After 17 years, SU culinary professor ‘Chef U’ will retire from teaching
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Not many students can say their professor is a master chocolate sculptor, professional ice carver and a “master distiller.” But for the last 17 years, Chris Uyehara, a culinary professor at SU, has made that a reality for his students.
“I enjoy the teaching. I enjoy the students. I teach them everything in the kitchen to make them comfortable,” Uyehara said. “But now it’s a new chapter.”
Uyehara, known as “Chef U” by his students, will be retiring after this semester. He plans to move on and spend his time at his distillery in Skaneateles, the Last Shot Distillery.
Sarah Kanaan, a senior psychology major, has taken two of Uyehara’s classes. Even though it isn’t her area of study at SU, she said she’s impressed with everything she’s been able to learn from him.
“I feel like he’s overqualified for this job,” Kanaan said. “So it’s really cool that he’s able to be here and teach us cool tricks learned in the industry.”
Before he came to SU, Uyehara grew up in Hawaii and spent time watching his father and brother bake. Both were “master bakers” with their own shops, but it wasn’t until Uyehara had to help out in his brother’s bakery that he realized he too had a passion for baking.
Uyehara quit his job as a car mechanic and decided to learn more about pastries and fine cooking. He began working in a local hotel in the kitchens and competed in chocolate and sugar sculpture competitions.
From there, Uyehara climbed his way up in the baking industry, working as a chef at several hotels and affluent restaurants. Then, in 2006, after lecturing at SU a few times, the university reached out to him and asked if he’d consider joining the faculty to teach their new cooking and baking curriculum, and he accepted.
His first year teaching, he developed a baking class, a pastry class and eventually, an introductory course in the culinary arts. Today, Uyehara is active in the culinary program, teaching five different courses.
When he accepted his teaching role, Uyehara knew it may not sound as glamorous as being an executive chef. He knew his wage would be considerably smaller than his job at the restaurant, he said.
But, for him, the title ‘teacher’ meant just as much, and his passion for teaching has only grown throughout his career. Uyehara imparts all kinds of knowledge on his students, from complex recipes to simply familiarizing oneself with utensils.
“If you don’t learn anything else from this university, you’re going to learn how to use a knife,” Uyehara said. “It’s a skill you’re going to use for the rest of your life.”
One of the courses Uyehara teaches is FST 203, Fine Pastries and Desserts. It’s open to any student at SU, not just food-related majors.
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Philip Smith, a graduate student and teaching assistant for FST 203, studies nutrition and works in a bakery outside of school. He is grateful to learn alongside Uyehara for the second semester in a row, and Uyehara’s expertise and experience in the field has been invaluable, he said.
“When I knew he was going to teach this for his last semester, I had to take the opportunity to TA for it one last time,” Smith said.
Another senior, Ivy Lin, shared similar sentiments, adding that FST 203 taught her valuable culinary skills and has provided her with a fun, creative outlet amid her college schedule.
Uyehara has made a name for himself in the culinary world, winning countless awards and accolades in cooking competitions. But now, after over a decade of working and teaching in the kitchen, it’s time for Uyehara to hang up his apron.
Uyehara looks towards the future, where he’ll focus his energy on Last Shot Distillery. Along with co-owner John Menapace, Uyehara opened the distillery in 2015, and it has since won awards and gold stars. On behalf of the distillery, Uyehara even competed on the Discovery’s Channel’s Master Distiller series, and won.
“I might be leaving (Syracuse University), but (the distillery) is this new chapter.” Uyehara said.
