Hugo Martineau

The regular customers at the La Socca restaurant where Hugo Martineau is a sous chef in Montréal know that if they want something special, all they have to do is order his duck salad.

The mix of greens, fruit, leg of duck and sweet vinaigrette is always popular, says Martineau - particularly with one half of the diners.

"All the women like this," he says with a laugh. "It's guilty and good at the same time - the best of both worlds."

For Martineau, 25, one of six young chefs working under Wayne Murphy as part of the culinary program at the Canada Pavilion in Expo 2010 Shanghai, the best of ALL worlds is found in the kitchen.

Martineau has worked in restaurants since he was 16, not long after he began hanging out to help his uncle Mario, an excellent cook, perfect his special rib sauce for family barbecue competitions.

Martineau's first job was as a dishwasher in a small restaurant in Québec City, where he grew up. It only took him six months to go from dishwasher to helping to cook, and by 17 he was working the grill at an East Side Mario's franchise.

The stress of making decisions quickly and working fast to fill orders is what fuels Martineau's passion, he says.

"I feel alive when I work," he adds. "In my personal life I'm a pretty calm guy, but when I'm in a kitchen, I'm a very different guy - I speak more, I'm crazy - I'm confident."

That confidence pays off as Martineau prepares a table d'hôte that is always strong on presentation. "People like to eat not only with their mouths, but with their eyes," he says.

Martineau is always driven by his desire to learn more, he says, and after three years of restaurant management at La Salle College in Montréal, he wants to learn on the international scene. That's what drew him to the Canada Pavilion in Shanghai.

"It's a good opportunity for me to have a job and travel at the same time - it's perfect," he says.

Despite his addiction to the stress of a busy kitchen, in his spare time Martineau prefers to seek his relaxation by climbing mountains, or fishing. He particularly likes cooking his catch, or preparing trout or salmon tartare.

Although he loves hockey, Martineau says he's not good enough to represent Canada on the ice - so he's happy to do it in the kitchen.

"For me, it's my gold medal - to go to China," he says.