Season 11 of Top Chef Canada is underway and the competition is heating up. Contestants have travelled from across the country to compete in Canada’s top culinary competition showing off their skills and putting their best plate forward. Of course, there would not be competition without the incredible panel of judges and marvelous host. They’ve seen it all and they are ready to crown Canada’s next top chef. Read on to meet the wonderful group of personalities acting as season 11’s Top Chef Canada host and judges.
Host: Eden Grinshpan
Toronto-born Eden Grinshpan is the host of Top Chef Canada and the author of EATING OUT LOUD: Bold Middle Eastern Flavours For All Day, Every Day.
A graduate from Le Cordon Bleu in London, Eden has a “Grande Diplome” in Pastry and Cuisine. After graduating, she took her love of culinary and travel to India, Israel, and Southeast Asia to learn the culture and cuisines of the countries she explored. While in India, Eden volunteered with an orphanage called Ramanas Garden, where she re-opened a cafe to raise money and awareness for the orphanage. After returning to New York City, Eden completed a management program at The Institute of Culinary Education.
Soon after, Eden met Samantha Schutz, and together they created Eden Eats, a Cooking Channel show that explored the global culinary food scene. A year later, Eden launched Log On & Eat with Eden Grinshpan on Cooking Channel, where she traveled the country in search of the most adventurous, well-known food bloggers and social media influencers.
In May 2018, Eden partnered with by CHLOE founder Samantha Wasser to open DEZ, a Middle Eastern fast casual restaurant in NYC that featured a menu inspired by Eden’s Israeli heritage and travels.
Eden released her first cookbook, EATING OUT LOUD with Clarkson Potter on September 1, 2020.
Eden lives in Toronto/NYC with her husband, Ido and two daughters Ayv and Romi. You can find Eden online on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and on her website.
Judge: Mark McEwan
Chef Mark McEwan is one of Canada’s most celebrated chefs, and a judge on Top Chef Canada. He began his illustrious career as the youngest ever executive chef at Toronto’s upscale Sutton Place Hotel. From here, he opened the groundbreaking North 44, which set a new standard of excellence in Toronto’s culinary landscape. Chef McEwan continued to push dining innovation with the launch of Bymark, winner of the enRoute Award for Canada’s Best New Restaurants and a pioneer in the Toronto Financial District food scene. Never one to rest on his laurels, Chef McEwan then opened the chic ONE Restaurant, which is considered by locals and discerning travellers alike as the heart of Yorkville.
Driven by the freshest ingredients and influenced by the marketplaces of the world, Chef McEwan next turned his attention to opening McEwan Fine Foods, with a location at The Shops at Don Mills, then at the TD Centre and now at Yonge & Bloor. Most recently, Chef McEwan launched a new online grocery platform at www.mcewanfoods.com where clients can order fresh produce, specialty ingredients, pantry staples and restaurant quality prepared foods with same-day delivery across the GTA. Now, McEwan’s expert team can shop for clients and bring the store to their door.
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Chef McEwan’s love of Italian cuisine is evident through his two Fabbrica locations (Fabbrica TD and Fabbrica Thornbury), serving authentic rustic dishes made with the finest ingredients. Always pushing boundaries with cooking techniques and styles, Chef McEwan created a wide-ranging menu for the elegant Diwan Restaurant at the Aga Khan Museum which showcases his innovative approaches to Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian cuisine. Most recently, Chef McEwan opened The Port Tavern Restaurant & Bar in Thornbury, Ontario, a new go-to for a classic blend of rugged tavern vibes and high-end dining.
Chef McEwan continues to elevate Canadian cuisine on the global stage through his best-selling cookbooks Great Food at Home and Rustic Italian. With a commitment to quality, Chef McEwan is looking toward the future and is continuing to grow McEwan Catering with the launch of www.mcewancatering.com where clients can experience his cuisine through the click of a button. You can find Mark online on Facebook, Instagram, X and his website.
Judge: Mijune Pak
Mijune Pak is an international food personality, a Top Chef Canada judge and was a guest judge on Iron Chef Canada. An advocate for culinary tourism and educator of culture and food, The Sunday Times once named her one of the world’s “Most Extreme Foodies.”
Mijune has judged The Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards, Bocuse d’Or Canada National Selections, Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants, Taste Canada Awards, BC Product of the Year Awards, Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship, and many other notable awards/competitions. In 2020, Bay Street Bull Magazine included Mijune in their “14 Chinese-Canadian Leaders You Should Know About” list. In 2023, Mijune emceed Vancouver’s MICHELIN Guide Ceremony.
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Alongside judging and on-camera work, Mijune is a curator and host for culinary and lifestyle events, public speaker, collaborator and spokesperson. Her product line includes limited edition chocolate bars, which sold out regularly, and she is always working on more products.
In the realm of social media, Mijune holds a strong and respected voice on food and travel. She maintains a loyal following on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. With an ever-increasing audience of social media users and food enthusiasts, she continues to influence the food industry and social media community locally and worldwide. After establishing a credible reputation in Vancouver, Mijune’s expertise as a culinary adventurer has gained recognition on a global scale.
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Judge: David Zilber
David Zilber is a professional chef, fermenter, photographer, and author hailing from Toronto Canada.
He has worked in some of the world’s top kitchens since 2004, most notably serving as the director of the world renown Fermentation Lab at Restaurant Noma from 2016-2020, employing fungi and bacteria to transform foodstuffs into bold new ingredients. In his time there, he authored the New York Times bestseller, The Noma Guide to Fermentation, and through his passion for the sciences and the arts, became a voice for science communication for a new generation of cooks and enthusiasts in the world of food and fermentation.
His joy for sharing knowledge has led him to teach and lecture at the likes of Harvard, Cambridge, and the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
He currently works from Copenhagen as a food scientist on the frontiers of flavour and innovation, employing the help of microbes to build a more just and sustainable food system for all. You can find David online on Instagram.
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Judge: Janet Zuccarini
CEO & Founder, Gusto 54 Restaurant Group Janet Zuccarini is the sole owner and visionary behind Gusto 54 Restaurant Group. Janet stands out as a woman and powerhouse entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, curating innovative and delicious dining experiences on a global scale. An adventurous traveler, Janet has her finger on the pulse of the world of restaurants and food.
In 1996, she opened Trattoria Nervosa in Toronto’s Yorkville, later expanding to Gusto 101 (2012), and PAI Northern Thai Kitchen (2014). In 2015, Gusto 54 Catering and Commissary was added to the growing roster. 2017 was a year of rapid growth for Gusto 54 with Kiin, Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen, and Los Angeles-based restaurant Felix, which was lauded as Esquire’s “#1 Best New Restaurant in America,” Eater LA’s “Restaurant of the Year,” and shortlisted as a finalist for the James Beard “Best New Restaurant 2018” award. Newly launched in 2020 is Gusto 501 in Toronto’s Corktown, Azhar Kitchen + Bar in Toronto’s Ossington area and in 2022, Café Zuzu in Toronto’s Regent Park, Gusto Green in Downtown, Los Angeles, and Stella in West Hollywood. With each concept, Janet strives to create a transporting guest experience, complete with inspiring design, delicious food, and soulful hospitality, as well as to continue to be recognized as an amazing place to work with a focus on attracting and retaining the best talent.
In 2017, Janet was recognized as Foodservice & Hospitality’s Pinnacle Award winner for “Independent Restaurateur of the Year” and, among thousands of candidates across the country, was selected by the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards as the recipient of the TEC Canada Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. In 2019, Janet was named as Businesswoman of the Year by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and in 2020, Canada’s 100 Best awarded Janet the Business Leadership award. In addition to these accolades, she also happens to be the first woman in Canada to become an AVPN certified Pizzaiola and is featured as a resident judge on Top Chef Canada.
Recognized as a Deloitte Best Managed Company, the empire that Janet and her team have built is notable not only for the successes it has seen to date but also for its contribution to community-building programs that support women and children. Gusto Gives Back – the charitable arm of Gusto 54 – oversees homegrown “Mini Chefs” programming as well as regularly contributing to organizations like Foodshare and The Stop that feed and teach people to eat in healthy and sustainable ways.
Janet holds an MBA from Boston University in Rome where she lived for 8 years. You can find Janet online on X and Instagram.