Hold on to your tastebuds!
Victoria’s own homegrown culinary maestro, Eugene Cheng, is one of the seven finalists on Season 5 of MasterChef Canada and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
35-year-old Cheng was born and raised in Victoria and attended St. Joseph’s Elementary School, St. Andrew’s Regional High School, and the University of Victoria, before moving to Vancouver.
His dream is to open up a Pacific Northwest themed restaurant in one of Victoria’s classic villages (Oak Bay, James Bay, or Cook Street to name a few choice options), which may become a reality soon if he wins this competitive cooking show.
The grand prize? $100,000 and the coveted MasterChef trophy!
The food
Growing up on the West Coast, Eugene’s idea of a perfect menu involves lots of locally sourced, sustainable ingredients, seafood, and using anything that is in season.
He also loves getting really creative with his dishes, bringing showstoppers like his ‘Quail on the Prairie’ to the table – a dish that used food to represent different elements of the country, and served up “Canada on a plate”, according to one of the guests.
Eugene regularly posts photos of his creations on his Instagram account, so don’t forget to follow him! Check out some of our favourites:
*Drool*
With masterpieces like these, he’s clearly on the right track to winning it all. Good luck Eugene!
