Born into a family of different Asian cultures, Eva grew up immersed in the lush bounty of the Hawaiian islands that Mother Nature has to offer. She learned early on that food is the connection between people and the land. After college, Eva went on to travel and cooked at renowned restaurants around the world, from Japan to London — finally making her way back home to Hong Kong and China in 2013 to hone in her skills and tap into her heritage. Upon moving back to North America, Eva went on to work short stints in Portland and San Francisco, before settling in Vancouver to take over Royal Dinette and win best Pacific Northwest restaurant with her terroir-focused, farm-to-table cuisine. It was there she went on to helm Chef de Cuisine of Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar under Roger Ma and Alex Chen, and Boulevard went on to claim number 11 in Canada’s top 100 best restaurants in 2019.
In 2020, Eva made the move to Toronto to helm the kitchen at the renowned Kōjin by Momofuku, finally breaking free from the European fare that she’s been cooking. It was in Toronto she began to explore the fusion and diversity of Asian cuisines, earning her a spot in the Canada’s Top 100 best restaurant list of 2020.
Eva also oversees her brand, The Soy Luck Club — telling life stories through her food. The Soy Luck Club is Chef Eva’s love letter to Chinese cuisine, weaving through stories that connect our community and culture. Out of profound respect for its diverse flavors and ingredients, and inspired by the nostalgia of our food memories and the thrill of our travels. The Soy Luck Club was chosen as one of the top ten pop- ups in the country by enRoute magazine.
Chef Eva was the Executive Chef of Avling restaurant in Leslieville and brought the blend of heritage and farm-to-table cuisine. After Eva’s time as Culinary Director for The Highbell Group, she’s now Culinary Director for Hong Shing Restaurant Group, and heads Yan Dining Room, a micro-restaurant within Hong Shing, serving neo-Chinese cuisine.
Chef Eva is an avid voice for the community and is doing great work with leading brands and commodities in Canada and internationally. Most recently, she was named to the Toronto Life 2024 Rising Stars list.
Cooking modern Chinese by mixing their parents’ culture with influences from the digital age.
Clay-pot rice with drunken clams, sablefish and barrel-aged Avling beer
Eva talks about the challenges of having mixed ancestry, how she feels about Samoan representation, and how Stop Asian Hate impacted her approach to cooking.
Eva shares her Campfire Roasted Ontario Whole Trout, cooking outdoors and the importance of community, culture and cuisine.
After years of putting her heritage aside, Chin is recognizing the importance of speaking up and sharing her story as a mixed Samoan, Chinese, and Singaporean woman. In this new interview with the Cold Tea Collective speaks with Eva about how she embraces her identity as a gay, mixed Asian woman.
Chef Eva shares how to make Nian Gao (Sticky Sweet Rice Cake), one of the essential dish for the Lunar New Year