Edible Ottawa

Gatineau's "Naughty" Chef

• Photo by Matthew Liteplo

  Chef Romain Riva, of Les Vilains Garçons, creates new dishes every day at the restaurant. Here, he presents yellowfin tuna, sea urchin from the St. Lawrence, corn three ways — popcorn, corn tossed in smoked paprika and fried kernels — with garnishes of wakame, fried plantain and puréed cranberry.

• Chef Romain Riva grew up in France before moving to Quebec to live with his father.

• The restaurant set for service.

• One of the private dining nooks.

• Riva served up some of pork charcuterie he and his team make at La Boucherie des Vilains on a bison antler. This one is made with cashews and garnished with beets two ways — one pickled and one fried into a chip — cilantro and a purée of mustard and sea buckthorn.