Quick Bites with
Jay Lynn, Executive Chef, Cinnamon Bear & Grill
Interview and photo by Maureen Provencal
PQ: What’s your food/wine philosophy?
JL: Funky.
PQ: What’s the most important principle in cooking?
JL: Keep it fresh and simple.
PQ: One food you can’t live without?
JL: Fish.
PQ: One ingredient you can’t live without?
JL: Fresh herbs.
PQ: What food/drink should people be more open to trying?
JL: Getting out of their comfort zone; trying something new.
PQ: One food you avoided as a child and now you love?
JL: Artichokes.
PQ: Weirdest thing you’ve eaten?
JL: Jelly Fish, they are like eating rubbing bands.
PQ: Exact moment you decided to become a chef?
JL: I was probably 17, working as a waiter in an Austrian restaurant. I was always interested in what was going on in the kitchen.
PQ: Most memorable meal you have ever served?
JL: A Robert Mondavi wine dinner.
PQ: Most interesting environment you’ve ever worked in?
JL: At the conference centre working a four-course plated dinner for 1,200 people.
PQ: What’s your solution for a last minute meal?
JL: I would get some good cheeses, artisan bread, cold cuts, a bottle of red wine and crank up the tunes.
PQ: How would you describe what it is to be a chef?
JL: To get out of the kitchen and talk with guests and hear that they enjoyed what we created; to hear that instant gratification.
PQ: Where would you go to eat, if you could go anywhere in the world?
JL: I would go to the Maldives.
PQ: How far have you traveled for a great meal?
JL: Not far, there are so many great restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler.
PQ: Where would you go for your last meal in Whistler?
JL: I don’t plan on going anywhere, but if I was it would be the Bear Foot Bistro for anything Melissa wants to cook.
PQ: Who has been the most influential person on your cooking/career?
JL: Julia Child.
PQ: What would you advise to anyone wanting to come into this industry?
JL: Probably that there are better ways to make a living, unless they are really excited about it.