The Roger Street Bistro in Port Alberni will be reopening its doors to the public starting April 8.
The bistro is run by North Island College Professional Cook Level 1 students, who have been training with NIC culinary instructor Chef Al Irving since January.
“I’m really excited to have the bistro open,” said Pro Cook student Kuba Pesik. “It’s a big milestone to move from practicing in the kitchen to serving customers in a full restaurant.”
The bistro, located at 3699 Roger Street, will be open for lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Thursday. Breakfast service will begin May 6.
The menu, designed by Chef Irving, will feature the bistro classic of grilled chicken burger and bacon cheeseburger, along with new items featured daily. The weekly menus will be posted to the NIC Roger Street Bistro Facebook page.
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“Working in the bistro setting is a great opportunity for the students,” said Irving. “It pulls together all the skills they’ve learned up to this point and lets them experience working in a real commercial kitchen and serving customers.”
Professional Cook Level 1 is the first step toward Red Seal certification as a chef and covers core culinary skills including stocks, soups, sauces, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, sandwiches and desserts.
Support from the public has helped to make the bistro experience a wonderful learning opportunity for the students, noted Irving.
“We’re so grateful for the members of the community who make the bistro their go-to lunch destination,” said Irving. “We know the community is as excited about opening day as we are.”
To learn more about NIC’s culinary programs, visit www.nic.bc.ca/culinary.