Crossing cultures with VCC culinary arts student Kalvin Frid
When VCC Culinary Arts student Kalvin Frid won the best Italian risotto competition hosted at the Downtown campus JJ’s Restaurant in November 2022, little did he know that his prize included a $20,000 scholarship to attend ALMA’s Italian Culinary program for six months.
November is Apprentice Recognition Month in B.C., and for those considering a career in culinary arts, Kalvin shares his experience working with some of the best in the trade.
According to the Government of British Columbia, cook, chef, and hospitality grads will be highly sought after in the coming years for their skills and knowledge in preparing nutritious meals to ensure public safety in areas such as health care, tourism, and early childhood and K-12 education. The demand for skilled workers in culinary arts and hospitality will continue to climb in the province, as Vancouver becomes one of the premier cities to host international events such as the Grey Cup, and the FIFA World Cup.
The Culinary Arts diploma is one of the programs at VCC eligible for the post-graduate work permit for international students looking to study in B.C.
You just returned from your internship with ALMA in Italy earlier this year. What was that experience like and what would you say to any student looking to study abroad or do an international exchange?
It was an incredible experience meeting people from all around the world and seeing different points of view from my classmates and instructors. The chefs at ALMA are extremely skilled and passionate at what they do. I’ve been exposed to so many different techniques and what’s surprising about Italian cuisine is you let the ingredients speak for themselves. Everything in Italy is grown and produced with care, so the quality of the ingredients is what carries the dish.
If you’re considering going abroad, I’d say take the chance. Being able to go across the world to see and learn new things is a rewarding experience. Be sure to do your research beforehand, and learn as much as you can about the culture and about the language.
During your time there, you had the opportunity to intern at LeCalandre, 2022 Michelin-starred restaurant. Congrats! What does a day in the life look like there?
Thank you! This would not have been possible without the tremendous support from VCC and ALMA, my family, the students I met there, and the support team, so I’m incredibly grateful.
It was the first Michelin-star restaurant I ever worked at, and I was intimidated to be honest. The hours are long, but in those long hours, you’re learning a lot; there’s a lot going on in the kitchens in that amount of time. As long as you prioritize rest and recovery, you’ll be fine. The master chefs and the people who worked at the restaurant were very dedicated and passionate, so there would be constantly something new for me to learn from them.
You’re no stranger to competitions either! What was your thought process during the risotto competition that led you to this internship?
Stay calm. During competitions like these, you’re under pressure and you will be challenged for time. But one thing I took away from the experience is to keep your station clean. It’s probably the most important thing when you’re working in a restaurant.
I also competed in Skills Canada 2023 and learned a lot about competition etiquette, especially from Chef Tobias who was a great mentor to me. For Skills, where we’re often facing the same challenges, working with our classmates helps with bouncing ideas off each other to overcome hurdles and obstacles that we wouldn’t be able to think of alone.
What’s next for you? What do you want to learn next and where do you see yourself in a few years?
The next step for me is to move on to Professional Cook 3 and the Red Seal. One cooking technique I’m fascinated by and would love to master one day would be sauce making. The classical French sauce in particular is very finicky, there’s a lot of steps in the process that could go wrong, but there’s also lots of places where it could go right before creating the final product. It needs to be balanced with the right levels of acidity and sweetness, but it’s also a very integral part of a dish. There’s still a lot for me to learn.
In the meantime, I plan to work and gain experience working in downtown Vancouver to learn and grow as a chef. Hopefully also work in a Michelin star restaurant some day.
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