Two Vancouver-based chefs, Dawn Doucette and Shelley Robinson, live to cook another day on Top Chef Canada but chef Ruth Wigman's China-inspired dish fell flat and she packed up her knives and left. The St. John's-based chef — she's originally from Nanaimo — was eliminated Monday night in the second episode of Top Chef Canada.
Interviewed by phone the next day, Wigman remained positive, saying she didn't play the game as well as she should have but "I still have my health.” (She's also six months pregnant.) It was all about Asian dishes when Korean chef David Chang paid a visit to the competitors, giving them a noodle-inspired Quickfire Challenge. Each competitor had a different ingredient for a pasta dish and, as the Quickfire Challenge progressed, the heat was, once again, turned up.
Or should I say off?
Karine Moulin, pastry chef at Hotel Arts Group, had the burner she was using turned off by Evelynn Takoff. Takoff claims the incident was “just a mistake” and it was brushed off right away, but Lauren Marshall, executive chef at Envie-A-Vegan Kitchen, thinks Takoff is "playing dirty." (Possible foreshadowing for future drama?)
Moulin's and Vittorio Colacitti's dishes were called "too ambitious" and neither of them finished plating in time. (Moulin had literally nothing to show). Luckily this was JUST the Quickfire Challenge and both chefs only lost their chance at immunity this week. The winner was Terry Salmond, executive chef at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener, Ont. He had the daunting task of making a pasta with potato, but came through with a potato-based pasta served with homemade potato chips, inspired by his daughter's picky eating. Salmond was given the ultimate Top Chef gift and sat with the judges and chef Chang at the judges' table, while his competitors served their Elimination Challenge dishes.
The Elimination Challenge lived up to its name. Chefs were paired up by randomly selecting an Asian greeting and had to come up with a dish inspired by that greeting's country. The competitors were careful not to pick Korea because of Chang's presence at the judges' table. Dawn Doucette, menu development chef at Earl's Restaurants, and Gabriela Neda, sous chef at the Calgary Petroleum Club, chose the Philippines, which became an issue right away — neither chef had ever been there and Doucette said she's never even tried the food.
Robinson was paired with Rich Francis (who had a small "difference in opinion" in the first episode which resulted in the elimination of the third Vancouver competitor, Oakwood Canadian Bistro's Michael Robbins).
All bases were covered when it came to each country, leaving Colacitti and Moulin with Korea. (The dish went over well since the two chefs have survived another week). Robinson and Francis fell under the radar with their Vietnam-inspired meal, but Doucette and Neda, along with Wigman and Marshall landed in the bottom.
Tensions were high as the judges deliberated. Doucette showed a bit of her sassier side and mouthed off to her partner, Neda. (She had taken a risk and followed Neda's lead for their meal).
“It's always hard when you have to work with someone you don't know,” Wigman observed in our post-show interview.
"I think it was a great experience,” she says. “It's not the end of the world.”
Wigman now has her focus on a new challenge — getting ready for the birth of her second son.
Watch Top Chef on Mondays at 10pm on the Food Network.
