Canada’s Great Kitchen Party rocks downtown Ottawa

Last fall, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party went on a gastronomic adventure, hitting 10 cities across Canada in search of culinary excellence.

The extended but enticing road trip reached its destination this weekend, arriving to Ottawa for the national finale of its Canadian Culinary Championship. Contenders — who hailed from Whistler to St. John’s, and major cities in between — earned their spots through regional competitions held during September, October and November.

Representing Ottawa was Raghav Chaudhary, executive chef of downtown fine-dining restaurant Aiāna.

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The night was much more than just a cooking contest, however. It kicked off with a colossal cocktail party at the Shaw Centre with some 550 attendees. Guests indulged in the culinary creations of the finalists. More than 50 students of Algonquin College volunteered.

There was also wine and beer, including Ottawa’s own KIN Vineyards. It’s owned by Lorraine Mastersmith, the firm managing partner at Gowling WLG, and Shaun McEwan, president of defence and security technology company ADGA. 

Co-chairing the event were Kevin MacIntosh, CEO of coastal engineering firm Baird & Associates; Mike Taggart, president of Taggart Construction; and Mike Dimitriou, regional managing partner for national accounting and business consulting firm MNP. It was the second year MNP was back as presenting sponsor.

Dimitriou told OBJ.social he enjoys the Great Kitchen Party for its great wine, food and people, as  well as for its promotion of Canadian cuisine and the charities that help young people in the areas of sport, music and food insecurity. The causes were Spirit North, MusiCounts, BGC Ottawa and Ottawa Network for Education’s School Breakfast Program. 

The business leader also appreciates the hard work of the culinary profession, not just because he’s deep into the second season of the chef-focused hit show The Bear, but because Dimitriou worked extensively in restaurants when he was younger.

After the reception, guests gathered in one of the spacious halls. The chefs, who were escorted into the room by a piper, were full of camaraderie and celebration. They regularly hugged each other and cheered one another on.

The evening program featured exceptional live performances by Canadian musicians. Steven Page, who, along with being co-founder and former lead singer of the Barenaked Ladies, is a Canadian treasure. His songs got dozens of attendees flocking to the front of the stage, where they danced and allowed themselves to get lost in the music. Page performed with fellow talented artist Kevin Fox, who opened with a captivating cover of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams, played on cello.

Former Ottawa national champions Marc Lepine and Briana Kim donated to the auction an eight-person dinner with wine pairings at Lepine’s restaurant, Atelier. Lepine has won the competition twice, in 2012 and 2016. Kim, who won last year, has plans to open a new restaurant, Antheia, this spring.

Yannick La Salle is another former national champion from the region. The 2019 top-place finisher donated to the auction a multi-course feast for eight, paired with various Champagnes. La Salle, formerly at Les Fougères in Chelsea, is now the chef for the Supreme Court of Canada’s judges.

2017 silver medalist chef Joe Thottungal also helped out by hosting some 20 visiting chefs at his restaurant Coconut Lagoon late last week.

Stephen Leckie, CEO and co-founder of the Canadian Culinary Championship, noted with pride that Ottawa has been “punching above its weight” by winning four championship trophies over the years. “I think Toronto only has two,” he playfully remarked, stirring the pot of competition.

The Canadian Culinary Championships, established in 2006, serves as a platform for celebrating Canada’s culinary talent.

Some 100 chefs compete annually in what organizers describe as the “most grueling and most wonderful” competition. This past weekend, the finalists competed in two events leading up to Saturday night’s grand finale at the Shaw Centre. Among the 1o judges was Ottawa’s Cory Haskins, academic chair of culinary arts at Algonquin College. “To have these 10 chefs here this weekend, after they’ve had to duke it out with 90 other chefs to get here, is very special,” Leckie told the room.

By the end of the night, organizers were ready to announce the winners. Western Canada dominated the podium this year. Whistler, B.C. chef Jasper Cruikshank of the Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar won gold. Chef Rupert Garcia of The Fairmont Palliser hotel in Calgary took home silver and Red Deer Resort and Casino chef JP Dublado was announced the bronze winner.  There were repeated chants of “JP” from the culinary community as the chef, winner of the 2024 People’s Choice Award, made his way to the stage.

As top finisher, Cruickshank scored a pair of business-class plane tickets, courtesy of Air Canada, to any of the airline’s worldwide travel destinations.