One of Time Out Market Montréal chefs has won Top Chef Canada.
Chef Chanthy Yen’s journey began in prestigious kitchens like Spain’s Mugaritz and Ferran Adrià’s Bullipedia research center, and has taken him to Montreal, where he captivates us time and again with dishes exploring his Cambodian heritage at his signature concept at Time Out Market Montréal.
As the first ever Queer and BIPOC chef to hold the position as the personal chef to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family, when he’s not in Montreal, the Executive Chef at Michelin Guide-recommended Bacaro restaurant is in Vancouver.
Time Out Montreal sat down with the winner to talk about his experience, what he would do differently and why his cooking from his heart was a game-changer.
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We need to know: How did it feel when you realized that you had won Top Chef Canada?
It honestly felt exhilarating. I was in a state of mind where I was constantly telling myself: whatever happens, it's gonna be all right. You got this far. So I was giving myself words of affirmation. But the moment that Eden said that I had won, it just felt like a weight of freedom washed over my back and my shoulders, like I was ready to fly away.
What a roller coaster you’ve been on. How did you stay strong during the process?
It was psychologically a lot of pressure. You are out of your own comfort zone, and in this element of surprise constantly. I stayed as level headed as I could. Being in this industry for so long and having such a diverse portfolio really allowed me to be able to bounce back, to be able to continue and move through the mud, as some would say. But I really had a lot of intention to cook from the heart and to represent the multiple communities that I come from. To just showcase my love for cooking, and wanting people to fall in love with that again—just relying on the reason why I am cooking.
How did being a first generation Canadian Cambodian inform your cooking?
Throughout the process, I was kind of shying away from it. I was like, OK, I will just cook Michelin-worthy dishes and do these super technical things and whatnot. But once I landed on the bottom, that was when I was like, I need to really cook from the heart. I was echoing what the judges were saying, even behind the scenes: “Chanthy, we would love to see you go a bit further within yourself.” And I did just that. I cooked Cambodian food, and the moment I thought of my grandmother was the moment I made that dish. And that just influenced the rest of the competition, even being that weird performer in the 7th episode. I was like: You know what? I am an uncle. I've got five nieces. I've done this many times, but in a tiara. So I can go on stage and do this thing, you know? I just thought of the reasons why I’m cooking, and the people that are looking up to me, and I persevered and I pushed through. The competition is no joke. It's so serious, and so much pressure.
What was the one thing that really surprised you during the competition?
I was really shocked that it was so stop and go. I'm not sure how film works… there's tons of moving parts to be able to capture every moment behind the scenes, on the scene, and have these different stories going on at the same time. I was just shocked at the production value of the entire show. And, you know, being part of it as well, it broke down a lot of the stereotypes that I've had of these shows, and that a lot of chefs do. I've heard from them, I've been in the same rooms with them, and they don't know much about these shows. They think it’s a bit of a low caliber cooking show. But I was there, and I can honestly say people cook the crap out of those ingredients within the timeframe and the pressure. It's not easy, and I have cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout the world, and this is a lot more difficult than all of that. Why? Because it's you. It’s just you. It's not an R&D team. It's not a Marketing team. It's you washing your dishes. You're cooking your food, and the timeframe is real. You have to do everything.
Did you get to a point where you just didn’t notice the cameras anymore?
No! The cameras were always there, and unfortunately sometimes I would tackle them… You're walking across tape, you're walking across room blocks and camera sets and things like that. You're dealing with a lot of logistical issues when you're jumping into a restaurant for the first time doing service. You have to jump through hurdles that you know there isn't enough time to show on a 45 minute show. Definitely one of the most prestigious competitions I've ever witnessed in my life.
What was your proudest moment over the course of the season?
I would say my proudest moment in a season would be the finale. Moira and I were cooking with each other, as opposed to against each other. And if you've seen the finale, she lights up. She's in her element. She's oohing and ahhhing. We're giving each other faces. We were like best friends going into this thing together, teasing each other, cooking with each other. And that was when everything felt a bit easier, and a huge surprise, right? Because when you're watching other shows, it's kind of like, I'm gonna take them down! But with us and our personalities, and our personal challenges throughout this industry, we just knew like, hey, let's cut the bullshit. We're friends. Let's just cook from the heart and do the best that we can. That was my proudest moment, because I didn't let competition go to my head. I was honest with who I am. I'm a weird old wacky who loves to get creative and dance while I’m cooking. I got to be myself, and I got to witness my friend do the best that she could do. It was a collaborative effort getting to the finale, and that was just an amazing experience.
Is there anything that you regret or that you wish you had done differently?
Oh, absolutely. Rhubarb, obviously! I'm surprised one of my friends hasn't snuck up behind me with a stalk of rhubarb just to scare me! I'm really excited to have a redemption round and hopefully head back to Pearl Morrissette and do a different take on the rhubarb. Being at the bottom is a difficult thing. In the culinary industry you're judged constantly. You're judged on Google, you're judged by journalists, you're judged by your peers, and clientele. And to be judged by judges is another cherry on top. Being at the bottom, I learned a lot about myself and how to resolve my doubts and insecurities. I'm still healing from that moment, but I think it was really important for me to listen to what the judges were saying, and it helped me navigate the next steps.
You’ve talked about Moira, and how a stronger friendship came out of this experience. Was there anyone else that you formed an unexpectedly strong connection with?
I believe that the stronger the friendship, the stronger the competition. And I built huge friendships with Haan from Salt Spring Island, and especially Christina, the sassy Toronto home girl. She was the spiciest girl on the show, and I loved her. We were basically troublemakers, you know, those two kids in the corner of the classroom, and it was so sad to see her leave. Moira, Christina and I had matching manicures or pedicures. We spent the second episode in Salt Spring Island dancing with Haan’s daughter. She wore a tutu and we had a little dance party. Huge friendships were forged out of the traumatic experience of the show and the challenges that we faced together. And I can honestly say that the friendships that I've made with those three will last for a very long time.
Once you’ve finished doing press for Top Chef, what will be your celebratory meal?
I think that celebratory meal will most likely either be in Cambodia or Asia. Cameron and I really want that special time together. We won the Barilla challenge for a trip to Italy, so I would love to have a romantic evening stroll along the Venetian canals and just have a fantastic day of drinking and being married. But also I want to go to Cambodia and revisit my roots and celebrate it with someone's grandmother, and just eat from her hands, and enjoy that recharge of cultural influence and a reminder of who I am. So there are different layers of celebration for me, and it doesn't exactly have to do with the party. It has to do with re-energizing and relearning and having these beautiful opportunities for the future.
Missed an episode or want to watch it again? Top Chef Canada Season 11 is streaming on STACKTV.
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