Charlie Kunsang
Vancouver,British Columbia
Summary
Detail-oriented culinary professional with over 10 years of experience working in some of the best fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Chef De Cuisine
L'Abattoir
01.2024 - Current
- Served as Chef de Cuisine at L’Abattoir, a MICHELIN-recommended restaurant in Vancouver.
- Collaborated closely with Executive Chef and owner Lee Cooper to craft and execute a refined French-inspired West Coast menu focused on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
- Oversaw all daily kitchen operations, maintaining the highest standards of food quality, consistency, and presentation.
- Developed and curated seasonal à la carte and tasting menus while effectively managing food costs within target budgets.
- Played an active role in hiring, training, mentoring, and evaluating kitchen staff to build a strong and skilled culinary team.
- Managed monthly inventory and procurement processes to optimize cost control and minimize waste.
- Contributed to the restaurant’s participation in the Vancouver World Chef Exchange, collaborating with internationally renowned chef Mark Best and elevating the restaurant’s global culinary reputation.
- Played a key role in helping L’Abattoir achieve and maintain top rankings in Canada’s Top 100 Best Restaurants, including a #17 overall ranking nationwide last year.
Executive Sous Chef
Margo Restaurant
11.2022 - 04.2023
- Collaborated with the Executive Chef—a friend, mentor and formerly executive sous chef of Eleven Madison Park—during a chef residency at an established restaurant.
- Developed three distinct tasting menus and a variety of à la carte dishes over the course of the residency.
- Oversaw seamless execution of lunch and dinner service, ensuring high standards of quality and consistency.
- Initiated and led training programs for new team members, focusing on advanced culinary techniques to enhance productivity and optimize kitchen workflow.
Sous Chef
Vea Restaurant
05.2022 - 08.2022
- Collaborated closely with the Executive Chef in the creation and development of new menu items.
- Oversaw the flow of dinner service, ensuring timing, coordination, and quality across all stations.
- Supervised plating and conducted final inspections of all dishes at the pass to ensure they met the Executive Chef’s standards.
- Trained and managed kitchen staff while overseeing daily culinary operations.
- While my time here was brief, I believe I had lead the team very well. I had to leave my position due to severe health reasons.
Butcher
Sebastian and Co
02.2021 - 04.2022
- Butchering whole parts of animal
- Prepared all customized meat orders, cut requests and wholesale services daily.
- Assisted customers daily by taking and filling special orders
- Received and inspected all incoming shipments of meat, dairy, egg and dry goods daily.
- Cut meats to customer specifications and answered questions about specialty products.
- Greeted customers and helped with product questions, selections and purchases.
- Offered each customer top-notch, personal service to boost sales and customer satisfaction.
- Responsible of taking care of dry aging program at shop
- Although, my time here was a great learning opportunity to further develop my understanding of elements outside the kitchen. I left after ease of the pandemic and took up a sous chef position at Vea in Hong Kong
Sous Chef
Nightingale Restaurant
05.2020 - 01.2021
- I was invited by the chef de cuisine, with whom I have previously worked, to assist with restaurant management for a brief, agreed-upon period.
- Developed and launched seasonal à la carte dishes.
- Oversaw inventory management and supply ordering to ensure a fully stocked kitchen.
- Planned and directed high-volume food preparation in a fast-paced environment.
- Mentored kitchen staff to prepare them for high-pressure roles and future leadership.
- Managed the pass during dinner service — plating, quality checking, and controlling service flow — serving no fewer than 250 guests nightly.
- Successfully concluded my involvement after fulfilling the time commitment agreed upon with the chef.
Senior Chef De Partie
Eleven Madison Park
03.2019 - 04.2020
- Maintained mise en place preparation to the highest quality standards, ensuring all ingredients were ready for seamless service.
- Prepared purees, stocks, and sauces to accompany all meat, vegetarian, and vegan entrées featured on the tasting menu.
- Took full responsibility for cooking all entrée proteins on the menu with precision and consistency.
- Supervised commis chefs, managing their daily tasks and supporting their development.
- Started as garde manger, to meat roast Chef de Partie (CDP) and was later promoted to Sous Chef.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant temporarily closed, resulting in staff layoffs.
Senior Chef De Partie
L'abbatoir
01.2018 - 02.2019
- Completed daily tasks as Meat Roasting Chef de Partie, ensuring quality and consistency in all preparations.
- Responsible for cooking all protein dishes on the à la carte menu.
- Collaborated closely with the chef on the development of new menu items.
- Oversaw the flow of dinner service, managing high-volume service for an average of 120 guests nightly while still cooking at the highest level.
- Plated dishes alongside the chef at the pass during peak service hours.
- Trained and managed kitchen staff, supervising culinary activities to maintain smooth operations.
- After more than a year in this role, transitioned to an opportunity to work at Eleven Madison Park.
Sous Chef
Cinara
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Complete Responsible for preparation, cooking and plating of entre dishes.
- Mentored kitchen staff to prepare each for demanding roles.
- Supervised, and collaborated with team of 4 chefs producing well thought out seasonal a la carte as well as tasting menu for 40 seats restaurant
- After a spending a year, I felt that it was time to move onto further learning opportunities and take more management positions.
Research and Development Chef
Juke Restaurant
08.2016 - 01.2017
- Joined the team to assist my former Sous Chef from a previous restaurant in opening his first restaurant.
- Researched and developed new recipes and dishes for the menu.
- Maintained a well-organized mise en place to ensure consistent workflow for the kitchen staff.
- Developed kitchen personnel through training, performance reviews, and disciplinary actions as needed.
- Although the restaurant was a casual eatery, we applied our fine dining skills and techniques to elevate the overall dining experience.
- Completed the agreed-upon term, during which I was responsible for recipe creation and staff training.
Chef De Partie
Hawksworth Restaurant
08.2012 - 08.2016
- Part of the opening team for a restaurant that was ranked #1 in Canada’s Top 100 Best Restaurants for its first three years and remained in the top 10 for the remainder of my time there.
- Progressed through various kitchen roles over the years, gaining comprehensive experience across all stations.
- Set up and prepared cooking supplies and workstations during opening and closing shifts to maximize productivity.
- Maintained and improved kitchen staff skills through coaching, counseling, and disciplinary actions when necessary.
- Mentored newly hired cooks, preparing them for demanding culinary roles.
- Ensured a well-organized mise en place to maintain consistency and efficiency during service.
- Left the position despite being offered Sous Chef at 21, choosing to pursue further culinary knowledge and growth opportunities before settling into a leadership role.
Education
High School Diploma -
David Thompson Secondary School
Vancouver, BC07.2012
Skills
- Culinary expertise in menu development and recipe creation
- Strong leadership and team management skills
- Knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
- Inventory and cost control management
- Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Creativity and innovation in dish presentation and flavor profiles
- Staff training, mentoring, and performance evaluation
- Strong organizational and time management abilities
- Familiarity with sourcing local and seasonal ingredients
- Ability to collaborate effectively with front-of-house and management teams
- Problem-solving and decision-making skills in kitchen operations
Internship
Relae Restaurant, Copenhagen. May 2017 - June 2017
References
Kristian Eligh - Former Chef de Cuisine at Hawksworth Restaurant
- Kristian.Eligh@toptable.ca 604 365 2906
Bryan Satterford - Chef and co owner of Juke Chicken
- Bryan@jukefriedchicken.com 778 836 6977
Brian Lockwood - Former Chef de Cuisine at Eleven Madison Park
- chefblockwood@gmail.com 303-910-8772
Alan Tam - Chef de Cuisine at Nightingale Restaurant
- Atam85@gmail.com 604-782-8383
Tess Fuller - Manager, Head Butcher at Sebastian and Co
- tess@sebastianandco.ca 250-212-9989
Timeline
Chef De Cuisine
L'Abattoir
01.2024 - Current
Executive Sous Chef
Margo Restaurant
11.2022 - 04.2023
Sous Chef
Vea Restaurant
05.2022 - 08.2022
Butcher
Sebastian and Co
02.2021 - 04.2022
Sous Chef
Nightingale Restaurant
05.2020 - 01.2021
Senior Chef De Partie
Eleven Madison Park
03.2019 - 04.2020
Senior Chef De Partie
L'abbatoir
01.2018 - 02.2019
Sous Chef
Cinara
01.2017 - 01.2018
Research and Development Chef
Juke Restaurant
08.2016 - 01.2017
Chef De Partie
Hawksworth Restaurant
08.2012 - 08.2016
High School Diploma -
David Thompson Secondary School
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