Team

Born and raised in beautiful British Columbia, Chef Warren Chow has a deep connection to Canada’s West Coast. Chef Chow rose through the ranks in notable kitchens across the province including The PearTree Restaurant and Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, which led to executive chef roles at Juniper Kitchen & Bar, and Bauhaus restaurant. Mentoring under renowned chefs such as Bruno Marti, Scott Jaeger and Patrick Gayler, Chef Chow is trained in classic French cuisine and inspired by ingredients that nature, farmers, foragers, or fishermen have provided. He is a member of Culinary Team BC and represented Canada at the ExpoGast Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg, winning a Gold Medal in 2022, but his best motivation is creating memorable dishes for guests, friends, and family to enjoy. At Wildlight, Chef Chow brings an approachable yet refined style of food to the menu. He’s passionate about good food, and he welcomes you to our family table.

Working in the hospitality industry since he was just 12 years old, Brenton Smith is passionate about guest experience, and loves to lead those at the table through culinary exploration, discovery, escape and enjoyment. From his hometown of Winnipeg, to Australia, Fernie, Whistler and now Vancouver, Brenton worked his way from dishwasher to junior sous chef, to venue manager and then general manager of a multi-outlet restaurant and bar group in Whistler. He has amassed nearly two decades of experience in the front of house, and enjoys nothing more than sharing his love of outstanding food, wine and drinks. “Wildlight encapsulates everything we love about the Pacific coast and shares it in a relaxed and warm environment. We want to show our guests what we love about living here, and highlight everything B.C. has to offer.”

Born and raised on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, Mike Cooke’s interest in wine began at the age of 10 while hanging out after school at his parents’ family-owned cellar, Palm Beach Cellars. His passion for hospitality was ignited during stints at Sydney’s Relais and Châteaux Hotel and Restaurant, Jonah’s, and at Jonah’s in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where he trained with the Court of Master Sommeliers. As Director of Wine at Café Sydney, Mike built a cellar of more than 600 wines, developed relationships with wineries across Australia and New Zealand, and received accolades from National publications including the Sydney Morning Herald: “Sommelier Michael Cooke has put together an interesting list of slightly left-of-centre choices from worlds old and new, including a 2009 Dr Burklin-Wolf biodynamic Riesling from Pfalz in Germany ($59) that’s crisp and clean.” In 2013, Mike followed his wife to Vancouver and has spent the past decade immersing himself in the Vancouver wine and hospitality industry, most of it on the wine team at Chambar restaurant. He’s excited to share all the styles of wine from B.C.’s top producers with guests at Wildlight.

Mixology began as a hobby for Aman Nijjar and over the years has grown into a passion for perfecting recipes and showcasing local spirits. Drawing on his science and business background, Aman appreciates consistency and balance in cocktail crafting; he takes a culinary approach in building recipes with an emphasis on making as many components in-house as possible. At Wildlight, Aman’s cocktail list pays homage to classics, with a creative twist to honour the West Coast. “We have an opportunity to challenge industry standards and broaden our guests’ experiences of Pacific coast-inspired dishes and drinks. We have a passionate team in place, with the shared goal of creating memorable guest experiences through a team-first service standard.”

Tim Hui was exposed to cuisines from around the world at a young age by his father, who worked as a chef in the hotel industry in Nassau, Bahamas. After immigrating with his family to Vancouver, he too began working in kitchens at the age of 15, then went on to graduate from the VCC Professional Culinary Program in 2011. His career has included roles at Bistro Pastis, Baccano Osteria and Market by Jean-Georges. Most recently he worked as a private chef for families across the Lower Mainland. Inspired by the versatility and experimentation of cooking, Tim enjoys using his classically trained French techniques to create dishes inspired by his Asian heritage and global influences. “Cooking food is all about bringing people together, sharing a few laughs and good conversation.”

Born in Kaohsuing Taiwan, Jack Ma came to Canada in his early teenage years, and got his start in hospitality as a server. After completing culinary school, he gained kitchen experience at Hilton hotel Metrotown, Torafuku, and Boulevard Kitchen & Bar, where he learned the technicalities of fine dining and discovered a passion for West Coast cuisine. Since then, Jack has risen through the ranks at kitchens in Vancouver and Montreal, and developed a deep understanding of Asian and Western cuisine. At Wildlight, he’s excited to integrate all of his training and experience to help create an unforgettable West Coast culinary experience for guests.