Earlier this summer, The Vermillion Room, the largest restaurant at the Fairmont Banff Springs, welcomed Executive Chef Chi How Kit.
After the closures and uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, Chef Kit is ready to return the restaurant to its former glory while adding some new surprises along the way.
We had a chance to talk to Chef Kit about his experience with Fairmont and his upcoming plans for The Vermillion Room.
Q. You bring years of experience to the table. Can you tell us a bit about your culinary journey?
A. I come from Mauritius, and I went to school there. I moved to Canada in 2002. I started working with Fairmont in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York. I’ve moved across Canada to work at different Fairmont Hotels, including Tremblant, Vancouver and Le Chateau Montebello. In July, I had the opportunity to become Executive Chef at The Vermillion Room at the Fairmont Banff Springs.
Q. What motivated you to take on The Vermillion Room?
A. I chose the Fairmont Banff Springs because it’s a Canadian landmark as well as a key hotel and restaurant brand. I’m proud to showcase this iconic hotel. There are lots of opportunities to continue working with local venues and suppliers while creating unique dishes for The Vermillion Room.
I also chose the Fairmont Banff Springs for its location and beautiful destination. I look forward to a new challenge for myself and to work with this amazing team.
Q. What are your plans for The Vermillion Room going forward?
A. My plans is to make The Vermillion Room the best in town. I also want to make it the place to go for both locals and guests. I want everyone to enjoy themselves and have a nice meal. To start that, I’ve brought back the Sunday brunch buffet. This is what The Vermillion Room is known for in Banff. It is an extravagant buffet with fresh carving stations and delicious pastries, all made in house at the pastry shop.
We’re looking forward to having our local guests back in our venue while showcasing local ingredients. We want The Vermillion Room to be accessible to families with children, which is why we brought back the Breakfast Buffet. We’re running our Breakfast Buffet every day from 7-11am, and our famous Sunday Brunch Buffet from 11am-2pm.
Q. What excites you about joining the culinary scene in Banff?
A. I’m excited to showcase our vast local ingredients and suppliers to the Banff community. We create dishes as a team, and we work together to highlight the best seasonal ingredients to serve our guests. We’re also excited to start a 3-course menu that showcases local and seasonal ingredients. It includes a Chill Golden Beet Soup, Lamb Boulette and a Maple Tart with Berry Ice Cream.
Q. What’s your favourite dish?
A. Chill Golden Beet Soup – it’s so refreshing and light for the summer.
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