The culinary experience on board the Canadian

Eating well is an integral part of the journey on the Canadian, the iconic train linking Toronto to Vancouver. What are meals like on board? How is the food that’s served morning, noon and night prepared? What flavours are featured? Let’s take a peek inside the kitchen.

The first bite of meltingly tender meat won me over—the beef tenderloin topped with a mushroom sauce beautifully capped off my first day on board the Canadian. And the velvety squash soup as a starter was also a definite winner.

The Canadian’s dining car seems like a charming vestige of a bygone era. Each table seats four passengers and faces a large picture window where the gorgeous scenery flits past. Beside me were a retired woman from England, a young man from Czechia and a fellow Canadian.

That’s one wonderful perk on this train—whether travelling solo, as a couple or with friends or family, passengers are assigned random seats as they arrive in the dining car. Each meal becomes an opportunity to meet new people or continue discussions started earlier on the trip. The convivial atmosphere encourages mingling. And as luck would have it, everyone on board has a ton of stories to share!

For some, it’s their first journey on the Canadian, while others seem to know each landscape that goes by like the back of their hand. In the off-peak season, there are more Canadians than in the summer, when I met as many families as couples celebrating a special anniversary.

On the menu, you’ll find a variety of flavours and vegetarian options. For example, this evening I was torn between the trout filet, the creamy pesto chicken and a broccoli stir-fry on rice, before choosing the beef—a signature dish on board.

Every day, you have the choice to eat at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. or 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Breakfast is always served beginning at 6:30 a.m. I opted for the first seating throughout the trip as I figured this would make it easier to adjust to the time changes as the days went by.

The big question now was whether I’d be able to finish the giant slab of chocolate cake placed before me at the end of the meal. Readers, I did, but I had to practically waddle to my cabin afterwards! The sweet little square of chocolate left on my pillow by a thoughtful attendant would have to wait.

A look at the kitchen

The next day I visited Chef Nicolas Paquin, a friendly Franco-Manitoban who’s worked for VIA Rail for six years. His kitchen is fairly narrow, and he’s assisted by a cook. It’s hard to imagine two people working simultaneously in such close quarters, but everything is compartmentalized to make it more streamlined. Inside, I see a mountain of seasoned potatoes, a big tray of broccoli and pieces of chicken sizzling on the grill. The sinks, stove and dishwasher seem to be going nonstop.

“As a cooking space, it’s pretty unique,” the chef told me a few minutes later in a neighbouring room. “It’s crammed. The train moves a lot, so we don’t do any frying. If we tried to make French fries, the oil would go everywhere! All things considered though, we have a good amount of freedom in terms of what we can do. The kitchen is very well organized.”

With a background that includes stints with many prestigious companies, including Cirque du Soleil, the chef admitted to needing time to adapt to his new (moving) surroundings. It took about two years until he felt completely at ease. “This is my sixth year, so I have a system now,” he said. “I learned how to make the most of the space.” Two teams take turns during the Canadian’s journey: one from Toronto to Winnipeg and the other from Winnipeg to Vancouver.

Days start early. Nicolas gets back to his kitchen at 5 a.m. “Breakfast is made like in a diner,”he said. There are four menu options, among them the chef’s choice omelette.

At lunchtime, they serve meals that are quick to prepare, like couscous salad, a pulled turkey wrap, shrimp and scallop skewers, and ginger beef on rice.

In the evening, he can pull out all the stops. More refined dishes are crafted on site. “We have to work with the space we have,” Nicolas explained. “The menu includes a certain number of pre-made meals—lasagna, for example. But generally speaking, dishes featuring red meat like beef and pork are prepared from scratch. We need to find the right balance between using the best possible product and offering passengers the best possible experience.” His workdays usually finish around 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Prep and Canadian products

Kitchen prep starts way ahead of the train leaving. “When we get to Toronto, we draw up a shopping list,” the chef explained. The morning preceding departure, work begins before the first passenger steps on board.

Depending on the time of year, the number of work teams varies. “In the summertime, we’re double the people,” Nicolas said. Two dining cars seat twice as many passengers, which means two teams are needed.

Whatever the season, one thing remains a constant: the importance of Canadian products. While the menu changes periodically, cozy dishes are a perennial favourite among passengers. “There’s always a red meat, a white meat, a fish and a vegetarian option,” added the chef. The classics that never leave the menu, even if their sauces and sides are tweaked? “Beef tenderloin, prime rib and rack of lamb,” he said. A selection of Canadian beer and wine is also available for purchase during the meal.

Chance led me to share a table with Penny Mclvor, a Vancouver native, several times throughout the trip. She was travelling with her husband, who worked in the railway industry before retiring a little while ago. The couple has taken the Canadian at least once a year for the past two decades.

Mrs. McIvor tends to favour the veggie options. “It’s always so good,” she said. Who can argue with that?