{"id":39666,"date":"2018-02-09T11:59:21","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T18:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goodlifevancouver.com\/?p=39666"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:16:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T23:16:58","slug":"chef-alex-chen-takes-gold-canadian-culinary-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodlifevancouver.com\/staging\/2138\/chef-alex-chen-takes-gold-canadian-culinary-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef Alex Chen Takes Gold At Canadian Culinary Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chef Alex Chen Shines Through Three Intense Culinary Competitions<\/h2>\n

This year seemed particularly special at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, as there seemed to be a tight group of chefs, all producing top notch dishes through the three competitions that made up these gourmet Olympics, and I was gratefully ring side to take it all in.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a><\/p>\n

British Columbia sent Chef Alex Chen of Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar<\/a> <\/strong>and he and his team really did shine this year, and in the end he was crowned the\u00a0new Canadian Culinary Champion.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a><\/p>\n

He served the dish that he won the regional championships with in November, a \u201cParfait of Wild BC Shellfish, \u201cchowder\u201d northern divine caviar, bulls kelp \u201cbrioche\u201d and paired it with Sea Star 2016 Ortega from Pender Island, BC.\u00a0 He was elated to win, of course, and gets bragging rights and\u00a0 trip to\u00a0South America to see the Cacao Barry plantation and work with the chef there.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a><\/p>\n

Bronze went to Chef Barry Mooney from Gio in Halifax<\/a> <\/strong>representing Nova Scotia who served a\u00a0Smoked Pork Consomme \u2013 Ham hock terrine, scallop, foie gras mousse, pickled carrot, haskap gelee, spiced tuile paired with Benjamin Bridge NV Brut Rose, Gaspereau Valley, NS on the final night.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a><\/p>\n

Silver was awarded to\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Chef Eric Gonzalez from L\u2019 Atelier de Joel Robuchon<\/a> <\/strong>representing Montreal who paired a Foie gras and Alberta bison loin and haskap with blackberry puree, butternut squash and truffle paired with the Painted Rock 2013 Syrah from the Okanagan Valley, BC. Both dishes were stellar and I’m sure the judges had much to debate in the coffers.<\/p>\n

\"Gold<\/a><\/p>\n

The two-day event started with the Friday evening Mystery Wine Competition where chefs were tasked with creating a dish they felt perfectly paired with the mystery wine they had received less than 24 hours before. The wine was unveiled as Pinot Gris from Fort Berens Estate Winery<\/a> <\/strong>from Lillooet in British Columbia and chef were given $500 to shop for ingredients to provide a small plate for the 400 guests in attendance. Attendees were able to taste the chefs’ creations and cast their own ballot. Rising as the People’s Choice for Competition I was Chef Mike Robins, from Sous Sol in Winnipeg.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a><\/p>\n

The Black Box Competition II held at Okanagan College gave all eleven competing chefs one hour to prepare one dish using seven mystery ingredients presented in a black box:<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/a><\/p>\n