PICA

I am very grateful to have been able to study in PICA.  For the first time in my life I was actually able to not do something that I knew I had to do and instead pursue for something that I actually enjoy and have always wanted to do.  The beginning was a really tough road, since I was the one who came into the program with the least experience; in fact I had almost no experience to start with whatsoever.  But thankfully the classmates were extremely helpful and kind and they guided me through the rough ride.  I really enjoy the time that we had during basic kitchen training, whether it made be the different petty and funny mistakes and screwups that we encountered and tried to conceal, or the many inside jokes that we picked up along the way (ie bouquet garni and Dave Chapelle).  I really like working with the crew throughout training, each week's rotation gave me a totally different experience working with a new partner and it was certainly helpful in getting to know and learn from them. 

The restaurant training was also quite a thrill, although it does not exactly simulate a well functional kitchen in the real world.  We had so much fun during lectures and during the prep times.  Some days it could be a war during service, especially if you are at the appy section (Johnny would know what I mean).  But overall it was such a nice group that we blaze through the day usually with very good feedbacks.  Thank you so much for such a great experience: Johnny, Dong, Rey, Brand, Amanda, Kim, Olivia, Suyin, Paul, Anthony, and Jardy.

Johnny Chiu

Johnny is a very clearminded person. He usually knows what he wants to do and sets out to do it eventually. He is also pretty talktaive most of the time; he can just come up with different topics to talk to, from school to gaming to his different stories about his family. Maybe sometimes he just needs to stop talking haha. He is also a very diligent worker who can get things done, although sometimes working overtime to get them done. It's nice to partner up with Johnny because you can count on him to work his ass off until the job is done. He is actually quite demanding on his work too, he would do everything he could to ensure quality of his product and reattempt all over again if failed. He is willing to take on criticisms and then improves his weaknesses quickly.

Johnny is lucky, in a sense that he has every resources available at his disposal to achieve his goals. So I wish him best of luck and maybe when he comes back from SF he'll be a very talented chef.

Justin Dong

I really admire Justin for his courage to take on challenges and then accomplishing them. It is definitely courageous to withdraw from a stable life in China and then immigrate to Cananda, then take on a totally different career path from scratch. He always had problem catching up in class due to the language barrier, but he worked really hard to keep up with the group and I believe that he was the one who had improved the most since day 1. He is always so humble that he is willing to do everything necessary to learn and maintain the kitchen's efficiency. He is always so cheerful that you've never seen him sad or mad anytime. Although I often have trouble communicating with Justin, I really enjoy having the chance to get to know him more and immerse by his cheerful character.

Brandon Knapp

Brandon is the class jester of our class. He would always come up with different funny stunts and jokes that will cheer up the group, as long as he didn't take his ADD pills that day. He is always so vivacious and outspoken that it really alleviates the tension within the class. The time we spend drinking after class was great and we got to relax and charge up for the next day. Knapp has a unique character of his own and it is definitely a pleasure to have work along side with him.

Paul Nguyen

Paul is probably the most normal person in the entire class. He can be cheerful, but not to the point like Brandon; he can be pissed, but not to the point like Suyin. Paul's a pretty efficient and talented chef too. He will usually get the job done in the alloted time and he'll be able to complete the new task as asked almsot every time. He's also a very good person to talk to. I really enjoy the time just hanging out during breaks and after class and consult problems or simply just chatting with him. He will analyze the problem and give you a very positive take on things.

I am thankful to have known Paul and he is quite an inspiring character to know about.

Chef Warren Dean

Just base on his first impression, Chef Warren looks nothing like the gentle and humorous person that he really is. His serious facial expressions just makes you think that he is like one of those mean chefs that you see on TV. But he is for sure one of the coolest chefs that you'll ever meet. He is like a father figure in the kitchen, looking after everyone and making sure that they are comfortable with their roles and maintaining a relaxed yet motivated atmosphere in the kitchen. I especially like the times when he'll go on mutter some random jokes and gels everyone together into one unit. But as much as a hearty person that Chef Warren is, he can be really mad when he's pissed. I certainly wouldn't want to be the one who step on his toes (although I already had and it wasn't pretty). But overall he is very great teacher to learn from, and the little tricks and recovery techniques that he taught us are very worthwhile.

I have just realized that Chef Warren took on a new path and took up a new job as a head chef for a restaurant in Chilliwack. This must be a very interesting exprience for him and I wish him best of luck in his new job.

Chef Patrice Suhner

I never really like Chef Patrice at the beginning. He is always so demanding and harsh to all of us, especially the guys. I still remember the way how he'll keep yelling at me for some really petty mistakes and the way that he yells at you really makes you mad. But gradually as I get to know him more I realize that he is a very cool chef to have learned from. The techniques that he passed on to us are invaluable and it really help us a great way. Patrice actually has his humorous side and it happens so out of the blue that it livens up the classroom. His stories about his past experiences were very facinating, especially the ones about working in Paris and having to go to the market early everyday. I really hope that I had learned more from Patrice before we moved on.