about

Founded on the principle of client-based thinking, couture cuisine & event artistry believes that successful event designs result from listening to clients’ needs, and creating an event that truly is a reflection of you and your style. From there, we establish the most appropriate event design plan, marry it with the unique creations of our well renowned chef, and execute it flawlessly. It’s a synergy of talent and purpose.

 

mission statement

To custom create a reception exclusively for you, that is a reflection of you, never to be recreated for anyone else, ever again.

The divine pleasure of dining… fully realized by masterfully sating ALL of the senses…
“A Toronto Catering Company dedicated to achieving fashion forward event design that reflects your style.”

event artistry

Couture Cuisine & event artistry is an innovative and creative, full service event artistry team. We promise to make your objective ours. We are committed to delivering effective event design strategies to ensure flawless, fashion forward receptions. No detail will be overlooked!

chef richard singh

Chef Richard Singh brings two decades of culinary experience to the Couture Cuisine kitchen. As a graduate of the prestigious Cordon Bleu culinary school, he has honed his skills working at Michelin-starred restaurants such as The Fat Duck and Per Se, as well as at various Toronto hotels including The Shangri La. Chef Singh is known for putting a modern twist on classic dishes while also supporting local artisans and sourcing the highest quality ingredients. His passion for cooking and commitment to using sustainable and responsible practices are sure to impress and delight Couture Cuisine clients and their guests.

Get to know Chef Richard a little more!

When did you start cooking for fun?
From age 10 I became interested in cooking. I remember in Grade 5 bringing in “Essence” spice blend from Chef Emeril Lagasse to make my homemade lunches a bit more special. We had a cookbook in the house, Land O’Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes, and it was something I looked over and over. I grew up eating predominantly Trinidadian food but we would go to Red Lobster or Mandarin as a treat, and Friday nights reserved for for Mr. Sub or KFC. Eating meatloaf, pot roast, Shepherd’s Pie, chicken and biscuits was a new experience. I would try to make these dishes and the results were not horrible, although the kitchen was a disaster! My friends enjoyed the food, and my parents appreciated and supported the different cuisine.

Who provided inspiration in the kitchen, when you were a kid?
My Mom and Dad 100%! Takeout was a luxury or a reward. When we first came to Canada we would go to farms north of Toronto to buy whole chickens to eat at home. My parents didn’t trust or understand the grocery store portions of meat. I remember the sights, sounds, and smells of the selected chickens being slaughtered, boiled, plucked, and bagged. We would get home and spend time cleaning and butchering the birds to have chicken for the next month, and I would help with that. We lived in small apartments so the kitchen was always the place to gather. As I’ve gotten older and become a chef as my profession, this has more meaning. I was always interested in watching my parents cook. It always smelled good, it was clean, organized and my parents worked together. Both of them were excellent at everything, my Mom had a better touch with the baking and my Dad would flex with duck or goat.

What is your favourite thing to cook?
I love cooking duck, squab, pheasant, or quail. Cooking those from raw require attention, knowledge, experience, respect and love. At home I enjoy Asian cuisine and cooking from different countries in the region for example: Filipino adobo, Chinese siu yuk, Japanese ramen, Vietnamese pho. I also like being inspired by what I see when shopping. If there is a beautiful cut of beef I think steakhouse dinner, or if I come across crab legs then I’m making a Cajun crab boil. One of the most satisfying things is cooking a Tomahawk over charcoal and having it come out perfect!

Do you have a food philosophy?
Food is the language of cultures. Try everything, be curious but also respectful. Taste is subjective, but flavours put you into the time and place of what you’re having. I’ve had a lot of great meals in my life at very highly rated restaurants, but the meals that are most memorable are the ones that can’t be replicated in an environment where everything is “perfect”.

What is your focus, in terms of the guests’ culinary experience?
I want our guests to be both satisfied and surprised. I want to make sure the size of the meal is sufficient but not heavy, the menu description is simplified but the plate is thought-out, and their overall experience surpasses their expectations.

Is there anything you do not like to eat?
Raw tomatoes or raw celery. I cook with both of them and could not make a chicken or soup without celery, but you will NEVER see me eating a celery stick. I will only eat a raw tomato when they are at their peak in late summer, but still reluctantly.

If you could travel anywhere to dine, where would that be?
Bucket list for me is The French Laundry, I’ve worked for Chef Keller and dined at Per Se, but The French Laundry is somewhere I need to visit. The other place I would love to dine is Lyon, France at Restaurant Paul Bocuse. This city is a French foodie paradise!

Anything else our guests should know about you?
I’m a dog dad and think my puppies are adorable!

management profile

Nicole Pieckenhagen, co-founder and Managing Partner of Toronto’s couture cuisine & event artistry is responsible for overseeing the design and execution of all client events from styling award winning weddings and chic corporate affairs to creating memorable bar mitzvahs and sophisticated social events.

Nicole’s alternative approach to event design is the foundation for the company. She passionately believes that every event produced should be original and reflect the individual personality of the client. Employing restrained elegance in styling the event, maintaining an aesthetic that respects natural and architectural surroundings, and providing an uncluttered approach to food and beverage presentation are the hallmarks of her signature designs.

the team

Couture Cuisine & event artistry offers you a team of highly skilled professionals including our renowned celebrity chef, corporate meeting planners, wedding stylists, in-house sommelier, and interior designer. Together, we combine passion for excellence with a client-focused philosophy in order to exceed your expectations. It is our mission to ensure your reception is a uniquely stylized reflection of you.

Interested in a career with Couture Cuisine? apply now :

clients list

Over the past 15+ years we have had the pleasure of catering for so many in the GTA.

Abbott Laboratories
Abraxis
ADP
AMEC
Aim Trimark
American Express
Alias
Alliance Atlantis
Art Gallery of Ontario
Astral Media
AstraZeneca
ATI
ATLA
Atlantis Creative Group
Aveda
Aventis
Aviva Insurance
AXON
Bank of Montreal
Bayer
Baywood Homes
Bell ExpressVu
Bliss Events
Brooks Brothers
Bump Creative
Canadian Mental Health Association
Canadian Tire
CBC
Celtic House
CIBC
Coca Cola
Colgate
Colliers International
Comwave
CPPIB
Cryptologic
Davis + Henderson
DeBeers
Dental Care
Deloitte Touche
Direct Energy
DMG World Media
Downsview Kitchens
Ernst & Young
Eli Lilly
Family Communications
Financial Executives International
FQ Magazine
Gillanders

GlaxoSmithKline
Gore Mutual Insurance
Guardian Group
Hallmark
Halsal
Harlequin
Harry Rosen
Hilton Canada
Hoffman-LaRoche
Horatio Alger Association
Iams
IBM
IFDS
IMPAC
Imperial Capital Corp
Industrial Alliance
Insurance Bureau of Canada
International Trade Canada
Janssen-Ortho
Kering Eyewear
Knightsbridge
Knots By Design
KPMG
Kraft Canada
Lakefield College School
Loyalty Group
MAC Cosmetics
Manulife Financial
Market Probe
Metro Beauty Supply
Michael Kors
Minacs
Mint Events
Mintz & Partners
MPAC
National Life
Northpoint Group
Novo Nordisk
Novopharm
Oceana Cruises
Ontario Ministry of Finance
Ontario New Home Warranty
Ontario Teachers Pension Plan
Ontario Real Estate Association
Optium
Ortho Biotech
Parkin Architects
Pattison Sign Group
Pemberton Group
Pepsi Canada

Petro Canada
Pfizer
Pinedale Properties
Porsche
Presidents Choice Financial
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Prime Time Management
Proctor & Gamble
ReMax
Roche
Rogers Wireless
Rothmans
Royal Bank of Canada
Royal Conservatory of Music
Royal de Vessailles
Saporito Foods
Scotia Bank
Scotia McLeod
Serendipity Point Films
Shoppers Drug Mart
Sherson Group
Societe Generale
Solman Rothbart Goodman
Sprint Canada
St. Joseph Media
Suncor
Sundail Homes
Swarovski Canada
Synectics
Tandberg Canada
TD Canada Trust
Teknion
Telus
Thompson Landry Gallery
Thomson Reuters
TI Group
Toronto.com
Toronto General Hospital
Toronto Real Estate Board
TorStar
Union Energy
Universal Studios
University Health Network
University of Toronto
VISA
Wyeth
Zip Local

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