05/02/2024
Let's take a moment to celebrate the organizer of A Night of Too Many Chefs: Chef TJ Conwi, the proud owner of Ono Vancouver and ReRoot.
TJ’s culinary journey seamlessly blends his love for West Coast and Asian cuisine tracing back to his Filipino heritage and spanning across kitchens in Taiwan to Chile. His focus on organic, local, and sustainable ingredients is the highlight of his dishes.
After training under esteemed French chefs at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, TJ refined his skills at The Arbutus Club and Delta Hotels by Marriott Vancouver Downtown Suites. He has executed elaborate hotel functions, galas for the Japanese, Filipino, and French Consulate, and large-scale events, including the BC Food & Beverage Awards and Chefs in the Hood.
At Ono, he leverages his expertise, creativity, and connections to make an impact in the food industry. His business services – ranging from event catering, private dining, and ReRoot home meal replacement – all fuel his community-minded goals:
- Fight food insecurity
- End food waste
- Ensure all children have access to healthy lunch at school
At the onset of the pandemic, Chef TJ, alongside Sean McDonald and the Ono team created ReRoot, a new brand dedicated to turning surplus food into a sustainable product line. Partnering with Vancouver Food Runners, surplus food is redistributed to various community organizations in the Downtown Eastside.
Proceeds from A Night of Too Many Chefs support ReRoot's community meals program. To date, the team has cooked over 300,000 meals for charity at no charge and diverted over 10 tonnes of food from the landfill!
🎟️ Secure your ticket for A Night of Too Many Chefs on May 5th at the False Creek Yacht Club! https://buff.ly/4azbQZu