Chef Sebouh Yacoubian set to compete on Top Chef Canada
TORONTOHYE—Toronto Armenian chef and restaurateur Sebouh 'Seb' Yacoubian is set to showcase his culinary artistry on the national stage this fall as a competitor on the thirteenth season of Top Chef Canada. Corus Entertainment and Flavour Network officially unveiled the new season's cast and promotional campaign in a national press release this week, announcing that the competition premieres Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10 p.m. on Flavour Network and will stream on STACKTV. The landmark season brings together 12 of the country’s top culinary talents to vie for the title of Canada's Top Chef, with Yacoubian, 32, standing out among nine rising stars competing alongside three returning all-star alums.
Produced by Insight Productions in association with Flavour Network, the upcoming season of Top Chef will challenge contestants to draw deeply on their personal stories, diverse backgrounds, and regional ingredients. Longtime host Eden Grinshpan returns alongside resident judges Mark McEwan, Janet Zuccarini, and Mijune Pak. Competitors will face high-stakes elimination challenges across the country, including stops in Quebec City and Charlevoix, while cooking for an esteemed roster of guest judges, including culinary icons Daniel Boulud and Masaki Saito, as well as Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.
Photo: Seb Yacoubian Instagram
Yacoubian is best known as the executive chef and co-owner of Taline, the acclaimed Summerhill restaurant he operates alongside his brothers, Saro and Serouj. Opened in April 2023, the establishment made history as Toronto's first Armenian fine-dining destination and earned recognition in the Michelin Guide within its first year of operation. Named in loving memory of the brothers' late mother, Taline, the restaurant reimagines traditional Armenian home cooking with classical techniques and Levantine influences, highlighting dishes such as mante, vochkhar, and wild-herb jingalov hats. Building on that success, the brothers expanded their presence with the launch of Giragi an Armenian-style barbecue and kebab counter at downtown Toronto's Wellington Market.
A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, Yacoubian honed his craft in demanding professional kitchens across the Greater Toronto Area, including early experience at Fraticelli’s and Trinity Taverna, before serving as the launch sous-chef at Mamakas Taverna in 2014. Throughout his career, his culinary philosophy has remained firmly anchored in heritage, seasonality, and elevating Armenian flavours for an international audience.
For Yacoubian, representing his heritage on television is a natural extension of his deep ties to the local community. An alumnus of the ARS Armenian Private School of Toronto, he grew up actively involved in community youth and athletic organizations. Today, he remains a dedicated supporter of the community, frequently contributing to the A.R.S. Armenian Private School, the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto - Թորոնթոյի Հայ կեդրոն, and other community institutions and initiatives as a donor and advocate.
As he steps into the country's most competitive kitchen this October, the Toronto Armenian community will have every reason to tune in and cheer on one of its own.
