Original program: Culinary Arts

Alumni Information
School: LaSalle College Vancouver/Dubrulle Culinary Arts
Grad Year: 2004
Program of Study: Culinary Arts
Degree: Diploma

Employment/Professional Information
Company Name: Cactus Club Café Ltd.
Location: Bentall 5
Job Title: Head Chef
Primary Responsibilities: To be a leader within the kitchen operations.

Describe a Typical Work Day:

As a chef at a high volume restaurant, I spend most of my time working through my management team.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I am a very goal-oriented individual in all aspects of my life: career, education, and personal lifestyle. Some of my accomplishments are graduating with Honours in a Hospitality Management program at the University of Guelph’s Bachelor of Commerce Program, receiving my Culinary Arts Diploma at LaSalle College Vancouver, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, opening a team of 3 high profile Cactus Clubs in downtown Vancouver, winning a gold medal in an International Dragonboat Festival in Hong Kong, receiving my Red Seal Certificate and going to open Cactus Club in Toronto.

What are your creative inspirations or influences? Who are your heroes?

Unlike most chefs, I draw most of my inspiration from unexpected sources; from the people who work with me and underneath me. You would be surprised about how much you can learn just by listening and being humble.
The two most influential people in my career are my late grandfather and god brother Fred, together which they opened my eyes to great culinary experiences, and taught me the dedication to produce quality food. They also taught me to take chances and how passion, knowledge and practise are the keys to being successful in this industry. My late grandfather’s legacy continues as his restaurants are still expanding in China to this day.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

Helping people achieve their goals and knowing that I have had a positive impact in helping them achieve their goals. My job is solely focused on mentoring, motivating, supporting, training and developing people. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a fresh culinary student developing into a confident, professional, and successful chef.

How did your education at LaSalle College Vancouver help prepare you for your career?

My education at LaSalle College Vancouver help solidify my decision on becoming a chef. Before Ai, my goal was to manage a restaurant. I decided to do the culinary program because I was a firm believer that a well rounded restauranteur should have a good understanding of the Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH). My educational background aided me in understanding food science and culinary theories.

What advice do you have for people beginning their careers in your profession?

Listen, learn and take initiative. Being in this industry for as long as I have, it is important to listen to others who are successful in this field. To be successful you need to model success. People that have created something of themselves will have valuable information that will help you achieve your own goals. Listening is one thing, but learning is another.

Your profession is constantly evolving, from the technology you use to new career opportunities that didn’t exist five years ago. What trends do you see on the horizon that will affect how you do your job or your profession at-large?

  1. Competition: The market is becoming more and more competitive. Everyone seems like they want to become a chef. The social media and Food Network depict being a chef to be a glamorous job and this is creating a market of demand for the position. The Chef position is now “cool”. People are now spending money and time to educate themselves in this field. This creates a market full of individuals that think they are ready to be a chef, without knowing the true ins and outs of being a “great” chef. My job is more difficult as I need to be able to differentiate the true talent from the hospitality pool.
  2. Technological Advancement: Everything is becoming more computer/technology reliant. If you are not up-to-date, this will affect your advancement. All operational programs are being switched from paper to computers. Everything is more efficient, but it involves a lot of time learning these programs and figuring out the operational functions. All paper bills are switched to computer billing. Food ordering, training manuals, schedules are all being done online.