Yellowknife (Sep 01/06) - When Michel Hivert speaks about his time as head chef at the Explorer Hotel, the word that comes up most often is "challenge."

Hivert will have been at the Explorer for one year this September, and his journey to Yellowknife has taken him all over the world.

Originally from Nice, France, Hivert attended culinary school for three years before becoming a chef at 19. Immediately after school he went to work for the French navy. When officials realized his sailor skills were lacking, he was sent to work on a submarine for a year.

Since then, Hivert has worked in Monte Carlo, Cannes, Miami Beach, Haiti, Toronto, and Montreal. For the 10 years before coming to Yellowknife, Hivert owned a restaurant in Mont Tremblant, Que., with his Canadian wife Sylvie.

Hivert had just turned 40 when the general manager of the Explorer Hotel called him up, looking for a head chef. He was ready for a change, and although he knew "absolutely nothing" about Yellowknife, he looked forward to the challenge.

Hivert's day typically starts at 5:30 a.m. when he arrives at the restaurant to unlock doors, heat up the ovens, and organize what each of his chefs will be doing that day. Hivert's days are always different; sometimes he will be cooking on the line, other times he will be doing food prep, and everyday there is a stack of paperwork to be done.

Hivert aims to be out of the kitchen by 7 p.m. at which time, "I say thank you to all my staff. Always. Every day."

Between the hotel restaurant, lounge, and banquet hall, the kitchen can prepare meals for up to 600 people during the busiest part of the year.

Included on the menu are Northern dishes, such as caribou, muskox, and char. A popular plate is the Northern Platter, which includes a piece of each of the above served with bannock. This dish is popular with Japanese tourists hoping to sample northern fare.

Hivert said working as a chef in Yellowknife is "a huge challenge." Chief among these is getting fresh food and a guaranteed supply of ingredients.

"You can ask for a certain food, but you might not get it," he said. Most of the food he cooks with comes from huge southern suppliers that get their food from across Canada. For example, the veal he uses comes from Montreal and takes a month to arrive.