Buvette Daphnee ex-chef replaced in culinary contest

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Dominique Dufour, the disgraced Ottawa chef whose staff walked out weeks ago in a non-confidence protest, is no longer among the competitors at this fall’s Ottawa qualifier for the Canadian Culinary Championship.

Dufour’s acclaimed restaurant, Buvette Daphnée on William Street, closed hours before its dinner service on May 31 following a spontaneous walkout that involved front- and back-of-house workers. The restaurant, which opened last September to rave reviews and which was ranked 97th on this year’s Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list, was thrown into turmoil and has not reopened since.

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Dufour is a celebrity chef with a national profile thanks to her appearance on the 2020 season of the Food Network Canada program Top Chef Canada. But staff at Daphnée could no longer bear working for her following months of frustrations with Dufour’s alleged mismanagement and outbursts that prompted some staff to tears.

While the restaurant’s co-owners hired a coach to help her become a better manager, Dufour told this newspaper that she took “full responsibility for not being the leader expected of me for my team and by my team.” She stepped back from the business, which has two other co-owners, noting that she is also pregnant with her second child.

In a release, the organizers of the Ottawa edition of the Canada’s Great Kitchen Party competition said that because of Buvette Daphnée’s closure, Dufour would no longer take part in their Sept. 25 event at the Fairmont Château Laurier. “Chefs must be part of a restaurant that is operating in order to be invited to take part in the event,” said the release.

Replacing Dufour in the competition will be Sarath Teegavarapu, the chef-owner of Kathā, a fine dining restaurant on Preston Street that serves Indian-influenced tasting menus.

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The other five chefs in the competition are Lizardo Becerra of Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine on Elgin Street, Mitch Lacombe of Gitanes, another Elgin Street restaurant, Patrick Garland of Absinthe on Wellington Street West and Jason Sawision of Stofa on Wellington Street West, and Kristine Hartling of Oz Kafe in the ByWard Market.

After Buvette Daphnée’s staff quit, the restaurant posted on its social media that it was hiring for all positions. A re-opening date has not been announced. However, reservations Tuesday, Aug. 1 are available through the restaurant’s website.

phum@postmedia.com

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