Alex Kim, the Culinary Director of Glowbal Restaurant Group’s Five Sails, struck gold and claimed the crown as the nation’s top chef at the 2025 Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa this past weekend.
Alex qualified for the competition alongside nine other chefs after winning one of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party regional competitions held across the country. The weekend kicked off ith 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.
Kim’s dish, Haida Gwaii Sablefish Loin and Cortes Island Scallop Terrine, Sidestripe Shrimp ‘Mandu’ with Okanagan Apple and Dungeness Crab, and Seared Kusshi Oyster, Salsify and Doenjang on Crispy Sea Lettuce Tartlet, was the same that won him his regional competition.
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“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.”
After emigrating to Canada as a teenager, Kim worked the line at several of Alberta’s top luxury hotel properties before moving to Vancouver to advance his culinary career. He first joined the Glowbal family in 2021 as Executive Chef at its flagship Glowbal Restaurant.
“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.
Kim is the fifth BC-based chef to win the Canadian Culinary Championship. Melissa Craig of Whistler’s Bearfoot Bistro (2008), Alex Chen and Roger Ma of Vancouver’s Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar (2018 and 2020), and Jasper Cruickshank of Whistler’s Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar (2024) won the award in previous years.