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Published Dec 12, 2025 • Last updated 8 hours ago • 3 minute read
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Back row, left to right, Thomas Miazga, Chef Phil Cameron, Kaito Webb. Front row, Gahbrielle Chow, RRC Polytech graduate Jayden Lowe, RRC Polytech graduate Coralie Van de Bruinhorst-Wood. Photo courtesy RRC Polytech Photo by Photo courtesy RRC PolytechArticle content
Two recent RRC Polytech Culinary Arts graduates have returned from one of the biggest kitchens of their young careers, the Canadian Pavilion at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, where they spent six months cooking for global dignitaries, diplomats, and guests from around the world.
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For Gahbrielle Chow and Jayden Lowe, the journey traces back to one of their very first classes in the program: garde à manger with Chef Melissa Hryb.
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“Chef Hryb inspired me early on,” said Lowe in a recent RRC Polytech release. “She shared her experience in Shanghai cooking at the World Expo in 2010, opening my eyes to the opportunities and continuing to dream about travelling to cook around the world.”
“Right away I was shown that I could be creative and do anything,” added Chow.
Their shared passion for international cuisine and travel made them natural candidates when a national call went out seeking recent grads to staff the Canadian Pavilion kitchen. Hryb nominated both, even though it’s exceptionally rare for two students from the same school to be selected in a highly competitive process.
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Both were chosen.
“Watching two young females being selected, especially in a male-dominated industry, is one of the most fulfilling things in my career,” said Hryb. “It’s a full-circle moment to recommend these talented grads after having cooked at the World Expo myself.”
Six Months Cooking on the Global Stage
The World Expo, held every five years, gathers countries to showcase innovations, ideas, and cultures while tackling global challenges. This year’s event, running from April to October in Osaka, gave Chow and Lowe the chance to immerse themselves in high-level international culinary work.
In Japan, they joined Head Chef Phil Cameron, an Ottawa-based chef and educator with extensive global experience, along with three other recent Canadian culinary grads. Together, the team navigated a constantly changing workflow, from preparing canapés for 100 guests to sit-down dinners for 40.
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“There’s no average day at the pavilion,” said Cameron. “This industry isn’t easy. Those new to it always need help and guidance from others with more experience, I try to show everything I can and be a mentor.”
Adapting to a New Country — and New Ingredients
When they settled into the Osaka kitchen, unexpected challenges quickly surfaced. Ingredients differed in flavour, texture, and availability, and environmental factors, especially Japan’s humidity, forced major adjustments.
“You really have to adjust and adapt,” said Chow. “Humidity plays a big role in baking especially. In the beginning, we all had to learn and make adjustments.”
Cameron guided them through everything from technical adaptations to balancing creativity and consistency in a high-pressure environment. He encouraged them to experiment, lean into their training, and bring their own regional influences to the menu.
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Showcasing Canadian Ingredients With a Manitoban Twist
Throughout the Expo, the team hosted Canadian theme weeks such as Maritimes Week and Quebec Week, along with special events spotlighting ingredients like Manitoba pork and wild boar.
For Maritimes Week, Lowe drew directly from her co-op placement at the Inn at the Bay of Fortune in PEI.
“The Expo gave me a chance to use the skills I gained curing meat alongside a butcher in PEI,” she said. “I made smoked mussels and created an oil from marigolds, inspired by what I learned about edible flowers.”
Chow’s favourite creation was a flounder fritter topped with lime salt, capers, and lemon aioli, a fusion of Japanese seafood and Canadian flavours.
“The goal is to highlight Canadian ingredients, but fusions are a nod to the multiculturalism and diversity of Manitoba,” she said.
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Growing as Chefs and as Global Citizens
As the Expo wrapped up, both grads said the experience sharpened their technical skills, strengthened their teamwork, and expanded their vision of what a culinary career can be.
“The World Expo was big and exciting, overwhelming at times, but the team, with the guidance of Chef Phil, helped make the experience,” said Lowe.
Now back home, both chefs are planning their next chapters. The travel bug is still strong.
“The industry is about who you know, and I’ve been able to create some great connections,” said Chow. “I’m inspired to keep applying to places and trying new things.”
— Steven Sukkau is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca.
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