are such a multicultural society. Everyone who lives here comes from somewhere else.
YK: Exactly. And that is the reason half of the menu is Italian cuisine, because we are located in Woodbridge. And one thing we know is that people who live in Woodbridge appreciate really good Italian food.
MP: Do you have any Middle Eastern items on the menu?
YK: No — I wouldn't really say we serve anything that is Middle Eastern. The reason we didn't add any Middle Eastern items on the menu is because when people hear Middle Eastern food they immediately think of shawarma, shish kebab and hummus — and that is mostly fast food cuisine. We are more about fine dining at Juicy Olive, so we don't want to give people the wrong impression of the place.
MP: Your restaurant is located in Woodbridge, but you say that you offer a “downtown experience.” I understand that you have live music on certain evenings?
YK: Yes, we are bringing in some musical performers for the weekend and perhaps on a few nights per week. Right now we have a guitar player who is coming in — we did it for a few nights and people really liked it. They enjoyed how it contributed to the environment. We also have a great bar with a huge selection of drinks. So with the added entertainment, a lot of our customers will stick to the bar, and they enjoy it over there.
MP: What is the most challenging part of being a chef and restaurateur in Toronto?
YK: So far, the slow nights are the most difficult. I do not mind the late hours, especially when the restaurant is full. But the slower nights are harder to handle. It takes time for people in the neighbourhood to get to know you. It’s a process.
MP: Do you ever think about maybe opening a second restaurant?
YK: Right now, we are just focusing on making this one successful. And it is a very big place, too, so it is a lot to handle. But we are confident that we will be able to get to a point where it’s consistently busy. In five years from now, maybe we will be ready to think about a second place.
MP: What do you love most about your job?
YK: When customers come back for a second visit, because they liked to food and service so much. A lot of our customers have been very complimentary about the food and the service here. And even though we have only been open for a short while, we have a lot of repeat customers already.
We had a promotion with MenuPalace users and many of them have come back a second or third time. The feedback we have been getting is really great. People always tell us that they enjoyed themselves, and the commentary on our website has been very positive.
MP: What would you like to say to people who have not been to your restaurant yet, but maybe they live in the area and they are considering it?
YK: I just want people who live in the area to come out and try something new. I know they will enjoy the food and the atmosphere. If they do, I am sure they won’t be disappointed. |