Restaurant Awards 2016: Mentorship Award: Hamid Salimian
The man behind some of Vancouver's greatest chefs
There’s a hushed reverence at the pass as cooks plate the first course of a prix fixe meal under chef Hamid Salimian’s watchful eye. This could easily be a scene from any fine dining restaurant, but it’s actually the prelude to a Chef’s Table pop-up dinner hosted by Salimian’s students in the international culinary program at Vancouver Community College.Salimian started out himself as a VCC culinary arts student back in 1996 before landing an apprenticeship at the Sutton Place Hotel and making his mark in culinary competition. Through it all, he’s been fuelled by curiosity and passion for his craft. “There’s an incredibly high standard that he brings to every project he gets involved with,” says Scott Jaeger, co-owner of The Pear Tree and a fellow member of Culinary Team Canada. “Hamid doesn’t do anything halfway—he’s all in. When you see him around other people, particularly with his students, it’s infectious.”