Feature: Yoona Hong – The Side Kitchen
What started out as a side project now turned to a multi restaurant collective. How have you dealt with Covid and what has it done to your business?
The Side Kitchen actually came together and opened because of COVID. The vendors that make up the Side Kitchen are a mix of out of work chefs and restaurants selling their house made goods or people who may have discovered a ‘side’ hustle during lockdown. The Shop Local and Support Small Business trend has made quite the impact and has been overall great for us, the government and the 24 hour notice to pivot on the other hand, not so much. However we consider ourselves fortunate that we could turn our shop “essential” fairly easily and stay open to continue to serve our community.
If you could infuse anything, what would it be?
Nachos. Always Nachos. Loaded and topped like its Super Bowl with toasted hemp seeds and a side of infused spicy salsa. Pickled Jalepenos never hurt anyone either, I bet those could be infused too….
What do you make at home if youre feeling nostalgia?
Growing up, we were latch key kids and I was left to fend for myself on the regular. The one thing we always had going at home was the rice cooker so the easiest meals for us to make was a hot bowl of rice with butter & soya sauce. (If you knew how to fry an egg, that was an option or just throw it in raw).
This has always been my super quick comfort food – accompanied by a side of home -made kimchi of course.
Do you support the legal cannabis industry?
I do 100%. Though in Leslieville we are overun with cannabis stores at the moment, I do think marijuana has been hugely misrepresented throughout history. Personally I am not a regular cannibis user but since legalization and the guidance of friends in the industry, I have found it very useful to combat insomnia and anxiety. Beyond economic benefits, it can’t be argued that Cannabis should have always been legal meanwhile we have had legal alcohol, cigarettes and sugar for how long now? Each of those substances do a lot more harm than cannabis in my humble opinion.
What are you using right now?
My current go-to at the moment is the Ace Valley CBN Gummies for sleep and I’m also enjoying the CBD Mint Vape Cartridge from Foray. Next on the list is the El Alevio Menta CBD Disposable Vape Pen from Madge & Mercer.
