News. The chef and owner of Bika Ferme & Cuisine, located in Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, Fisun Ercan, is the winner of the title of Chef of the Year, which was awarded to her on the occasion of the Gala des Lauriers de la Quebec gastronomy, which was held on May 27 in Montreal.
Ms. Ercan was nominated in this category for a fourth consecutive year. Originally from Turkey, she first worked in the restaurant world in Montreal for 14 years, before founding Bika Ferme & Cuisine in Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu in 2018.
Its menu emphasizes products from its farm and those from other local organic or eco-responsible farms. A single tasting menu is served, of Turkish inspiration, where local products and producers are highlighted, in a “Bring your own wine” formula.
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It was with emotion that Ms. Ercan spoke on stage during the award ceremony.
“For me, it’s been a marathon for 23 years,” she confided. At the beginning, I started with a responsibility, that of representing my native culture. A little later, this feeling of responsibility [s’est déplacé vers] the cuisine of my adopted land, Quebec. This is why Bika Ferme & Cuisine exists today. »
I feel for the first time that I belong here.
Fisun Ercan
Other distinctions
Bika Ferme & Cuisine has received several distinctions since its opening, including the title of Best Local Cuisine in the list of Best New Restaurants from enRoute magazine, in 2021.
This restaurant is also included in the prestigious list of the 100 best Canadian restaurants, where it ranks 64e rank.
Finally, Fisun Ercan also took a whole year to write a work in Bika, which is entitled Roots. In this book, she offers several simple recipes to make, in tune with nature and the cycle of the seasons.
This book received critical acclaim. It won a Gold award at the Flavors of Canada Laureates, which recognizes the best recipe books in the country, in the Regional and Cultural Cookbooks category.
Published in 2022, Roots is also one of the Renaud-Bray bookstore’s favorites. It is on sale in all bookstores in Quebec and in Bika.
