Grand Chefs
A Priviliged Designation Reserved for Few
To earn the culinary rank of 'Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux', is to be recognized as the very best in the world, in your field. In all the world, there are just 160 Grand Chefs, on five continents. Three Michelin-starrred Chef Daniel Boulud is one of the most decorated and highly-recognized Grand Chefs, and Chef Dale MacKay is the youngest.
Today, the iconic Daniel Boulud, and the unassuming, over-achieving MacKay collaborate beautifully in the Lumière kitchen. The young Chef thrives on consultation with Boulud and together, they are creating a new Vancouver standard of fine French Cuisine - extraordinary yet approachable.
In hindsight, MacKay believes that his culinary traning and experience were predestined for Lumière - that all roads led him straight to the abundance of fresh seafood, produce and artisnal ingredients that inspire him daily.
To see Chefs Dale MacKay and Daniel Boulud in conversation and in the Lumière kitchen, view our No Detail Too Small webisode.
Grand Chefs Relais & Chateaux
They are the Grand Chefs. A mere 160 Chefs on five continents have earned the coveted title of Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux. They are the avant-garde of what is recognized as the finest hotel association. Our very own Executive Dale MacKay is the only Grand Chef in Western Canada, one of just five nationwide. Lumière is the first free-standing restaurant (apart from a hotel) in the country to be awarded the Grand Relais & Chateaux designation.
As described by the Relais & Chateaux organization, Grand Chefs are the so-called foodie celebrities in their respective countries, but always they are the first to report for work in their own kitchens. They like both traditional and modernity, and insist on the finest produce from around the world. They can be found in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo and Vancouver, but also in the country at the most exquisite country inn.
Unbridled passion, undying energy, impossible creativity, and obsessive commitment are hallmarks of every Grand Chef. They are the tour-de-force culinary rockstars of select few kitchens around the world.
They are the legendary Chefs. They inspire culinary adventures and purpose-built foodie vacations to the farthest reaches of the globe. Some have worked in culinary dynasties for generations, and others have built them. Grand Chef Daniel Boulud, Lumière's co-proprietor and inspiration, built a restaurant dynasty all his own in the Dinex Group of New York (ten award-winning restaurants and the Feast and Fetes Catering Company). Chef Boulud is but one of a dozen Grand Chefs in the Eastern United Sates, in the company of celebrated Grand Chefs like Charlie Palmer, Jean-Georges Vonerichten, and Thomas Keller. Grand Chef Dale MacKay is proud to be part of that extended dynasty, and at the young age of 2X, he is the youngest Grand Chef in the world.
These Grand Chefs and more -- all are shining examples of their time-honoured craft. All to be emulated by future generations of Chefs.
Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges, Thomas Keller, Charlie Palmer, Michel Troisgros, Michel Roux Jr., Michel and Alain Roux, Jean-Michel Lorain, Georges Blanc, Nadia et Giovanni Santini, Jacques Lameloise, Hélène Darroze, Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, Jean-André Charial, Michel and Sébastien Bras, Régis and Jacques Marcon, Jean-Pierre Vigato, Michel Guérard, Heinz Winkler, Annie Féolde, Tetsuya Wakuda, Kiyomi Mikuni, Philipppe Rochat, Patrick Henriroux, Marc Meneau, Heinz Hanner, Gérald Passédat, Martin Berasategui, Jean-Georges Klein, Michel Rostang, Heinz Reitbauer, Frédéric Anton, Patrick Bertron, Dale MacKay ...
To learn more about Grand Chefs and the Relais & Chateau organization visit their website.
Best Fine Dining in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Building on a tradition of excellence in both cuisine and service, Lumière Restaurant offers both a la carte dining and extensive tasting menus inspired by the wealth of seasonal produce, meats and seafood available in the local market. Lumière has set the standard for fine dining in Vancouver, BC for more than a decade. Gourmand designation, an honour reserved for those who specifically cater to the art of living, quality, refinement and a sense of the exceptional, has been awarded to Lumière. Lumière has been a Relais and Chateau restaurant since 2000, and a AAA Five Diamond Award recipient since 2005. The cozy dining room is the perfect venue for an intimate dinner, a private function or an important business meeting.