Chef Jaeyoung (Jay) Park of Vancouver’s Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
WINS the 2026 Canadian Culinary Championship!
“Spirit of the West” celebration wows the crowd!
Emerging victorious from a field of ten of Canada’s top chefs, Chef Jaeyoung (Jay) Park of Vancouver’s Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar captivated judges with his standout Grand Finale dish as well as his exceptional creativity and technical execution throughout the competition. The Canadian Culinary Championship (CCC) Grand Finale, held Saturday, January 31 at the Rogers Centre, culminated in a spectacular Spirit of the West celebration featuring frontman Geoffrey Kelly, alongside legendary Canadian artists Barney Bentall, Matthew Harder, and Luke Doucet, and included a live auction offering exclusive culinary experiences.
Regional competitions, presented by MNP, were held in ten cities from Vancouver, BC, to St. John’s, NL in the fall of 2025, allowing each regional gold medalist to compete in the National Championship. After three intense competitions, Mystery Wine Pairing, Black Box, and the Grand Finale, Chef Jaeyoung (Jay) Park from Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar in Vancouver, BC was on the top of the podium. Park delivered with his dish of Wingtat Canada chicken ‘poulet pressé’, Gochujang gastric glazed chicken heart, crispy chicken skin ‘tartlet’ with chicken liver mousse, Butternut squash globe, chicken jus with chicken fat infused with garlic & thyme. Park paired his dish with Tantalus Chardonnay 2023, Okanagan Valley, BC.
“The name of my dish is Jay Park’s journey, taking inspiration from my childhood memories with my grandparents who had a big farm in Korea. Chicken is a special ingredient for me, we had it a lot when I was a child. I want to put more philosophy in my dishes, kind of like the circle of life. That’s why I intentionally place my dishes in circles and I hope to pass this tradition down to the next generation” says the winning chef.
The silver medalist, Chef Jonathan Williams of Park Hyatt Toronto, pleased guests with his dish of Beef Short Rib Pastrami, a very good carrot, rye crumble, horseradish cream. Williams paired his dish with Dirty Laundry Kay’s Syrah 2022, Okanagan Valley, BC.
Also finishing on the podium, as the bronze medalist, was Chef Jason Sawision of Stofa Restaurant. Chef Sawision, who was representing Ottawa, ON, featured seared scallop with adobo, taro Aji Amarillo fritter, almond pudding, mango salsa, ‘chorizo’ shrimp toast, poblano pepper sauce, tortilla tuile, cilantro. He paired his selection with De Simone Motivation Fume Blanc 2021, Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON.
Also competing at the 2026 CCC were seven other regional gold medallists. They are: 
“It comes as no surprise that the CCC this year was incredibly strong.“, said Chris Johns, National Culinary Advisor and Head Judge of the CCC. “I knew it would be because each regional competition was also very strong. So I knew the dishes coming in here were going to be great but what I didn’t know was that all of the chefs between the time they competed and now, practiced their dishes, tweaked them and improved them so while they had great dishes in their cities, they brought even stronger dishes here to Ottawa and that made for a phenomenal competition.”
The Grand Finale featured an amazing ‘Spirit of the West’ celebration featuring some of the band’s unforgettable hits like Home For A Rest, Political, and If Venice Is Sinking. Also on the program was a live auction with A Taste of Prince Edward County: Wine, Dine & Unwind for Two Couples along with three incredible at-home dinners with previous Canadian Culinary Champion Chef Yannick Lasalle, this year’s bronze medalist, Chef Jason Sawision from Stofa Restaurant and Chef Lizardo Becerra from Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine, the 2024 regional gold medalist.
Over the last 19 years, the event has raised over $19.8 million for Canadian charities. Beneficiaries this year were Spirit North, MusiCounts, Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE), and Nutrition Blocs.
“It is so good to be here again in the nation’s capital for the 2026 Canadian Culinary Championship,” said Karen Blair, COO of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party. “The chef’s preparation for this intense competition was very clear to the judges, and for the guests who were lucky enough to be here, they
really enjoyed the talent and the creativity. Thanks, Ottawa, we will be back next year and it is going to be pretty special, because it’s our 20th anniversary!”
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party regional qualifying events, as well as the Canadian Culinary Championship, feature an amazing showcase of Canadian wines. During Saturday night’s Grand Finale, the “Wine of the Year” was announced as Closson Chase Churchside Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Prince Edward County. “This is a wine of lovely precision and detail that effortlessly explains Prince Edward County Pinot Noir from a winery that has shown the way for almost 25 years” stated National Wine Advisor David Lawrason.
Chef Jaeyoung (Jay) Park
Jaeyoung (Jay) Park began his culinary journey in Korea at the age of 19, first mastering the foundations of Korean cuisine before developing a curiosity for global culinary traditions. In 2014, he moved to Canada to study culinary arts at Vancouver Community College, where he graduated in 2016. That same year, Jay began his professional career at Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, where he spent three years progressing through invaluable hands-on experience.
In 2019, Jay joined Maison Boulud in Montreal, a French and Italian-inspired restaurant owned and operated by world-renowned Chef Daniel Boulud. This formative chapter further refined his technical foundation. It deepened his passion for French and Italian cooking, which he continues to weave with his Korean roots.
Returning to Boulevard in 2021, Jay has since grown into the role of Chef de Cuisine, shaping a style that is grounded in humility, precision, and collaboration. His philosophy emphasizes teamwork and mentorship: “Nothing can happen alone. The more people work as a team, the more they can achieve.”
Passionate about pasta making, Jay specializes in creations such as crown pasta, sorpresine, and doppio. In 2025, his innovative approach and commitment to craft have led him to compete in Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, the prestigious national culinary championship.
“I love cooking because it is about sharing an experience and a story. It motivates me always to do more, do better, and create moments of joy at the table. That feeling is the greatest reward.” – Chef Jay Park.
Editor’s note: my interview with Chef Jay, In Conversation with Chef Jay Park is available to read here.
Next year’s Canadian Culinary Championship is already scheduled to take place once again in Ottawa, January 29 – 30, 2027.
ABOUT CANADIAN CULINARY CHAMPIONSHIP (CCC) | The Canadian Culinary Championship is an annual national event in Ottawa. The winning chefs from ten different regional qualifiers (called Canada’s Great Kitchen Party) are flown in to compete in three challenging and entertaining competitions: Mystery Wine, Black Box, and the Finale. To be invited to compete locally is a notch in the belt. To win regional gold and be on the podium is a significant achievement. To be eligible to compete against each regional gold winner at the national competition the following year is a thrill. To be crowned the top chef in Canada at the Canadian Culinary Championship is a career changer!
