Since it was first opened by Brad and Katie Watt as Rare Grill House in 2007, Rare restaurant has been a staple in downtown Peterborough, recognized as one of the best fine-dining establishments in the city. Now, new owners Andrew Lewin and Mai Dong are building on that reputation with a new name, a new menu, chef tastings, and monthly events.
Last August, previous owners Tyler and Kassy Scott — who purchased Rare Grill House in 2019 — sold Rare Culinary Art Studio, as the restaurant was most recently known, to Lewin and Dong, who have relaunched it as Rare Restaurant and Bar.
Lewin’s previous roles both as a chef du cuisine and a sous chef have prepared him to take over Rare’s kitchen as executive chef. Dong, who was last year’s silver medallist at the Skills Canada National Competition after landing gold at the provincial level, is sous chef and front-of-house manager.
Though the duo are now co-owners of Rare, this isn’t the first time they’ve worked together. Lewin was Dong’s mentor while she worked with the chef — a world traveller with over 25 years of experience — at his previous ventures. Having just arrived from Vietnam to study culinary management at Fleming College, she was drawn to his ability to work with the Asian flavours and simple ingredients with which she had grown up.
“He’s the one I’ve always wanted to learn from,” says Dong. “Chef Andrew has travelled the world and has picked up the best techniques and skills from all over.”
Before Rare went up for sale, Dong had no intention of purchasing a restaurant. Inspired by her mentor, she was planning to travel after completing her studies before eventually returning to work in a commercial hotel kitchen. When she saw the Scotts were selling Rare, she encouraged Lewin to purchase it so he could have a kitchen of his own calibre.
“I encouraged him because it’s a four-season restaurant and he cooks such great food,” Dong recalls. “If he has his own restaurant, people will know who he is. When you work for others, it really limits your creations.”
She didn’t intend to be involved in the restaurant’s operation until she first stepped into Rare.
“I remember thinking ‘This is such a beautiful space’ and I just fell in love.”
She decided that co-owning the restaurant would allow her to not only continue to learn from her mentor, but would also give her the opportunity to practise what she had learned after graduating in 2022 from Fleming College — which has since announced Dong as the recipient of the college’s 2023 Alumna of Distinction award, recognizing outstanding alumni who have made significant contributions in their professional field and communities.
Together, the duo first opened the restaurant on August 31, 2022 — Dong’s 23rd birthday.
Though opening the restaurant was intimidating, Dong says it helped to have had the support of previous owners Tyler and Kassy Scott throughout the first few months of operation.
“We respect the history of the restaurant and we respect the people who originally built it and the people who’ve visited,” Dong says, adding they’ve worked “to earn the trust” of previous customers.
To honour the restaurant’s history, Dong says they’ve kept much of the feel of Rare but have added their own creations to the menu.
“We still have the best steaks in town, but at the same time we’ve put it in our own colours and our own flavours.”
Though Rare had continued to serve previous chef Tyler Scott’s original menu until a few weeks ago, the new menu introduces French cuisine-inspired delicacies you won’t find in other local restaurants — including crispy frog legs, roasted pig tails, and roasted bone marrow. Although some people were initially surprised by these dishes, according to Dong, they’ve since become some of the most popular items on the menu.
Along with steaks, entrées include Cornish hen, duck, pork, and salmon — all prepared by Lewin and Dong with fine-dining flair.
“We wanted to spice it up and we wanted to our own thing,” Dong explains. “Every single plate going out is beautiful.”
That includes the restaurant’s more traditional and affordable offerings, including a burger, a vegetarian pasta, and fish and chips.
“We’re fine dining but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have more affordable options,” Dong explains. “It lets everybody come in and not just when you’re celebrating an anniversary or a birthday.”
In fact, Rare offers something for almost every day of the week, including the Monday to Saturday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. On top of that, Mondays offer half-price appetizers, Tuesday is Pasta Day, Wednesdays are half-price specials on house bottles of wine, and Thursday offers date nights for couples — including a three-course meal with wine pairing.
A separate menu is available for occasional Sunday brunch buffets, including on Father’s Day. The menu puts a twist on the traditional brunch menu, offering an avocado toast that’s topped with a torched salmon and the French toast with matcha coconut. Favourite brunch bevvies, like mimosas and espresso martinis, are also available.
For a change from the restaurant’s regular menu, Rare also hosts chef tastings with a different theme each month. Previous tastings have featured Mexican and French cuisine, while just last month, guests were able to taste Dong’s award-winning dishes from last year’s Skills competition. At the end of June, Rare will provide a five-course tasting menu of “scallop bliss” with wine pairing.
Like the menu, the dining room itself offers the best of both casual and upscale, with the opportunity to book private dining and catering for special events. An open-concept kitchen lets guests watch Lewin cook up their meals and provides a space where they can learn from him.
At a special event last month, guests were invited to watch as Lewin made fresh ramen, while coming up in June, Dong hopes to host a spring roll night that will invite guests to come in and roll their own.
These events are part of Dong and Lewins’ efforts to create a space that feels less like a typical restaurant and more like an opportunity to come together and celebrate food.
While Dong describes Rare Restaurant and Bar as being “like a studio,” she and Lewin decided not to keep the previous name of Rare Culinary Arts Studio to avoid confusion from guests. After previous owners Tyler and Kassy Scott renamed their original restaurant from Rare to Rare Culinary Arts Studio last year, they no longer provided regular dinner service.
“We do want to redefine what a restaurant is,” Dong explains. “It’s not just to come in, eat, and go out. Food is an art. Why do you have a studio for any other art like music and painting but not a culinary studio?”
Rare Restaurant and Bar is currently open at 166 Brock Street in downtown Peterborough. Visit www.rareculinaryartsstudio.ca to see the dinner and brunch menus.
To learn more about upcoming events and chef’s tastings, follow Rare Restaurant and Bar on Instagram and Facebook.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Rare Restaurant and Bar. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
