Chef Jay Park from Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Serves Up Victory at Canada’s Great Kitchen Party in Vancouver!
Chef Park is Now Qualified
for the Canadian Culinary Championship
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, Vancouver, is bubbling with excitement as Chef Jay Park from Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar has captured the gold medal in the regional culinary showdown! With this delicious victory, Chef Park will now take his talents to Ottawa, where he will represent Vancouver at the Canadian Culinary Championship on January 30th and 31st, 2026. There, he will face off against nine of the nation’s gold medal-winning chefs, each bringing their own flavour to the ultimate kitchen clash. Let the sharp battle of knives begin!
Kitchen Party Vancouver was the fifth event held among the ten competing cities, spanning from coast to coast. All regional competitions end in mid-November 2025.
Six renowned chefs participated in the competition. During the event, the judges were presented with the competition dishes and their paired beverages and awarded medals after careful deliberation. The competitors included:
- Balavant Ajagaonkar Desi Indian Lounge
- Jaeyoung Park Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
- Luke Boswell
Bar Corso - María Ponce
Chupito - Robert Lee
Glowbal - TJ Conwi
Ono Vancouver X Reroot Kitchen
This prestigious event brought together more than 200 of Vancouver’s most distinguished guests for an unforgettable celebration of culinary excellence.
Under the expert “seasoning” of National Head Judge Chris Johns, Senior Judge Joie Alvaro Kent, Andrea Carlson, Roger Ma, Scott Jaeger, Jasper Cruickshank, Meeru Dhalwala, and Alex Kim, this panel of culinary critics plated their final decision. Chef Park snagged the gold with his standout dish: “Wingtat Canada chicken ‘poulet pressé’, gochujang gastric glazed chicken heart, Crispy chicken skin ‘tartlet’ with chicken liver mousse, chicken jus with garlic thyme chicken fat.” Perfectly paired with Tantalus / 2023 / Chardonnay / Okanagan Valley / BC. The crowd “simmered” in anticipation, and when the winner was finally revealed, the room erupted in applause, as Chef Park was toasted as the night’s top chef!
“Vancouver remains among the top ranks of Canada’s most interesting and talented culinary communities,” said Chris Johns. “It was a close competition, and with so many great chefs involved, the judging wasn’t easy tonight,” continued Johns. “Chef Park will undoubtedly be a contender for this year’s Canadian Culinary Championship,” Johns went on to say.
Chef Robert Lee of GLOWBAL paired with Truck 59 Ciderhouse x The Hatch / Non-Vintage / Baptism by Firetruck / Cider / Okanagan Valley / BC, took home the silver medal for their impressive dish “BC Sablefish roulade with scallop & squid mousse, tofu, smoked clam cream. Apples & Black Sesame puree. Grilled octopus & jellyfish salad, popcorn emulsion, crispy yuba, cilantro.”, while Chef Balavant Ajagaonkar of Desi Indian Lounge paired with Unsworth Vineyards Charme de L’ile / Non-Vintage / Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Auxerrois, Sauvignette, Amiel / Vancouver Island / BC, secured the bronze with their “Solkadi Glazed Side Stripe Shrimp Mousse, Malvani Shrimp Curry Sauce, Grape Chutney Neer Dosa Cake, Rechado Cream, Shrimp Crumble and Chakali with Savoury Dill Panacotta.”
The coveted People’s Choice Award, determined by votes from all guests in attendance and independent of the judges’ scoring, was awarded to Chef Robert Lee. The People’s Choice Award creates a unique connection between the chefs and guests, and this year’s results reflected not only culinary skill but true showmanship.
Stephen Leckie, CEO of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, shared his enthusiasm: “Vancouver exceeded all expectations! The incredible support from the local business community brought a powerful energy to the event. The room was electric during our Spirit of the West celebration, featuring co-founder Geoffrey Kelly, the legendary Barney Bentall, former band guitarist Matthew Harder, and cellist Kevin Fox. When Home for a Rest hit, the entire room was on its feet! Guests were absolutely blown away by the culinary talent, the music, and the dynamic energy of the evening. Best of all, we raised significant funds for MusiCounts, Spirit North, and Fresh Roots, here in Vancouver — making this night not just memorable, but truly meaningful.”
As we celebrate our 19th year, we’re proud that Canada’s Great Kitchen Party has raised over $19 million to date—helping ensure Canadian youth have equitable access to sport opportunities, music education, and food security.
The Canadian Culinary Championship (CCC) will host the gold medalist chefs from 10 cities in the nation’s capital next January 30 and 31, 2026. For information on the CCC: Lisa Pasin at 780-903.1212 or lpasin@greatkitchenparty.
Don’t miss your chance to cheer on Chef Park as he competes in Ottawa at the end of January!
About CANADA’S GREAT KITCHEN PARTY (KP) and the
CANADIAN CULINARY CHAMPIONSHIP (CCC)
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is dedicated to elevating and celebrating excellence in Canadian culture. Staged in ten cities across the country, each event is a regional culinary competition which qualifies the winning chefs to move on to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championship. Chefs, musicians, and business leaders all come together for a spectacular experience with a mission: to ensure Canadian youth have equitable access to music education – supporting MusiCounts and access to sport and play for Indigenous youth – supporting SpiritNorth. Funds raised stay in the community. KP is also the largest exposition of Canadian wines, with over 200 wineries, local breweries and spirit companies profiled at the events. For more information, visit greatkitchenparty.com.