b'CHEF PROFILEA WINDING PATH And so, Nguyen picked an architectureWorking in the gastropubs kitchen Nguyen has always had a passion for food.school in London, England as their firstproved an easy and enjoyable fit for When it came time to hone in on a career,post-secondary pursuit. They remained inNguyen. It wasnt long before their however, they originally chose a morethe program for three years before optingpassion and skill for the role earned them structured path. to pursue a degree in graphic designthe respect of co-workers and a role as It was always between architectureinstead. It was while supplementing theirsous chef.and food, but I couldnt do both becausefreelance income with a job at a LondonSometime later, Nguyen had the theyre both full-time courses, Nguyengastropub that Nguyen got a taste for theopportunity to move to Victoria, B.C. recalls. Being from an Asian household,restaurant industry. with a partner. Here, they worked at it was like everyone owns a ChineseRocky Mountain Chocolate Factory before restaurant or works in the industry, butThe chef was looking for a cook, andmoving once again to Toronto, Ont. my parents didnt want me to have thatI was like, Can I have a try in the kitchen?and finding work with Cafe Belong at lifestyle; they wanted me to go to school,If it doesnt work, you can hire someoneEvergreen Brick Works.get a good degree and then go work a jobelse. He agreed and we ended up gettingThat was where I learned how to do where I can make like a lot of money. along really well, Nguyen recalls. everything from scratch, Nguyen recalls. Issue 22022 | QBiz CANADA |15'