Catering to the community

North Kildonan

Mynarski

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This article was published 18/12/2024 (482 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of a recently opened restaurant is bringing his own sense of style and taste to the table.

Nelson Olegario owns Couple Chef Restaurant and Catering Services, which is located at 1199 Fife St. and opened its doors in August. Olegario runs the business with his wife, Arlene, who is a key member of the operation, especially in the kitchen. The couple previously ran a restaurant of the same name at the Nor-Villa Hotel in North Kildonan. Prior to that, Olegario was also involved with Jeepney restaurant on Sargent Avenue.

Now, Couple Chef is located in a large, eye-catching building that has housed a number of enterprises and organizations through the years, including a steakhouse and a tea room.

“We’re located in the centre of the city’s Filipino community,” Olegario said, noting the restaurant serves a mix of food from both the Philippines and Canada.

“When we were at the Nor-Villa, we served a lot of seniors, and we had a menu that tailored to that population with smaller portions and prices to reflect that,” he said.

“Now we’re combining the best of Filipino and Canadian food,” he added. “Some of our former customers now drive here from North Kildonan to visit us.”

Couple Chef has a breakfast menu that features items such as steak and eggs, a weekday special, a hungry man’s breakfast, omelettes, skillets, and breakfast sandwiches, and there’s also a Filipino breakfast menu that includes a number of different plates showcasing beef tapa, pork tocino, skinless longganisa, fried or grilled bangus, chicken inasal, and lechon kawali. Factor in the lunch, dinner, and children’s menus, and there should be something for everyone. There’s a wholesale catering menu that caters to outside functions, too.

Olegario said his passion for catering began when he worked on cruise ships years ago, where he began as a dishwasher and worked his way up to cooking.

Nowadays, one of the things Olegario likes best about owning a restaurant and being the boss is the interactions and relationships he has with customers.

“Once we’ve served our food, I come to their table and ask how everything is going. Some people like to share their personal stories,” he said. “Some people want to feel at home, and some feel a bit like family members.”

Olegario wants to spread the word about his restaurant as it establishes itself, and plans to increase the signage outside, including the daily specials.

“Lots of people don’t know there’s a restaurant here. We’re new to the area, so we want to encourage people to come in and meet us and enjoy the food.”

Couple Chef is open Tuesday to Wednesday (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Thursday to Saturday (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), Sunday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and closed Monday.

Visit the restaurant on Facebook, email couplechefcateringservices@gmail.com, or call 204-898-1930 for more information.