UGLY DUCKLING’S CORBIN MATHANY WELCOMES JAMES BEARD AWARD-WINNING CHEF GREGORY GOURDET FOR COLLABORATION DINNER
The one-night-only dinner celebrates Vancouver Island’s terroir,
Pacific Northwest connections and contemporary cuisine
On Sunday, November 8, Ugly Duckling chef/owner Corbin Mathany will welcome Portland-based chef Gregory Gourdet to Victoria for a one-night-only collaboration dinner. Gourdet, a multiple James Beard Award winner and founder of acclaimed restaurant Kann, will join Mathany in the intimate dining room at UglyDuckling, one of Victoria’s most celebrated restaurants.
Situated in the heart of Victoria’s historic Chinatown, Ugly Duckling has become a defining voice in Vancouver Island’s culinary landscape, known for its inventive and original dining experiences. The collaboration brings together two chefs whose cooking is shaped by storytelling, heritage and a shared commitment to the Pacific Northwest’s ecosystems and producers.
Kann, which opened in Portland in 2022, was recognized as a Best New Restaurant by The New York Times and Eater that year, before earning the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2023. Gourdet’s visit offers diners a rare opportunity to experience the intersection of Haitian culinary traditions and the ingredients, seasons and sense of place that define Vancouver Island.
For Mathany and Gourdet, the dinner is a celebration of the region’s bounty from Vancouver Island farms and fisheries to Pacific Northwest ingredients and a chance to explore how two distinct culinary identities can meet through shared landscapes and values.
Together, the chefs will create a five-course menu, along with additional surprises, drawing on culinary influences from Haiti and the Caribbean, Oregon and Vancouver Island. Each course will reflect their individual culinary perspectives while exploring the connections between their regions. Seasonal island-grown vegetables, sustainably harvested seafood and ingredients from local producers will help anchor the evening.
“I am delighted to collaborate with Chef Corbin and Ugly Duckling to put a spotlight on the flavours and ingredients of our shared region,” says Gourdet. “Victoria and Portland have so much in common. These Pacific Northwest cities share a strong sense of community, a commitment to sustainability, and a deep respect for local producers. This dinner will highlight our distinctive approaches to Pacific Northwest ingredients that diners will not find anywhere else and for one night only.”
The Ugly Duckling x Kann collaboration dinner takes place on Sunday, November 8 at Ugly Duckling, located at 543 Fisgard Street in Victoria, BC. Two seatings are available, at 5:30 pm and 8 pm. Tickets are $289.58 per person, inclusive of premium wine pairings, taxes and gratuity, and are available here.
Presented by the Victoria International Wine Festival and Travel Portland with additional support from the Root Cellar, Finest at Sea, and Vacay.ca.
About Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions
Ugly Duckling is among the most distinctive and celebrated restaurant openings on Vancouver Island in recent years. A sophisticated yet laid-back expression of chef-owner Corbin Mathany’s culinary vision, the ever-evolving tasting menu showcases a passionate devotion to seasonal Vancouver Island ingredients, classic French cooking techniques and Asian influences that are an increasingly prominent part of Pacific Northwest cuisine. Located at 543 Fisgard Street in Victoria’s historic Chinatown, Ugly Duckling offers dinner tasting menus Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.
uglyducklingrestaurant.ca | @ugly.duckling.dining
About Chef Gregory Gourdet
Gregory Gourdet is one of the most celebrated chefs in North America. Chef and founder of the acclaimed restaurant Kann, he won the prestigious 2024 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific in 2024. His debut cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health, won the 2022 James Beard Award for Best General Cookbook and became a national bestseller. A two-time Top Chef finalist, Gourdet brings a distinctive blend of heritage, innovation, and Pacific Northwest ingredients to every table.
kannrestaurant.com | @kannrestaurant
