Chef in the Haus, Lusa Bakery

Good morning,

Well, the weather gods smiled on this birthday weekend and I was finally in a position to entertain guests in the yard out back. No excessive heat, no humidity and no mosquitos.

The idea was to use the bounty from the garden to feed everyone and it served as a reminder how massively delicious homegrown veggies are. I also created a yellow plum tomato gazpacho served in a small glass with a very tiny currant tomato in the centre. I called it a Jewel Shot.

I’ll be sharing some pictures of my harvest in next week’s newsletter but today I introduce you to an up-and-coming chef who will be competing on Sept. 22, in the regional championship for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party.

Grab your favourite brew and let’s begin.

Ralf Joneikies, food and drink editor. [email protected]

PROFILE

In the Haus with Chef Michael Hauschild

You may not have heard of In Haus Cooking but like most young chefs, owner Michael Hauschild brings all his talent and acquired knowledge to this year-long passion project.

In Haus is located at 430 Hazeldean Rd. in a shared workspace building named Office Hub. He and his team of five produce corporate menus that change every few days. 

From Monday to Thursday, they also offer a lunch bistro service for locals, and I will be featuring their deli sandwich in an upcoming and final Sandwich Safari. 

Hauschild received his formal training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of Canada in PEI and completed a three-month internship at Ottawa’s Supply and Demand.

Later he would work in the celebrated kitchens of the Mission Hill and Cedar Creek wineries in B.C. 

At the age of 21 he launched In Haus Cooking and made a name for himself in private dinner circles, eventually landing summer gigs for a wealthy developer couple in the 1000 Islands.

While adhering to proscribed protocols, the private dinner side of his business exploded during COVID and years later he opened In Haus Cooking Bistro at Office Hub in Kanata.

Michael and I talked about our shared love of Japanese knives and I discovered that his culinary awakening story was similar to my own which involved shrimp in black bean sauce when I was ten. At the time my father mused aloud about how his son could “enjoy eating bugs.”

As a kid he would go on cruises with his parents, and one time at dinner he ordered escargot. He fell in love with the things, much to the curiosity of his parents.

When asked what he would like for his 16th birthday, his answer could not have been a surprise to his parents and they bought him the white plates for which he’d asked.

From my perspective, Hauschild was born to chefdom but it was nurtured by exposure to his grandmother's cooking.

After WWII, his grandparents left Germany and started a farm just outside of Ottawa. There, Hauschild was exposed to fresh fruit and vegetables and he expressed his deep appreciation of the food his grandmother cooked.

For a chef this young, he struck me as an old soul as he’s given a lot of thought to not just his craft but also his role as a leader. I was impressed by his apparent lack of strident ego or faux diffidence. Instead, I found a man entirely comfortable in sharing his success with his team and often credits them outright for dishes they’ve created.

While his foundation is in French cooking, he has a particular love of working with seafood, and he twice entered the Garland Canada International Chef Challenge. This competition is a key component of the PEI International Shellfish Festival which is attended by chefs from across North America.

In 2023 he emerged victorious, beating out one of Canada’s best-known chefs. Here, Hauschild’s modesty was on full display to the point of embarrassment, and he asked that I not name the other chef.

After speaking with him, I was treated to a bowl of exceptional lobster bisque, which happened to be the soup of the day. Sensuously silky, it was a symphony of flavours in such balance that not even the lobster dominated, and I was grateful. Too often this dish is characterized by excessive fishiness and here I enjoyed the harmony accented only by a hint of white wine.

On September 22nd, Hauschild takes on a new challenge, testing himself against four other top chefs from the region. This year, the regional championships of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party will be held at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Elgin Street.

He confided that he feels confident going into this and even hinted at the dish he’s creating. Although he revealed nothing of the ingredients, he did state that it’s a dish that takes more than one day to compose. I’m intrigued.

Capital Eats wishes Michael and all the other chefs every success.

THE DESSERT COURSE

Portuguese treats in Kanata

For those like me, who were dismayed by the closing of Lusa Portuguese Bakery on Wellington last year, you can now rejoice as they’ve reopened at 420 Hazeldean Rd. in the same Kanata strip mall as Office Hub. 

A bigger shock came when Lusa closed their original Gatineau shop shortly after the Wellington closure.

I’ve always enjoyed their products but with the new location it means that I won’t be treating myself as often. I suppose that’s a good thing.

Certainly you won’t find a better pastèis de nata (egg custard tart) anywhere but they’re no slouches in producing very nice cannolis and cream puffs.  That cream puff was so richly dense that it almost (almost) sent me into a panic, and I recommend having it with a good coffee to balance all that cream.

Lusa also cooks up a variety of warm dishes, such as the famous Portuguese sandwich known as Bifana and of course, roast piri piri chicken. 

I happen to love their savoury hand-held bites, pastèis de bacalhao (potato and salt cod cakes) and the rissòis de camarão, deep fried pockets of tender shrimp in bechamel sauce. Both are inexpensive and super delicious, and you’ll want to get multiples. If you’re planning on consuming them straightaway, ask them to reheat them.

Suggested stories

• The best cannolis in Ottawa? Dolci Sapori makes a case

• Premiere Moisson is a good bet for your favourite baked goods

• Elina Patisserie is serving up commendable canelés

QUICK BITES

• On sale now! Wine, Cider, Coffee & Chocolate Advent Calendars. 100% Canadian-made curated by Savvy Company. A great gift or treat yourself. Pre-order>> [Sponsored]

• Chef Ric’s (part of the Ottawa Mission food services training program) is opening a second location in the Taggart Family YMCA.

• American fast food sandwich giant Jimmy John’s is opening a location in Ottawa. [CTV]

• As if this is what Old Ottawa East needed: a McDonald’s is opening in the Milieu building on Main St. What a way to bring down a promising neighbourhood. [CTV]

• While reading about or watching shows about food is a form of entertainment, we also need to balance that diet with learning about the darker side of food production. This documentary about Monsanto is an eye-opener. [YouTube]

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