From the scenic Hawaiian island of Lanai to the beautiful mountains of British Columbia, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler welcomes new Executive Chef Eren Guryel. This well-seasoned Four Seasons chef who made his start in his family’s steakhouse outside Killington Vermont ski resort is now coming full circle back to his roots and will oversee the culinary operations of the Resort.
Chef Eren joins the team in Whistler from his most recent post as the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, The Lodge at Koele. With more than 18 years with Four Seasons, it all started for Eren in 1997 at Four Seasons Hotel New York. From there he has lived all over the world cooking and working as a Sous Chef at several properties including Four Seasons Hotel Boston, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (a Four Seasons Hotel), and Four Seasons Hotel Austin. He then moved up the ranks at Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, where he served as Executive Sous Chef and was responsible for an extensive culinary operation. In 2007 Eren took a hiatus from Four Seasons as he was invited to work at Thomas Keller’s 3 Michelin Star restaurant Per Se in New York City.
Though originally choosing to study aeronautical engineering, Eren says “my summer kitchen jobs fueled my desire to pursue a professional chef career instead of designing aircraft,” which led him to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he earned an associate’s degree in culinary arts. Eren has a philosophy of keeping it authentic, fresh, simple and seasonal, and using only the best ingredients, pairs it with his passion for cooking.
Chef Eren will oversee all culinary aspects of the Resort including the restaurant, bar, pool cabana, weddings, meetings and events. He is looking forward to bringing new ideas and flavours to Sidecut Modern Steak + Bar, which is known for its locally-sourced menu that evolves seasonally with its farm- and ocean-to-table influence. In addition to the legendary Summer Backyard BBQ Series, Sidecut Bar is the perfect après location, whether it’s après ski, bike or hike, with its creative dishes, refreshing cocktails and local beers on tap.
