Welcome Lunch 2026

Every chef tells a story from their dish and how they cook. 

Heritage is passed down. Identities shift and evolve- here every chef has claim it courageously — never softened for anyone’s comfort.  Through our food and flavours, we showcase a little bit of us through flavours that refuse to be flattened into one tradition, one box, one easy label.

What we create by weaving our heritage, our identity and where we call home is a reflection of fusion. Fusion is not a trend, not a buzzword on a menu.  It’s memory. It’s joy, it’s comfort plated and shared.

Today’s lunch celebrates BIPOC queer chefs who’ve spent their careers fighting for space in kitchens that were never built for them. And instead of waiting for room to be made, they built new kitchens entirely — ones where every part of who they are, wherever they are in that evolution, gets to show up at the table, fully and unapologetically with respect

This is the new industry standard.

Cheryl Chang – Nourish Kitchen

Cheryl founded Nourish with the belief that everyone deserves a seat at the table. Using food as her platform and a way to connect folks, she creates inclusive spaces where all dietary needs are welcomed with creativity and care.
Rooted in community partnership, Cheryl works alongside farms, schools, families, and fellow chefs to strengthen food access, literacy, and cultural connection. She is a steady advocate for those with smaller voices, using food to build bridges, foster belonging, and bring people back to the table together.
Cheryl can be found as a private chef, chef educator in various settings and in community leading industry female BIPOC advocacy events.

Konrad Noga – Pony Room

Head Chef of Pony Room Lounge, in Chinatown Vancouver.

Janice Quintos – Ono Vancouver and ReRoot Kitchen

Sous chef of ReRoot Kitchen and Ono Vancouver, Janice is a cook who cares; cooking hearty meals with “ReRoot-ed” surplus ingredients for charity every week (now 500,000+ meals since its founding in 2020!). As a first generation Canadian-Filipinx, she aims to share familiar flavours of her childhood through her cuisine via ReRoot/Ono’s catering and private dining programs, and popups around the city using ReRoot-ed foods where possible.

Michelle Garcia – Wildlight Kitchen + Bar

Sous Chef at Wildlight Kitchen + Bar. Inspired by the West Coast, I create seasonal dishes using local ingredients, fresh Pacific seafood, and locally grown produce.