Community Connect-Camas Restaurant
Welcome back to another addition of Community Connect, where we feature local businesses and the individuals behind them for an in depth look into our incredible community. This week we are fortunate to steal some time from the incredibly busy crew at Camas, a Lantzville locally loved restaurant inspired by the Pacific Northwest, that focuses on creating incredible dishes and memorable experiences in unison. Camas is owned and operated by spouse-chefs, Sarah and Taka. We asked them about their personal journeys that led them to opening a restaurant, the concept of their kitchen, and why they’ve done it here in Lantzville.
Where are you each originally from, and what led you to become residents of Vancouver Island?
Sarah: I am originally from Vancouver, and Taka, from a small town outside Tokyo. After seeing an advertisement for a head pastry chef position at Mon Petit Choux, a soon to open French-style café, I decided to apply. Once achieving and accepting the position Taka and I moved from Vancouver to be here on the island. When we arrived, Taka began his foray into the culinary industry at Taiyo in the Old City Quarter.
Before Camas, where did your culinary career(s) take you?
Taka: Before entering the culinary industry, Sarah was employed as an educator, and I was employed in event promotions. Sarah found professional level cooking lit her up. To test whether or not it was a good fit as a career she worked in the pastry kitchen of C Restaurant in Vancouver for the duration of 2006 Dine Out festival.
Sarah: After Mon Petit Choux, I taught in the VIU Culinary programme and started a catering company, Parfait Gourmet Desserts. I regularly attended the Bowen Road farmers market with my frozen dessert tricycle, and one fateful day I met Eric and Allison. Eric wanted help opening a restaurant and recruited us to help do just that. They opened Riso, a Neapolitan Pizza and Italian inspired restaurant in Lantzville in 2011, and we co-cheffed and managed Riso until autumn 2019.
As for Camas, how did you choose the name and what's the meaning behind it?
Both: Because we intended the restaurant to reflect the Pacific Northwest, “Camas” came from the camas lily, an indigenous variety of asparagus. It’s edible from top to bottom, was an important farmed crop for First Nations, and serves as a segue to discussing traditional food systems, food sustainability, and the history of where we live, work, and play. It was a natural selection for the name of our restaurant.
How did you choose Lantzville for the location of your restaurant?
Taka: After establishing a life in Lantzville, we couldn’t quite imagine opening a business somewhere else.
What is the concept for Camas? What are your inspirations for the menu and what you want your guests to walk away feeling?
Sarah: Inspiration for the menu comes from the seasons, our farmers, our personal biographies, and the desire to delight our guests. The guest's experience is about being cared for. Our servers care, the chefs care, and the producers all care that guests feel connected to their meal and each person involved in them enjoying a meal out.
Are there any dishes that stay year round, or is it always changing seasonally?
Both: There are just two. Steak tartare and semifreddo, where the concept of the dish stays the same, but the flavour profile changes. Also, staples of the summer are our sumptuous seafood tower, and tapas.
What is your favourite thing to make currently?
Sarah: Fresh from the garden veg dishes.
Taka: Fresh pasta and silky sauces. We love that you host classes for learning.
Explain how those work for anyone who’s interested?
Both: Camas hosts public classes in spring, summer and autumn, plus private and corporate team building classes year-round. Within those there are two formats:
1. Demonstration classes: students are received with a glass of sparkling and canapés, they are shown cheffy tricks of the trade on a given topic, can ask questions, see, touch and feel.
2. Participation classes: students are taught the theory and the techniques, then are coached as they practice what they’ve learnt.
Classes always include a recipe booklet and students are invited to sit for a long table feast after the learning and observing portions. We love bringing people together with food and these are some of our favourite evenings teaching, hosting, and dining with others.
Lastly, what are you excited about coming up this summer?
Sarah: Well, our last class of the summer is Pizza from Napoli Class, Sun, Aug 18, 4:00 PM-7:00 PM. Our daily dinner feature is the Seafood Tower featuring local seafood prepared with global flavours and we cannot get enough of it! While we are still enjoying this hot and lovely time of year, we are already starting to work with clients' on winter holiday bookings.
With seating’s starting from 5:00 PM-8:15 PM, Thursdays through Saturdays, you can book your table today through Camas’ website, or by directly calling them. We had a pleasure getting to know both Sarah and Taka, the spouse-co-chefs and owners of this amazing restaurant in our community. Make sure to drop by this summer for a seafood tower and some bubbles!