A Delicious Journey Through the Lens of Calgary’s Culinary Scene With Dave and Quin Cheung

With Calgary’s vibrant food scene continuing to evolve, there’s nothing quite like the stories simmering behind the stove; the bold flavours and the people whose memories and cultures shape every plate. For filmmaker and photographer Dave Cheung, those stories are more than just snapshots of a dish; they’re windows into identity, vulnerability and the deep humanity that fuels every kitchen.

Through his TELUS STORYHIVE Anniversary Documentary Edition film Chef Stories, Dave follows four Calgary chefs as they open up about craft, culture and the challenges that come with carving out a place in the culinary world. 

We caught up with Dave to hear about his journey into documentary filmmaking, the emotional surprises behind Chef Stories and the meals and moments he still thinks about today. 

STORYHIVE: Tell us about yourself!

Dave Cheung: My wife Quin and I were photographers for over 20 years under DQ Studios, mostly doing destination weddings; we travelled the world doing that. About eight years ago, I transitioned into film. What I loved was that it allowed us to tell more complete stories, not just visuals in stills, but also people’s words, their voices. That’s what drew me into documentaries instead of narrative work. I love authenticity and allowing people to see themselves through our eyes. My wife and I co-produced and co-directed Chef Stories; we really do everything together.

STORYHIVE: How did it feel to win a Rosie Award and see all your work come together?

Dave Cheung: It was shocking, honestly. My wife [recorded] the moment on her iPhone and you can literally hear her gasp. It was pretty funny. Being nominated was already wonderful, especially alongside such amazing work. I watched several of the nominated pieces and they are all just incredible. So, to be recognized by your peers feels very special.

STORYHIVE: What goes into creating a documentary like this from production, filming and post-production?

Dave Cheung: I’m really grateful for the STORYHIVE team– people like STORYHIVE Program Manager Shaun Cathcart and my mentor Chris Hsiung from the National Screen Institute. Even though I’ve held a camera for over 20 years, the production side of making a documentary of this length was a whole new world. There were so many layers I wasn’t fully prepared for.

Booking talent, filming and especially the edit; everything took much longer than I expected. It’s very different from commercial work, which pays my bills and is usually 30 seconds to a minute long. Pacing a documentary for 20 minutes is a whole other challenge.

So what goes into it? Way more than I ever thought. But I’m so grateful for the guidance and reassurance that it can be done, one step at a time.

STORYHIVE: Was there anything that surprised you about Calgary’s culinary scene while filming Chef Stories?

Dave Cheung: A lot, actually! We didn’t know most of the chefs before starting. People assume we must have known them well, but we only became friends after this project.

I wasn’t expecting the emotional vulnerability they shared, or the big, purposeful goals they have. Beyond commercial success, some talked about wanting to help feed the world. I’m a very curious person by nature, so it was amazing to have them open up beyond just their restaurants.

STORYHIVE: What was your experience joining the TELUS STORYHIVE Anniversary Documentary Edition? Anything unexpected or particularly helpful?

Dave Cheung: There’s a lot of information coming at you from various channels; my advice would be to definitely leverage it all. It can feel overwhelming because there’s so much documentation, but I found it incredibly useful.

Even near the end, I watched a recorded session on festivals (I had to miss it because I was flying). It was exactly what I needed. I wasn’t really prepared for the whole journey after finishing the documentary, the festival arc, distribution, all of that.

But STORYHIVE Program Manager, Shaun, was always responsive to emails, guiding me through the parts I was unfamiliar with. As someone who had never done a documentary like this, having that support and the ‘here are the festivals worth investing in’ kind of guidance was priceless. Pace yourself and really dig into the resources STORYHIVE provides.

It’s ongoing too, I just emailed Shaun last week because the Calgary Downtown Association is planning a viewing next year, and I want to invite him. I feel so much gratitude toward him; he’s responsive, available and knowledgeable.

STORYHIVE: Is there a standout moment from the filming process?

Dave Cheung: The emotional vulnerability from the chefs surprised me, but it was so welcome. I hope viewers feel that too, that these chefs are human. Even if they’re ranked in Canada’s Top 100 or featured in the LA Times, they still struggle. That human aspect is what sticks with me most.

STORYHIVE: What do you want viewers to take away when they watch your documentary?

Dave Cheung: To stay open and curious. We all judge people; it’s human. But if we let ourselves be surprised, we discover so much about what’s beyond the food on the plate. 

STORYHIVE: How did you choose which chefs to feature? 

Dave Cheung: Quin is a great producer, very intuitive. But honestly, it kind of happened naturally, because not every chef said yes. We ended up with two males, two females, different ethnicities and different culinary backgrounds.

One thing I’d probably do next time is more pre-interviewing, but I also like spontaneity in conversation. We were fortunate; each chef had such a unique story.

And one more thing about documentaries: some chefs have now moved on from their restaurants, or the restaurants have closed. But that’s the beauty of documentaries, they become a snapshot in time. Instead of judging who they were in that moment, I love travelling with them through their journey.

STORYHIVE: Food questions! What’s a meal you feel you could eat over and over again, either in general or from filming?

Dave Cheung: We love food, selfishly, that’s part of why we focused on it! Food is such a connector. For every chef we featured, it started because we ate at their restaurant and felt generosity on the plate, beyond presentation or flavour.

Some flavours were totally new to me. For example, dishes from Elia at Milpa, I’d never tasted anything like that. So it’s not nostalgic, it’s more, "What is this? And what’s the story behind it?"

What could I eat over and over again? Almost everything, minus bitter melon. But truly, I like a lot of foods.

STORYHIVE: What were the most memorable meals during filming?

Dave Cheung: Oh no, that’s too hard! Can I say four? One from each chef?

• Chef Matthias Fong, Primary Colours: He did a dinner service with coffee pairings. Coffee is so hard to pair, but he nailed it. Each dish had something that complemented and something that contrasted the same coffee. It blew my mind.

• Chef Elia Herrera, Milpa: Her sauces. I’ve never tasted anything like them. Some of my favourites were her grandmother’s recipes.

• Chef Danny Beaulieu, ãnkôr: He jumped dramatically in Canada’s Top 100, and deservedly so. His flavours are so unique. He’ll do beets five ways on the same dish. I didn’t even know what celeriac was before!

• Jenny Kang, Orchard: Trained in French, Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, but with Korean flavours. Her lasagna with gochujang is incredible. 

We also held a potluck to show the chefs the documentary for the first time, the best potluck of my life. There were tears. And now some of them are friends, even though they didn’t know each other before.

STORYHIVE: What is it about food that connects people?

Dave Cheung: One of my chef friends says that food is a kind of diplomacy, but it’s even more than that. Everyone needs to eat. As Elia says in the documentary, it’s one of the most basic human needs.

Food doesn’t have to be boring. It can transport you, through taste, smell, memory and culture. If we open ourselves up to new flavours and new people, food brings us closer together.

STORYHIVE: What’s next for you creatively?

Dave Cheung: I love documentaries, that’s my thing. I’m also getting more commercial clients who want real stories, so I’ve been working with local galleries and culinary establishments.

I’m open to whatever’s next. I’m a Christian, so I leave room for God’s calling, for the stories and people I’ll meet next. I never know what the future holds, but I’m excited.

Join us in congratulating Dave and Quin on their incredible success! Explore Chef Stories and all the films now on TELUS Optik TV Video on Demand channel 9, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel.

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