ward-Winning Chef Will Be Seen on Monday’s Final Show
“I am honoured to be asked to participate as a judge once again this year on Top Chef Canada,” says Vij, whose restaurant Vij’s was recently named the Best Restaurant in Canada in a north American poll by travel website vacay.ca. He was a guest judge on the very first season of Top Chef Canada.
Two of the remaining three chefs in the competition have strong links to BC; Trevor Bird, originally from Montreal, has just opened a restaurant in Kitsilano with fellow Top Chef contestant Curtis Luk and Carl Heinrich from Sooke on Vancouver Island, who used to work with Dale MacKay, last year’s Top Chef Canada winner, at dbBistro in Vancouver.
So what will it take to win this years coveted title? Vij says there is a lot of talent on display: “It’s great to see so many aspiring chefs utilizing fresh, local ingredients in unique and interesting ways on the show. There is so much talent in the culinary community in Canada and I am so pleased to be involved in a program that showcases that talent so well.”
Top Chef Canada’s season finale airs this Monday, June 4th at 10pm ET/PT.
ABOUT VIKRAM VIJ
Vikram Vij was born in India and grew up in Amritsar and Bombay. His most vivid childhood memories revolve around food and family and he pursued this further when he moved to Europe and later when he came to live in Canada.
He opened the first 14-seat Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver in 1994 and, later that same year, married Meeru Dhalwala who would later take over managing the kitchens of both Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants.
Vij has published two award-winning cookbooks with Dhalwala – Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine and Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey.
As well as his appearance as a judge on the first season of Top Chef Canada, he is a regular guest on many TV shows across the country.
