The women chefs of MTLàTABLE
This year’s 12th edition of MTLàTABLE counts over 150 restaurants, some of which are led by outstanding female chefs. In this article, we wanted to highlight these great women and encourage you to book a table at their establishments (or any of the other participating restaurants) soon. MTLàTABLE’s 2024 edition takes place from October 31 to November 17.
Kim Fong
After having worked in fashion design for a decade, chef Fong decided she needed a change of pace. This long-time vegan went to pastry school then worked her way up the chain from dish washer to head chef at Tendresse where her signature colourful and playful dishes combine Asian flavours with local ingredients to create a unique, plant-based cuisine.
Head chef at Tendresse, 1259 Sainte-Catherine Street East
Pamika Sukla
Born and raised in Eastern Thailand, Pamika Sukla moved to Montréal and opened Pamika Thai in 2012. The relentless entrepreneur is dedicated to pass on her passion for traditional Thai food such as Thai Kuai Tiao dishes, her personal favourites. You can taste some of her creations at her restaurants Pamika Thai, Issan Wineroom and Le Garden Room during this year’s edition of MTLàTABLE.
Founder/Executive chef at Pamika Thai, 4902 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Mae Sri Comptoir Thai, 224 Milton Street
Issan Wineroom, 240 Laurier Avenue West
Le Garden Room, 1445 Bishop
Karine Beauchamp
After an impressive trajectory both in Montréal with renowned restaurants and in Europe with Michelin-starred establishments, chef Karine Beauchamp landed at ITHQ where she loves showcasing local and seasonal ingredients with a special interest in foraged plants and fruit for a true taste of our Boreal region.
Executive chef at Restaurant de l’ITHQ, 3535 Saint-Denis Street
Maria José de Frias
Originally from the Congo, chef Maria José de Frias’ Le Virunga is a pan-African establishment that specializes in sub-Saharan cuisine. Her cuisine is inspired by traditional recipes with a contemporary twist. She promises a virtual trip around several countries in each dish where recipes are harmoniously combined to create unique combinations.
Chef de cuisine at Le Virunga, 851 Rachel Street East
Magie Marier
With a solid foundation in restaurant and hospitality from her personal background and formal training in pastry at Montréal’s ITHQ, chef Magie Marier brings both skill and passion to her work. After honing her craft in the bakery at the ITHQ hotel, she joined Ratafia three and a half years ago, attracted by its unique dessert-focused menu with wine pairings. The restaurant has since shifted its style to include a full savoury menu, which Marier has taken on with full gusto. Her savoury creations often blend pastry techniques, especially evident in her beautiful and meticulously plated dishes. Her inspirations come from the fresh seasonal ingredients at the nearby Jean Talon Market and the lively Little Italy neighbourhood, as well as cherished family pasta gatherings. She infuses Asian flavours into her creations, a personal favourite that adds a unique twist to Ratafia’s offerings.
Savoury side chef at Ratafia, 6778 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Héra Schneider
Chef Héra Schneider is the creative force behind the dessert menu at Ratafia. After earning a degree in restaurant management and specializing in pastry training in France, Schneider went on to work at Montréal Plaza before joining the Ratafia team just as the restaurant was expanding beyond desserts to add a savoury menu. She draws her inspiration from the raw ingredients, emphasizing purity and minimal manipulation of ingredients. She is part of a tight-knit team of four women, all trained in pastry, who collaborate and inspired each other in the kitchen. In a restaurant where desserts play a starring role, Schneider continuously crafts an impressive array of seven to nive plated desserts with monthly updates that celebrate the season's best ingredients.
Sweet side chef at Ratafia, 6778 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Myriam Pelletier
After working under some of the best chefs in France such as Alain Passard and Hélène Darroze and done a stint at Toqué!, chef Pelletier opened Rose Ross seven years ago with the mission of offering an accessible bistronomy-style restaurant. Her “bourgeois” seasonal cooking backed up by all her gastronomic experience and knowledge results in a cuisine that combines comfort, elegance and pleasure, “a cuisine that you make for the people you love”.
Chef/owner at Rose Ross, 3017 Masson Street
Manuela Da Silva
Chef Da Silva grew up in Portugal in a family of cooks, learning her skills from her mother and her grandmother. Her restaurant Aldea opened seven years ago with a Portuguese menu focused on fish and seafood. Chef Da Silva likes using Québec ingredients in her cuisine as much as possible, and everything is made inhouse, from the sauces to the desserts.
Chef/owner at Aldea, 4403 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Audrey Leynaert
Chef Leynaert started her career in her native France as a pastry chef and a cooking instructor. Since moving to Montréal, she has become the chef/owner of Caribou Gourmand, a restaurant that prides itself in developing personal relationships with its purveyors. Her elegant bistro cuisine features some unique local ingredients such as yak and elk meat, cod and salmon and sweet clover.
Chef/owner at Caribou Gourmand, 5308 Saint-Laurent Boulevard
Josianne Marcoux
Chef Josianne Marcoux is the chef and founder behind Archway Verdun, a unique buvette that fuses her passion for vegan cuisine, local ingredients, and global flavours. Marcoux and her partner, Benoît Leclère, are redefining the boundaries of vegan cuisine, creating dishes that are both innovative and deeply rooted in Montréal’s culinary culture. With a background in interior design and sales, as well as experience in developing notable start-ups like Aux Vivres and Rise Kombucha, chef Marcoux’ menu celebrates Québec’s rich terroir, highlighting local suppliers with a particular focus on those based in Montréal.
The dedicated CrossFit athlete’s personal cuisine reflects her international travels and broad culinary inspirations. Her current favourite is a unique fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines evident in the four-course MTLàTABLE menu they’re offering.
Chef/owner at Archway Verdun, 3683 Wellington Street
Danielle Simard
Danielle Simard has been at Bistro Le Ste-Cath since 2014, but has taken over the cooking duties since January 2024. After 60 years of experience cooking, she now creates a very personal cuisine for her customers to enjoy. Using local ingredients, she elaborates a menu of dishes inspired by international destinations and featuring local Québec ingredients. It’s worthy to note that Bistro Le Ste-Cath donates all its surplus to the community.
Chef Bistro Le Ste-Cath, 4264 Saint-Catherine Street East
Willow Stewart
Willow Stewart is the Executive Pastry Chef for all six venues under the JEGantic Group banner, four of which are participating in MTLàTABLE this year. With nearly 30 years in the culinary industry across Ottawa, Toronto, and Montréal, she has spent the last 15 years perfecting her craft in Montréal. Prior to joining JEGantic three years ago, she spent four years teaching at Summit, a technical school for young adults with challenges, where she shared her knowledge and love for baking. At JEGantic, Willow’s role is uniquely demanding. She creates customized desserts for each venue, adapting to different types of cuisines while ensuring each dessert, no matter how intricate, can be plated seamlessly by each restaurant’s staff. Her love for the artistry of pastry shines in her work, where she balances creativity with the practical needs of a busy restaurant group.
Executive pastry chef for the JEGantic Group
Yoko Luna, 1234 De la Montagne Street
Bord'elle, 390 Saint Jacques Street
Hang, 686 Notre-Dame Street West
The Farsides, 690 Notre-Dame Street West
Graziella Battista
Self-taught chef Graziella Battista draws deep inspiration from her Italian parents’ culinary heritage. She blends traditional Italian flavours with her own creative flair for a dining experience. Since opening her namesake restaurant Graziella in 2008, she has brought an elegant touch to Italian cuisine, showcasing her creativity with a commitment to local and seasonal ingredients.
Chef/owner Graziella, 116 McGill Street
Céline Diallo
Trained in classic French cuisine in Paris, Céline arrived in Montréal with a deep-seated curiosity and an appetite for diverse culinary traditions. She honed her skills across the city's vibrant food scene, making her mark at well-regarded spots like Le Parloir and Restaurant Brouillon. Céline draws on a broad spectrum of influences, from Afro-Caribbean to Asian cuisines. Her approach is all about creating a fusion of flavours that respect tradition while embracing evolution.
Executive chef Kwizinn, 311 Saint-Paul Street East
Véronique Charpentier
With a career in community organizing and catering spanning 25 years, chef Véronique Charpentier has been at the helm of the Le Square kitchen for a little under a year. Her cuisine reflects the restaurant’s French roots, where she is particularly mindful to spotlight Québec’s terroir in her dishes.
Chef at Le Square, 162 Prince-Arthur Street East
Below are other notable women chefs whose restaurants are participating in this year’s MTLàTABLE:
Lily Sirikittikul | Chef at Chu Chai & Chai-Yo, 4088 Saint Denis Street
Lindsay McLaren | Chef de cuisine at Restaurant Le St-Urbain, 96 Fleury Street West
Lorena Ortiz | Chef at Ibérica, 1450 Peel Street
Catherine Frenette | Chef at Plein Sud, 5064 Papineau Avenue
Khun Ying | Chef at Cup Pub Thaïlandais, 404 Duluth Avenue East
Alexia Proteau | Pastry chef at Le Boulevardier, 2050 Mansfield Street
Mayssam Samaha
Mayssam Samaha is a food and travel writer and blogger and the founder behind the blog Will Travel for Food. She travels the world in search of the next culinary discovery. From Iceland to South Africa, she’s already visited over 36 countries and there’s nothing she enjoys more than wandering around a farmers’ market in a foreign city. She is also the founder of the SAISONS intimate dinner series highlighting Québec products and chefs.