Chef Kai Salimaki has been around the culinary block. Having worked his way up through some of the city’s best restaurants, he’s opened his own place where he hopes to win the hearts and bellies of the neighbourhood — and the city —with his simple take on fresh, local food. Kai says his goal for The Block Kitchen & Lounge in Mount Pleasant is to create lasting relationships with his patrons by serving excellent contemporary Canadian cuisine and delivering great service.