For the love of Food

Let me introduce myself. My name is Jefferson Alvarez, or Chef Jeff to those who know me, I am a professional Chef located in Vancouver, BC. I moved to Canada from Venezuela in 1996 on my own as an angsty teenager looking for a better life. I ended up in Toronto, Ontario and was regularly in trouble and kicked out of multiple high schools. After the 5th high school kicked me out, I was sent to Adult Education to complete high school (if it isn’t obvious I did not like school). During this time, I started working in a night club where they asked me to sell Empanadas.

I come from a family that didn’t have much, we all enjoyed cooking and my ability to cook came more from necessity than from working toward the goal of Chef. I grew up watching my mother making very good food from almost nothing. As a result, in awe of what my mother could do, both my sister and I became Chefs. As the only boy in the house I could get away with anything. I would get into trouble and my mother and sister would just say ‘he’s just a kid’. So it was no surprise when I moved to Canada that I would get into trouble expecting no consequence.

So, back at the night club in Toronto, I began selling Empanadas and discovered I could cook for a job. I applied to go to Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, this lasted 6 months before the school structure became too boring. The instructor had told me that I would learn best working in a good kitchen. With that advice, I returned to Toronto. I found a job at the restaurant Canoe under Chef Anthony Walsh, this was a fine dining restaurant that really opened my mind to what could be done with food. I learned so much while there and was drawn in by the creativity and uniqueness of the food and experience that was being made. I knew at this time I wanted to be a chef (at least this way if I became a great Chef I’d never have to go back to school. This choice is not for everyone, stay in school kids! I am a proud father of a great young man who did stay in school).

After this, I chose to travel the world to learn about the food and cooking from first hand experience. I traveled for many years before I made a home in Vancouver in 2010. This was during the Winter Olympics and there were a lot of jobs. I landed a great job at a place called Divino as Chef, where we made European inspired foods. I fondly remember that the restaurant had an electric household stove (not a restaurant stove), the restaurant would get so busy that the breaker would go. No problem right? Except the breaker box, well, it was in the ladies washroom. This still makes me laugh.

In 2016, I partnered with the wonderful Marcela and we together owned Cacao in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. Cacao was the first of it’s kind in Vancouver, a true Latin American Restaurant. Hailed as innovative and inspiring. We took the entire team to Peru to teach South American culture using first hand experience (the way that I learned). The restaurant became the most important part of my life and all-consuming until unforeseen circumstances that forced us to close our doors. We were well received, had fantastic reviews and maintain customers to this day that follow our careers.

So after 10 years in the city, stuck in the kitchen without experiencing much of the talent and offers of this great city, I decided to enjoy Vancouver, the food and experiences. I have chosen to do this blog to share my experiences with you. I hope to inspire those of you who read this to go out and enjoy the great experiences and the hard work of our industry in Vancouver as I do (and also some great places along my travels). Get out there and enjoy what Vancouver has to offer.