Top Chef Canada, the nation’s most revered culinary competition, returns for a momentous eleventh season. For over a decade, Top Chef Canada has given fans a front-row seat to the country’s ever-evolving culinary scene.
The series has propelled winners Dale McKay, Carl Heinrich, Matt Stowe, Renee Rodriguez, Nicole Gomes, Ross Larkin, Paul Moran, Francis Blais, Erica Karbelnik and Tre Sanderson into Canadian culinary stars. With these 10 Top Chef Canada champions and countless alumni making their mark across the nation and the world, it’s clear that Canada’s culinary stage has arrived on the world stage – and we’re done being modest about it.
Now it is time to usher in a new era, with 10 new skilled, creative, and boundary-pushing chefs ready to compete for the title of Canada’s Top Chef. The chefs will be put to the test, facing off in grueling challenges where they must put their best plate forward or be sent packing. Viewers we be delighted to see that this season pays homage to Canada’s diverse heritage and culinary scene. In the end, only one chef will emerge victorious, earning the grand prize and the coveted title of Canada’s Top Chef.
Read on to meet the 10 chefs competing in season 11 of Top Chef Canada. Watch the season premiere on Monday October 14 at 10PM ET/PT on Food Network Canada. Stream Food Network Canada with a STACKTV subscription. Try it free today!
Lisa Ahier (She/Her)
Age: 63
Tofino, British Columbia
Lisa Ahier joins the competition as the “godmother” of the modern Tofino, B.C. culinary scene, with over 30 years of experience. She was classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and was the Chef and Co-Owner of Tofino’s award-winning Sobo Restaurant, which began as a food truck over twenty years ago. Lisa is the author of two bestselling cookbooks and helped create the Tofino Ucluelet Culinary Guild (TUCG), a non-profit that connects local restaurants, families, and grocery stores with Vancouver Island and regional independent farmers and producers.
As the oldest chef to ever compete on Top Chef Canada, Lisa isn’t afraid to face this new generation of chefs. She’s ready to hold her own in the kitchen, put her vast culinary experience to use, and showcase her sophisticated bohemian style of cooking to the judges to win Season 11.
Shane Chartrand (He/Him)
Age: 48
Edmonton, Alberta
Shane Chartrand is proudly Nehiyaw Indigenous, from the Enoch Cree Nation, and incorporates Canadian Indigenous storytelling into his dishes. No stranger to the TV scene, he previously competed on shows including Fridge Wars, Iron Chef Canada and Chopped Canada and was a judge on Food Network Canada’s Wall of Chefs. He was most recently Head Chef of Indigenous Programming at the Banff Hospitality Collective and is a Gold Metal Plates winner and bestselling cookbook author.
Shane plans on featuring his Indigenous culture and innovative Nehiyaw techniques in all of his dishes. He doesn’t fear much in or out of the kitchen and is ready to showcase his roots in flavourful dishes that he hopes will see him crowned the winner of Top Chef Canada Season 11.
Miriam Echeverria (She/Her)
Age: 42
Algonquin Highlands, Ontario
Miriam Echeverria moved to Canada from Veracruz, Mexico 15 years ago. Don’t be fooled – her culinary focus is on Italian and French cuisine, using seasonal ingredients. Miriam gained experience in the kitchen as the Chef de Cuisine at Toronto restaurants, such as Greta Solomon’s, Lunita and Mercatto. She is currently the Executive Chef at Dimensions, a high-end wellness retreat in Haliburton, Ont. where she immerses the resort guests in nature and teaches foraging. With many of the programs catering to veterans and first responders living with PTSD, Miriam’s vegetable-forward style of cuisine focuses on the holistic, healing elements of food.
As someone who does yoga and meditates regularly, Miriam knows how to remain cool, calm, and collected inside a hectic kitchen, which she will use to her advantage as she hopes to bring the Top Chef Canada crown back into the women’s winners circle.
Alexander Fields (He/Him)
Age: 32
Etobicoke, Ontario
Alexander Fields has been a chef for 15 years, working in Michelin-recommended restaurants like Toronto’s Henry’s and Café Boulud. He is the Chef and Owner of Rhyz, a pop-up and event concept, where he curates menus and dishes that draw on his French training, Caribbean culture, and Southern U.S. flavours.
Growing up as the middle child of seven siblings and playing high-level college basketball, Alexander learned to thrive under pressure. His goal is to impress the judges and win Top Chef Canada Season 11 by educating Canada and shining a spotlight on the rich flavours, traditions, and culinary history of the African diaspora.
Ruby Gatt (She/Her)
Age: 32
Montreal, Quebec
Ruby Gatt knew from a young age that she only ever wanted to be a chef. She has spent the last 17 years of her life learning, experimenting, and honing her craft, and is now the Head Chef at Montreal natural wine bar, Bar L’idéal. Here, she curates the menus and incorporates her experience with regenerative agriculture farming into her seasonal style of cooking.
Ruby recently competed in the Garland and PEI shellfish competitions, reaching the semi-finals in both. As a young Queer female chef, Ruby is eager to be a role model for the younger generation to look up to. In this high-stress industry, Ruby tries to have fun in the kitchen, so she’s ready to laugh away the competition and win Top Chef Canada Season 11.
Christina Khan (She/Her)
Age: 31
Toronto, Ontario
Christina Khan was born in Toronto but moved to her father’s homeland of Trinidad at a young age. Growing up in a culturally rich community, she mastered the art of cooking various traditional dishes from the Caribbean. Having pursued culinary studies at George Brown College, Christina skillfully blends her Caribbean culinary roots and love of Latin American flavours into her dishes at some of Toronto’s hotspots like Baro and as the current Chef de Cuisine at La Palma.
Known for her bold flavors and zest, Christina has a passion for condiments and spice, even developing her own signature hot sauce. With a competitive spirit fostered through years of playing sports, she carries herself confidently and assertively in the kitchen. Christina is ready to spice things up this season by showcasing her traditional yet exciting dishes to the judges to win the title of Canada’s Top Chef.
Rémi Lemieux (He/Him)
Age: 30
Montreal, Quebec
Rémi Lemieux found his love for cooking when he was expelled from school as a teenager and was assigned to work in a Montreal restaurant kitchen. He quickly built an impressive resume, working at two of the most famous three-Michelin-Star restaurants: Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana in Italy and Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in New York City. Most recently, he was the Chef and Partner at the Japanese restaurant Nomi in Montreal – and he’s currently in the process of opening two new concepts.
Rémi has experience in many different styles of cuisine and prides himself on creating dishes that are exciting, flamboyant, and unexpected. A risk taker at his core, Rémi is eager to represent creative chefs across Canada and is hungry to bring another Top Chef Canada title to Montreal.
Moira Murray (She/Her)
Age: 35
Halifax, Nova Scotia
From butchery to pasta making, Moira Murray can dominate in all areas of the culinary world. Having spent a decade working in high-calibre restaurants like Dovetail in New York City, Buca Yorkville, Actinolite and Alma in Toronto, she is currently the Chef de Cuisine at Peacock Wine Bar in Halifax where she gets to showcase her unique pasta and vegetable-forward dishes.
Moira is passionate about female representation in the culinary industry and hopes to show Canada that you can lead in the kitchen with inspiration and kindness as opposed to fear and intimidation. She is ready to surprise the judges with her tremendous range and out-cook her competition to win the title of Canada’s Top Chef.
Haan Palcu-Chang (He/Him)
Age: 39
Salt Springs Island, British Columbia
Haan Palcu-Chang’s culinary expertise has taken him to prestigious restaurants in Denmark, France, Singapore, China, and Canada, where he honed his skills across diverse cuisines. However, when the pandemic struck, this Michelin-star trained chef shifted gears to prioritize supporting his expanding family. Haan is jack-of-all-trades in and out of the kitchen. When he isn’t busy working in financial marketing, he moonlights as the Chef and Owner of Mama Flo’s, a boutique event, catering, and restaurant consulting company in Toronto.
Taste is the number one focus for Haan’s dishes, and he is ready to showcase his wide-ranging culinary abilities, showcasing Romanian and Taiwanese flavours. His ultimate goal is to win Top Chef Canada and create a more prosperous future for his family doing what he loves.
Chanthy Yen (He/Him)
Age: 35
Vancouver, British Columbia
Chanthy Yen’s remarkable 23-year culinary journey is a testament to his passion and skill in the kitchen. In 2021, his life changed when he made history as the first ever Queer and BIPOC chef to hold the prestigious position as the personal Chef to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family.
While Chanthy has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in San Sebastian and Barcelona, Spain, it is his incredible craft of Cambodian cuisine that has earned international acclaim. Raised in his grandmother’s kitchen, Chanthy shows off his cooking talents as the Chef de Cuisine at the Michelin-recommended Bacaro in Vancouver. His upcoming cookbook highlighting his Cambodian heritage is set for release in 2025.
Chanthy is determined to win Top Chef Canada Season 11, and while his competitors may not see him coming, he’s ready to show his skills and charm his way to the top.