Women in BC talk success: Carol Chow | AsianPacificPost.com | Chinese newspaper, Filipino newspaper, Philippines newspaper, Philippine newspaper and media publ

Executive Chef, Hart House on Deer Lake

Chef at Bishops Restaurant, Fourth Avenue, Vancouver
Member of “Exclusively BC” and Les Dames D’Escoffier.
Member of the winning team, Canada a la Carte Competition.
Featured on Ben Wick Cook Show as well as many charity events

Carol Chow: "It is really important to have a mentor."

Whoever said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen is… not far from the truth! - especially when it comes to Carol Chow.

Carol rightfully takes her place in the kitchens of Hart House restaurant, Deer Lake as Executive Chef, making her presence felt in what is strangely a male populated world of the great big steaming kitchens outside the home. She says, “I love food so much that doing my job, for the most part, is enjoyable in itself!”

Carol switched tracks early in her university life to pursue her passion for fine food. She recalls, “After graduating high school I started taking some business courses at the UBC to enter into the CGA program. After almost two years I decided that that was not the correct career choice for me.”

Good thing for us food fads, Carol followed her heart, or more precisely, her nose. Upon graduation from the Dubruille Culinary Institute in 1987 she took on her first posting at Umberto's Settebello Restaurant on Robson Street with Chef Peter Iascu.

10 years from now...	I hope to still be involved in the industry, perhaps on a different level.
I love (to)...	walk my dog and just take it easy
I dislike...	people who fake allergies to avoid saying they don't like a certain food!
Favourite haunt...	it depends what I'm craving (food that is!)
Favourite possession...	my Japanese mandolin. Also my dog Dusty!
I wish for Canada...	we continue making great progress we are being known for our restaurants.

This was followed by two years as Chef with John Bishop at his restaurant on Fourth Ave. According to Carol, this was the clinching moment of her career: “I believe it was really John Bishop who was my so-called mentor,” says Carol, stressing the importance of such a figure in one’s career. “I believe it was the experience there that set me on the road to success. John Bishop taught me a great deal about food and service.”

It was then after a ten year stint with Janet McGuire and her Beach Side Cafe in West Vancouver that Carol was offered this coveted position as Executive Chef of Hart House Restaurant in Burnaby. The 90 seat restaurant in a heritage house on two and a half acres on Deer Lake has banquet facilities for 200.

Carol fills us in on what makes her job by the fires so hot: “I love the different seasons and the variety of tastes and experiences that each day brings. It is also the instant appreciation of satisfied diners that gratifies me and keeps me going!”

As for cooking at home, “It’s the simplest of dishes for myself” says Carol who lives by herself and her beloved dog Dusty, “but I like to cook well for my guests!”

Her advice: “You must have a solid commitment and passion for catering, as it does not come with money or glory initially and the hours are long and hard.”

Comments

Add New

Sun, 02/28/2010 - 20:33 — Anonymous

~.~

Yet fake watches the social fake watches safety replica watch net is replica watch already replica watches showing replica watches severe replica strains relying replica on watches public watches assistance breitling watch for the breitling watch first breitling watches time in breitling watches their breitling lives — breitling potentially cartier watch for years cartier watch to come. Roughly cartier watches 2.7 million cartier watches jobless cartier people cartier will lose omega watch their omega watch unemployment omega watches check before omega watches the omega end of omega April rolex watch unless rolex watch Congress rolex watches approves rolex watches the rolex Obama rolex administration’s tag heuer watch proposal tag heuer watch to tag heuer watches extend the tag heuer watches payments, tag heuer according tag heuer to TISSOT the Labor TISSOT Department.TISSOT Watch here TISSOT Watch in TISSOT Watches Southern TISSOT Watches California.

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 00:23 — Anonymous

watch

For 2009, you've got to have something studded, it's huge right now, omega replica watches and the addition of metal studs to everything from leather to denim adds a rocker-chick edge with a little hint of 80's flair, replica omegadefinitely on trend! Put studs on cowboy boots, and you will be hitting two omega watches trends at once.