Liaison College
Lakeshore Campus

2974 Lakeshore Blvd. W.
Toronto, ON M8V 1J9
Telephone: 416-259-1010
Fax: 416-259-7848

Chef Lesia Burlak : Chef Instructor

Lesia Burlak

Owner/Culinary Director –
Liaison College Toronto West

Team Captain – Culinary Team Ontario 2008
Television Host – Foodies

Chef Instructor Lesia Burlak

"I wish to inspire my students to achieve their own personal goals in the kitchen and to teach them strong basic skills that they can build on. The one simple rule I follow is to use fresh, local ingredients."

Lesia was born and raised in a small village in the Southern Ukraine, and in 1990, at the age of 10, immigrated to Canada. Lesia spent the next 7 years completing her studies, including enrolling in a hospitality class. Upon accepting a position in 1997 at the Pinocchio Restaurante in Etobicoke, Toronto, Lesia realized a passion for food and a hidden talent in cooking. It was then that Lesia decided this would be her chosen career.

Lesia moved on to The Islington Golf and Country Club in 1998 as a prep cook, and was very quickly utilized in the role of tournant. It was at this time that Lesia started her Apprenticeship. In 1999, Lesia accepted a position at the Stage West Hotel and Dinner Theatre, where she primarily worked in the Gardemanger area. Lesia’s opportunity to work in the cold kitchen at the Stage West gave her great experience and speed and allowed her to develop her own style and technique in cooking. Lesia at this time began her Culinary Schooling at Humber College in the Chef Apprentice Program.

Lesia’s talents were brought to the attention of the Management of Culinary Team Ontario.  Subsequently, she was asked to become a Support Member for the Team, assisting in fundraising events, all practices and travel to Germany for the World Culinary Olympics 2000, where the Team won Gold and ranked Second Overall world-wide in the Regional Category.

In 1999, Lesia moved to The Boulevard Club on Toronto’s Lakeshore as a Second Year Apprentice and as the gardemanger cook. Lesia practiced her skills for the next 2 years before accepting a position as a First Cook in the exquisite Tundra Restaurant at the Toronto Hilton Hotel. Lesia moved on to the Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville as Sous Chef in February of 2005. Lesia now hosts the hottest new cooking show “Foodies” Lesia has appeared on TV’s “The Next Great Chef” as Canada’s youngest judge for upcoming and aspiring chefs. Lesia has now gone into partnership with Shawn Whalen, CCC, CEC and David Bakker, CCC at the Liaison College Toronto West Campus on Lakeshore Boulevard in Etobicoke.

Achievements

In January 2001, after a strong performance in Germany, Lesia was asked to become a Support Member for Culinary Team Canada competing at the 2001 Culinary Grand Prix in Glasgow, Scotland. Team Canada won 4 Gold Medals and was declared World Champions.

In local competitions, Lesia has won 3 Grand Gold Medals with Distinction for a perfect score, 1 Grand Gold Medal, 1 Trophy of Distinction and 2 Best Apprentice of show titles. One of Lesia’s outstanding achievements was winning the Best Professional of the Show at the Escoffier Society Salon Culinaire 2002 while still finishing her apprenticeship, out-showing all the seasoned and experienced professional chefs.

In 2002 at Expogast in Luxembourg, Lesia supported Culinary Team Canada to a Gold and Silver Medal, but truly represented Canadian Culinarians by competing in the Individual Chef Category with a Buffet Platter and Six Appetizers, winning a Gold Medal and the Individual “World Cup”, over 300 competing Chefs, and again while still completing her apprenticeship. Lesia went on to become a core member of Culinary Team Canada which won 3 Gold Medals and 1 Olympic Championship Gold and placed 4th overall in the world.

Lesia is a member of Escoffier Society of Toronto and the Canadian Culinary Federation.

As an up-and-coming star of the culinary world, Lesia Burlak personifies the Foodies concept and believes there is a Foodie in everyone.

Foodies

Lesia’s enthusiastic and passionate personality complements her TV Show Foodies, and her passion for cooking is immediately evident. Through her career accomplishments, Lesia has demonstrated she is one of Canada’s rising stars, and brings the experience and credibility viewers are looking for when tuning into Foodies.

Lesia understands having the right tools in the kitchen is important, and can lead to an enjoyable cooking experience.

“You become comfortable in the kitchen and the next thing you know you’re chopping and you’re dancing and you’re having fun. And cooking becomes a whole new thing for you.”

Lesia’s popularity is rising just as fast as the Foodies culture! In addition to hosting Foodies, she also completed 2 seasons as a judge on Canada's ‘Next Great Chef', which also airs on CH network.

Lesia has earned the privilege of being captain of Culinary Team Ontario. The team will be traveling to the 2008 World Culinary Olympics in Germany, on a quest of yet another gold medal title.

Lesia’s accomplishments include:

• Competing as an apprentice against 300 world renowned chefs, the only woman ever and the youngest person ever, to win the individual Culinary World Cup, at Luxembourg in 2002/li>

• Named one of the “Top 30 Canadians Under 30” by Maclean’s Magazine, 2004

• The Next Great Chef’s youngest and most precocious judge

• Won sixteen medals as a member of Culinary Team Canada competing in Germany, Chicago, Luxembourg, and Scotland from 2001 through 2005

• Awarded six Gold Medals from the Toronto Escoffier Society’s Salon Culinaire as an apprentice and professional

Canadian Competition Resume

International Competition Resume