Québec Chef Ambassadors of Culinary Québec

	Anne Desjardins , is the Executive Chef and owner of l'Eau à la Bouche in St-Adèle, Québec. Renowned for her strong belief in the quality of local produce and regional specialties,she has been called the best chef in Canada by the New York Times, was honored as the chef of America's Top Tables by Gourmet magazine, and was recently awarded the prestigious Prix Renaud-Cyr. She as also named Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Québec in 2002.
Marie-Chantal Lepage , Executive Chef Château Bonne Entente near Québec City, was named Chef of the Year in 2000 by the Société des Chefs Cuisiniers et Pâtissiers du Québec (SCCPQ). Chef Lepage's culinary style is a "Taste of Québec" from start to finish. She is passionate when it come to regional products integrating them flawlessly into haute cuisine.
	Laurent Godbout, is the Executive chef of Chez l'Épicer in Old Montréal. He is the winner of several culinary competitions, including first place in Les Toques de Natrel. At his restaurant, he uses products from the land, savvy mixtures of flavors, French and Asian influences, all of which contribute to Chez L'Épicier's personality
Janick Bouchard, is the Executive Chef of Les Remparts , the award winning restaurant of Auberge du Vieux Port in Old Montréal. Chef Bouchard offers his personalized take on French cuisine. His savory dishes, served in a grand manner with a passion for detail, vary eac season, in order to showcase fresh market products. The New York Times called Les Remparts "one of three of Canada's finest places to refuel". The restaurant was the recipient of multiple Prix Ulysses for Gastronomy in Montreal and was recently added to the prestigious list of Distinguished Restaurants of North America.
	Daniel Lagarde is the Executive Chef of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa in Waikiki. LaGarde oversees a culinary operation that includes indoor and outdoor catered functions, ten dining outlets and a staff of 140. He makes it a point to incorporate local ingredients into the daily menus, to include Kahuku shrimp and corn; fresh island fish; Manoa lettuce; hearts of palm; and a variety of micro greens from Nalo Farms. LaGarde has received numerous awards and honors from culinary organizations and competitions, including two gold, eight silver and four bronze judge awards. He was the grand prize winner of the Idaho Rainbow Trout Recipe Contest and named “Chef of the Year, Mauricie/Lanaudiere Region,” in 1992 from the Quebec Chef’s Association.
As Executive Chef of INTERCONTINENTAL MONTRÉAL since September 1996, Christian Lévêque has made his mark exploring and creating exciting dishes using Québec's wealth of exceptional regional products. Whether he is experimenting with local micro-beers or adapting ancient Amerindian recipes for the contemporary palate, Chef Lévêque has developed his own innovative and distinctive cuisine.
	A chef since 1956, Jean-Paul Grappe has practiced his art in France before moving to Québec, where he pursued his career with the French Pavilion at Expo 1967 and thereafter in prestigious Québec restaurants and hotels. Since 1984 he has taught at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec which trains students for the tourism, hotel and foodservice industry. He has won several awards, including the Prix Méritas 1996 for his collaborative work with the Québec Autochthones Communities. Sharing his extensive experience, he wrote several culinary books and articles for various publications, including the New York Times. He also traded best practices with famous culinary schools such as Ferrandi in Paris, France; Le Nôtre in Houston, Texas; Seminaris in Le Caire, Egypt and Le Cirque, in New York, and hosted gastronomic diners to promote Québec produces in a dozen great cities around the world.
At 26, Benoît Poliquin is one of an increasing number of young, talented Québec chefs who contribute daily to the delicious evolution of Québec nouvelle cuisine and culinary arts. At a very early age, Benoît knew that his calling was to be a chef. He attended culinary school in his native Québec City, where he learned the foundation of traditional haute cuisine. He later interned at Rideau Hall, the official residence of Canada's Governor General, along with some of the country's top chefs.
	Martin Picard has been a professional chef since the 1990s. Although he has worked with renowned chefs in several different countries, most of his culinary experience draws from working in Montréal. At the beginning of his career, Martin Picard earned distinction for his mastery of Southern French cuisine. At his restaurant Au Pied de Cochon, he uses traditional French cooking as a base and adds his own flare from his years of experience to make it unique. The result, a gastronomical transformation of several dishes resulting from the popular tradition – most notably the poutine foie gras and the creation of completely original dishes, such as le pied de cochon au foie gras (pig’s feet with fois gras) or Chinese stag pâté.