Yannick La Salle already knows what it tastes like to be Canada’s culinary champion. Now he’s going back for seconds.

And the executive chef for the Supreme Court of Canada will be joined by two-time champ Marc Lepine from Atelier, who’s been named Ottawa’s chef of distinction for the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational.

“Yannick and I are taking on the rest of the country,” declared Lepine with a smile.

For the first time in the championship’s 20-year history, each of the 10 regional winners from across Canada will be joined by a chef of distinction from their city, selected by the national judges.

The culinary competition returns to the nation’s capital on January 29 to 30, culminating with the Great Kitchen Party at Rogers Centre Ottawa, featuring the Steven Page Trio.

From left, Yannick La Salle, executive chef for the Supreme Court of Canada, and Marc Lepine, executive chef and owner of Atelier, will compete together in the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational when it comes to Ottawa in late January. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Returning to co-chair Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is Adam Montgomery, managing director of TD’s national real estate group. He was first recruited to the organizing committee by former co-chair Mike Taggart, who then promptly handed him the keys, so to speak, and asked him to take over the following year.

“I love it,” Montgomery said of the event and the exposure it brings to Ottawa. “It puts Ottawa on the Canadian stage.”

He’s joined by Lynda Carter, partner at MNP LLP, which is also the presenting sponsor.

La Salle’s winning dish actually started months before Monday’s competition at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Elgin Street, where a restaurant full of supporters enjoyed the wine-paired food experience.

La Salle’s veal sweetbreads with celeriac, apples and horseradish began in a Canadian forest, where he harvested sap last spring with his wife and two young children to make the maple syrup used in the dish, and more recently in an orchard, where the family picked apples together. After winning Monday, he thanked his wife, Sara-Claude Romain, and their kids, ages five and two, for their support.

La Salle won regional gold in 2018 before being crowned the 2019 Canadian Culinary Champion. He also won a regional silver medal in 2017.

Yannick La Salle’s award-winning dish at the regional culinary championship held at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Photo by Jenny Chen

“I’m happy; we worked hard,” La Salle said after being announced the winner. He was hoisted into the air, trophy in hand, by silver medallist Ian Carswell of Black Tartan Kitchen in Carleton Place and third-place finisher Jason Sawision of Stofa. Sawision had earned bronze at the national competition last January.

La Salle said his creation featured ingredients that reflected the fall season that officially arrives tonight. “It was a simple dish. We just tried to make it as flavourful as possible.”

He also said his inspiration came from his children, and wanting to teach them that, when they commit to something, they need to see it through. “Do it to the end, even if you don’t think you’re going to win. The winning’s extra.”

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine chef and owner Lizardo Becerra won the people’s choice award for his sablefish usuzukuri and manila clam tart. The competition also included award-winning executive chef Joe Thottungal of Coconut Lagoon and Thali.

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine chef/owner Lizardo Becerra won the people’s choice award at the regional culinary championship held at his restaurant on Elgin Street on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Lizardo Becerra, Joe Thottungal, Jason Sawision, Yannick La Salle and Ian Carwell. Photo by Caroline Phillips

When La Salle was named the winner, no one cheered louder than Jennifer Warren-Part, former co-owner of Les Fougères, the Chelsea restaurant where La Salle got his start. She and chef Charles Part sold the award-winning restaurant about a year ago, with two of its new partners — Randy McCoy and Larry Strickland from DataKinetics — also in the room. It’s also owned by DataKinetics CEO Allan Zander, who’s passionate about the culinary arts.

La Salle “is part of the family,” said McCoy, explaining why the Les Fougères group bid so aggressively on the dinner for eight with La Salle. It sold during the charity live auction led by Derick Fage, supervising producer on CTV Your Morning Ottawa. Attendees could bid on the privately catered dinner by participating chefs in support of the cause, music education charity MusiCounts.

Canada’s Great Kitchen party has contributed $19.9 million to charitable causes across Canada over the yeras. Local causes include RISE, Ottawa Network for Education School Breakfast Program and Nutrition Blocs.

The culinary judging panel consisted of national culinary advisor Chris Johns; head judge Cory Haskins, dean of the School of Business and Hospitality at Algonquin College; Janet Boileau; Jennifer Campbell; executive chef Briana Kim of Antheia Restaurant; and Lepine. The judges were sequestered at the back of the restaurant, where they tasted each dish without knowing which chef had prepared it.

From left, Randy McCoy, one of the partners at Restaurant Les Fougères, with former owners Jennifer Warren-Part and Charles Part, and award-winning chef Yannick La Salle — formerly the executive chef at Les Fougères — alongside the restaurant’s current executive chef, Simon Beaudry, and sous chef, Sébastien Caron, at the regional qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship presented by MNP. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Lisa Pasin, senior vice president of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, and two-time culinary champ Marc Lepine, who will be competing in the role of chef of distinction at the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational when it returns to Ottawa in January. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, volunteer Nicole Loreto; Derick Fage, supervising producer of CTV Your Morning Ottawa and the evening’s live auctioneer; and event emcee Sylvie Bigras at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine for the regional qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational scheduled for this January in Ottawa. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Richard Pope from Connor, Clark & Lunn Private Capital on stage with regional winner Yannick La Salle, executive chef for the Supreme Court of Canada, and Marc Lepine, executive chef and owner of Atelier, who will be joining La Salle at the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational grand finale in January. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Neera Singal appeared incredulous after being outbid during the charity live auction held at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine as part of the regional qualifier for the upcoming Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party co-chair Adam Montgomery, managing director of TD’s national real estate group, with guests Sarena Lépine and William Lépine from the family-owned Lépine Apartments, at the Canadian Culinary Championship’s regional qualifier held at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Lisa Pasin, senior vice president of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, and Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who dropped into the regional qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship to show his support for Ottawa’s culinary community. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, culinary judges Jennifer Campbell, Janet Boileau, Chris Johns, Cory Haskins and Briana Kim outside Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine before being sequestered at the back of the restaurant for the blind tasting. The judges didn’t know which chef had prepared each dish. Photo by Caroline Phillips

For attendees such as Catalais Consulting CEO Jenny Chen, choosing a people’s choice winner wasn’t easy, especially after starting with such high scores and having nowhere left to go.

“Everything has been amazing,” she said toward the end of the night. “We started rating everything high but then we were like, ‘Oh no! How do you get above 100?’ Everything was phenomenal.”

Chen also appreciated that each chef shared the story behind their dish. “I love hearing the inspiration behind things,” she added.

Ottawa Citizen food writer Peter Hum told CiTC that the event stood out from the many he’s covered. “I think this is the best one I’ve been to in whatever it’s been, more than a dozen years, with just the calibre of the food but also the vibe of the place. I got to watch the collegiality of the chefs because they’re all helping each other to get the food out,” he said.

One running joke throughout the night was Ottawa’s determination to knock reigning champion Vancouver off the podium at the national competition, prompting repeated rivalry chants of “Vancouver sucks!” It was all good-natured, of course.

“It’s kind of like when opposing teams chant, ‘[Sidney] Crosby sucks,’” explained Lepine, who won gold in 2012 and 2016. “We all know he’s good. We all know Vancouver is good. But they’ve won the last three years in a row, and it’s time for Ottawa to bring [the trophy] back home.”

From left, Jenny Chen, CEO of Catalais Consulting; Tennille Jago, special event sales manager at HISTORY Ottawa; and Karen Wood, founder of KoW Connected, at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Elgin Street for the regional qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Stefanie Siska, co-owner of C’est Bon Ottawa, is on the committee for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, which returns to Ottawa in late January and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Culinary Championship. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Rebecca Renfroe, associate dean at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, and David Renfroe, president at Renfroe Land Management, at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine, which hosted the regional qualifier for the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Derick Fage, supervising producer for CTV Your Morning Ottawa, led the charity live auction in support of MusiCounts during the regional qualifier held at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine for the upcoming Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, David Godsoe, founder of DG Cuisine and vice president of culinary operations and procurement for Ottawa Venues, and Derick Cotnam, owner of My Catering Group, at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine, which hosted the regional qualifier for the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational. Photo by Caroline Phillips

National wine advisor Michael Godel at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine for the Ottawa qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship, which returns to the nation’s capital in late January as part of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Marc Santerre, former CFO at Farm Boy, and Charlotte Santerre are on the committee for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, which returns to Ottawa in late January and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Canadian Culinary Championship. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, chartered professional accountant Anne Van Delst and Layla Darwish, vice president of mid-market diversified industries at BMO Commercial Bank, at Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine for the regional qualifier for the upcoming Canadian Culinary Championship: All-Star Invitational. Photo by Caroline Phillips