Whistler’s Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar has a new accolade, with Neil Henderson, restaurant director, and chef and partner, Alex Chen, set to be inducted into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame.
The ceremony takes place Oct. 21 in Vancouver at the Italian Cultural Centre, and Henderson and Chen will be inducted under the “Local Champion” category. The category awards movers and shakers that support local B.C. food and beverage in their careers, focusing on establishments creating a special experience for customers through relationships forged with farmers, the ingredients selected and the pride obtained through creating incredible food.
The BC Restaurant Hall of Fame’s website notes the industry event “is a celebration of the people and the restaurants that make our industry world-class.”
Going strong since 2004, the event is the only one of its kind in Canada.
Henderson said some of the reasons they match the category include hiring local employees and ensuring staff are housed, alongside giving them amenities and benefits, which sets Wild Blue apart from other resort establishments.
“It was our wish to do something a bit different and do something with integrity and intent,” he said of the culinary and service sides of their establishment.
Henderson said he was “humbled and very proud” for the induction, which was made possible thanks to his mentors, colleagues, and his family’s constant support and encouragement.
For Chen, becoming an award-winning restaurant is about the intention and authenticity each team member brings to the table.
“A successful restaurant is a byproduct of all the things that we do,” he said. “We don’t just open this restaurant to say we want to be an award-winning restaurant.”
To get there, they showcase elevated Pacific Northwest cuisine that tells a story, incorporating as much local, seasonal produce as possible, providing fresh seafood from the Pacific Ocean and purchasing fruits from the Okanagan.
“Is it perfect? No, it’s not perfect,” Chen admitted. “But it’s constantly [being] willing to adjust, to try to continue to say, ‘how do we make it smoother? How do we make it better? How do we invest in new product? How do we invest in new space upstairs? How do we continue to improve?’”
Already an award-winning chef in his own right, Chen was the first winner of Iron Chef Canada. He makes a point to mentor new chefs on their career journey.
Chen highlighted the importance of recognizing potential in new cooks alongside grit, a trait he believes people are born with that ensures they rise to the challenges life dishes up.
“You can mould them, you can train them, but … [they] have to go through things in life that sort of like give them the little, ‘I will not give up, I’ll get there,’” he said.
He infuses his mentees with a sense of pride as ambassadors for the industry and seeks to change negative connotations about who a chef is.
“My role is not only that I am a chef and the restaurateur, but I’m an ambassador for this industry,” Chen said.
While Wild Blue is indeed an upscale haunt, its demographics are broad thanks to off-season offerings, whereas winter and high summer see more international guests.
The restaurant’s famed long table dinner series is back again this year on July 7 and August 18, with tables set at Whistler Golf Club’s scenic driving range. The menu for July 7 is available now, offering a champagne and canape reception, a four-course dinner and wine pairings for $259 plus tax and gratuity.
A portion of proceeds from the soiree is earmarked for local farmers and environmental initiatives.
“The entire menu is all from the bounty of British Columbia,” Henderson said.
Read more at wildbluerestaurant.com.
