Alex Kim, the Culinary Director of Glowbal Restaurant Group’s Five Sails, struck gold and claimed the crown as the nation’s foremost chef at the 2025 Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa on Saturday night.
Kim was one of 10 chefs who won Canada’s Great Kitchen Party regional competitions held across the country to earn the right to compete in the national championship that began with a Mystery Wine pairing event Friday night and continued Saturday with a Black Box competition that allowed chefs one hour to create a dish using mystery ingredients.
The two events culminated in Saturday night’s grand finale, where Kim prepared the same dish that earned him top spot at the Vancouver regional championship last October — Haida Gwaii Sablefish Loin & Cortes Island Scallop Terrine, Sidestripe Shrimp ‘Mandu’ with Okanagan Apple & Dungeness Crab, and Seared Kusshi Oyster, Salsify and Doenjang on Crispy Sea Lettuce Tartlet, paired with a Blanc De Blanc Sparkling 2019 from OIiver, BC’s Tinhorn Creek Vineyards.
“I am extremely humbled by this honour and could not have achieved it without the support of my incredible team at Glowbal Restaurant Group and Five Sails, and especially my Sous Chef Jitin Kapoor, who was by my side throughout these competitions,” said Kim. “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work and we’re extremely excited to bring this home not just for Glowbal and Five Sails but all of BC’s amazing culinary community.”
Kim is the fourth BC-based chef to win the Canadian Culinary Championship following Melissa Craig of Whistler’s Bearfoot Bistro in 2008, Alex Chen and Roger Ma of Vancouver’s Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar in 2018 and 2020, respectively, and Jasper Cruickshank of Whistler’s Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar in 2024.
Kim, who credited his Korean roots and formative experiences first learning to cook alongside his grandmother as inspiration, was joined on the 2025 podium by Jordan Holden of Moncton, NB’s Atelier Tony and François-Emmanuel Nicol of Quebec City’s Tanière3, who won silver and bronze, respectively.
After emigrating to Canada as a teenager, Kim worked the line at several of Alberta’s top luxury hotel properties including Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and Fairmont Hotel MacDonald before coming to Vancouver to continue his culinary career in 2017. He first joined the Glowbal family in 2021 as Executive Chef at its flagship Glowbal Restaurant following a three-year turn as Chef de Cuisine at the former MARKET by Jean-Georges at the Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver and most recently took the reins of Glowbal’s award-winning Five Sails as Culinary Director.
“We’re incredibly proud of Alex not just for this prestigious honour but for the culinary excellence he’s provided to Glowbal in general and Five Sails in particular,” said Glowbal Restaurant Group CEO Emad Yacoub. “This is a true testament to the expertise, dedication and mentorship that he brings to our entire team, and we’re thrilled to see him earn this well-deserved accolade and continue BC’s recent run at the national championship.”
The roster of judges at the championship comprised a cross-section of the Canadian culinary scene and brought together renowned food and beverage writers, executive chefs, journalists and entrepreneurs that included Chris Johns and James Chatto as National Culinary Advisor and Judge Invigilator, respectively, and Renée Suen, all of Toronto, Ottawa’s Cory Haskins, Montréal’s Gildas Meneu, Calgary’s Michael Allemeier, Vancouver’s Joie Alvaro Kent, Edmonton’s Mary Bailey, Winnipeg’s Mike Green, Saskatoon’s Noelle Chorney and Newfoundland’s Roary MacPherson.
The Canadian Culinary Championship is a social enterprise dedicated to “Building a Better Canada” and celebrating Canadian excellence in food, sport, and music by bringing together chefs, athletes, musicians and business leaders to raise funds for Spirit North, MusiCounts and regional food equity charities.