After weeks of cooking his heart out on Top Chef Canada, the nation鈥檚 most prestigious culinary competition, Tofino鈥檚 Paul Moran has emerged victorious.

Moran, the executive chef for 1909 Kitchen at Tofino Resort + Marina, celebrated the win on May 20 surrounded by family and friends at a season finale viewing party at The Hatch Waterfront Pub.

In the 鈥榃inner Takes All鈥� final episode, the judges called Moran鈥檚 dishes 鈥渟ophisticated, artful, and delicious.鈥�

They said he showed culinary maturity beyond his years. One judge hailed the crispy confit pigeon leg Moran served as his last main as 鈥渙ne of the best dishes he鈥檚 eaten in his life.鈥�

鈥淚 come from a long line of foragers. My great grandma in Austria, that鈥檚 how she fed the family was foraging wild plants and mushrooms and selling them at the farmer鈥檚 market. That鈥檚 how she made a living,鈥� said Moran, who met his fianc茅e Danielle in Tofino a couple years ago.

Originality and cooking philosophy, notes Moran, is likely what made that fine difference between winning the title of Top Chef Canada and the $100,000 grand prize and packing up his knives empty handed.

鈥淥bviously, the win is good for myself, but it鈥檚 also great for everyone that works here and it鈥檚 good a testament to all their hard work. Without the team, I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am; I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to go to that. I鈥檓 super appreciative of the team that we have here and happy to be a little bit more visible in the community,鈥� said Moran, adding that the food and beverage team at Tofino Resort + Marina is about 75 people strong.

The seventh season of Top Chef Canada was filmed last September and October.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long time to keep a secret like that,鈥� said Moran, who had to sign a confidentiality agreement with Food Network Canada. At the casting audition in Vancouver, Moran made the judges a wild mushroom dish.

鈥淭hat was it. They told me I was on a few weeks after that.鈥�

Tofino鈥檚 Lisa Ahier, executive chef at the award-winning Sobo Restaurant, attended the season final viewing party. She told the Westerly News she thought Moran would be the winner from day one.

鈥淚 think he鈥檚 fantastic. I think he鈥檚 a nice, young man. He鈥檚 worked very hard and his heart鈥檚 in the right place,鈥� Ahier said.

鈥淚 know his background. I know how he鈥檚 trained. I know how he is with his family. I know how he is as a human. All those factors are top chef qualities. He鈥檚 not a one flash in pan. From dessert to appies to fish to foraging鈥� he鈥檚 got all of it.鈥�

鈥淲hat I really liked was his family connection. I think with food it鈥檚 from the heart and if you don鈥檛 connect your food to your heart and your family I just don鈥檛 think it translates to as many people,鈥� she said.

Moran said it was great to see everyone show up for the viewing party.

鈥淲e had a lot of support from a lot of the local restaurants and businesses here in town. A lot of our local guests who have been supportive since we opened. So far, I鈥檝e been getting a lot of positive feedback from people in the community to say the least,鈥� he said.

As for being $100k richer, Moran said he doesn鈥檛 have much planned for the loot quite yet.

鈥淲e鈥檒l see what happens in the future. I鈥檓 committed to staying here in Tofino and here at 1909,鈥� said Canada鈥檚 Top Chef, also known as the 鈥楳ushroom Man鈥�.

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