Ottawa held the 20th anniversary edition of the Great Canadian Kitchen Party on the evening of Monday, September 21, 2026, and the city's culinary scene had plenty to celebrate by the end of the night.
Gold goes to a Supreme Court chef
Yannick La Salle, chef at the Supreme Court of Canada, took home the gold medal at this year's event. The win puts a spotlight on a chef whose day job feeds the country's highest court, and now carries local bragging rights after a night of blind judging by his peers.
Silver and bronze stay close to home
The rest of the podium was filled out by chefs from just outside the city core. Ian Carswell of Black Tartan Kitchen in Carleton Place earned the silver medal, while Jason Sawision of Stofa took bronze. Both results underline how much of the region's culinary talent, not just downtown Ottawa's, gets a stage at this competition.
People's choice goes to the host
While the judges handed out gold, silver and bronze, diners who weren't part of the judging panel got their own say. Their vote, the people's choice award, went to event host Lizardo Becerra of Raphael Peruvian Cuisine, the restaurant that opened its doors for the whole evening.
A five-chef Ottawa lineup
This year's Ottawa qualifier brought together five competing chefs: Yannick La Salle, Joe Thottungal, Jason Sawision, Lizardo Becerra and Ian Carswell. The event's official site had the Ottawa date locked in for Monday, September 21, 2026, at Raphael Peruvian Cuisine, and the night delivered exactly as scheduled.
Judged by a two-time champion
Ottawa's own Marc Lepine of Atelier was one of the evening's blind judges.
Raising money for music education
Beyond the medals, the night had a cause behind it. The event raised money for MusiCounts, an organization dedicated to keeping music alive in schools and communities across Canada. Twenty years in, the Ottawa edition of the Great Canadian Kitchen Party continues to pair the city's top kitchens with a charitable purpose, turning a night of blind-judged plates into funding for music programs reaching well beyond the restaurant industry.
For Ottawa diners, the results are a reminder of how deep the region's culinary bench runs, from a courthouse kitchen to a Carleton Place dining room to a Peruvian restaurant that opened its doors to host the whole affair.
Sources: Ottawa Business Journal, Canada's Great Kitchen Party
