Global influences have long inspired Chef Samantha Medeiros.
With a passion for learning, and an appetite for new experiences, Chef Medeiros has built her career with a focus on versatility and adaptability.
After graduating from culinary school in 2015, Chef Medeiros kicked off her career with a six-month stint in Grignan, France, where she helped open a small French bistro.
Honing her craft at several Toronto restaurants, a move to Hong Kong gave Chef Medeiros a crash course in international cuisine. At the end of her first year in the new city, she’d worked at a Vietnamese charcoal grill restaurant, helmed the wok section of a Cantonese restaurant, helped open a coastal Italian seafood restaurant in a boutique hotel, and worked both cold apps and pastry at a Punjabi-style chop house.
Following the whirlwind year, Chef Medeiros and her boyfriend, bartender and pastry chef Farzam Fallah, took three months to travel across Asia and Europe, visiting 29 different countries, and never staying anywhere longer than five days. The experience sparked her love of travel, and a desire to learn about global cuisines.
“I loved being able to convey memories from abroad, or different traditions through a plate,” she says.
“Being a young, female chef, I was often discounted for my age, size, or gender... I struggled a lot with finding a good mentor for the greater part of my career, and I take that part of my job very seriously.”
Chef Medeiros decided that going forward in her career, she didn’t want to specialize in one type of cuisine — she wanted to excel in them all.
“When it comes to food, my passion has always revolved around highlighting the simplicity of ingredients, while pairing them with fun and interesting techniques from different cuisines and countries,” she says. “(I want) to share my personal experiences and travel memories through food.”
In 2018, Chef Medeiros returned to Toronto to work at La Palma Restaurant, where she became a Sous-Chef at age 23, and graduated to their Chef de Cuisine at age 26.
And while the COVID-19 pandemic meant Chef Medeiros spent more time at home, and less time traveling the world, she continued to broaden her horizons. “I tried to seek out every opportunity possible while not being able to work in a restaurant, and it has opened a lot of doors throughout the past year,” she says.
Chef Medeiros conducted virtual cooking classes, participated in culinary competitions, developed recipes, styled food and more. She and her boyfriend also started a new business, Our Kitchen Passport, where they share travel recipes and photos, provide some catering, and hold pop-ups.
Most recently, Chef Medeiros took home the champion title at The Chef Collective Toronto Battle in October 2022, competing against two other esteemed local chefs.
Using the secret ingredients – high-quality Ontario Beef from Meyer Angus Canada and Egg Farmers of Ontario eggs – Chef Medeiros made two delicious original dishes; a beef tenderloin egg roll with lime vinaigrette, pear and toasted sesame and a beef striploin katsu with nduja, fresh oyster sauce, kumquat, radish and celery salad.
For bonus points, she also made a cinnamon sugar churro with chocolate dip and Baileys for dessert, that ultimately won over the esteemed judging panel.
In addition to bragging rights, Chef Medeiros won two round-trip tickets to Lima, Peru with Copa Airlines, $1,000 CAD in spending money and $2,000 CAD for SYZL.
Photos by Renee Rodenkirchen
Beyond working on her own career, Chef Medeiros is dedicated to helping aspiring young chefs.
“Being a young, female chef, I was often discounted for my age, size, or gender,” she says. “I struggled a lot with finding a good mentor for the greater part of my career, and I take that part of my job very seriously.”
Continuing her world travels and culinary explorations, Chef Medeiros recently moved to Australia, where she is experiencing everything their food scene has to offer.
Keep up with Chef Medieros’ recipes, travels, and culinary adventures on Instagram.
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