Executive Chef • MICHELLE GIRARD
Michelle grew up in Portland Oregon with a father whose profession was a chef. He is the one
that taught her about growing in the garden and preserving food, which she still loves to do
today. What the family did not grow, they went and picked at local farms which started Michelles’
love of supporting her local farms.
She worked up the ranks in Hilton Hotel’s in Portland Oregon. Until she moved to Eugene Oregon to be the Executive Chef for the Hilton Eugene. She took a short break in the middle for an opportunity to work in Jackson, Wyoming at a resort and learned about cooking wild game,
specifically antlered animals. She feels blessed to have had the opportunities to be a consultant
on a commercial, do chef taskforce work, and be the host chef for the Oregon Truffle festival for
7 years.
This is the best job she has had yet and loves to find creative ways to improve the quality and
variety of what is offered.
Michelle Lives with her husband Brent of 20 years, dog daughter Lexi and bunny Betty.
Sous Chef • BRIAN LUCK
I was born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted as a baby by a Chinese-American father and
Canadian mother. Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, my family mostly ate simple meals, but
occasional trips to Portland’s Chinatown with my grandparents opened my eyes to bold,
unforgettable flavors. That early love of eating evolved into a passion for cooking, which led me to LCC’s Culinary and Hospitality program.
After graduating, I worked as a line cook at the Eugene Hilton for five years, where I met my
wife Willow, a server at the time. We had our first child, Charlie, and I began exploring new
culinary experiences—starting a food cart and outdoor bar with a friend, and helping at events like the Olympic trials. These ventures introduced me to the vibrant, less formal side of the food industry, which I quickly fell in love with.
Eventually, I was offered the chance to take over Yi Shen Market, a Vietnamese-Chinese
restaurant with an attached Asian grocery. Despite having no grocery or Asian kitchen
experience—and a second child on the way—I dove in. I spent a year training with the owner,
then ran the business solo for six years. It was an intense, rewarding chapter, but between
COVID and financial strain, I chose to close the shop and focus on family.
Soon after, I accepted a new role at Garden Way Retirement, where I’ve been for over a year
now. It’s the right fit at the right time, and my family agrees. Asian cooking remains my greatest passion, and I hope to return to it someday. Until then—Meokja! (Let’s eat!)
