Island Yacht Club

While the day was grey, for a brief moment the sun broke through the clouds long enough for my interview with one of Canada's most interesting chefs, Philman George.

You see, Philman isn't a chef available for a reservation, a tasting menu and unless you are a member of the Toronto Island Yacht club or have visited Barbuda's Lighthouse Bay Resort, chances are you haven't dined in either of this young executive chef's restaurants - but you can cook his food at home.

With a little help from the multi-platform channel BiteTV, Philman has created "The Rhyming Chef Barbuda" a unique cooking show concept that appeals to younger viewers and is geared towards bachelors. However, these eight 10-minute episodes air alongside 16 instructional videos and provide a valuable resource to any home chef. His entertaining lessons are supplemented with impromptu freestyles and teach the average viewer how to properly chop, make stock and even how to sharpen knives. Like most chefs, the thought of cooking as a profession was one that caught the interest of the chef at a young age. "I've been cooking since I could reach the stove," shared Philman, "I've been creating rhymes for almost as long."

Born to Barbudan parents, Philman grew up straddling Toronto's concrete jungle and the pink sands of Barbuda. It wasn't long before he developed an ongoing love for local food. Once graduated from George Brown's Culinary Management program he launched a catering company that combined his love of hip hop with food. This special hybrid has earned Philman numerous appearances around Toronto, Hot & Spicy's Iron Chef Competition, Global Hip Hop Festival and Men Can Cook and built him a following that later spawned the nickname "The Rhyming Chef".

Now a series produced by Philman's fiancé, Ngardy Conteh of Mattru Media, "The Rhyming Chef" seeks to engage viewers from across Canada to learn culinary technique from this Torontonian. While the shows are shot in Barbuda, Philman leads me through a few of his favorite dishes at the Toronto Island Yacht Club. While the yacht club is predominantly a member's only venue, the beautifully renovated waterfront clubhouse is also available to non-members for private events and bookings. Here on the quiet patio, Philman serves his famous "Get Laid Salad" a mix of greens and goat cheese tossed in vinaigrette that incorporates strawberry jam as the emulsifier.

Throughout the assortment of seafood dishes we sampled (sweet and crisp coconut shrimp & succulent grilled salmon) an air of confidence resonated. There is much to be said about this young executive chef and the dishes he prepared that were simple, inventive and accessible. It is worth checking out "The Rhyming Chef Barbuda" because you may not be able to go and have him cater a meal without booking a trip South or a special event but you can easily have a few cooking lessons with him on demand through BiteTV.