Top Chef Canada
Food Network Canada’s highest-rated series Top Chef Canada returns for a third season with a fresh batch of 16 up-and-coming chefs ready to battle it out in Canada’s fiercest food competition. This season the stakes are at a record-high level with over a quarter of a million dollars in cash and prizes up for grabs - including the grand prize of $100,000 courtesy of Kruger Sponge Towels®, a GE Monogram Kitchen valued at over $30,000, a custom installation by Caesarstone Quartz Surfaces, and the coveted title of Canada’s Top Chef. Each week the chefs compete in Quickfire and Elimination challenges – with more extreme, on-location challenges this season under difficult conditions designed to test their skills to see if they have the chops to become Canada’s Top Chef. Restaurateur and Chef Mark McEwan returns as head judge while Canadian actress Lisa Ray returns as host and L.A. restaurateur Shereen Arazm comes back as resident judge.
Produced by Insight Productions, Top Chef Canada airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT beginning March 18 on Food Network Canada.
From his early years as Canada’s youngest ever executive chef at Toronto’s upscale Sutton Place Hotel to his latest endeavor, the trendy resto bar Fabbrica, Mark McEwan is never content to rest on his laurels.
Using food as the ultimate palate for his boundless creativity and energy, McEwan has led the restaurant scene in Toronto for many years. He joins the ranks of the truly innovative with groundbreaking Toronto dining standards from North 44 to Bymark to the always interesting ONE, a staple for the “see and be seen” crowd in Yorkville. With his newest establishment Fabbrica, he has taken another turn and captivated customers with rustic Italian fare in a warm, yet contemporary setting at The Shops at Don Mills.
But McEwan does not stop with dining. In early 2009, he turned his attention to upscale gourmet food and opened McEwan at The Shops at Don Mills. Always attentive to the changing needs of the consumer, he created a jewel box of a grocery store that caters to foodies and chefs alike.
His best selling cookbook Great Food at Home added author to his resume and he did not stop there either. In late 2011, McEwan, with the help of Jacob Richler, once again wowed us with Fabbrica, the cookbook based on the recipes featured in his latest restaurant.
Mark McEwan has also added television personality to his long list of talents and is currently the head judge on Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada. His first show for Food Network Canada, The Heat, was a riveting behind-the-scenes look at North 44 Caters as well as the building of McEwan grocery store.
McEwan’s cookware line by Fresco is sold nationally across Canada and with his chef’s stamp of approval for a high quality product in the kitchen.
Canadian Lisa Ray is a well known actress, model, host, activist and cancer graduate who was raised in Toronto by an Indian father and Polish mother. It is her love of food and exposure to cuisine all over the world that brought her to this exciting role as host of Top Chef Canada. An iconic figure in India – where she started her career at 16 – and abroad, Ray is a successful cover model and award-winning actress. With starring roles in Bollywood Hollywood and Oscar nominated Water to name a few, Ray has achieved international success, appearing in more than 27 film and television titles. Her hosting experience spans her own entertainment show in India, to hosting India’s popular series OMG (Oh My Gold) on TLC, and hosting award shows such as The Genies and The Giller Prize amongst others. She has also been featured in Hello! Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the Country and on the cover of People Magazine.
For more information visit www.lisaraniray.com!