Epicureans and gastronomists everywhere are invited to join the second annual Mentorship Dinner at AURA waterfront restaurant + patio, located at Victoria’s Inn at Laurel Point, a culmination of dedicated mentoring by renowned Executive Chef Takashi Ito.
Four of Chef Ito’s mentored apprentice chefs will lavish guests with their gourmet creations, each presenting a course to the room showcasing the best of their craft, on Tuesday, June 12. For $79 Cdn plus tax and gratuity per person, guests will dine on the exquisite four-course meal, experiencing the unique flair and presentation of each chef. Wine, beer, cider or spirits will be paired to each course by AURA’s sommeliers-in-training to carry the spirit of learning to the front of house team.
Chef Ito’s mentoring program is keeping AURA well ahead of the curve. In a recent survey conducted by the BC Restaurant & Food Services Association, the province suffers from a lack of qualified professionals, with chefs and cooks not recommending the profession to their peers. Executive Chefs like Ito, by conducting innovative mentoring programs, are ensuring their restaurant thrives well beyond this trend.
“My approach has always been to teach collaboration and dedication, but I also nurture the individual talent and creativity in every chef I mentor,” says Chef Ito. “This evening is about giving guests the absolute best of those skills in a sensory-rich culinary experience.”
Lauded for his long-standing culinary prestige, Chef Ito has always mentored with genuine passion. He strives to create a fun-loving, engaging kitchen and perpetuates an infectious enthusiasm in his future culinary leaders.
The spirited evening will feature dishes representing Chef Ito’s culinary philosophy: organic, locally sourced, sustainable ingredients in Pacific-Rim inspired cuisine. Guests will also sip wines carefully selected to pair with each course by AURA’s mentored sommeliers.
