A Day in Niagara with Chefs Ray Syegco and Selah Schmoll of Incoho Restaurant

October 15, 2021

Featuring Ray Syegco – Chef and Owner & Selah Schmoll – Pastry Chef and Owner

Ray Syegco and Selah Schmoll’s journey into the professional kitchen business started with nursing. Ray, who’s from the Phillippines, and Selah, who grew up in Niagara Falls, were studying nursing when they realized that cooking might just be their passion, and decided to pursue it.

They ventured out to Niagara-on-the-Lake and worked in a few winery restaurants before eventually crossing paths at Trius Winery.

They quickly realized they had the same passion to open their own restaurant. After a few years of planning, they finally opened Incoho in downtown St. Catharines in March of 2019, and have been loving it ever since.

Most recently, they were each named Top 30 Under Thirty winners. This prestigious award is presented annually to the hospitality industry’s top young performers.

We caught up with them to find out how they like to spend their time outside of the kitchen. Here’s what they had to say:

Favourite place for a coffee break?

Groundswell Coffee Truck.

Breakfast or brunch? Where are you going and what are you having?

My house. We don’t often go out for breakfast/brunch.

Essential place to shop for ingredients and recipe inspiration?

Market Square for both! It’s full of inspiration and great ingredients.

What made-in-Niagara beverage is always on hand?

Wine – Ferox

Cider – No Boats on Sundays

Gin – Polonée Distillery

Juice – Small Batch Company

When you don’t feel like cooking, you eat:

We love eating locally! Some of our favourite restaurants are:

Eh José Taqueria, Pharmacii Snack Bar, and Ma Chinese Cuisine in St. Catharines.

The Good Earth Food and Wine Co. in Beamsville.

Where do you go in Niagara to get away from it all?

We go to Ferox Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Fabian and Stephanie are incredibly hospitable, and make everyone feel welcome. We always have a great time visiting the winery and love enjoying their product.