David Schwartz

The Path

Training at Western University gave David Schwartz a formal base before the rest of the job widened: the discipline of the kitchen meeting a practical interest in hospitality, and eventually in the larger mechanics of how a dining room functions. That progression has carried him into roles as chef and executive chef of Sunnys Chinese and culinary director of Big Hug Hospitality, positions that point to more than plate-level execution. The throughline is an interest in the structure around the food as much as the food itself: the team, the room, and the pace that gives service its pulse.

The Work Today

At Sunnys Chinese in Toronto, Schwartz works as chef and executive chef with a focus on Chinese cuisine and a room that leans casual and playful without softening the intent behind it. The food is described as home-style, but the register is more layered than plain: taste, texture, and flavour arrive with enough precision to make comfort feel sharpened. Husband and wife beef, the restaurant’s signature cold dish, shows that balance clearly. Built with 13 spices, it is designed around a mouth-numbing, eye-tearing sensation, and it reads as a tight statement of Schwartz’s approach: pleasure and discomfort on the same plate, each making the other more exact. As culinary director at Big Hug Hospitality, Schwartz treats the role as guidance rather than control. The emphasis is on setting direction, building the right team, and leaving room for people to do their work well. That same thinking runs through Sunnys Chinese: a place meant to make a specific feeling happen, with a kitchen and staff shaped to support it.

Signature

David's signature dishes include Husband and wife beef.

In Their Words “Every waking hour outside of work was cooking, hosting, exploring new spots. It just took over my life.” “What I really want is to build places where people feel something.”

Acclaim

David's honors include MICHELIN Guide Toronto Young Chef Award (2023).