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Executive
Chef Robert Clark
C
Restaurant, Raincity Grill and Nu Restaurant, Vancouver,
BC
Chef
Participant: Cooking for
Solutions Conference 2006
"The
integrity of a product is the foundation on which a chef
will build his reputation."
Robert Clark's belief in food is pure and simple: "As
chefs, our job is not only about serving great tasting
food, but encouraging our staff and our guests to learn
how to get sustainably produced food to the table."
Only quality, sustainable products from earth and sea
are used as the building blocks of his cuisine. His philosophy
has been embraced by the brigade at C Restaurant: from
owner Harry Kambolis and general manager Leonard Nakonechny,
to the cooks and servers who share it with their guests.
Clark began his career training at George Brown College
in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating in 1982, Robert
spent ten years training in some of Toronto's finest kitchens:
the King Edward Hotel, The Founders Club at the SkyDome,
and the legendary Three Small Rooms at The Windsor Arms
Hotel. During his early career, he apprenticed under and
worked with some of Canada's "top toques": Jamie
Kennedy, John Higgins, and Michael Bonacini to name a
few. In the early nineties, after an eighteen month working
and tasting journey through Southeast Asia and Australia,
Clark and his wife decided to relocate to Vancouver. In
1992, with owners Adam Busby and Sam Lalji, Clark helped
open Star Anise to critical acclaim. It remains the only
restaurant to ever win the Vancouver Magazine awards for
"restaurant of the year" and "best new
restaurant" in the same year.
Harry Kambolis opened C Restaurant in 1997, but not before
luring Clark back from another restaurant in the United
States to join his team as Chef de Cuisine. Within one
year, Clark was promoted to the position of Executive
Chef. Since then, Clark's leadership at the helm has propelled
C to become one of the prime dining destinations in North
America. C's distinctive cuisine and wine lists have garnered
innumerable awards, and won raves from critics across
the continent.
Ever cognizant of the delicate web of quality, sustainability
and market demand that surrounds the seafood industry,
Clark is a firm believer that, as a chef, he has to be
conscience about the food choices he makes. More significantly,
he embraces a responsibility to inspire change within
the industry he has devoted his life to.
To that end, Clark was honoured at the 2006 Monterey Bay
Aquarium's Cooking for Solutions weekend May 20th as the
years Canadian Seafood ambassador and recognized for his
outstanding dedication to working with sustainably harvested
seafoods. He was also the first and only chef to have
been honoured by the BC Seafood Sensations and the BC
Salmon Marketing Board with the SUPPORTER OF INNOVATION
AWARD (2002).He continues to dedicate his energy and curiosity
to seeking out local ingredients that are the best in
quality and sustainable in supply. He also regularly contributes
his time, in tandem with Kambolis, to being a culinary
ambassador: promoting British Columbia as a burgeoning
seafood and agri-food producing region, and Vancouver
as a world-class restaurant destination.
Clark also participates in exchange programs where he
can promote local products and share his philosophies.
He has traveled through Europe, China, and the United
States, exchanging concepts, learning from others, and
bringing back new ideas to enhance his ever-evolving menus
at C.
Restaurant
C Restaurant (Fresh regional,
seafood)
- Chef Robert Clark
2-1600 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2L9, Canada
(604) 681-1164
(604) 605-8263
www.crestaurant.com
Chef's
Recipes:
Beer
Battered Oysters / Granville Island
Boiled
Nova Scotia Lobster & Grilled Foie Gras Sandwich,
Spring Greens, Truffle and Port Reduction
Smoked
Sea Salt Crusted Roasted Flat Iron Steak, Wilted Watercress,
Brie, and Tomato Salad
"Smoked
C Salt" Crusted Baked Pacific Halibut with Preserved
Sungold Tomatoes, Baby Watercress, Apple and Hazelnut
Salad
Other
Great Related Links:
Sustainable
Chef, Robert Clark
Cooking
for Solutions
Healthy
Choices, Healthy Oceans Cooking for Solutions
and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch
Programs are empowering seafood consumers and
businesses to make choices for healthy oceans.
To learn more, visit www.seafoodwatch.org.
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