We continue our chat, and Chen lights up when I ask him about his private backyard BBQs, an annual event with everyone begging for an invite. “It wasn’t like we had a plan to do it this way. I just wanted to have an event that everyone in the family could enjoy,” he explains. Now, some of the top chefs in the city come together for a casual cook-off where they get creative and connect as a community. “Some are Michelin chefs, and some are there to seek mentorship. This is a way to bring them all together, learn, try new things, and share knowledge. Everyone comes motivated to bring their best. It’s a nice, positive environment where everyone gets along. It merges everyone from all walks of life who share a love for food and gives them the opportunity to all be in the same room,” he explains of opening up his backyard to his peers.

Mastering mentorship and what’s next

With never enough on his plate, Chef Chen joined a talented co-partner team to launch Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar in Whistler in Aug. 2022, just recognized as the Best New Restaurant in North America by the World Culinary Awards. When I asked why he decided to take on such a robust restaurant project, Chen replied, “It was an opportunity to learn from the best in the industry (Jack Evrenthel), and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentorship. He’s tough, but I needed that. He said to me, ‘Alex, I just want you to remain open-minded, and when I feel frustrated, I always go back to those words: ‘be open-minded’.

Chen has also launched Table One, an intimate dinner series offered monthly at Boulevard, where he gets to unleash his creativity while providing mentorship for upcoming chefs, an important aspect of his work. “I’m taking a young sous chef and parking them right beside me for four days. They see how I plan the menu, order the ingredients, prep the dishes, and they work with me. They get to see everything and get hands-on with everything instead of just hearing me shout orders,” he explains of his mentorship style.

And at home, the mentorship continues. On Sundays, Chen can be found donning his ‘Grillfather’ apron and working around the kitchen alongside his son and daughter, who share his love for cooking. As I listen to his stories of cooking at home with his kids, I’m reminded of his upbringing and how he now walks in the shoes of his mother and aunties, passing on his passion to the next generation.

For Chen, cooking isn’t just about passing on old traditions. “What inspires my cooking is my childhood memories, how I was brought up, who I have worked for, where I have travelled, and where I grew roots. I’m inspired by the terroir of my surroundings–the wild mushrooms of our mountains, the stone fruits found in the Okanagan, and the seafood found in the oceans around us. It’s the combination of all those things that inspire me and shape me as a chef. It can’t just be about cooking from tradition. You’re a stronger chef when you take everything into consideration,” he explains of his ever-changing cooking style.

When I ask if he’s planning to slow down in the coming years, Chen says, “Not taking on new opportunities would kill me. The more I do, the more I go after, the better I become.” He goes on to explain that, for him, true success is not about winning or wealth. “I may never be rich, but I’ll always be happy,” he concludes with a proud grin.