Our Story
For the simple love of food.
Meet Our Founder, Vanessa Yeung
Vanessa’s culinary journey began as a cook with catering companies in and around the Toronto area.
Seeking a deeper knowledge and understanding of food, she applied to the celebrated Stratford Chefs School. The intense training and the opportunities that the school provided led Vanessa to graduate with the Award of Culinary Excellence and a prestigious apprenticeship at one of Canada’s top restaurants, Scaramouche. It was there she honed her skills and her palate, to understand that sometimes simplicity is the road to perfection.
A Calling for Personal Chef Services
After her time as a research and development chef at one of Canada’s largest food manufacturing companies, Vanessa felt her true calling was catering and providing personal chef services. She has catered, among many, to the Hospital for Sick Children, York University, The University of Toronto and the Credit Union of Ontario. Vanessa also became the private chef to NHL goaltender Ed Belfour.
She soon came to realize that the Toronto dating scene needed something that would truly bring people together. Aphrodite Cooks and the Singles Supper Club were born. The Singles Supper Club offered the unattached of Toronto an opportunity for like-minded singles to meet in a relaxed and interactive cooking environment.
From there, Vanessa appeared on food television shows such as Foodies, Fearless in the Kitchen and Toronto Dining, as well as lifestyle dating shows such as Oh So Cosmo and Dating 201.
Today, Aphrodite Cooks is located in Etobicoke and is in its 18th year of business. It offers cooking classes and catering services, and the kitchen and dining room is available for private rentals. Well loved by Toronto, Aphrodite Cooks has garnered recognition and loyal customers who have a passion for food.
Vanessa’s journey with food and cooking will be a constant evolution but she will always recognize the power it has to bring people together.
