Former Montreal chef Chanthy Yen wins Top Chef Canada Season 11

Montreal recently hosted the Season 11 grand finale of Food Network Canada's Top Chef Canada Season 11, and former Montreal chef Chanthy Yen was crowned the winner.

The finale, organized in partnership with Tourisme Montréal, celebrated the history and diversity of the city's food: Locations like Jean-Talon Market, Mount Royal, and the Old Port provided the backdrop for the competition, where chefs showcased dishes inspired by Montreal classics like bagels, smoked meat sandwiches, and poutine. The finale’s venue, Le 9e, added grandeur to the occasion.

Montreal chefs played a prominent role in the season, with local talents including grand winner chef Chanthy Yen (who calls Vancouver home but still holds a stall in Time Out Market Montréal), chef Ruby Gatt of Larry’s, and chef Rémi Lemieux of Le Mémo making their mark.

Esteemed judges included locals Francis Blais, Antonio Park, and Frédéric Morin.

Chanthy Yen's connections to Montreal

Montrealers likely recognize Yen not only from his stall in the Time Out Market Montréal food hall today, but his time in the city goes back to 2017 when he opened his first restaurant with Emiliano Rivera, Fieldstone.

Yen gained a lot of local recognition for blending Mexican, Cambodian, and Canadian influences into had been referred to as a 'New Canadian' style, something that earned him the title of Chef of the Year (Readers’ Choice) by Eater Montreal (RIP).

Fieldstone transitioned into Cantine Teré in 2019, focusing on Central and South American flavours, before shuttering. Yen would then move on to become the executive chef of the British-style Parliament Pub & Parlour in Old Montreal. While he briefly enjoyed elevating British classics like Sunday roasts and whelks on toast, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a closure.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yen launched Touk, a Cambodian street food pop-up within Parliament. While a small operation, the chef achieved critical acclaim with lines down the block and international press coverage.

In 2021, he reunited with his husband in Vancouver and opened Nightshade, a vegan restaurant, which earned a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand for two consecutive years (2022 and 2023). During this period, Yen was appointed Personal Chef to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—the first ever Queer and BIPOC chef to do so—from 2021 to 2022, where he cooked for family meals, state dinners, and represented Canada at the Club des Chefs Summit in Madrid.

Today, Yen is the chef de cuisine at the Michelin-recommended, Venetian-inspired restaurant Bacaro in Vancouver. His upcoming cookbook highlighting his Cambodian heritage is set for release in 2025.

Top Chef Canada, Season 11 can be streamed on STACKTV.