Where Taps chef James Obazee eats around Etobicoke

James Obazee has been executive chef at Taps Public House in Meadowvale for two and a half years. The gastropub, with its all-season patio and retractable roof, has become known for its weekend brunch menu — dishes like Nutella-stuffed French toast drawing around 450 diners every Saturday and Sunday.

But after a 50-hour workweek, Obazee prefers eating out. "The last thing a chef wants to do after a 50-hour workweek is cook more at home," he says. "Besides, I love going out to eat with my kids and partner, to support other chefs and to be inspired along the way."

Obazee lives in Etobicoke with his family — where he was born and raised and got his start in hospitality. He's a regular at Naija Jollof, the Nigerian restaurant at Westwood Square in Mississauga. "I'm Nigerian, so I grew up eating African food," he says. His go-to is Nigerian chicken stew with jollof rice — "very spicy because they use a generous amount of cayenne and scotch bonnet pepper." He also orders the slow-braised cow's feet, which he describes as "hyper spicy" and "chewy," the kind of snack to enjoy with a cold beer.

At Maurya East Indian Roti on Lake Shore Boulevard West in Etobicoke, Obazee orders lamb biryani at the hottest heat level. "My partner is half-Indian, and her mother makes this incredible lamb biryani dish for us," he says. "I also lived a few blocks away for about six years, so I was a regular." He skips the cooling yogurt — he's lactose intolerant — but pairs it with Szechuan wings, which he says taste more like a sweet chili given his tolerance for spice.