A Feast for the Senses
With Wahso Chef Ryan Burnham
Photography: Timothy Thimmes
With restaurant experience on both coasts and a passion for snowboarding, Ryan Burnham might seem like many other Park City chefs … until you taste his food. The executive chef at Wahso surprises and delights diners with truly unique flavor combinations and eye-catching presentations.
Opened in 2000, Wahso offers Asian-French inspired cuisine on Park City’s Main Street. Part of the Bill White family of restaurants, Wahso’s interior design, known for its lavish comfort, was created by White himself. “I found these pictures of hummingbirds sketched with pencil, and that became my inspiration. Wahso is actually the phonetic spelling of the French word for birds,” explains White.
As non-traditional as the restaurant’s name are its menu offerings, thanks in part to Chef Ryan. Mussels are served in a Vietnamese green curry broth with fried yam curls. The signature Malaysian-style pot stickers combine curried pork with spicy cucumbers for an unexpected but truly enjoyable kick. Accompanying ground chili dip offers foodies a chance to further turn up the spice.
“Wahso can be a really hip restaurant, but at the end of the day, it is a fine dining restaurant, and it’s a beautiful restaurant,” reflects Chef Ryan. Such insights are what make the 32-year-old chef wiser than his years. A native of Virginia, Burnham attended the University of Utah and became enamored with the mountains. Originally a skier, he started downhill skateboarding his first summer in Salt Lake City. “The following winter, I bought a snowboard and was sold. I haven’t put on skis since,” says Burnham.
After studying civil engineering for three years, Burnham moved up to Alta and lived at the Peruvian Lodge where he starting working in the kitchen. “For me, cooking is a total rush. It’s instant gratification. You know immediately if somebody loves it or hates it,” he says with a smile.
Case in point is one of the most overlooked menu items at Wahso, the octopus. Burnham says most chefs don’t know how to cook octopus properly, and customers are unsure about eating it. He and his staff, however, braise their octopus for three hours, marinate and then grill it.
“It comes out crunchy on the outside, but very tender on the inside. We serve it with a miso mustard aioli, and it is really delicious,” says the chef.
Clearly, creating such successful dishes requires significant training and experience. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Burnham honed his signature style by working at a small French restaurant in New Jersey. He and two other cooks made everything from bread and pastries to appetizers and entrées. It was there that he learned the fine art of presentation.
Missing the snow of the Wasatch Mountains, however, Burnham moved to Park City and was hired by Bill White to help open Ghidotti’s, an Italian-inspired restaurant. Working together every day, the two men developed an easy rapport. Recalls White, “I saw Ryan’s natural magnetism. People would constantly come to him for advice, and he was able to bind our team together.”
When the sous chef position became available at Wahso, White offered Burnham the job. Within months he was promoted to executive chef. White’s confidence in his young protégé is readily apparent. “Ryan is really a one-of-a-kind chef. He takes his charisma and personal charm and bonds it with his vision of food. People want to work for him because he is doing things that others aren’t doing, and they know they can learn from him,” says White.
Having been in the restaurant business for 15 years, mentoring seems to come easily to Burnham. “The biggest compliment I can receive is having one of my guys move up. I keep pushing myself and them mentally, because if we are not improving every day, then what is the point?” he says. Burnham works hard to keep himself and his staff interested by trying new things. This winter, he is introducing
a Colorado lamb loin served with beluga lentils, curried mushrooms and pomegranate molasses.
Patrons of Wahso will sense the French influence and attention to detail and beauty in Burnham’s creations, which follow his mantra, “The first taste is with your eyes.”
Add to that familiar foods with an Asian flair and diners will be nothing less than impressed. Just don’t forget to give Chef Ryan some instant gratification during your dining experience.
Liz Yokubison is a freelance writer who enjoys all of Bill White’s restaurants, but has recently developed a special affinity for Wahso.
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Reader Comments:
I fell in love with both Ryan AND his cooking the first time I visited Wahso. He'll dazzle you with his culinary talents and his smile... And, "yes" that octopus rocks - really!!! But, you can't go wrong with anything you order here. The entire staff is wonderful, too.