Oregon Culinary Institute

About

Training Kitchen Ninjas since 2006. © Copyright 2010

Oregon Culinary Institute and Pioneer Pacific College – All copyrights reserved.

Story

Portland cuisine has become the stuff of legend, and it leads the way for the rest of the nation. Farm-to-table. Seasonal. Local-focus. These are not the exceptions in Portland, but the norm. Looking for the next big culinary trend? Look to Portland.

Chefs come to Portland from all over to follow their culinary dreams, and they have high expectations of those who want to work with them.

OCI is uniquely Portland, and its curriculum matches the approach to cooking that Portland chefs so favor. We strive to teach our students the skills needed to immediately go to work in Portland kitchens. We believe that if you can make it in Portland, you can make it anywhere.

That’s why many Portland chefs say they like OCI students and graduates: chefs know our students and graduates possess the skills they’re looking for in their kitchens. Whether for externships or for post-grad jobs, OCI has an extensive network of partnering local chefs and restaurants to help find placements.

Mission

We started this school from scratch because we wanted to do it better and to do it right.

We believe in good food. We believe in education. We believe in the communion that takes place between people sitting down together over an expertly crafted meal. We believe that learning to cook and bake should be affordable. We believe that solid skills, proper technique, educated palates, and comprehension of kitchen math are the cornerstones for cooks with futures, so that is what we teach. We are not perfect, but we strive for perfection. We expect our students to work hard and try every day and every minute. We expect the same from ourselves. We have heard our graduates referred to as 'Kitchen Ninjas' (at which we laugh but think that the term might fit). We do not want to take over the world. But we do want to make it a better place, filled with better cooks, better food, and a higher awareness of what it means to cultivate, harvest, render, prepare, cook, plate, present, savor, and give thanks, while taking responsible steps to make sure that those who come after us will have the same or better opportunities.

Products

• Culinary Arts - Hospitality Management Associate of Occupational Science Degree (AOS)
• Culinary Arts Diploma
• Baking and Pastry - Hospitality Management Associate of Occupational Science Degree (AOS)
• Baking and Pastry Diploma