Meet the Chef – Mario Poirier
Meet Mario Poirier, Chef at Restaurant Chez Raymond in Neguac.
Originally from Village St. Laurent, Mario had his first cooking experience at 16 years old, working as a cooks helper with his uncle Patrick Poirier, preparing meals for 65 workers at a paving company.
“After this experience, I knew I wanted to become a chef,” says Mario “so I enrolled in a one year course at the Community College in Edmundston and got my certificate in cooking. As part of the course I completed a practicum at Chez Raymond and I’ve been working here ever since.”
Mario says it will be 31 years this June since he started working at Chez Raymond and “I’m still loving it.”
Chez Raymond is a family restaurant that offers various types of cuisine, including Italian, Chinese, Acadian, Canadian and seafood dishes.
Mario enjoys preparing seafood, specifically seafood chowder, although it’s a seasonal dish it’s in great demand during the summer months.
And his favourite dishes on the menu to prepare are Coquilles St Jacques and Chinese combo plates.
When it comes to buying local food, Mario always tries to use local ingredients especially in the summer months. “I buy oysters locally to support the local economy and also for the quality as it’s always fresh and that is most important,” he says.
What is the best part of being a chef?
“It is the sense of accomplishment that I get when I prepare for big events such as Mother’s Day or catering for a wedding,” says Mario. “I ensure that everything is running smoothly and that everyone on my team is contributing, that we are on time and have enough food.
Being a chef is a role that comes with a lot of responsibilities; you need to be organized, be able to plan and have a lot of patience to work in this fast paced field. However, it brings me a lot of satisfaction at the end of the day when everything is done and ready to serve our customers which is the number one thing that is most important – a satisfied customer!”
Giv’er Miramichi is about “What’s up, what’s new, what’s happening”. We are focused on building people up, supporting one another and celebrating our successes.
Chez Raymond, when people comes from miles away to eat at this famous restaurant what does it say about it. From Saint John to Fairisle this is my first stop. Food is super good, workers are professionals and you’re bound to see friends you haven’t seen in a while. Keep the good work Chef Mario. See you soon Chez Raymond. Summer is here we’re coming.
Mario!t’ai un chef #1 pour plusieurs y compris moi, c’est toujours sastisfaisant d’aller manger a votre restaurant,c’est tellement bon, continue ton bon travail👌
You are a great chef and the food is always good at Chez Raymond! Tu es un super chef et le manger est toujours bon ChezRaymond! Félicitations!
Sait toujours un plaisir de retourné dans mon coin d’Acadie et revoir mes amis de :CHEZ-RAYMOND RESTAURENT apres plusieurs mois passé dans ma nouvelle province :Le Québec .En se vois en fin semaine …Du 1er Juillet , D’ici la faite des poutines Rappées et des Fish – cake ….LOL Hilaire
You are a great chef you should go on master chef canada
Food always great at Chez Raymond , keep going Chef Mario , can’t beat your cooking ! Chez Raymond is our fav place to dine , especially the buffets !!!!❤️ Thank you for your many yrs of dedication.