You do Indian pretty well for a guy who’s never been to the subcontinent.
I consulted for Amar Patel at the Indian Rice Factory seven or eight years ago, and in return I got fantastic exposure to Indian cooking. I’m bringing the Indian influence to Eleven (11 Jarvis St., 416-981-1919), for sure, but we’ll also have pan-Asian tastes and a little bit more French. I just spent eight days eating in Mexico City— it was part holiday, part research trip—so you’ll start to see a bit of Latin flavour on the menu in the spring as well.

It feels as if you’ve only just left Xacutti. How long did it take for Eleven to come together?
It was probably one of the fastest things I’ve ever been involved with. I didn’t leave Xacutti until the end of November, and my business partner, Steve Lee, didn’t close Ninth Gate (which is what was in the space before Eleven) until December 23. Steve and I both jumped all over it and put our heads together, and from that day until January 17 we turned around the entire concept: the menu, the printing, the decor and the renovations—all of it happened within those three weeks.

Why did you pick Front and Jarvis?
Xacutti was always a destination restaurant. With the exception of brunch, we didn’t really get many people from the neighbourhood. I’ve always been in love with this corner. It’s a great, bright spot and it’s up-and-coming on the business side. There’s lots of foot traffic, and lots of new condo dwellers who need a place to go. What’s the one ingredient you can’t live without? Black cardamom. I love the smokiness of it. It has such an addictive flavour. I put it in spice blends for fish; I put it in different chutneys. I even put it in meat loaf—it’ll be in the meat loaf at Eleven.

What about an indispensable kitchen tool?
My spice grinder. I usually use a mortar and pestle, but if I am being lazy I will just use a coffee grinder.

What’s your guilty food pleasure?
The Slurpees at 7-Eleven. I love them. It was tough when I first moved here from Winnipeg—there weren’t as many of them here at the time. Thank God that’s changed. But the problem is that the Slurpees are not as good here. Maybe it’s the colder air in Winnipeg, but there they hold their consistency better.

If you had to choose your last meal, what would it be?
My mother’s shepherd’s pie. It was the choice for every birthday meal of my life, for as long as I lived at home. Her potatoes, the filling, her gravy—I could probably eat it for as long as it was in front of me.