KELOWNA, B.C. — Earlier this month, 11 of Canada’s top chefs competed for the title of Canadian Culinary Champion at the 11th annual Canadian Culinary Championships.
At the end of the two-day event, chef Jinhee Lee of Foreign Concept in Calgary emerged victorious with a final dish of turmeric-fish mosaic with dill, paired with the 2014 Gewurztraminer from Bartier Brothers in Oliver, B.C. “This is such an honour, I am so shocked and proud, I am so happy to win and thankful for my team,” says Lee.
The silver was awarded to Joe Thottungal from Coconut Lagoon in Ottawa and Eric Hanson from Prairie Noodle Shop in Edmonton took the bronze. Thottungal’s silver-medal dish consisted of poached halibut infused with Kerala spices, fish-curry crumbs and woodland mushroom aviyal , paired with Huff Estates 2015 Riesling, Prince Edward County, Ont. Hanson’s final dish was spot prawn with plum, paired with the 2015 Culmina Family Estate Winery Unicus, from Oliver, B.C.
Proceeds from the Gold Medal Plates and the Canadian Culinary Championships go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to support high-performance athletes. To date, over $12 million has been raised.
