David Wong 2009

Canada’s 2007 representative for the internationally renowned 2009 Bocuse d’Or competition in France has brought his award-winning talents into the classroom. The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Vancouver is proud to welcome Chef David Wong as a full-time chef instructor in January 2008.

David was born in Canada’s west coast city of Nanaimo, and it was there that his love of cooking developed. As is the case with many Asian families, food was central to his family life. His parents were in the grocery business, and it was not uncommon for David to accompany his father to buy produce. When not in the store they, would be tending the fruit trees, herbs and vegetables that filled the garden. He has fond memories of going to the beach to dig for clams and visiting the day boats in the docks to buy the fresh shrimp; activities that would reinforce a sincere respect for food that was at the core of his upbringing. Being involved in the preparation of traditional dishes at young age helped nurture his interest in cooking, but it was not to be his career choice, not yet anyway. He chose to help other people overcome obstacles in their lives and so completed his Bachelor of Social Work Degree and worked as a counselor for children in government care (developing skills that he finds useful in his work today)

What was to be a relaxing holiday in Europe with wife Danielle turned out to be a life-altering journey as the food of Spain and particularly France inspired him to make a drastic change and pursue cooking as a career. After his holiday, he returned to school and completed the Food and Beverage Management program at Vancouver Community College and then the Culinary Arts Program at Malaspina University College.

Under the tutelage of his instructors, he entered his first Culinary Salon and won a gold medal; other competitions would follow with the same high degree of success. In 2005, Dave was appointed to Culinary Team Canada which went on to win Gold in Le Salon Culinaire Mondial held in Basel, Switzerland. Other important awards include winning the 2001 Canadian National Apprentice Competition and in 2006 being recognized by Fairmont Hotels as the Company Leader of the Year which demonstrates his management abilities. That same year in Gatineau, Quebec, he fulfilled his dream of winning the right to represent Canada in the 2009 Bocuse d'Or.

Dave began his apprenticeship at Vancouver’s Creek restaurant under renowned Executive Chef Robert Allen Sulatycky. It was there that he was exposed to the demands of the Bocuse d’Or. "I recall working under Chef Sulatycky, Canada’s 1999 Bocuse d’Or competitor. It was my first exposure to the competition and the intensity and level of perfection required seemed daunting. Since then, I have set my sights on participating in the Bocuse d’Or by entering as many competitions as I could. I feel confident in my preparations, but realize that ahead of me lay the most trying years in my career."

To complete his apprenticeship he went to work for Chef Morgan Wilson, another Canadian Bocuse d'Or competitor, at the Delta Pinnacle Hotel, Vancouver. Later he would be recruited by Fairmont hotels and would work his way up to Executive Sous Chef at The Fairmont Vancouver Airport before transferring to Edmonton’s Fairmont Hotel Macdonald as the Executive Chef.

David’s philosophy on cooking is to build a dish around a central technique, incorporating elements to achieve balance while maximizing the potential of each ingredient. It is this approach together with his work ethic which will help him succeed at the 2009 Bocuse d’Or.

Today he juggles his time between his demanding position as an instructor of culinary arts, the equally difficult task of being a new parent and his commitment to the Bocuse d’Or. When he is not working he devotes as much time as he can to his family and cooking for his daughter Sydney. www.fairmont.com