Top Chef Canada: All-Stars premieres on Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 10PM EST. For the first time in Canadian franchise history, Canada’s high-stakes culinary competition, Top Chef Canada, brings twelve chefs from past seasons to battle it out for a chance to be Canada’s Top Chef.
To celebrate Top Chef Canada Season 5, Food Network Canada and Monogram hosted a launch event on March 27, 2017, an intimate evening of culinary insight and all-star dishes.
The event was hosted at Monogram Studio inside St. Lawrence Market, and began with welcome beverages and canapes.
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Food & Drinks at Top Chef Canada All-Stars Launch Event
The welcome canapes were provided by The McEwan Group which included: Sweet Pea Falafel with kale tabouli and mint yogurt, as well as this Lobster Taco in a beet shell with jicama, lemon & pickled ginger.
There were wines from Beringer Vineyards, as well as Orlando Carreira, AGM and Mixologist at Brassaii, mixing up cocktails from the Monogram Craft Cocktail Menu (left to right):
- Monogram’s Mix (Kitchen Inspired) – Stanahan’s Colorado whiskey, homemade espresso bitters, clarified ethiopian coffee, clarified orange, eucalyptus tincture and activated charcoal ice cubes
- Designer’s Dream (Designer Inspired) – Grey Goose vodka, rose-infused botanist gin, house-made niagara ice-wine vermouth (playing the role of Lillet)
- Chef’s Choice (Culinary Inspired) – Ginger-infused Patron reposado tequila, galliano, soursop nectar, pink himalayan salt, scotch bonnet pepper tincture, fresh lime juice
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Q&A Session on Top Chef Canada: All Stars
An intimate Q&A session followed, with Top Chef Canada head judge chef Mark McEwan (The McEwan Group), and resident judges Chris Nuttall-Smith (The Globe and Mail Food Critic), Mijune Pak (Follow Me Foodie) and Janet Zuccarini (Gusto 54 Restaurant Group).
Cooking Demonstrations
At the end of the Q&A session, some of the Top Chef Canada: All-Stars chefs were announced and they came out for cooking demonstrations which we got to try.
- Tamarind Chili Oyster by Chef Dennis Tay, Chef de Cuisine at DaiL
- Lamb Kibbeh on a Crispy Pita by Chef Andrea Nicholson, Chef/Owner of Butchie’s
- Savoury Macaron with Rhubarb Jelly, Prosciutto, Blue Haze by Chef Elizabeth Rivasplata, Executive Chef at Rogers Centre
- Cured Trout with Crispy Plantain by Chef Trista Sheen, Chef at Bar Begonia
Event Swag
We got to take home some swag which included a Food Network apron and a Le Creuset Pepper Mill.
Competing Chefs at Top Chef Canada: All-Stars
This season, the returning twelve chefs unpack their knives and fight for a chance to win a $100,000 grand prize courtesy of Interac Flash and a Monogram kitchen valued at over $25,000.
Here are the 12 chefs returning to the Top Chef Canada kitchen for a second chance at winning it all:
- Connie DeSousa – Season 1, Calgary, AB.
- Dustin Gallagher – Season 1, Toronto, ON.
- Andrea Nicholson – Season 1, Toronto, ON.
- Todd Perrin – Season 1, Quidi Vidi Village, NL.
- Trevor Bird – Season 2, Vancouver, BC.
- Jonathan Korecki – Season 2, Ottawa ON.
- Curtis Luk – Season 2, Vancouver, BC.
- Elizabeth Rivasplata – Season 2, Toronto, ON.
- Trista Sheen – Season 2, Toronto, ON.
- Nicole Gomes – Season 3, Calgary, AB.
- Dennis Tay – Season 3, Toronto, ON.
- Jesse Vergen – Season 4, Saint John, NB.
Top Chef Canada
Learn more about Top Chef Canada: All-Stars here