I am Canadian chef currently living in Hanoi, Vietnam. During the last decade, I have had the fortunate opportunity of eating and working in kitchens throughout Asia and North America. My travels have allowed me to investigate a variety of cuisines and acquire an array of culinary techniques.

I quickly recognized that in many parts of the world some of the best cooks are not found in professional kitchens. So, I happily search out and work with traditional home cooks to develop a mutual understanding and tutorship in our respective cuisines. I teach them about how to make ‘Western’ food while they provide me with local insight about unfamiliar ingredients and dishes.

These encounters and travels have strongly influenced my cooking style, of bringing world flavors to the table. I prefer to cook globally but source locally. This means that I often have to modify recipes because an ingredient or two may not be easily available (or too expensive) where I am living.

When living in Canada, I cook for the Governor General of Canada where I help highlight Canadian heritage ingredients to create dishes and menus that represent Canada’s varied cultural communities. I have shared Canada’s delicious culinary landscape with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth & the Duke of Edinburgh; the Prince of Wales & the Duchess of Cornwall; the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge; the Emperor & Empress of Japan and many other foreign dignitaries, international business leaders and fellow Canadians.

Presently, I am cooking a series of bi-monthly dinners with the Hanoi Social Club; teaching cooking classes to home cooks and domestics helpers/cooks; and travelling around Southeast Asia (primarily Vietnam) in search of cooks and producers who are focused on preserving and enriching their local culinary ingredients and traditions.