Vancouver chef Dale MacKay wins Top Chef Canada

After 13 weeks of competition, Vancouver-based chef Dale MacKay was declared winner of Food Network's Top Chef Canada on Monday (July 4).

The proprietor of newly-opened Ensemble Restaurant and Bar (850 Thurlow Street) managed to nab the prize from 15 other contestants, including Toronto's Rob Rossi, who came in second place, and Calgary's Connie DeSousa, who came in third.

The finale consisted of the top-three chefs preparing a three-course meal at Peller Estates winery in Ontario. As a last-minute surprise, the chefs were asked to prepare an amuse-bouche that would showcase one of Peller Estate's iced wines.

For his final three courses, MacKay actually prepared five dishes, including the amuse-bouche. He daringly created two dishes—one fish, one lamb—for his second course, to which the other contestants felt was unfair. However, at the end of the day, MacKay's skill level and passion for food won over all of the judges, which included another Vancouver-based chef, David Hawksworth of Hawksworth Restaurant, as a guest judge for the finale.

Chef MacKay won a $100,000 prize, a GE Monogram kitchen, and the title of Top Chef Canada.

Congratulations to Dale MacKay!

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