Perhaps the biggest lesson Letendre learned in Japan was the importance of the relationship between the 'front and back of the house'. "I intend to be involved with the customers,"he says. "I have a responsibility to know that everything is working smoothly and I can't be sure of this if I'm hiding in the kitchen. Fortunately, this is a sentiment that reflects the hotel's hands-on management style!"

French food and techniques are also at the heart of Letendre's repertoire. Formerly the executive chef of the Moustache CafŽ, a Vancouver-based French-Mediterranean restaurant, Letendre's current Elixir menu offers a generous assortment of specialties including Duck Confit Salad with walnuts, pancetta and poached egg, Pissaladiere Tart with frisee and a pine nut vinaigrette, Oven Roasted Halibut with fennel, roasted tomato, clams and saffron and Roasted Leg of Lamb, aubergine and pepper stew with yogurt.

In addition to his duties as chef of Elixir, Letendre also oversees Opus Bar, a chic, contemporary lounge. Here, Letendre has created a menu that matches a venue that encourages grazing while sipping on the Opus' signature global cocktails. Owing their originality to Letendre's culinary imagination, look for martinis sporting freshly grated nutmeg or infusions of star anise or lavender and authentic whiskey sours made with fresh egg whites.

Whatever Letendre is cooking today, you can be certain that it will change soon, "I tend to get bored doing the same thing and like to explore other combinations," he explains. "My goal is to provide comfort food with exotic flavours, and the ideal place to do so is in Vancouver where we have the freshest fish, the best selection of produce and the widest variety of international products. Vancouver is very much on the world culinary map, and Vancouverites don't realize how spoiled they are!" Letendre is quite happy to continue spoiling them.