Top Chef Canada Season 12 Episode 1
#TopChefCanada
#TopChefCanada2011
#RealityInsightHub
🎞 Please subscribe to our official channel to watch the full movie for free, as soon as possible. ❤️Reality Insight Hub❤️
👉 Official Channel: https://www.dailymotion.com/TrailerBolt
👉 THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
#TopChefCanada
#TopChefCanada2011
#RealityInsightHub
🎞 Please subscribe to our official channel to watch the full movie for free, as soon as possible. ❤️Reality Insight Hub❤️
👉 Official Channel: https://www.dailymotion.com/TrailerBolt
👉 THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00This program is rated PG and contains mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
00:14The search for Canada's top chef starts now.
00:18Let's go!
00:19The top culinary talent from coast to coast is here to show what Canada is made of.
00:25I came here to push myself.
00:27I want to be the best of the best.
00:28I'm not the best chef in the world, but I'm the best chef in this room right now.
00:32That's beautiful.
00:33Ten chefs, ten origin stories.
00:36I grew up hunting and foraging.
00:38I started in kitchens in Hong Kong.
00:40My dad owned a pub. I was pretty much born into the industry.
00:43Let's go!
00:44They'll show us who they are and what they've got.
00:48This tastes like fear and anxiety all at the same time, but delicious.
00:52Take some nuts!
00:54This season is all about cooking with pride.
00:56I love being able to stand up here as a queer Asian female chef.
01:01This is definitely a pinch me moment.
01:03Creating dishes that honor our cultural identities.
01:08It's really beautiful.
01:10Seasoned with love.
01:12All while striking the perfect balance.
01:15Stunning.
01:16But this competition is no joke.
01:19Careful, careful.
01:19Get in there.
01:20Oh, f***.
01:21One of the hardest things I've ever done.
01:24Two minutes!
01:25Because of the pressure.
01:26The stress.
01:27Very stressful.
01:28Sorry.
01:28Just need a minute.
01:30It's tough.
01:31Behind, behind, behind.
01:31Really intense.
01:32Come on!
01:33You question yourself along the way, like, is this worth it?
01:39Okay.
01:41Wait a minute.
01:44The table is set.
01:46This is unbelievable.
01:47And the judges with a roster of superstar guests are ready.
01:51The flavors are wild.
01:53This is what I would dream for a fried chicken dish.
01:56So good.
01:57So good.
01:57The best Restaurant Wars menu we've ever had.
02:01Wow.
02:02I'm gonna cry.
02:03Again?
02:05One chef will rise to the top to win it all.
02:08And take home a life-changing prize.
02:11Jack bug.
02:13$10,000.
02:15Courtesy of Ninja.
02:17DoorDash delivery for a year.
02:19$10,000 from Premier Protein.
02:21The redesigned Volkswagen Tiguan.
02:25$100,000.
02:26Courtesy of McCain French Fries.
02:29And the title of Canada's Top Chef.
02:48After all these years of watching it, dreaming about it,
02:51the reality kicks in.
02:52I'm actually on Top Chef Canada.
02:56Arriving at St. Lawrence Market.
02:58Iconic.
02:59This is the place to shop.
03:00In Toronto.
03:01Let's do this.
03:02It's super surreal being here.
03:04My heart is racing.
03:06Holy s***.
03:08I'm here to take first place and win Top Chef Canada.
03:12The restaurant that I work in Quebec, La Taniere,
03:15we just awarded two Michelin stars.
03:17On the two, Atoile!
03:18No!
03:18No!
03:18Really big surprise.
03:22We expect one, but two was like the dream.
03:26To reach the Michelin star, to reach the perfection,
03:28you need to be perfect.
03:30Hi, Anthony.
03:31Hello.
03:31Nice to meet you.
03:32Congratulations on your two Michelin stars.
03:34We have big expectations.
03:36I'm ready.
03:36I'm the sous chef at Burdock & Co. in Vancouver.
03:45Burdock & Co. is a modern Pacific Northwest restaurant
03:48with one Michelin star.
03:50I grew up in Hong Kong,
03:52so I've been inspired by flavors that I grew up on.
03:55I want to find my own voice and cook the food that I love
03:59and push traditional Chinese cuisine out of the box.
04:02Hi.
04:03Welcome.
04:03Good job.
04:04I'm here to show that I can be a badass chef.
04:11I'm the culinary director for Our House Hospitality.
04:14My business partner is Matty Matheson.
04:16You might know him from Vice or The Bear.
04:19He's a dreamer,
04:19and it's my job to make those dreams a reality
04:22and have the skills to make it work.
04:24Colton, what you and Matty Matheson have accomplished,
04:27really quite incredible.
04:29Yeah, five openings in five years,
04:31so treating this like another opening.
04:33And then go as hard as we can.
04:35Yeah.
04:36I want to make Matty proud.
04:37He's my biggest critic,
04:38and he's always pushed me in the right direction
04:40to be a better chef.
04:44What kind of chef am I?
04:46I'm a salty girl from PEI.
04:48I do a myriad of things,
04:50Jill of all trade vibes,
04:52restaurants, fine dining, casual, family style, catering.
04:55And I just launched my new brand,
04:57Nice Cans, McKenna Seafood brand.
04:59Yeah, this bitch has done everything.
05:01My style of cooking,
05:02I would call it maritime chic, okay?
05:04Take that however you want.
05:05It's like those earthy, down-home flavors,
05:08lobster, everything.
05:09So I keep my juicy figure.
05:11You need lobster?
05:11You need lobster.
05:14Yes!
05:15Ah!
05:17Yes!
05:18Colton Armstrong is here, everybody.
05:20Very, very successful.
05:21How did you get time off work?
05:23You know, I just didn't tell anybody.
05:24I just laughed.
05:25I'm the chef and culinary director
05:30at Five Sales and Global Restaurant in Vancouver.
05:33My passion is for fine dining cuisine,
05:35elevated French technique,
05:37refined with avant-garde style presentation.
05:40Hi, Alex.
05:41Hello, chef.
05:42I take my food very seriously.
05:44Recently, I competed
05:45in the Canadian Culinary Championship.
05:48I won the gold medal.
05:49I competed with Shanti,
05:51the previous winner of Top Chef Canada,
05:54and I beat him.
05:55I beat him.
06:03Hi.
06:05Hello.
06:05Hi, chef.
06:06Hi.
06:06How you feeling?
06:07Starstruck, so.
06:09What?
06:10They're right here.
06:12It's really crazy to see Mark and Eden
06:14and the other competitors.
06:16It's fierce competition,
06:17but I've been training for this
06:19pretty much my whole life without knowing it.
06:21I love to compete in cooking competitions.
06:24I have competed in the Hawksworth competition,
06:28Garland competition,
06:29and Boku's Door competition for national selection.
06:33That was one of the biggest ones I have done,
06:35besides this.
06:36To win the title of Top Chef Canada would be pretty dope.
06:45I am more of a don't-like-the-rules-small-restaurant kind of chef.
06:49It aligns with my personality,
06:51which is chill vibes, good food.
06:53I'm known for having the restaurant
06:54where no one can get the same dish twice.
06:56I've been cooking for a long time,
06:59honing in on flavors
07:00and learning from some really great chefs.
07:03Welcome.
07:04Hey.
07:04I work for a guy named Chris Pine.
07:07Dudes are just running circles around everyone.
07:10My name is Christopher Pine.
07:13I worked at Michelin Star restaurants in the UK,
07:15but now my wife and I live in the East Coast in Nova Scotia
07:18where we raise our twin boys.
07:20I'm the executive chef of Lightfoot and Wolfill Vineyards
07:22in Wolfill, Nova Scotia.
07:24It's a fully biodynamic farm,
07:26and I oversee the whole operation.
07:29For me, I like gourmet comfort,
07:31but elevated in a way that excites you.
07:34I want to show my boys that I'm Canada's top chef.
07:37Hi, chef.
07:38Welcome.
07:39Thanks, chef.
07:40Chef.
07:41Hey, everybody.
07:42How you doing?
07:43What's up, man?
07:44If I wasn't scared before, I am now.
07:46No messaging me for recipes now, right?
07:48Yeah.
07:51Chefs, welcome to Top Chef Canada.
07:56Season 12, baby.
08:00You've come from across the country to be here,
08:03to tell your stories,
08:04and most importantly, cook exceptional food.
08:08Okay, let's take this in.
08:10We're at the St. Lawrence Market.
08:12Look around.
08:13For over 200 years,
08:15this market is where chefs have launched culinary journeys,
08:19and you're about to do the same.
08:26For your first elimination challenge,
08:29you must create a dish that tells us
08:31all about your culinary origin story.
08:34Your dishes have to tell us how, why, and when
08:37you knew you had to be a chef.
08:40You'll need to talk this one out,
08:42because you'll be serving your dishes
08:44as part of a 10-chef collaborative dinner.
08:48Oh, honey.
08:49Oh, thanks.
08:49That's awesome.
08:51Back in the day, I'd have Jamie Kennedy,
08:54Susser Lee.
08:55We would all come together,
08:56and we would each bring what we thought
08:58was our best dish.
08:59We worked together, but we were also competing,
09:01because as chefs, that's what we always do.
09:06You'll be serving your collaborative dinner at Lenny's,
09:08one of the city's hottest restaurants.
09:11Just like any meal, when dishes hit the table,
09:14they need to make sense.
09:16There's 10 of you, 10 dishes.
09:18Make those dishes harmonize.
09:20I already got the dish, so we're good.
09:22Just fight over it now.
09:23The chef with the best dish
09:27will earn a very special immunity
09:29right out of the gate.
09:32And it has a game-changing power
09:35that I promise every one of you will want badly.
09:38And, of course, the chef with the worst dish
09:41will be going home.
09:44There's only one way to be safe in this competition,
09:46and that is to be the best chef.
09:49Easy peasy.
09:50All right, chefs, you have some planning to do.
09:53Get to it, and we'll see you tomorrow at Lenny's.
10:00For our collaboration dinner,
10:02to do it with 10 people,
10:0310 chefs that you've never met before,
10:05not to mention 10 chefs who are all competing
10:07for a $100,000 prize,
10:10it's quite the ask.
10:11I think we have to go around everybody
10:13and say their dish,
10:13because it's your origin story,
10:15and then build the menu from there.
10:17So, I'm Korean-Canadian.
10:18My grandmother heavily influenced me
10:20in my cooking,
10:22so I'm going to do a little bit of lobster,
10:25lightly glazed with gochujang.
10:27I'm from Quebec City,
10:28so I always love to work with foie gras,
10:32so I want to do the doc,
10:33foie gras doc.
10:34My origin story was working at my dad's pub
10:37and my first main that I had to cook all the time
10:38that I absolutely hated was liver and onions.
10:40So, I was thinking about doing, like,
10:42a super rougie version
10:43with, like, foie gras seared on tenderloin,
10:45sherry, pickled.
10:46Do you want to work some foie gras?
10:47Do you want to work some foie gras?
10:49Honestly, I can switch up.
10:51I do live in Nova Scotia now,
10:52so I could do, like, a bougie clam chowder
10:55or, like, a secondary starter, you know?
10:57Yeah.
10:57Go ahead.
10:58Okay.
10:59We need some appetizers.
11:01We only really have, like,
11:02one appetizer right now.
11:03Sorry, who wants to do appetizer?
11:05Me.
11:05I'm an appetizer.
11:06I'm an appetizer.
11:07And then two do soup.
11:09Is that enough?
11:11I'm trying to get my point across,
11:12but it looks like we have a lot of strong personalities
11:15this season.
11:17Tell your story.
11:18But, hey, so we have our orders.
11:20I'm going to have to kind of, you know,
11:22put on my big girl pants
11:24and use my chef voice.
11:30Let's go.
11:31Let's go.
11:31Oh, great.
11:32Okay.
11:32Sorry.
11:33Excuse me.
11:33Oh, that's a great fruit.
11:34And these are two poems?
11:35I need fresh haddock oysters.
11:37Can I get a discount because I'm cute?
11:39They have a good asparagus here.
11:40So we're doing a collaboration dinner
11:42with 10 chefs.
11:44We all are very diverse
11:45and have our own cooking styles,
11:47but our menu needs to come together in harmony.
11:49I'll just do two packs of that.
11:51There you go.
11:51I need some kind of berry.
11:53For our collaboration dinner,
11:54I'm doing the dessert course.
11:56So my idea is to put sweet pierogies
11:58on a dessert plate.
12:00It could be really cool
12:02and progressive and interesting.
12:04On my mom's side,
12:05we have Polish and Ukrainian lineage,
12:08and I'm Okanagan silks on my dad's side.
12:10I'm kind of an Alberta prairie girl special.
12:14My mouth is full of cheese,
12:16and I love it.
12:17My style of cooking
12:18is contemporary indigenous cuisine
12:20using modern techniques
12:22and also celebrating ingredients
12:24from around the world.
12:25I'm definitely here to win.
12:27I'm queen of the kitchen.
12:29Let's run.
12:30That will be all, thank you.
12:31Yeah, perfect.
12:32Take my money, man.
12:33You can just throw it on the counter.
12:34Actually connected.
12:37That was nice.
12:38I think I forgot potatoes.
12:41And by I think, I know.
12:43I was going to make
12:43my own salted haddock fish cake,
12:46but typically potato is used
12:48to make fish cakes.
12:49I forgot to buy potatoes.
12:50Like, as an East Coast girl,
12:51that seems, like, completely insane.
12:53That's a big deal.
12:55Did anybody else buy potatoes today?
12:56They're willing to donate to me.
12:58Yellow flesh preferably.
12:59Ooh, look at this tiguan.
13:08Wow.
13:10Let's go for a rip, eh?
13:12Oh, my God, we're going so fast.
13:14You drive like my grandma.
13:17So you just got a Michelin star?
13:19Does that have to like...
13:19You got two?
13:20Yeah.
13:21Oh, shoot, man.
13:22Oh, my gosh.
13:23Like, I don't do Michelin star.
13:24That's amazing.
13:26Seeing the caliber of the other chefs,
13:27the level is super high.
13:29If it's not me today
13:30who's winning Immunity,
13:31it's going to be Anthony
13:32or, my guess, Zach.
13:35There is no Zach.
13:37What's his name?
13:37Eric?
13:38Who's Zach?
13:41Zach is winning!
13:49Oh, let's go, let's go, let's go.
13:51Ooh, let's go!
13:54That's so dope.
13:56Ooh-hoo-hoo!
13:57It looks amazing.
13:57First time in the kitchen,
13:59you walk in there,
14:00it's a gorgeous space.
14:02It's go time.
14:02Good luck, everybody.
14:03Good luck.
14:04Crush it.
14:05Lots on the line.
14:06Lots and lots of line.
14:07That's like three lotses.
14:08Three lotses on the line right here.
14:12It's going to splash.
14:14For this elimination challenge,
14:15we have to create a collaboration dinner
14:17describing our origin story.
14:19Today, I'm making a dish for the starter course.
14:23It has to be fresh, light, bold, and thoughtful flavors.
14:26Yes.
14:26We need to start strong.
14:28So, lots of pressure.
14:30I'm making Canadian lobster and blue crab custard
14:33and lobster tail glazed with my own gochujang butter.
14:37Whoever wins the challenge will have the special immunity.
14:39So, that's what I'm going for.
14:42I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea,
14:44and I moved to Canada when I was 15.
14:46I spent my summer breaks with my grandparents in South Korea,
14:50doing a lot of traditional Korean cooking,
14:52like fermenting, pickling, charcoal grilling.
14:55That's how I fell in love with cooking.
14:57Today, I just have to get the right seasoning level
15:00for my custard base.
15:02I'm grinding the roasted lobster shells in my stock.
15:05I'm going to strain this,
15:07and I'm going to combine with my eggs.
15:08It's going to add deeper flavor.
15:10I want to make this dish really nice.
15:12Tastes like lobster, miso.
15:14Want to try?
15:17I forgot how much I hate dessert.
15:20For the last course, I'll be doing dessert.
15:22I'm going to start by getting a pound cake in the oven.
15:25My origin story is growing up,
15:27playing in the forest with my family.
15:29My dessert is a pine flower pound cake.
15:33You take the inner bark of the pine tree to make flour.
15:37It's the craziest, most beautiful florist-y flavor.
15:41I am putting some regular flour into it as well,
15:44because pine flour is very dense and very dry.
15:47I also have strawberries that have been stewed
15:49in a Labrador tea hujicha.
15:51There we go.
15:52I've torched the Labrador tea
15:54and then used that as a base for the strawberries.
15:57So it's smoky and beautiful.
16:00Oh my God, if I can just tell you how that smells.
16:03Growing up in Fort McMurray, my dad was a forester,
16:06so he would always take me fishing and hunting
16:08and eating the wild foods.
16:11He didn't call it foraging.
16:12It was just getting food.
16:14I love making people hungry for trees.
16:16Everything needs to be perfect.
16:19This is Top Chef.
16:24Green asparagus, perfectly in season.
16:27Oh yeah.
16:28I'm responsible for one of the mid-course dishes.
16:30Peeling asparagus.
16:31It's about an hour of my prep will just be doing this.
16:33A mid-course needs to be something
16:35that's carrying the menu through.
16:36Do not feel too rich or filling.
16:39It should be short, sweet,
16:41presented really well and very beautiful.
16:42Today I'm making a green asparagus dish
16:45with snow crab and vernaise.
16:47You know, my origin is coming from a farm,
16:50eating asparagus that was wild,
16:52and my mom making a hollandaise,
16:53so my dish is a love letter to my mom.
16:5545 minutes, chefs!
16:56We, chefs!
16:57Yes, chef!
17:01Oh, don't worry, I'm just still here peeling.
17:06Yeah!
17:08Got that brandy going.
17:10Nick, what are you making?
17:11I'm making a Thai Caribbean tuna melon salad
17:15for the starter course.
17:17I kind of want something cold
17:19and small and bright to start off.
17:21This is a horrible-looking piece of melon.
17:23I'm Trinidadian.
17:24My first restaurant that I worked at
17:26was my uncle's Caribbean restaurant,
17:28so I'm using a lot of those flavors
17:30that I grew up with.
17:31I'm poaching some melon
17:33in lemongrass and elderflower syrup.
17:35Trini flavors and Caribbean flavors
17:37are very similar to Thai flavors,
17:39so I'm doing, like, a fusion, if you will.
17:41I hate that word, but...
17:42I am making, like, Caribbean riff on a Nuwak jam.
17:47A Nuwak jam is, like, a dipping sauce.
17:49It has fish sauce, sugar, lime, and chili in it.
17:52Oh, hell yeah, dude.
17:53I need to balance all my flavors.
17:56I need to make sure I hit this sweet spot with my sauce.
17:58I need more sugar.
18:01Five minutes.
18:02Oh, yes, yeah!
18:03Five minutes!
18:04Oh, my God.
18:05Everyone else is cooking so much.
18:07It's kind of stressing me out.
18:08I'm just making a salad.
18:10Yeah, I'm very worried.
18:11Nick always has that look on his face, though,
18:13like, something's wrong.
18:15I've worked with Nick in the kitchen before,
18:16and I know that guy knows his flavors,
18:18and if he gets his food on the plate tomorrow,
18:20he's going to have a strong dish.
18:22The Top Chef Canada small appliances
18:30are brought to you in part by Ninja.
18:41Let's go.
18:42Okay, guys, good luck, good luck.
18:43For today's elimination challenge,
18:45we have to create a collaboration dinner
18:47that shows our origin story.
18:49We're looking good today, right, boys?
18:51Yes.
18:51Yes.
18:51The challenge is that we need to make a cohesive menu.
18:55We shared our plans together,
18:57but now everybody really has to execute it properly.
19:00The menu has to flow.
19:02That's really important.
19:04So nice.
19:05Going to St. Lawrence Market
19:08brought back memories of going with my grandmother,
19:10and we always like making doubles,
19:12so this is my interpretation of doubles.
19:14Doubles are Trinidadian street food,
19:17similar to, like, a taco.
19:18It's usually made with stewed chickpeas.
19:20I am reimagining it by adding lamb to it.
19:24Oh, this, I hate this oven.
19:26Being on the shorter side,
19:27it does affect me in the kitchen.
19:30I had a chef that used to call me the aunt
19:32because aunts can carry 10 times their body weight.
19:35Lord have mercy.
19:38Okay.
19:45Four minutes, guys.
19:46I just want to give it a nice charred flavor here.
19:48It's my tamarind sauce.
19:50Can't beat a double without tamarind sauce.
19:53Okay, let's look at the menus.
19:54Oh, my goodness.
19:55Oh, wow.
19:56Lamb doubles.
19:57Yummy.
19:57I'm really excited about those doubles.
19:59Chef, we're plating.
20:00Oh, God.
20:01That's really bad.
20:03This is the first dish going out to the judges
20:04in the competition,
20:05so plating's pretty important.
20:07I am absolutely rattled right now,
20:09but I'm hoping that the flavors are there.
20:14Good job, guys.
20:17Oh, you're leaving me hanging.
20:19Sorry.
20:19Thanks.
20:19You're so small.
20:20I didn't see you down there.
20:20Oh, so funny.
20:24You are starting off strong.
20:26Mm-hmm.
20:27Hello, judges.
20:27Hello, judges.
20:28Hi, chefs.
20:29Yes.
20:29Before we get started,
20:30I'd love to introduce you
20:31to the judges at our table today.
20:33Chef Mark McKeown.
20:34Hi, chef.
20:35Janet Zuccarini.
20:37David Zilber.
20:38You, chefs.
20:38Me, June Pack.
20:39And hosting us here at Lenny's
20:41is chef David Schwartz.
20:43Nick, tell us about your origin story.
20:46So I grew up eating a lot of Trinidadian food.
20:49As I grew as a chef,
20:50I realized that Thai and Caribbean
20:52are, like, pretty identical.
20:55I have a Trinidadian-style
20:57tuna ceviche with variations of melon
21:00and dark rum, nulak cham.
21:02Cheyenne.
21:03So for me,
21:04the first thing I thought of was doubles.
21:06So today, I made for you
21:07curry lamb doubles
21:08with a tamarind jus.
21:11And then I also did
21:12a cucumber mint chutney on the top.
21:15Alex.
21:15My fondest childhood memories
21:17is spending my summer breaks
21:19with my grandmother in South Korea.
21:21I have a Canadian lobster and blue crab
21:23egg custard flavored with miso,
21:25lobster tail glazed with gochujang butter,
21:28and a crispy hennepoose mushroom.
21:31Thank you, chefs.
21:32Thank you, judges.
21:33What do you think of Nick's ceviche?
21:35I feel like with Nick's tuna dish,
21:36it comes off a little bit simple and basic.
21:39It's not finessed,
21:40and the slices of melon
21:41are very inconsistent
21:42with, like, thicker pieces,
21:44thinner pieces,
21:44and I find it very rough.
21:46I do like the vision.
21:48You get these bright hints of lime leaf,
21:49the umami from the fish sauce,
21:51but I find it far too sweet.
21:52So sweet.
21:54I hear what you're saying,
21:54but I thought it was texturally fun,
21:56and I thought it was poppy and bright.
21:59It just needed a little rebalancing.
22:01My preference when I eat
22:02really nice raw fish
22:03is that you really taste that
22:05at the forefront,
22:06and it was just a bit muddled.
22:08All right.
22:12Cheyenne's doubles,
22:13they take me to, you know,
22:15my childhood growing up
22:16getting doubles after junior high.
22:17It's really tasty.
22:19I found the braised lamb
22:20to be tasty,
22:21a little bit dry,
22:22but you do get some relief
22:23from the tamarind sauce.
22:25I thought the relish
22:26was a nice compliment.
22:27The flavors were good.
22:31I think that Alex
22:32is setting the bar really high.
22:34Such a delicious dish.
22:35There are bold flavors,
22:36but it's also so well-balanced.
22:39This, to me,
22:39I feel is a near-perfect dish.
22:41The custard has a beautiful texture,
22:43but the flavors
22:43are just spot-on perfect.
22:46I could eat a lot more of that.
22:47Very nice dish.
22:48There's a little bit of heat,
22:49a little bit of sweetness,
22:50the savoriness is just right.
22:52Every component deserves to be there.
22:54I think he nailed that.
22:57Looking at the rest of the menu to come,
22:59you know, the mid-course green asparagus,
23:01we have halibut muesli on the way,
23:02some chowder,
23:03that they all started first
23:04with bright flavors.
23:06I think that was smart
23:07on the group's decision-making.
23:08To bring 10 chefs together
23:10and have 10 different dishes
23:11out of the gate
23:11is very, very hard.
23:13I think they were fun flavors.
23:15Yeah.
23:15Guys, the pot in the back
23:16with the lid on is mine, okay?
23:18Wait.
23:19Chris, Coulson, and I
23:20are all doing the mid-course,
23:22and my dish is halibut muesli.
23:24Who's gonna pan-fry it?
23:25I am always inspired
23:26by my Chinese background,
23:29so I'm making
23:30a classic Cantonese dish.
23:33It's like a pan-fried sea bream,
23:35and then you throw in, like,
23:36tomatoes and onions,
23:38so I wanted to elevate that
23:39with a French technique
23:41and make a halibut muesli,
23:42which is essentially, like,
23:44a halibut sausage.
23:45On the line is everything.
23:47I think everybody's pushing really hard.
23:49I want to impress Mijun,
23:51because I know her from Vancouver.
23:53Mijun can be vicious, you know?
23:55She gives it to you straight.
23:58Ooh, where do I start?
23:59I was just so off-putting.
24:00The kimchi is absolutely offensive.
24:02What is this?
24:03What is that?
24:04I have no idea what's going on.
24:05I feel like I'm, like,
24:06licking the ground of a forest.
24:07I'm feeling okay so far.
24:09Happy, I think.
24:11Not gonna use the crab
24:12on my dish today.
24:13Just not up to par with...
24:14Oh, man.
24:16A little bit funky,
24:17so we're just gonna...
24:18The asparagus is beautiful, man.
24:19That's it.
24:20It'll shine.
24:20I was gonna make
24:21a green asparagus dish
24:22with snow crab,
24:23but I'm making the decision
24:24to not serve something
24:26that is not up to my standards.
24:28So my dish is
24:29green asparagus,
24:30bernet's,
24:31and a wild leaf chive relish.
24:33Steaks are high.
24:34There's immunity on the line.
24:35I want to win.
24:36We'll see if the judges
24:37think it's an exceptional dish
24:39with just such simplicity.
24:41My origin story
24:42is 14-year-old Chris
24:44working at his dad's pub
24:46making clam chowder
24:47every single Friday.
24:49I'm nervous.
24:50Because this time,
24:51I'm not making chowder
24:52for the patrons
24:53of my dad's pub.
24:54I'm making it
24:55for some of the most
24:56esteemed palates
24:57in the country.
25:00I gotta find a way
25:01to make it
25:02so they don't think
25:03this is your everyday chowder.
25:05I wanted to showcase scallops
25:06as my main protein,
25:08and I also don't want
25:09it to be really heavy.
25:10So I've also made
25:11a really silky potato velouté,
25:13but what's really gonna tie it together
25:15is this spiced grapefruit chutney.
25:16Just gotta get it
25:17on the plate now, chef.
25:18This is Top Chef Canada,
25:19and in previous seasons,
25:20I have seen some East Coasters
25:22have chowder be their downfall,
25:24so I really hope
25:26this plate doesn't send me home.
25:27We all like to play it
25:28a little risky, you know?
25:29We all like to play it.
25:59crap, so I omitted it
26:00from the dish.
26:02My origin story,
26:03I think of my mom.
26:04She makes
26:05which is a super classic
26:09Cantonese dish.
26:10So what I've done here today
26:11is a halibut mousseline,
26:13a sauce that is made
26:15of tomatoes, garlic,
26:17and onions
26:17with some crispy leeks.
26:19My origin story
26:20comes from when I was 14
26:22working for my dad.
26:23Every Friday,
26:24I had to make that
26:24clam chowder.
26:26Today, I made it
26:27a little bit more elevated
26:28with some beautiful
26:29brunoise mirepoix
26:29hiding underneath,
26:30and then you have
26:31a grapefruit chutney on top,
26:32but what really makes it
26:34nice and luxurious
26:34is the potato velouté.
26:36Thank you so much, chefs.
26:38Thank you, chefs.
26:40The asparagus
26:41is perfectly cooked.
26:43Bright green,
26:44just finished,
26:45tender inside,
26:45but a little bit
26:46charred on the grill.
26:47You get this
26:48unctuous coating
26:48of a perfectly made
26:50and velvety hollandaise.
26:51There's so much flavor
26:52in this dish,
26:53but the asparagus
26:54is the star on the plate.
26:56This is one of my favorite
26:57asparagus dishes
26:58I've ever had.
26:59Wow.
27:00Do you feel like
27:01Poulsen's snow crab
27:02could have elevated the dish?
27:03It's absolutely maturity
27:05to understand
27:06that something's not fresh
27:07and leave it off.
27:08I don't think that
27:09the dish suffered
27:10for its absence.
27:13My God,
27:14I am like freaking out
27:15about Katie's dish.
27:16This is so nostalgic for me.
27:18It's very hard
27:19to make a Chinese dish French
27:21and nail the flavors
27:23without going too far
27:24from the origin.
27:25That is exactly
27:27what that tastes like,
27:28but my mom does not
27:29make it like this.
27:32The mousseline
27:32is perfectly executed.
27:34I really respect
27:35the technique.
27:39Chris's chowder,
27:40it ate really well.
27:42Creamy, light,
27:43contrasting texture,
27:44the grapefruit.
27:45I like the balance.
27:46I like the flavors.
27:47Yep.
27:47Oftentimes,
27:48chowders are way too heavy.
27:49This, I enjoyed.
27:51Very much enjoyed.
27:52I agree.
27:52I was really happy
27:53to see the scallop
27:54cooked perfectly.
27:55Scallops are criminally overcooked.
27:57I'm seriously coming
27:58for this restaurant.
27:59Each plate is delicious.
28:01It feels like I'm at one place.
28:03Really well done.
28:04I think we're going to have
28:05our work cut out
28:05for us this season.
28:06Let's go.
28:07Good first plate.
28:10Chef Anthony,
28:10what's up about this immunity?
28:12I want this immunity.
28:13You want the immunity?
28:14I want the tiguan.
28:15Okay, so we're going to fight.
28:16I'm doing the main quest
28:17with Anthony.
28:18My dish is inspired by
28:19Atlantic Canada's heritage.
28:21To where I am today.
28:22It's a fish duo.
28:24A beautiful piece
28:24of poached haddock
28:25and a salted haddock croquette.
28:28For something crispy,
28:29even though I forgot my potatoes,
28:30I was able to come up
28:31with something else.
28:32It's going to be a banger.
28:32My dish consists
28:33of three different sauces today.
28:35Creme fraiche,
28:36grabiche,
28:37and a smoked oyster mayo.
28:38So, kiss of smoke.
28:40Gives me like a memory
28:41of just, you know,
28:42backyard with my dad.
28:44It's actually sort of
28:44a funny story.
28:45Well, it's maybe not
28:46appropriate for television.
28:48It's about my dad
28:49smoking cigarettes
28:49and shucking oysters for me.
28:52So, kiss of smoke for dad.
28:54This is my duck
28:55that's doing stuff.
28:56Hey, man, it's perfect.
28:57I just finished your sauce right now.
28:59This guy is stressing me
29:00a little bit, though,
29:00because he is a machine.
29:01Having a friend's chef
29:02beside me,
29:03he's pulling a dish out of here.
29:04He's making soup over there.
29:05He's making stock over there.
29:06He's got 16 sauces on.
29:07He's poaching stuff.
29:08Watch out.
29:09His technical still level
29:10is very high.
29:11One more touch.
29:12Good.
29:12Meanwhile,
29:13I am keeping it tight
29:14and making it
29:15a really focused plate.
29:17Ah, that's it.
29:20Okay.
29:23Hello, chefs.
29:24Hello.
29:25Hi.
29:25Hello, chefs.
29:25So, why don't you
29:26tell us about your dish?
29:27Absolutely.
29:28So, instead of fish cakes,
29:29because I forgot potatoes
29:30yesterday during shopping,
29:32I pivoted.
29:33So, this is a chicken hattie
29:34and haddock dish
29:35inspired by my roots
29:36of Atlantic Canada.
29:38What is a chicken hattie?
29:39So, chicken hattie
29:40is actually canned fish.
29:42So, no chicken.
29:43No chicken, chef.
29:44All fish.
29:46I always love
29:46to go foraging.
29:47So, I bring already
29:49the forest in your plate.
29:50So, in front of you,
29:51I just work with the duck
29:52and the foie gras.
29:53Just confit the leg
29:55of the duck
29:56and I stuff between
29:57the skin and the meat
29:58with stuffing mousseline
30:00made with some foie gras.
30:01For the sauce,
30:02you have three sauce.
30:03After this,
30:03we just have some chanterelle,
30:05some maitake.
30:06How many touches, chef,
30:07on the plate?
30:0852?
30:09A lot.
30:10Thank you very much.
30:11Thank you, chef.
30:12First bite,
30:13I love Charlotte's dish
30:14and the more you eat it,
30:15the more you realize
30:16you can only take a few bites.
30:18It's very, very rich.
30:19It a little bit
30:20feel like two dishes.
30:21In one, yeah.
30:22Yeah.
30:22Smashed together.
30:23I think this dish,
30:24what it required
30:25was to take the concept
30:27of this very homey
30:28East Coast dish
30:29and then...
30:30Strip it back a bit.
30:31Strip it back
30:31and make it more sophisticated.
30:33I had problems
30:36with the duck
30:37on Anthony's dish.
30:39Yours is really raw,
30:40me, Jamie.
30:40Yes.
30:41I'm looking right now
30:42at yours.
30:43Beautiful.
30:43Yeah, I think there's
30:44a big inconsistency
30:45with Anthony's duck.
30:47But beautiful plate,
30:48saucing,
30:48very, very tasty.
30:50Lots of nice contrast
30:51on the garnishing
30:51on the plate.
30:52Every element
30:53on this dish
30:54is so flavorful.
30:56It's so rich.
30:57It's enthusiasm
30:58on a plate
30:59that needed to be
31:01dialed back
31:01just a little bit.
31:02The chefs in the mid-course,
31:03they actually felt like
31:04they might have talked
31:04amongst themselves
31:05and been like,
31:06what are you making?
31:07Here's what I'm thinking of making.
31:08How do we make this
31:08all work together?
31:09Right.
31:09Yeah, they didn't have
31:10a conversation.
31:11They just said,
31:11I'm doing fish
31:12and you're doing meat.
31:13Yeah.
31:14Let's open a restaurant.
31:17I'm going to be
31:18on the station
31:18for a little bit.
31:20I'm doing the dessert course
31:21with Tracy.
31:22I am doing a bison pierogi.
31:25Inside my pierogi,
31:26I have blueberries,
31:28cherries,
31:28I have dried bison.
31:31Bath of butter.
31:32I love having baths
31:33and I would do it in butter
31:34if it wasn't weird.
31:36And I also decide
31:37to put dried bison
31:38and sugar together
31:39and I coat my pierogi.
31:41Almost like how you'd have
31:42a cinnamon sugar
31:43on a churro.
31:44Two minutes?
31:46Game face.
31:47Game face.
31:48For my dessert,
31:49I've added in
31:49some fermented lilac cremeux.
31:52That fermented lilac
31:53is so strong.
31:54Very nice.
31:5690 seconds.
31:58There's bison
31:59in our dessert pierogi.
32:00I saw that.
32:00Wow.
32:01I'm a little nervous
32:02because I've put bison
32:04on a dessert plate
32:05and it's a really fine line
32:07between being
32:08too savory
32:09versus dessert.
32:12Wow.
32:13Okay.
32:13Okay.
32:25Wow.
32:26Okay.
32:27Hi, chefs.
32:28Hi, judges.
32:29Hello.
32:29A final course,
32:30so why don't you tell us
32:31what you made?
32:31So I am indigenous,
32:33I'm Okanagan silks
32:34and then I'm Polish
32:36and Ukrainian lineage.
32:37So I have done
32:39a bison pierogi
32:40and then you've got
32:41lovely cherries
32:42tied together
32:43with some chestnuts
32:44and an aged gouda.
32:46Okay.
32:47I did something inspired
32:48by my father.
32:49We used to make
32:50pine flower
32:51out of grinding
32:52the bark of a pine tree.
32:53So that's in your pound cake
32:55and then on top of that
32:57you have a fermented
32:57lilac cremeau.
32:59I made a hujicha
33:00and then stewed
33:01the strawberries in that.
33:03Excellent.
33:03Thank you, chefs.
33:05All right.
33:05Bon appétit.
33:08Holly's,
33:09the meat as a filling
33:10in a dessert
33:10is just wild to me
33:12but the fact
33:13that she seared the pierogi
33:14and you got a little bit
33:14of crispy dough on there,
33:16you had the whip
33:17and you had the red fruit,
33:18I found it ate
33:19really well together.
33:21I find the pierogi
33:22itself to be very doughy.
33:24You barely know
33:25there's bison in it.
33:26Yeah.
33:26Yeah.
33:27But it grew on me.
33:28The dish actually works.
33:32Well, why don't we talk
33:33about this pound cake then?
33:34Yeah.
33:35I find Tracy's pound cake good.
33:38I think I was maybe more excited
33:40reading the description.
33:41It just seemed really floral
33:42and creative
33:43and the way it just comes
33:45in the palate
33:45is a little bit more basic.
33:47Pound cake needs
33:48a little bit of help.
33:49It needs a syrup.
33:50I was missing complexity
33:52and I find it dry.
33:53It was very heavily smoked
33:54and I'm guessing
33:55that's from the tea.
33:56I almost found it
33:56off-putting in my first bite.
33:58You got it too.
33:59I'm 100% with you.
34:00It was something smoky.
34:01It was something powerful.
34:03There was something perfumey
34:04and it's too much
34:05and in fact,
34:05my tongue is a little bit numb.
34:06It threw the whole dish
34:07off for me.
34:08It showed promise
34:09but it kind of disappointed.
34:10It fell flat.
34:11It was very, very safe.
34:13Here we go.
34:13Ugh!
34:14How do we feel
34:16about this menu overall
34:17as a collaboration dinner?
34:18I think it was amazing.
34:19Lots of great food,
34:20very creative.
34:21David, thank you so much
34:22for hosting us.
34:23Thank you for being here.
34:24Thank you for having me
34:25at the table.
34:26It'll make for some
34:27tough decisions for you,
34:28I think.
34:28Someone is going to win
34:30that very special immunity
34:31and also someone
34:32is going to go home.
34:33Big day.
34:34Yeah.
34:34Chefs, you worked together
34:59to create a collaboration dinner
35:00that shared each one
35:02of your culinary origin stories.
35:04The chef with the best dish
35:06will earn a very special immunity.
35:13Yeah, sweet.
35:17Chefs, there are three
35:19knife blocks in front of you.
35:20Each holds a knife
35:22with a different level of power
35:24and the winning chef
35:26will get to choose
35:27one of those knives.
35:29The bronze knife grants immunity
35:31in the next elimination challenge.
35:33Ooh.
35:35The silver knife offers immunity
35:38that can be used once
35:39in the next three elimination challenges.
35:43That's powerful.
35:45And if you pull the golden knife,
35:47you'll have the opportunity
35:49to use immunity once
35:50in the next five elimination challenges.
35:54Wow.
35:55There are some really talented chefs here.
35:59I'm talented, too,
36:00but at the end of the day,
36:01it just takes one bad dish
36:03to get sent home.
36:05Community, this is huge.
36:10Collaboration dinners
36:10are not easy at all,
36:12especially out of the gate
36:13with 10 of you.
36:14That's a tough menu.
36:15Standard of food
36:16was at a very high level.
36:18Well done.
36:19Chefs, these are the best dishes
36:22we've ever had
36:23in the first challenge of a season.
36:25And the chefs
36:26with our favorite dishes are...
36:28Alex...
36:30...Colson...
36:33...and Chris.
36:36Oh, thank you so much.
36:39Aw.
36:40Alex, the flavors
36:45of your lobster custard
36:46were spot on.
36:48They'll look to be
36:48a very, very simple dish,
36:50but there was a lot
36:50that went into it,
36:51and I thought you absolutely
36:52nailed the dish.
36:53I feel like I want to come back
36:54tomorrow and have that dish again.
36:56You're setting the standard here.
36:58That standard is very high.
37:02Chris, you served us chowder,
37:05homey comfort food.
37:07Yeah.
37:08Well, you knocked it
37:09out of the park.
37:11Chris, that was definitely
37:12not an ordinary chowder.
37:14Yours was just so perfectly
37:15balanced and elegant,
37:17which is what made
37:18the dish stand out.
37:19Thank you very much.
37:21Colson, on the menu,
37:22you promised us snow crab,
37:24but instead,
37:25it was a simple dish
37:26of asparagus.
37:28It was the best asparagus dish
37:29I've ever tasted.
37:31It was a showstopper.
37:34Chefs, this is a very tough decision,
37:36but the chef of the best dish
37:38of the dinner is...
37:40Alex.
37:57But the chef of the best dish
37:59of the dinner is...
38:04Alex.
38:11I'm super happy.
38:12I know it's not going to be easy,
38:14but I'm one step closer to my goal,
38:17winning Top Chef Canada.
38:20Alex, as the winner of this
38:22elimination challenge,
38:23you earned an immunity
38:24that can make a huge difference
38:26to you in this competition.
38:28Please choose a knife.
38:29Go with your gun.
38:30Go with your gun.
38:40You pulled the silver knife.
38:42You have immunity
38:43that can be used once
38:44in the next three
38:45elimination challenges.
38:47Congrats.
38:49I have this special immunity.
38:50The goal is not to use it,
38:52but I'm glad
38:52it's in my back pocket
38:54just in case.
38:55Good job.
38:59Katie,
39:00Cheyenne,
39:02Anthony,
39:03and Holly.
39:04You're safe
39:05and you can join the others.
39:09Oh, that's great.
39:09Good job.
39:16Nick,
39:17Charlotte,
39:18and Tracy.
39:19Unfortunately,
39:20you had our least favorite dishes
39:22of the dinner.
39:25Nick,
39:25how did you feel
39:26about your tuna ceviche?
39:27I wasn't 100% on it,
39:29if I'm being honest.
39:30When I have a ceviche,
39:31I want it lighter
39:32and fresher
39:33and brighter,
39:33more acidic
39:34instead of sweet forward.
39:36And I think it was
39:37a little bit lacking
39:38in finesse.
39:39Charlotte,
39:42let's talk about
39:43your chicken hattie.
39:44Were you happy
39:45with the final plate?
39:46I felt like it had
39:47a good combination
39:49of texture,
39:50flavors.
39:51You had a lot going on
39:52on the plate.
39:53The grabiche,
39:54the hollandaise,
39:54the fish.
39:56It came off
39:56a little bit clunky.
39:58Someone said
39:59it felt like two dishes
40:00kind of smashed into one
40:01and now I feel like
40:03I can't look at it
40:04another way.
40:06Tracy,
40:07your pound cake,
40:08the fermented lilac,
40:09it tasted a little bit
40:10off-putting.
40:11It was very strong.
40:13It had all these
40:14romantic ingredients
40:15and then it just
40:15kind of tasted like
40:16strawberries, cream
40:17and some dry cake.
40:19The fermented lilac
40:20rameau,
40:21it wasn't exactly
40:22what I wanted.
40:23The pound cake,
40:24I had the pine flour in.
40:26I could have put more
40:29regular flour.
40:30I feel like I fell short
40:32in displaying the skills
40:34that I am capable of.
40:36I could have done better.
40:38Chefs,
40:39you can head back
40:40to the Top Chef Canada
40:41ninja locker room
40:42while we make our decision.
40:45That was tough.
40:58Done desserts for like 20 years.
41:00I don't understand what happened.
41:05All right,
41:05we have a tough decision
41:06but someone has to go.
41:08Where do we start?
41:09I mean,
41:10you know,
41:10this is the best
41:11to the bottom
41:11that we've ever had.
41:13There wasn't one
41:14that was unanimous
41:15across all judges
41:16that we all didn't like it.
41:17Everybody had wins and losses.
41:19You know,
41:19if you take Charlotte's dish,
41:21the composition of the dish
41:22was quite amateur
41:23but she cooked the fish well.
41:25If you broke that
41:26into two dishes,
41:28I preferred the croquette
41:29and I think
41:29that could have been
41:30a very good dish.
41:31For me,
41:32Charlotte is safe.
41:33Yeah.
41:34And now I've got a debate
41:35between Nick and Tracy.
41:36We have Nick
41:37whose dish was very simple.
41:39I could put that together
41:40in 15 minutes.
41:41Yeah,
41:42like a hit three hours.
41:43With that much time,
41:44let's have some better
41:44knife skills.
41:45Yeah.
41:46Beyond the knife skills,
41:46the flavors,
41:47I couldn't get past
41:48that hit of sweetness.
41:50Tracy's dessert,
41:52conceptually,
41:53read great
41:54but my initial bite
41:55was very off-putting.
41:57As was mine.
41:57She screwed up.
41:58She used the time
41:59better than he did.
42:01Yes,
42:01but if you're going
42:02to add all of these flavors
42:04and ingredients,
42:05they have to show up.
42:07It's a tough call.
42:10Chefs,
42:29your challenge
42:30was to create a dish
42:31that told us
42:31your culinary origin story
42:33and serve it
42:35as part of a 10-chef
42:36collaborative dinner.
42:37Nick,
42:39your tuna ceviche
42:40lacked technique
42:41and we found it
42:42overly sweet.
42:45Charlotte,
42:46your chicken hattie
42:47was overly rich
42:48and unfortunately
42:49lacked refinement.
42:52Tracy,
42:53your pound cake
42:54had off-putting flavor
42:55and didn't deliver
42:56what you promised.
42:57Nick,
43:08please pack your knives
43:10and go.
43:13This competition
43:14rattled me
43:14a lot more
43:15than I thought it would.
43:17Thank you for your time.
43:18Thank you, Nick.
43:19Thank you, Nick.
43:21I definitely didn't think
43:23I would go home this early.
43:26Ugh.
43:26It was me.
43:29The pressure just got to me
43:30and, yeah,
43:32it got me cut.
43:33You were supposed
43:34to help me along the way, man.
43:37I'm going to go back home
43:38with my wife,
43:39see my cats
43:40and get back to work.
43:46Next time
43:47on Top Chef Canada.
43:49On your marks,
43:50get set,
43:51go!
43:51Go!
43:53This is a quick,
43:55quickfire.
43:5520 minutes?
43:56Like,
43:56that's unheard of.
43:58Are you okay, chef?
43:59We're going to be
44:00celebrating
44:00Imaginative's
44:0225th anniversary
44:03and catering a party
44:04of festival VIPs.
44:06This woke me right up.
44:07It could have gone
44:08a little further for me.
44:09I'm having a little bit
44:10of a hard time eating it.
44:11Whatever.
44:12It's like a
44:13zero-pressure competition.
44:15Sorry,
44:15just need a minute.
44:16Wait!
44:27That's a good one.
44:28Keep going on.
Be the first to comment