For Vancouver foodies, the name Rob Feenie is synonymous with exquisite cuisine combining the best of European, Asian and North American culinary traditions.

"When I think of his food I think of the great Parisian dress designers," Georgia Straight food critic Angela Murrills told CTV News.

It's high praise, but not uncommon for the young Canadian chef who toiled in the kitchens of the top French masters before returning to make a name for himself in his hometown.

Since opening his restaurant Lumiere nine years ago, Feenie has been heaped with accolades. In 2000, Feenie's culinary skills launched his enterprise into exalted territory.

That was the year Lumiere became Canada's first freestanding restaurant to receive the prestigious Relais Gourmand designation.

And this year, the chef-owner added another Canadian first -- his restaurant's induction into the Grande Table du Monde -Traditions & Qualité.

Feenie, who says he never expected such acclaim from his notoriously fickle European peers, sets his own standards.

"It's up to us to make us different from everyone else to try to keep ourselves above everyone else," Feenie said as he led CTV's Sandie Rinaldo through his Vancouver restaurant.

But, when Rinaldo pressed him to admit the flipside of his success, Feenie said he knows he's earned a reputation as a "bad boy chef." He's had a long-running feud with Toronto chef Susur Lee, and has had some words with other chefs in Vancouver.

"I don't think anyone will ever contest that a chef isn't arrogant," he said.

"It's always harder in your own backyard to get support," he said, dismissing his Canadian critics.

He's published two cookbooks, has a regular cable television gig and last year opened a second successful restaurant, Feenie's. The chef-turned-entrepreneur acknowledges that his rapid rise to fame and success may have affected him, slightly.

"When the restaurant first opened my head got a bit swelled," he admitted. "And I think that I've learned since then."

If that sounds as though Feenie's celebrity chef bravado has been somewhat humbled, it's because it has. After all, life in the restaurant business can be tumultuous at the best of times.

"It's not an easy business to be in. The hours are tough. Long. There's not a lot of pay."

But the Burnaby, B.C. native is not about to clear his plate. Chef Feenie plans to keep developing his eclectic style, and along with it, keep the customers coming.