Vancouver is widely celebrated as a global food paradise - it is often hailed as the world's leading destination for Cantonese cuisine. This reputation is upheld by top chefs and discerning gourmands based in the city.
Vancouver Community College, Western Canada's largest culinary school, has played a crucial role in training the generations of talent now leading kitchens across Vancouver. Its Asian Culinary Arts program is the sole professional program of its kind in North America that enrolls full-time students.
A program evolving with Vancouver's diversity
Sonny Ho, Asian Culinary Arts Department Leader, explains the program's origins: "Fifty years ago, when a large number of Chinese immigrants began arriving in Canada, VCC responded to local demand by hiring Chef Conrad Leung from Hong Kong to establish this unique program. For decades, Chinese cuisine was the primary focus. However, as Asian immigration increased, we incorporated diverse cuisines such as Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisine into the curriculum."
"Today, restaurants across Vancouver are struggling to fill roles requiring specialized Asian culinary skills as many of the city's long-standing chefs approach retirement. This makes the program's role in cultivating the next generation of Asian culinary professionals more important than ever."
For the September 2026 intake, VCC will take its next step in the evolution of this program by increasing the course length from five to eight months. It is also establishing a new program format that allows students to focus on one country's cuisine at a time, so they can further refine their Asian cuisine skills. Crucially, the curriculum will be closely integrated with industry-leading restaurants across the Greater Vancouver area, providing students with essential hands-on experience.
Training for real-world kitchens
Sonny emphasizes that VCC's culinary curriculum is exceptionally practical and specifically designed to train professional chefs. "The kitchen we teach in is fully equipped with commercial-grade equipment not a small, private kitchen setting. Imagine the vast difference between preparing a dish for two versus 20 people, or even 100 people. Chefs must prepare large quantities of ingredients, master the heat in large woks, and ensure consistent quality throughout their whole shift. As well as being physically demanding, this requires ingenuity to deliver outstanding results in a fast-paced work environment."
To simulate the pressure of a real restaurant and bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace, VCC's Asian Culinary Arts department provides lunch to the public via a dedicated Asian food counter in VCC's onsite Downtown Campus cafeteria. This immersive, real-life training helps prepare students for entering the industry.
Sonny's journey to Asian Culinary Arts
Sonny Ho's own journey perfectly exemplifies passion and hard work. He originally studied for an Electrical Engineering Diploma. Like many students, he took on an extra job working in a restaurant during his studies.
After securing his diploma, Sonny spent over a decade working in the technology manufacturing industry. However, he missed the creativity and variability of working in restaurants. He decided to study cooking at VCC alongside his existing job to explore his passion for food. Eventually, he left the tech industry to pursue cooking full-time, working in local restaurants. After being exposed to both Chinese and Western cuisine, he made a name for himself in the industry and had the opportunity to return to VCC to teach.
"Manufacturing and cooking are similar," he observes. "Technology involves combining many materials or parts, while cooking blends different ingredients and seasonings. Both processes require creativity, ingenuity, and precision."
A ornerstone of Vancouver's culinary scene
Over 50 years, the VCC Asian Culinary Arts program has become a cornerstone of Vancouver's culinary landscape, training countless talented individuals. Many graduates are now well-known chefs or restaurant owners, making significant contributions to the industry.
Students also excel in international culinary competitions. For example, in 2023, students won a gold medal at the World Master Chefs Competition for Cantonese Cuisine in Malaysia. Last year, another group of students won a silver medal at the 2024 World Championships of Cooking in Taipei. This November, VCC students will also compete in Macau.
Sonny explains that this unique program provides more than a career path; it allows people to pursue their dreams. "Our students range in age from 18 to 80, each pursuing different goals. Some are complete novices, some are professional chefs looking to reach new heights, and others simply want to reconnect with the flavours of their parents' generation."
Culture, business, and localization
VCC's courses go beyond simply teaching cooking techniques; they also provide cultural immersion and impart business philosophy. "Food is culture, and every region has its own unique culinary characteristics," Sonny notes. "Even Chinese cuisine develops its own unique local flavour in Vancouver or North America."
Sonny cites ginger beef' as a signature example of North American Chinese cuisine. It was invented in the 1970s by Chef George Wong in Calgary, Alberta, who adapted traditional Chinese stir-fried beef to North American tastes, and it quickly became a hit. "Localization is crucial because, ultimately, the students we train hope to enter the local workforce."
When redesigning the program, Sonny's key priorities are to ensure students gain hands-on experience in both traditional and modern methods of cooking, as well as in-depth knowledge about the food from the different countries studied during the course.
For example, students learn how to prepare complex dishes such as Asian barbecue, stir-fry, and dim sum. They also study the history and principles of various Asian cuisines while developing essential skills such as knife handling, seasoning, and preparing meat, poultry, and seafood.
Anyone interested in cooking, regardless of age or background, is welcome to join the VCC Asian Culinary Arts program and pursue their culinary dreams.
For more information, sign up here or register for one of our info sessions.
This interview was originally published in Sing Tao Daily, following its interview with Sonny Ho about VCC's Asian Culinary Arts program.
