The 2011 Healthy Chef Competition

Above, the Chinese Canadian Chef Associations' Award Winning Table Showcase, carved from fresh produce.

Three nights ago, 10 local chefs and their teams convened at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Vancouver to show off their culinary prowess at the 12th annual Healthy Chef Competition. The competition is the result of a collaborative effort between the BC Produce Marketing Association (BCPMA) and the BC Chefs’ Association (BCCA), promoting healthy eating through fresh fruits and vegetables.

This diverse range of competitors—including restaurants, hotels, and culinary schools—produced some amazing talent and fantastic culinary creations!

This year’s competitors included:

The Chinese Canadian Chef Association

Delizia Fusion Cuisine

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

Executive Hotels & Resorts

The Well Restaurant

Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

River Rock Casino Resort

The Hyatt Regency Vancouver

The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Vancouver

Vancouver Community College

Awards were presented for Best Entrée, Best Dessert, Best Table Showcase, the Healthy Plate Award (for desirable presentation of fresh produce, and the overall healthiness of the dish), and the People’s Choice Award.

There were six judges for the competition, including:

Executive Chef Michael Pinter, CCC, Seton Villa Action Line Housing, Director BCAA

Corporate Chef Boban Kovachevich, Executive Hotels and Conference Centre

Chef Thomas Dietzel, International Hospitality Recruitment

Chef Edgar Rahal, Chairman BCAA

Pastry Chef Ulrich Pohl, Pohl’s Bakery & Pastry Ltd.

Melody Fury, Food Writer, VancouverFoodTour.com, GourmetFury.com

In the end, four competitors walked away with the five awards:

Best Entrée – The Hyatt Regency (entrée of beef tenderloin with a tandoori rub, aloo tikki spring vegetables, mint chutney, and beet coulis)

Best Dessert – Goldfish Pacific Kitchen (dessert trio of pineapple yoghurt mousse, white chocolate apple cake, and strawberry panna cotta)

Best Table Showcase – Chinese Canadian Chef Association, with some incredible fruit sculptures!

Healthy Plate – River Rock Casino Resort (entrée of braised sea cucumber, shitake mushrooms, pea sprouts, tiger prawn, garden pea puree, lily bulb, beet powder and chive oil)

People’s Choice – Chinese Canadian Chef Association (“Seafood From the East” entrée of poached prawns and scallops with a ponzu glaze, organic soba noodles and vegetables)

Congratulations to all of the winners!

The "Seafood From the East" dish by the Chinese Canadian Chef Association, winner of the People's Choice Award.

The evening was not just a big one for established chefs, but for up and coming individuals as well. In the last decade, the BCPMA has raised more than $80,000 for the BC Chefs’ Association Junior Scholarship fund, and the BC Chefs’ Association has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships for culinary students.

Fundraising at the 2011 Healthy Chef Competition was no exception to previous years: the BC Produce Marketing Association presented the BC Chefs’ Association with a hefty check of $7,000 towards the Junior Scholarship fund, in addition to donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the “Fruits and Veggies Mix it Up” for Better Health program.

All in all, the 2011 Healthy Chef Competition was an entertaining night for guests and participants alike. Live music, great-tasting food, fundraising for great causes, and an incredible goody bag to bring home (filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, and a potted herb plant to name a few)? What more could a lot of foodies ask for?

Just wait until the CCFCC 2011 National Conference in June.