Success Stories

Books for aspiring kitchen wizards (by Tim Pawsey, for the Courier)

Bob Foulkes is a different kind of kitchen wizard, although there were moments in the last few years when he would have happily traded chefs' whites for Harry's wand. One of the more senior folks to...

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Private Event Comments:

January 2013
"Thanks so much for organizing the CaRMS reception last night. It turned out great! The food was delicious and it was a nice intimate atmosphere. Perfect choice! Plus the resident turn out was better than expected, so all in all a successful evening. We are hoping to continue our relationship with you for our event next year."" - Heather C. | UBC General Surgery Residency Program (Private Reception @ Bistro 101)

December 2012
"My colleagues and I had good time in the restaurant last night. We enjoyed the food very much and appreciated your staff who provided fabulous service. Thanks again for the arrangement! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!" - Teresa H. | RBC (Corporate Christmas Dinner @ Bistro 101)

December 2012
"I just wanted to let you know that everyone had a great time on Saturday and Tim and the serving staff did a great job keeping everything running smoothly. As for the food, Darren and his team kept everyone well fed and I received many compliments on the quality and variety of options. Darren, please give your staff my compliments. It was a pleasure working with all of you and I hope we can host another event with PICA in the future." - Ryan D. | The Centre for Drug Research and Development (Private Christmas Dinner @ Bistro 101)

December 2012
Thank you so much!! We all had a great time!! The ambiance, food, and service was great!! I want to thank the Chefs, staff, and students for a wonderful evening!!! Happy holidays everyone!!" - Jenniffer K. | UBC SHS (Private Christmas Dinner @ Bistro 101)

December 2012
"Wanted to let you know that we had a great time last night. Thank you for all your help pulling off the evening. Look forward to booking another event in the future. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you." - Brenda W. | VGH Nursing (Private Christmas Dinner @ Bistro 101)

December 2012
"The event was lovely on Friday. The food and service was fantastic! Everyone had a great time." - Andrea G. | CNIB (Private Luncheon @ Bistro 101)

December 2012
"Thank you SO much for all your help with the luncheon today. It was really nice…the food was WONDERFUL (people were impressed!) and the service, too. Everyone said it was a nice place and they all came away stuffed! I’ll be directing people to the Bistro in future!" - Caterina D. | Vancouver Police Department (Private Lunch @ Bistro 101)

November 2012
"On behalf of my Events Team and AIESEC SFU, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to you and all of your staff for allowing our organization to host our Year-End Banquet at Bistro 101. The dining area was decorated beautifully, the food was deliciously prepared, and the waiting staff were absolutely phenomenal. I would like to thank you for your patience and your organization." - Samantha Ng | AIESEC SFU (Private Dinner @ Bistro 101)

November 2012
"I know that you will hear that last night’s dinner was grand, from the president of Les Dames Pam Williams and perhaps other board members, but I wanted to send a note personally to thank you and all the PICA students who participated and created our AGM dinner. The service was excellent, the meal delicious, well presented and professional. Well done to all!" - Wendy T. (Les Dames d'Escoffier AGM @ Bistro 101)

"Thank you for providing the perfect location, atmosphere and dinner for the Les Dames d'Escoffier - BC Chapter Annual General Meeting. Your attention to detail with the seating and A/V was exactly what was needed. The appetizers and main course were all excellent, especially the Whimsy of Winter Dessert Plate; of course we could not omit the Wine Pairings which were delicious and enjoyed by all in attendance. We would love to have the opportunity to collaborate in the future. A big "Thank You" to your team. Well done!" - Pam Williams | President of Les Dames d'Escoffier - BC Chapter (Les Dames d'Escoffier AGM @ Bistro 101)

November 2012
"The event on Saturday was perfect! It was all about Denise who was overwhelmed and loved every minute of it, especially the Iron Chef Challenge. Several times afterwords Denise stated, "I can't imagine a better party for me, even if I had planed every detail of it myself." Great fun was had by all. Chef Scot was incredible as the challenge facilitator, as was all the delicious food him and his team created. Annette was a gracious and most accommodating hostess. The full service team of your students were attentive, professional and delightful. Your Bistro was comforting and the perfect venue for our reception.

I want to sincerely thank you and the team at PICA for making this special event such a memorable experience. I am sure almost all of us who attended will be talking about it for some time to come. I must share with you a few of the accolades that friends have already sent me...

“What a party on Saturday night!!! You and all the elves did such a FABULOUS job. There was such joy and positive energy throughout the whole night. I know Denise and I will be talking about it for weeks!”

“...It was a great experience cooking in the professional kitchen (OK, maybe being part of the winning team had something to do with it as well). I will wear my apron proudly!”

"Great job on the party Mikhail. It was a huge success and the guest of honour was clearly blown away and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."

We had a great time!" - Mikhail D. (50th Birthday Party | Iron Chef Challenge)

September 2012
"It was a wonderful party and the food was delicious! We had a lot of very nice comments about the venue, the food and the variety of beer - which was a hit with the younger guys. Our entertainers did a super job and I think everyone had a terrific time. I think the quantity of food was right on as there were just a few leftovers at the end of the night. Thanks so much for all your help! Cheers." - Beverly F | Intercad Services (Retirement Party)

June 2012
"I wanted to thank you and the students at Bistro 101 for helping to make our tour a success! As you may know the group gave them a standing ovation. Here is what our tour manager said:

Bistro 101, the culinary school on Granville Island in Vancouver, was not only by far the best meal we had on tour (unanimous raving by all the adults) but it was one of the best meals I have had anywhere in the almost 30 countries where I have worked. I asked the instructor if he and the culinary students could come out so that I could acknowledge them and express our appreciation and in the deafening applause the entire adult table rose in a standing ovation. A keeper.

Wow! Way to go. I was there in December and to think, I didn’t dine there, but just peeked inside. Next time!! Thanks again." - Pat G. | Group Tours To Go (Luncheon @ Bistro 101)

June 2012
"I would like to thank you and the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts' students for a delightful meal that was served for Beverly’s Retirement party, the meal was excellent, the service was fantastic, they were no complaints that I am aware of from any of the staff members, all our members had a wonderful evening, I doubt that was be the last lime you would heard from us, matter of fact some of us are hoping to come back during the summer months. Your students acted very kind and professional in their manners. Thank you again for the kindness that was shown to all of us." - Veronica (Retirement Party Buffet Dinner @ Bistro 101)

June 2012
"It was a perfect evening and I have never heard such rave reviews about food! Everyone loved it - no problems at all and we were so impressed with the wonderful students. Please thank all who participated and special thanks to you for making a 2nd rehearsal dinner such an easy and successful event. Oh and the wines were a big hit too. I shall definitely be purchasing those again. Thanks for all your help and guidance." - Fran K (Wedding Rehearsal Dinner)

May 2012
"Thank you so much. The feedback was wonderful. I just sat with Maureen as she gave me the details on the trip. Thank you to you and your staff for such a great outing for our seniors. Thank you!!" Carol M. (City of Coquitlam | Granville Island Market Tour & Luncheon @ Bistro 101)

May 2012
"The group thoroughly enjoyed all three courses and the presentation of the dishes. Thank you for your assistance in making the arrangements. Please convey our thanks to all the staff involved who did a great job in preparing and serving the dishes and attending to the group." - Michael M. (Probus Club of North Shore Vancouver | Luncheon @ Bistro 101)

April 2012
"Thanks for a terrific evening last night; great job by everyone and our group was very impressed with dinner, the service, and the setting. Your entire group got a standing "O" at the end of the evening! Thank you for your part in making this evening the complete success that it was and managing our event. It truly has been the highlight of our stay in Vancouver this year! Thanks Again. - Ian D. (Associated Grocers | Private Dinner @ Bistro 101)

February 2012
"Thanks so much for all your help in organizing what turned out to be amazing evening. The set-up for the ceremony was perfect and the food was absolutely delicious (our guests agreed and we heard great things about it all evening). Sonja did an outstanding job of making everything run smoothly and the rest of the staff did a great job of taking care of us. Thanks again." - Angelica and Dave (Wedding Reception @ Bistro 101)

December 2010
"On behalf of the SFU Senior Lifelong Learners Society, please accept our thanks for all your planning & efforts that made our Christmas Lunch at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts on December 15th such a pleasant experience. You can count on us visiting you again in the future. Thank you also for your generous gift to our door prize draws." - Elizabeth J.

December 2010
"Thank you very much to you and your fantastic team of chef’s and service staff. We had a fantastic Christmas lunch at PICA on Friday. The food and service was excellent." - eHealth Strategy Office | Faculty of Medicine | UBC

June 2010

"YES, we had a GREAT time. Please tell hostess and staff serving that their service was perfect. Also, you had so many great words about the quality of the food. I am sure that you will have many people make return visits for dinner. I am SO glad (considering the weather) that I had a sit down dinner. It was a great space and we all had a great time. Thank you for your help." Erla B.

February 2010
"Thank you for such a wonderful evening; Everybody is absolutely thrilled with the all aspects of the evening! People are still raving about the food! Oh behalf of Tourism BC, thank you so much! The atmosphere was great, the food was incredible and the staff were amazing! I cannot say enough good things about your organization. Congratulations, we look forward to working with you again." - Tourism BC

February 2010
"You did a pretty great job! THANKS from all the delegates and good luck to your talented students.
Magical and perfect evening, incredible from all participants including me. Merci beaucoup you are GREAT QUALITY material in this school. The food presentation and flavour were excellent. The staff were very nice, welcoming and eager to help. The Sommlier, Tim Ellison was wonderful, witty, funny, intelligent, theatrical, great wine knowledge. Great Job!" - 2010 Digital Cultural Content Forum (Private Dinner)

November 2009
"The dinner was excellent! Thank you for putting up with our rather loud crowd. We were all couped up for too long I think! I heard a lot of very good things about both the food and the service. The service was great, and everyone said the entrees and the dessert were incredible. Everything was served on time and presentation was excellent. Our CIO (the one ultimately paying the bill) loved the experience. " - Teck Resources (Private Corporate Dinner)

September 2009
"I just wanted to drop a quick line and tell you how much I enjoyed the wine seminar that you did for the Partners Program with UBCM. I have been too many wine seminars but yours was by far the most engaging, non pretentious and educational. I have spent several years in the wine industry and it was so refreshing to listen to you, I too am a HUGE fan of BC wine (in fact I have only ever worked for domestic wine companies)." - UBCM (Food & Wine Pairing Workshop)

March 2009
"What a fabulous experience we had. The school tour was captivating, the cuisine creative, and the students were the best! Most of all, the staff and everyone we met, including you, were gracious and made our group feel very welcome and special. Thanks so much." - Linda H (Whatcom Community College)

December 2008
"I just wanted to say thank you to all for the lovely Christmas lunch yesterday! I had so very many people come up to me and tell my how wonderful the food and service was." - Karen R. (Vancouver Coastal Health)

December 2008
"Thank you for helping us arrange an excellent Christmas Party. Everyone loved the event and we have received numerous compliments on the food. Many people have said it was the best that they have had. We also loved the venue. It suited us greatly and the atmosphere was exactly what we wanted." - Neil S. (WorleyParsons Komex)

November 2008
"Just wanted to drop a note to tell you last night was a success. It was a fun evening with the Murder/Mystery entertainment (they did a fabulous job) and your staff was excellent. Please pass on our thanks to your staff. Adam Butler catered to our needs in his efficient, friendly, helpful and professional manner. The rest of the serving staff were very gracious, attentive and provided great service. Kudos to the chef(s). The food was tasty and delicious. The guests were very happy at the end of the evening. Thank you also for your great organization skills and helping us arrange this wonderful evening. It wouldn't have been a success without you." - Teresa D. (RBC)

August 2008
"Thank you soo much for helping me with our event today for my mom's birthday! The celebration went great! Compliments to the Chef and the staff. Our guests loved the food and the desserts! Oh the desserts!!" - Valerie G.

July 2008
"Firstly it was a pleasure meeting you yesterday and wanted to personally thank you, the staff and anyone else that was involved in our luncheon yesterday. Please pass this along to all the staff..................Everyone enjoyed it immensely and it definately was a highlight with everyone. Many commented that the food was presented so beautifully and its taste was just as wonderful. Thanks again for making my trip so successful and we will definately see you again in the near future." - Sea/Air Tours and Travel Ltd.

May 2008
"On behalf of Ivan and I, thank you for arranging a fabulous end to our partnering workshop day last Friday evening. Your staff was well prepared for our group and attended to everyone’s needs with enthusiasm and professionalism. A special acknowledgement to your maître d', Carsten – he had a very pleasant personality and was on top of the details. Looking forward to visiting again." - Inder S.[Metro Vancouver]

March 2008
"I am writing to thank you and Adam and all of your wonderful students for the lovely luncheon we enjoyed at PICA on Wednesday, March 19. The writed reviews of our participants were 100% raves! All facets of the experience were commented upon - from the lovely presentation to the wonderful taste to the enthusiastic wait staff to the fun of watching the bustle in the kitchen. Many people wished aloud that they had known of the presence of your on-site special bakery. They would have brought more money and taken home more goodies! You have been a pleasure to work with. Again, many thanks! " - Janet J. [Academy of Lifelong Learning - Western Washington University]

March 2008
"Thank you so much for your help. Everyone had a great time today and the semi private nature of the room made it great for discussion. Please congratulate yourself and your staff. Hope to keep PICA on our Journal Club circuit and a number of people expressed interest in returning one day with friends ... I know I will. " - Dr. K. Saran

March 2008
"We were there with the trolley company dinner last night. It was wonderful. We would also like to thank the Chef for giving us a tour. It was very interesting. A totally organized operation. My husband and I will be coming back and bringing friends. " - Linda and Ed S.

March 2008
"I wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we all had at the shower on Saturday. The venue was perfect and so was the food and service. Tim was an exceptional host and he ensured the event flowed seamlessly. I felt very relaxed and enjoyed myself a great deal. The waitress also did an amazing job and should be commended. I will not hesitate to recommend PICA to friends and family and will certainly consider you for any future events." - Jennifer A. [Baby Shower]

February 2008
"I would like to personally thank you and the staff & students at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts for hosting our group of Visitor Centre Managers. They were very impressed with the lunch, service and of course the view of Granville Island. They will be sending many more visitors your way! The FAM trip was a huge success." - Stacey K. & Holly H. [Tourism Vancouver & Tourism BC Fam Tour]

February 2008
"On behalf of all twelve Canada Study Tour MBA students, our faculty advisor and the University of Washington, we would like to thank you (Sue Singer) for so generously hosting our group. The entire trip was both educational and enjoyable, and visting Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts was one of the highlights of our time in Vancouver. We especially enjoyed hearing your story of being an entrepreneur with a vision, who was able to turn it into a reality. Your success has been inspiriational to many of our students. We are also particularly grateful that you and your executive chef were able to make time for us. Because of the success of this tour, aimed to teach students about Canada and connect them to business leaders in Vancouver, the University of Washington Foster School of Business and Jackson School of International Studies are fully supporting the continuation of this program. We hope that this trip will continue to reoccur in the future, and that Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts will consider participating as a host again next year." - Tania E. and Tim R. [UW Business School: Canada Study Tour/Dinner]

July 2007
"Thank you so much for arranging such a magnificent luncheon. All the Red Hatters were in awe of the attractive presentation - brilliant! Our hats off to you all! We will see you again!" - Cecilia [Red Hat Society - Dogwood Divas Luncheon]

July 2007
"The service was exceptional for the night of and we were impressed by the standards the students set. Everything from drinks to the appetizers etc was outstanding and delicious. David and myself would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to you and the staff at PICA for a wonderful evening. All the best in the future...." - Melissa & David [Rehearsal Cocktail Dinner]

April 2007
"Thank you so much for all your help. We had a great night, great food and perfect turnout. Everyone wants to come back again." - The BC Food Technologists [Chef and the R&D Team Event]

February 2007
"On behalf of all fourteen Vancouver Study Tour MBA students, our faculty advisors and the University of Washington, we would like to thank you for so generously hosting our group. The entire trip was both very educational and enjoyable, and visiting Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts was one of the highlights of our time in Vancouver.

In addition, the meal prepared for us was absolutely delicious and the service was fantastic - our dinner was one of the most valuable and memorable parts of our trip.

Because of the success of this tour, aimed to teach students about Canada and connect them to business leaders in Vancouver, University of Washington Business School and Jackson School of International Studies are fully supporting the continuation of this program. We hope that this trip will be the first among many in the future, and that you will consider participating as a host again next year." - University of Washington Business School

December 2006
"Thanks to you and the staff at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, for our fantastic Christmas lunch last Friday. It was a really enjoyable & relaxing time for everyone who went. I loved the fish & heard that the beef was, to quote 'melt in your mouth' by more than 1 person. All delicious, and the desserts were divine, with great presentation (as usual)." - British Columbia Medical Association

December 2006

"We thank you very much for a magnificent time we had during our Christmas lunch. The food was very tasty and exquisitely presented; the service was friendly and courteous. All in all it was a very classy affair. Kudos to Carsten and your servers." - Vancouver Coastal Health, Learning & Career Development

September 2006

"Our fundraising dinner was a success, raising over $18,000 for the BC Medical Foundation Benevolent Fund and the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation. Thank you for your organization in all of the details, and the wonderful menu planned for our evening. We appreciate that the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts helped to ensure our evening was private, with great food and at minimal expense. Please pass along our compliments to Carsten, the Chefs and the wait staff. We hope to return again next year!" - British Columbia Medical Association

July 2006

"I wanted to thank you for the terrific care that was shown to all of our Sysco Guests at our recent conference. The comments about the food and service were very complimentary. Your attention in assuring great service and food was most appreciated. It is a pleasure being associated with your organization." - Sysco Vancouver

July 2006

"Thank you VERY MUCH for an excellent evening last week - the dinner was great and we all had an excellent time." - Caterpillar of Canada

April 2006

"I'm not too sure where to begin to thank you and all the staff at PICA for the wonderful engagement party we had on April 22, 2006. The service was great and the food was spectacular as expected. I think this was the first event we have ever held (or been to for that matter) where every single guest commented on how amazing the food was from the presentation and quality, to the quantity and taste. I actually had a few people say that this was the best food they have ever had at an engagement/wedding event.

Some of our guests thought that the appetizer buffet was the lunch and so they loaded up on that. When the actual lunch was served, there were some pretty surprised faces. In our family, so much revolves around food and the table so it's so important to have quality food and lots of it!!! The appetizer buffet was spectacular and the plated lunch with all three options on it (salmon, chicken and pork) was the icing on the cake. Speaking of cakes, we were so impressed with the cake you had made for us ... it was unbelievable. Actually, so was the dessert buffet and by the end of the day, the cake was barely touched. It sure wasn't a problem though since we got to take it home and enjoy it with our friends and family the next day. Between the food, service, location, guests and weather, we couldn't have asked for a better day!!

Thank you once again for helping us put on such a wonderful event. I know there are several guests that will definitely keep PICA in mind for their next event or just for a nice lunch or dinner." - Mathew and Wendy

March 2006
"I just wanted to say thank you for all your work with the reception last night - it exceeded all of our expectations. The food was fabulous and the venue was beautiful (with the view, candles etc). It is also worth mentioning that we heard nothing but positive feedback from all of our guests. I am sure we will be contacting you in the future for another event, as will many of last night's guests." - Michelle D.

February 2006
"Many thanks to you, Carsten and the entire staff at the Culinary Institute for a wonderful meal and evening this past Friday. Everything was perfect ! Please share our thanks and best wishes with all." - Canadian Consulate General (Seattle)

December 2005
"Really just wanted to express our gratitude for the arrangements made for our department lunch, and your job well done at staying within our budget too! Fantastic comments and happy full stomachs around the office after lunch - everyone enjoyed the great, food, service and venue!" - BC Medical Association

December 2005
"Just want to say thank you. We had a wonderful time. The sitting was great, and as usual the food was fantastic." - Vancouver School Board

December 2005
"Just a quick to note to say thanks. My group had a lovely time at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. This was the first term we had our little Gourmet club and the outing was a great finish to a great series of classes." - Continuing Education - Capilano College

November 2005
"I would like to thank you very much for everything. Our guests have all enjoyed the succulent food and the kind service of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. We all had a good time there. Thank you." - Consolato Generale d'Italia - Consulate General of Italy

August 2005
"We wanted to tell you how happy we are to have chosen Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts for our wedding. Everyone did such a wonderful job! In particular, the Maitre D', Carsten was exceptional. Everything was perfect - the food, the drinks, the service, the set-up. The guests were terribly impressed and we had a great time. One of the students even spelled "Just..." and "...married" into our Pasuwas. What a beautiful touch. We wish you every success." - Mariana & Tim

December 2004
"On behalf of my manager, other co-workers and myself, we would like to thank you… the head chefs, servers and other staff for a wonderful dinner.

All we’ve heard from clients and RBC employees are compliments about the restaurant, amazing food presentation and the delicious food. The sit down dinner went so smoothly that there was extra time in the end to just enjoy our dessert and coffee/tea. We weren’t rushed at all. A job well done by all." - RBC Global Services

April 2004
"Just a note to thank you and the staff for my very successful 65th birthday celebration. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. The service was attentive. We were made to feel right at home and our server even managed to keep us posted on the hockey score. The three hours just flew by and we ended it with a tour of the facilities. A great night and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts to friends." - Marlene J.