What if the most authentic thing a chef can do is adapt?

At Antylia (Dufferin & Bloor), chefs Aldo Camarena and Ashley McKay are building one of Toronto's most exciting restaurants on exactly that idea — Mexican and Ecuadorian traditions, cooked through Ontario corn, Indigenous ingredients, and the city's endless collision of cultures.

We get into why they show up to every wine tasting (rare for chefs), the thousands-year-old Indigenous science behind a perfect tortilla, a 17-step cauliflower, and the family ceviche recipe that shocks guests when they learn what's in it. Aldo also shares the story of arriving in Canada as a refugee, getting fired by a chef who told him "you're useless — but don't give up," and cooking his way to an answer.

If you enjoyed my conversation with Eva Chin on neo-Chinese cuisine, this one picks up the same thread: what happens to a food culture when it moves.

Tortillas Are Sacred. Authenticity Isn't. — Aldo Camarena & Ashley McKay of Antylia

Timestamps

00:00 Why wine matters as much as the food
05:34 From art school and a refugee arrival to professional kitchens
11:44 The vision behind Antylia — and a lifelong obsession with corn
14:55 Why making tortillas is a sacred craft
18:27 Building a restaurant around community, not transactions
23:30 What great hospitality looks like today
25:46 The 17-step cauliflower and the pursuit of craftsmanship
29:04 Storytelling, authenticity, and the future of Latin American cuisine
37:18 Canadian ingredients, Indigenous traditions, and redefining authenticity
42:43 Grandma's ceviche — and yes, there's ketchup in it
51:57 Why regulars keep coming back to Antylia
57:23 Visit Antylia

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