If you are plugged into the Vancouver food scene, chances are you have already heard the name Chanthy Yen. As of 2025, Chef Chanthy holds the title of Culinary Director for Kitchen Table Group, where he oversees 14 beloved restaurant concepts across the city—from the Michelin-recommended Bacaro to neighbourhood gems like
Di Beppe and Carlino. But this is not just a story about a powerful role. This is about how one chef is using his seat at the table to transform the way we think about food, identity, and creativity.
Long before the awards, TV appearances, and high-profile appointments, Chanthy Yen’s culinary roots were planted in a humble kitchen in Windsor, Ontario. Raised by Cambodian parents who immigrated to Canada in the 1980s, he found his love for food cooking alongside his grandmother and aunts, learning the nuances of Khmer cuisine. Those formative memories—deeply rooted in love, heritage, and tradition—continue to shape his approach to food today.
Chanthy’s career has taken him to some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world. He trained under the visionary Chef Ferran Adrià at Bullipedia and worked at Mugaritz under Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz. Later, in Montréal, he launched Fieldstone and was named Eater Montréal’s Chef of the Year, proving that his personal style could thrive in any city.
Then came Nightshade, his much-talked-about vegan restaurant in Vancouver’s Yaletown. It was bold, plant-based, and wildly creative—earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2022 and 2023. Nightshade showed us what plant-based dining could be: luxurious, thoughtful, and globally inspired. “When Nightshade launched, I felt like it was an opportunity to make a difference in the Vancouver culinary landscape through plant-based food,” says Chef Chanthy. “And when it closed, I wondered if we would see another restaurant like that again.” The answer, it turns out, was not in another Nightshade—but in his evolution as a chef and leader.
In 2021, Chef Chanthy made headlines when he became personal chef to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, cooking everything from family meals to formal state dinners and representing Canada at the Club des Chefs Summit in Madrid. It was a prestigious role, but his heart remained in building concepts with cultural depth.
His current position at Kitchen Table Group began after his time as executive chef at Bacaro, where he revamped the Venetian-inspired menu with his signature finesse. He even travelled through the Veneto region to study regional fare firsthand. His efforts brought refined, seafood-focused small plates and an in-house mozzarella program to the forefront, earning Bacaro a Michelin recommendation and positioning it as a destination for thoughtful Italian fare.
Chanthy’s culinary journey reached a new milestone when he won Top Chef Canada Season 11, sealing his victory with a heartfelt, Cambodian-inspired final menu. “Standing in front of the judges that last time, it hit me—this is going to change my life,” he says. “I knew I had to honour my roots.”
Now, as Culinary Director, he is not only curating menus but also mentoring emerging chefs and expanding his reach. He recently travelled to Cambodia and fulfilled a lifelong dream of cooking for the Royal Family at Raffles Hotel in Siem Reap—a full-circle moment for a chef who never forgot where he came from.
With every dish, Chef Chanthy Yen continues to tell a story—of heritage, reinvention, and heart. Vancouver is lucky to have him.