Celebrity chefs have a special place in Canadian popular culture. Canadians love food, and have produced some of the finest chefs in the world.
Rob Feenie is a Vancouver-based Canadian celebrity chef that has made his mark on the international cooking scene through the Food Network show Iron Chef. Based in Vancouver, Feenie is also a food architect, author, and restauranteur.
At Superprof, we understand that relating with, reading about, and learning from great people, can change lives and make you great. If you live in Canada and hope to become a top chef someday, then you may want to read all there is to know about Rob Feenie!
Read about the achievements of other popular Canadian chefs.
What Was Rob Feenie's Early Life and Career Like?
Rob Feenie was born on March 4, 1965 in Burnaby, British Columbia. His family are Irish, and his mother's family influenced him to start cooking. Growing up, Feenie also had Japanese neighbours from Osaka. He spent time eating with them and watching them make traditional Japanese dinners. This fueled his interest in international cuisine.
Like many Canadian kids, he dreamed of becoming a hockey player and is an avid Canucks fan. However, this dream changed as he discovered his passion for cooking!
Feenie attended high school at Burnaby Central, where he found joy in cooking while participating in a rotary exchange program in Sweden. He traveled throughout Europe during this time - an experience that would forever intensify his love for cooking.
Compare the achievements of Rob Feenie and Sarah Kramer.
High-quality Olive Oil, Salts (Himalayan, Fleur de Sel, Hawaiian), Mushrooms & Tomatoes
Feenie's Early Days as a Chef
Once Feenie graduated from high school, he attended the Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver, now known as the Art Institute of Vancouver. He began his career as a chef after graduation at notable restaurants in Western Canada, such as the Rim Rock in Whistler.
Feenie also gained valuable experience working at restaurants Le Crocodile and Cherry Stone Cove in Vancouver, two of the most famous restaurants in Western Canada. He continued his culinary research in France and the United States, making it his personal goal to be the best in the business.
In his travels as a professional chef in Europe, Feenie worked and trained with notable chefs. He worked with Emile Jung at Au Crocodile, three-star Michelin restaurant in Alsace. He also trained with Antoine Westermann at Buerehiesel, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud in New York, and Charlie Trotter in Chicago.
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Feenie's First Restaurant Openings
Feenie made big waves in the fine dining industry in 1995 at just 29 years old with the opening of Lumière in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver. Founded with Ken Wai, the restaurant became one of the most highly rated restaurants.
While under Feenie, Lumière was awarded the Best Restaurant in Vancouver and Best French Restaurant for six years.
By November 2000, Lumière had become the first independent restaurant in Canada to be awarded the Relais Gourmand designation. In 2003, Lumière was also awarded the Traditions by Qualitè and was the first in Canada to be awarded such.
Lumière gained recognition from the Mobil Travel Guide with four stars and eventually received the AAA Five Diamond Award. In 2003, Chef Feenie opened the Lumière Tasting Bar, and it was awarded the best new restaurant surpassing other Canadian restaurants.
During summer that same year, chef Feenie also opened a casual Canadian Bistro named Feenie's.
Feenie co-owned and worked as executive chef in both restaurants. In 2007, he separated from his business partners in an unfortunate spat and left both restaurants for good.
Iron Chef Victory
In the midst of owning two of the hottest restaurants in Canada, Feenie achieved chef celebrity status on the popular show, Iron Chef, in 2005. He was the first Canadian to win Iron Chef, beating Chef Masaharu Morimoto. In 2018, he would become an Iron Chef himself.
Following his Iron Chef win, Feenie continued building his reputation through Food Network television appearances, including:
- Top Chef Canada (2011, 2018)
- Iron Chef Canada (2018-present)
- Wall of Chefs (2020)
Partnership with Cactus Restaurants
Feenie joined the team of popular food chain Cactus Club Cafe as Executive Chef. The shift from fine dining to an accessible, casual restaurant chain surprised many who had long associated him with upscale options.
However, Feenie's move was far from a step backward - it was a perfect opportunity, in his view, to bring high quality food to a wider audience. The Butternut Squash Ravioli with Prawns and Feenie Burger are two signature dishes you can order from their menu.
Feenie continues his role as a consultant at Cactus Club Cafe, working as a "Food Concept Architect".
Which Cookbooks did Rob Feenie Write?
Feenie is also the writer of multiple cookbooks. Let's take a closer look at each of his titles.
Lumière Light
In this cookbook, Feenie shares recipes for impeccable cocktails and dishes that combine French and Asian cuisines with fresh North American ingredients. Inspired by his award winning restaurant, this cookbook contains 90 favourite recipes for the home chef.
Feenie's: Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Feenie's is a cookbook that includes more than 90 recipes from his famous bistro. The book contains coloured photos to inspire and tantalize any food enthusiast.
Rob Feenie's Casual Classics
Unlike Feenie's other cookbooks, this one focuses on recipes you might cook with your families and friends. Duck spring rolls, poached chicken, and roasted tomato sauce are just a few delicious classics you will find.
What are Rob Feenie's Current Projects?
In addition to his ongoing work with Food Network and Cactus Club, Rob Feenie has stated that he wants to return to his roots of cooking in a restaurant, and has taken over Le Crocodile - the restaurant where he had his start years ago.
The menu of Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie blends classic French cooking with West coast flair. He has brought together a team of remarkable chefs and experienced staff to run the front of house operations.
'I used to tell my young cooks all the time, the moment you lose your passion or your interest in this career, get out — there’s no sense in doing it anymore.’
Rob Feenie
Final Thoughts
Chef Rob Feenie is popularly celebrated for his outstanding cooking skills. His ability to combine Asian simplicity, French food sophistication, and the finest North American ingredients to create magic is admirable.
His culinary prowess, skills, and knowledge have been reflected in his achievements over and over again. He has succeeded as a chef and a chef consultant, food architect, restaurateur, and author.
Whether you intend to become a celebrity chef or you want to improve your culinary skills for personal use and reasons, you can always find a suitable tutor on Superprof. The first step to becoming as great and good as Chef Rob Feenie is interest, determination, and hard work.
With the right amount of interest and love for food and cooking, learning how to engage your creative side to please the taste buds will be easier. If Rob Feenie got this far; you can too!
Do you also know about Lynn Crawford? Read about her journey as a chef here.
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