Chef Romy Prasad Joins So.Cial at Le Magasin

CHEF ROMY PRASAD JOINS SO.CIAL AT LE MAGAZIN
(Directly from the press release.)

Maureen Fleming, managing partner, proprietor of So.Cial at Le Magasin, along with business partners Bob McCammon and Kirk McLean, is pleased to announce that Romy Prasad, one of British Columbia’s most respected Chefs, has joined their team.
 
“Romy”, says Maureen Fleming “is one of Vancouver’s gems. His cuisine is exceptional and his ability to be part of a team while leading it has ensured operations he has worked with have won accolades and great success.  We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with him at So.Cial”
 
A great chef plays such a huge role in the success of a restaurant, not just from his or her techniques but also from his thoughtful and ethical choices in purveyor’s and ingredients as well as his passion for the food.  Romy continues to meet with his fishers, farmers, hunters and producers to ensure and develop both quality in his products and relationships with his purveyors. “Soon”, says Chef Prasad, “new products will fill the butcher shop windows and coolers, new varieties of oysters, clams, mussels will be on the Oyster Bar menu and I am looking forward to the menu we will be launching in the dining room in a few weeks time”
 
About the Chef - Romy was born in Guyana, moving as a youngster to Vancouver with his family. In 1989 he enrolled in the Stratford Chef School and moved to Ontario. He graduated three years later in 1991 and went on to Europe for further studies at the Ritz Escoffier Cooking School in Paris. From there he embarked on an extensive working tour (stages) of Europe that took him to the stoves of several Michelin-starred kitchens in France, Spain, and Italy including Pierre Gagnaire in St. Etienne, Arzak in San Sebastian, and Al Cantuccio in Arona. At Il Naturlista in Vicenza Prasad studied the serious intricacies of vegetarian fine dining.
 
He was introduced to a more contemporary style of cooking while working at the Quilted Giraffe in New York City before returning to Ontario, first as Sous-chef to Chef Baxter at Rundles, then as chef instructor at his alma mater, the Stratford Chef School. In 1996 Prasad was appointed Operations Chef, responsible for the opening of Farfalle, the first fine dining restaurant in Casino Niagara. With his stamp on everything from the subtle Mediterranean decor to the menus and wine list, Farfalle received the AAA/CAA Four Diamond Award just four months after opening. Prasad later joined the well known Umberto Menghi group of restaurants as Executive Chef of Il Caminetto Di Umberto in Whistler, BC, before accepting the Executive Chef position at Cin Cin Ristorante in Vancouver, where he spent the next 8 years.
 
In 2005, along with business partner Dee Anand, Romy opened Savory Coast. In September of 2008, with the Robson Street local rent skyrocketing, Dee and Romy had a tough decision as to whether to relocate the now well respected Mediterranean restaurant or move on and when opportunity presented itself, in the form of a chance meeting with restaurant owner Maureen Fleming of So.Cial, Romy made the decision to move on.
 
Today Maureen is delighted to announce that Romy takes over the stoves at So.Cial effective October 30th, 2008. They anticipate new menus in place by late November.
 
 
SO.CIAL at Le Magasin
Custom Butcher Shop and Deli
Oyster and Seafood Bar
Dining Room and Lounge

Le Magasin Building
200-332 Water Street
Gastown, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B6
Telephone 604.669.4488
www.social@lemagasin.com
info@socialatlemagasin.com