EXECUTIVE CHEF DAVID WONG
David Wong was raised in Nanaimo, British Columbia where his love of cooking began. Food is central to many Asian families and his was no exception. Being involved in preparing traditional foods helped nurture this passion early on.
After completing his Bachelor of Social Work Degree, he and wife Danielle went traveling. It was the food of Europe that inspired him to change his direction in life and pursue a career in cooking.
Wong attended the Food and Beverage Management program at Vancouver Community College and the Culinary Arts program at Malaspina College. Under the tutelage of Culinary Olympians he entered his first Salon and won Gold. Other competitions would follow including Gold in both the Provincial and National Apprentice Competitions. In 2006 he joined Culinary Team Canada in Basil, Switzerland where they went on to win Gold. The same year in Gatineau, Quebec, Wong earned the right to represent Canada in the Bocuse d’Or beating out several competitors across Canada.
He began his apprenticeship at the Creek restaurant under the 1999 Canadian Bocuse d’Or competitor, Chef Robert Allen Sulatycky. To complete his apprenticeship he went to work for Chef Morgan Wilson, 2005 Canadian Bocuse d’Or competitor, at the Delta Pinnacle hotel. He progressed to Executive Sous Chef at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport then to Executive Chef at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton, Alberta.
From there, Wong went to the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver as Lead Chef Instructor. “Being an Instructor was a great experience – one which I will look back on fondly”.
Having recently returned from the 2009 Bocuse d’Or, where he represented Canada and finished 9th in the world, Wong is preparing to return to his Fairmont family as Executive Chef of Vancouver’s Fairmont Pacific Rim, which will open in January 2010. In addition to Oru, the hotel’s fine dining Asian bistro, Wong will also oversee the culinary operations for the lobby lounge, deli/bakery, and 15,000 square feet of banquet space.
“I am so excited to be joining the Fairmont Pacific Rim team,” states an enthused Wong. “We are going to be a destination dining location which will truly be unique in Vancouver. Asian Brasserie food speaks to people on the West Coast. Our cuisine will have authentic flavour profiles, prepared with progressive techniques and presented uniquely with modern flair.”
• Bocuse d’Or Canada Representative – finished 9th in the world 2009 – Canadian Team to Win Best Commis Award to Grace Pineda
• Fairmont Hotels and Resort’s Company Leader of the Year 2006
• Fairmont Hotel and Resort’s Service Plus Leader of the Year 2005
• Gold medal Culinary Team Canada in Basil, Switzerland with 2005
• Gold medal Canadian Qualification for the Bocuse d’Or held in Lyon, France
• Gold medal in Vancouver Culinary Salon 2004
• Fairmont Hotels and Resort’s Service Plus Star of the Month 2003
• Gold medal in CFCC’s Knorr Canadian National Apprentice of the Year 2001
• Gold medal in Provincial Apprentice competition 2001
• Silver medal in Karl Schier Vancouver Apprentice competition 2001
• Gold medal Vancouver Culinary Salon 2001
• Gold medal Victoria Culinary Salon 1998