Community News
And the winner is… The Chef Collective brings back their popular Underground Chef Battle Series
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
As I walked into the venue, I was greeted by the enticing smell of onions, caramelizing in olive oil, or maybe it was butter. It’s the smell of the promise of delicious things to come, the start of countless dishes in many cuisines. It’s the smell of the slow breakdown of sugars and proteins and their recombination into hundreds of other flavourful compounds that add complexity, sweetness, and savouriness to any dish.
In a room filled with hundreds of boisterous industry members and food lovers, Chef Jerome Robinson, Chef Sam Medeiros and Chef Imrun Texeira competed in an intense one-hour live culinary battle, with hosts Chef Joe Friday and Chef Devan Rajkumar keeping the jam packed room entertained, and the energy high.
In partnership with Samurai Media, The Chef Collective was proudly supported and sponsored by SYZL, St. Lawrence Market, Mezzacorona, El Dorado Rum, Carib Brewery, Egg Farmers of Ontario, Medium Rare Chef Apparel, Meyers Natural Foods and CookUP Co. (AMT Gastroguss Pans, F. DICK Knives and ProfBoard Cutting Boards). They were able to bring back their popular underground chef battle series at the Toronto restaurant Boehmer (93 Ossington Ave.) on Monday, October 17th, 2022.
Surrounded by hungry, boisterous food fans, Chef Jerome Robinson, Chef Sam Medeiros and Chef Imrun Texeira competed in an action-packed battle to win the competition title, prizes and bragging rights. Let’s take some time to learn a little bit about our chefs:
Chef Jerome Robinson
Based in Toronto, Chef Jerome Robinson is a beloved chef, a restaurateur and an on-air cooking expert for the Marilyn Denis Show. He is currently the owner and chef at The Heartbreak Chef, which specializes in decadent comfort foods like fried chicken sandwiches and mac and cheese. A familiar face and name in Toronto, Chef Robinson has been on the culinary scene for years with his catering company and participating in Toronto food festivals including TasteToronto’s Brunch Fest.
Chef Sam Medeiros
Born and raised in Toronto, Sam Medeiros knew the moment after graduating from George Brown Culinary School that she wanted to learn about different types of cuisines first-hand. She helped open a small bistro in Grignan, France, moved to Hong Kong where she became a Tournant for a Restaurant Group with 17 restaurants, then worked in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Italian and Indian restaurants while abroad.
She returned to Toronto to work at La Palma Restaurant, where she became a Sous-Chef at age 23, and then their Chef de Cuisine at age 26. She is known for creating dishes using highlight ingredients and techniques from different cultures and cuisines. When it comes to food, Sam’s passion revolves around highlighting the simplicity of ingredients, while pairing them with fun and interesting techniques.
Chef Imrun Texeira
Based in Toronto, Chef Imrun Texeira has worked in some of the world’s best and most influential restaurants, including: three-Michelin Starred Noma in Copenhagen. He was a semi-finalist on Food Network Canada series Top Chef Canada Season 8 and a finalist on the Food Network Canada series Chopped Canada Season 3.
Most recently Chef Texeira launched Wanderlust, a personal chef service based in Toronto focused on providing fine dining blind tasting menus.
Chef Texeira is an advocate for better work conditions and mental health support for those who work in hospitality through his role as Ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project. He also shares his love and knowledge of food by working with kids, teaching them food literacy and culinary pathways.
Using a secret ingredient, the three Toronto chefs had to create two original dishes in just one hour. An esteemed industry panel, including: Top Chef Canada season nine winner Chef Erica Karbelnik, grill master Chef Robert Rainford, restaurateur and Iron Chef Canada season six winner Chef Paul Boehmer and Canada’s premier cheese expert Afrim Pristine, judged the dishes and announced the winning chef that evening.
Prizes up for grabs included:
- Grand Prize: Two round-trip tickets to Lima, Peru with Copa Airlines plus $1,000 CAD spending money
- Second Prize: Vitamix prize package including a Vitamix A2300, Food Processor bundle, Immersion Blender and blending accessories
- Third Prize: Anova Culinary prize package including an Anova Precision Oven and Anova Precision Cooker Pro
In an exciting, and tenacious battle, Toronto’s Chef Sam took home the champion title.
The Chef Collective is excited to announce that it is taking its culinary battles across Canada in 2023. They will feature local chefs and the battles will pop up in cities across the country. 2023 tour updates will be announced on The Chef Collective social channels.
“We’re thrilled to re-launch The Chef Collective battle series in Toronto this fall, and to continue providing a platform for chefs to showcase their incredible culinary talent,” said Chef Joe Friday, founder of The Chef Collective. “Our high-octane series is a must-attend event for anyone who appreciates culinary art and enjoys a good battle.”