Beginning his career in High school, Chef Ivan Ng knew his path was in cooking from early on. A graduate of NAIT, Ng joined team Alberta and team Canada, participating in culinary competitions throughout the globe, “It was so self-fulfilling. It just reflected – this is what I was born to do. It gave me that push to get to where I am today,” recounts Ng.
The young chef was soon recruited for a position with Thomas Henkelmann in Greenwich Connecticut. It was a job that though difficult, pushed the chef to “a level I’d never been before. That’s what gave me my stamina and taught me a lot.” Since 2008 Ng has been at the helm of Holts Café in Edmonton as executive chef, collaborating with Holt Renfrew’s head chef Corbin Tomaszeski.
The self-described fashion obsessed Ng feels at home at the restaurant. “I have a guilty pleasure — fashion. Finding the job at Holts was a dream come true. I love infusing trends in fashion into my food. For example, I took the Holt Renfrew logo and piped it with chocolate and plated with that,” Ng explains.
Believing profoundly in simple yet bold flavours and approachable plates of food, Ng serves well-proportioned dishes and bright cuisine.
This is an excerpt of an original article. For more on Chef Ivan Ng see the Summer 2010 issue of City Style and Living Magazine.
