Kwizinn: New Horizons in Caribbean Cuisine for Mike Lafaille

Leaning against the bar of his new location for Kwizinn since moving it to Old Montreal, Mike Lafaille’s now into his biggest phase yet: Moving shop from an address on Wellington in Verdun, the Haitian-Montrealer chef taken over the space that once housed Laurent Godbout’s Chez L’Epicier—with new ambitions.

“Moving to the Old Port, it’s the crème de la crème, the top of the tops: We’re exposed to tourists, we can share what Montreal is about: Diversity,” Mike says.

“Our mission is to create gastronomy that’s never been seen before,” he adds. “There are a few of us out there: I have a lot of respect for Paul Toussaint at Kamúy and Jae-Anthony Dougan at Tropikàl, and we’re the three doing I think others might be scared of.”

At only 29, the Black restaurateur is making a name for himself at the age of 29. Now, he’s pivoting his past in Caribbean casse-croûte fare and recipes passed down from Lafaille’s nanny in Port-Au-Prince towards a new gastronomy that still observes traditions.

“Experiencing a casse-croûte is one thing, but we want people to have access to a celebration. We’re taking the passion of our beginnings, and bringing to another level.”

“Our mission is to create gastronomy that’s never been seen before.”

Transforming Caribbean cuisine

It’s the biggest place yet for Kwizinn’s brand, with 80 seats inside and two terrasses that include an additional 40 seats in warmer months. They’ve slowly made the space their own, augmenting it with natural wines, fresh and tropically-inspired cocktails, and 90% of the menu’s totally new save for a few bangers like a plantain burger.

It’s also a far cry from platters with rice, salad, and pikliz. Here, the new chapter’s aspiring to new experiments that explore Caribbean cuisines further: Think oysters with a calamansi sabayon, empanadas with scotch bonnet jam, short rib bao buns with a hoisin-mango sauce, or plantain hummus with a lemon confit.

“It’s modern Caribbean fusion,” Lafaille explains. "African and Caribbean food is already complex—the processes are long, the cuts of meat we use, the vegetables we import and take from here—and as we have so many flavours in our food, it should be on the plate the right way.”

“As a Caribbean restaurant, we offer the rich and powerful food of so many places—Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad, Jamaica, Saint Martin—we all have so much in common from jerk spices to marinades, scotch bonnet peppers, plantains. As a cook, it’s best to explore all of these regions.”

“Haiti alone has so many influences, having been colonized by Spain, France, the United States, and even Lebanese and Syrian immigrants from the late 1800’s to mid-1900’s,” Lafaille says, pointing to the Haitian dish of kibi, pulled from the Levantine kibbeh.

“Our cuisine takes risks. In the beginning, people would freak out about how we present things, or include other cuisines, and the risk-taking is what sets us apart.”

“It’s inherently fusion, inspired by so many. Europe, Africa, Asia… the gastronomy explains it all.”

“Our cuisine takes risks. In the beginning, people would freak out about how we present things, or include other cuisines, and the risk-taking is what sets us apart.”

“So we’re pushing that through, and explaining that we’re more than a Caribbean restaurant serving out of Styrofoam. We want Montreal to understand that Caribbean food needs to be respected.”

Staying humble

The moves at the new Kwizinn are a far cry from Lafaille’s beginnings, having been in the city since he was 17 following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

Then there’s his blindness: Lafaille lives with macular degeneration, an eye disease that blur one’s central vision, and that condition’s set him on the path he’s on now.

Mike started out as a waiter at O.Noir in 2013, moving his way up to head waiter before deciding to open a side hustle with his wife, Claudia Fiorilli.

That’s where Kwizinn started, when he was only 22: Having a hard problem finding work with his visual impairment, Mike and his better half opted to open their own restaurant, a small 30-seater on Plaza Saint-Hubert focused on Haitian cuisine.

But over time, Mike found it wasn’t enough. ““Kwizinn on Saint-Hubert was authentic, but serving the same food for two years didn’t give me the motivation I needed,” he explains.

Having come so far, the chef knows he has to push to be where he is and, in his words, ‘love what we do to do what we do.’

“When our ancestors came to Montreal to work for themselves, they’d start with casse-croûtes, and even if they didn’t make much and worked a lot, they could be proud of what they achieved. But it could be tiring and draining and unrealistic for some. Afro-Caribbean businesses don’t have access to the same financing as others,” he says.

“The restaurant industry is really tough… I do things differently. Being raised by amazing parents who taught me how to be and deal with people, I learned that it’s important to give back to the community from them. I try to be as generous as I can, and I’m always ready to bounce back from anything.”

Around the city with Mike Lafaille

What makes a great chef?

“A great restaurant owner is not only a great chef. I manage everything, and it’s helped me be a part of the front of the house before heading to the back. You need to understand the clients, how to serve, know your wine and cocktails—it’s key to a business. You can have great cooks, but they won’t know how to manage a business.”

What’s something that people misunderstand about Caribbean cuisine?

“I once got a bad review that said they shouldn’t be paying money for this kind of food. We want to set the record straight: We deserve the same amount of respect as everyone else. Or food has a lot of passion, love, and technique. Know the business before you judge.”

Where should Montrealers go to get more exposure to Caribbean culture?

“Festivals like AfroMonde are, to me, great. Festivals are a vibe, and a pride of the city. Afro Beach is great for music. And then there are the restaurants, of course.”

Where do you go in your off-hours?

“I go to restaurants and bars a lot. I like going to Verdun for Bar Social, or Satay Brothers in Saint-Henri. I’ve got a lot of friends with restaurants like La Betise and Farsides, too. And then I travel; it’s important, it’s a form of therapy. I like to get out of Montreal—there’s the phone, people coming to visit—and going up north to Saint-Sauveur, Lac-des-Seize-Îles, Morin Heights.”

“With only 20% of my sight, I like to go to events as well, and I’d like to take salsa classes, even if I only dance in the kitchen right now. I’ll try my hand at DJing too.”

“Walking along Promenade Wellington, Parc des Rapides, Old Port, and around Atwater’s great too.”

Where do you like to drink?

“I like Atwater Cocktail Club. It’s a good, laid-back spot to sit back in a couch and grab something. But even there, it can be so hard to get your head out of the game, peeking behind the bar to see what they’re up to. I love it.”

Any Caribbean-owned businesses you’d like to shout out?

“Damesara for sure, they focus on the distribution of Afro-Caribbean products. Anything, from cassava to jams from small businesses or clothing—I really like their mentality, and they’re bringing a lot of technology into their business.”

Which artists and DJs are you following right now?

“Pat Boogie is amazing. I like people who keep it clean, and he does that. He brings a great image to Black music; it’s not only about dance hall stuff. There’s also the guys from BENOXLI, they do afrotonic once a month with an event focused on afrobeat and amapiano.

I also like supporting retired artists as well like the guitar virtuoso Toto Laraque, young artists like the singer, DJ and producer Sandy Duperval, and I love the actors and comedians Aba Atlas and Erich Preach. Finally, I love Kevin Sin.”

Kwizinn is located at 311 Rue Saint-Paul Est. Follow Mike Lafaille here.