Rob Yu | Age 29
Executive Chef, Yokai Izakaya, Vaughan, Ont.
Rob Yu’s culinary journey began in highschool as a dishwasher at an Italian eatery in Maple, Ont. He then worked at the Eagles Nest Golf Course where he apprenticed with chef Giacomo Romano while also attending Humber College for Culinary Management.
A two-year post-secondary internship to Abu Dhabi followed at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, where Yu learned from some of the best chefs in the world, including Marco Pierre. The next few years were full of ups and downs and stretched Yu’s mental health to its limits, causing him to re-examine how he approached success and accomplishment.
Today Yu is the executive chef of Yokai Izakaya, where he strives to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for young chefs through opportunity, community and work/life balance.
“He is an inspirational chef that exemplifies what we hope to see more of in our industry; passionate about growth of his team, supportive of others in the industry, grateful for all the supports that have helped him and encouraged by the future possibilities within our hospitality industry,” says Shonah Chalmers, culinary professor at Humber College.
“As a woman in this male-dominated culinary industry, I have experienced moments where I felt
that I wasn’t fully heard or respected,” shares Isabelle Pham, who works with Yu as a line cook at Yokai Izakaya. “While also being among one the youngest in an intimidating environment, I found it challenging to advocate for myself. Rob has helped me find my inner voice when I was scared to speak up for myself. He has always treated me equally and with respect, and made me feel empowered as a woman in the culinary industry. For that compassion and kindness, I will forever be grateful and I wish that everyone had the opportunity to have a mentor as great as Rob.”
