Junior Therriault

When Junior Therriault began working at a three-star Michelin restaurant in Laguiole, France, in 2008, he was at first overwhelmed by all the different kinds of vegetables he was expected to prepare, cook and present.

"I cooked with 50 vegetables every day - 25 of which I had never seen before in my life," confesses Therriault. "There were five of us, just working on vegetables." But soon Therriault, who counts his time at the Hôtel-Restaurant Michel Bras as one of the best learning experiences in his life, discovered that vegetables were among his favourite things to cook. That's why he's looking forward to combing the markets in Shanghai, where he hopes to pair Chinese vegetables he's never tasted before with more familiar Canadian food products.

"I like to discover new things," says Therriault.

The 26-year-old chef is one of six young cooks working under the direction of Wayne Murphy at the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. There he and his colleagues - all nominated by the cooking schools where they studied - will represent Canada in a culinary program that will host special visitors and dignitaries touring the Canada Pavilion.

For Therriault, who grew up in and around Québec City, the opportunity to spend six months cooking in China is the type of challenge he seeks to hone his skills.

"I want to be challenged, to be tested, to be outside of the box - to be exposed to as many different things as possible," Therriault says. "To me, culture and cuisine go together. Being surrounded by this culture might help me develop my own unique perception of cuisine."

Therriault, who studied restaurant management at the Collège Mérici in Québec, ultimately wants to own his own restaurant and to develop signature dishes that will draw customers from far and wide.

Already, he has tried to learn every aspect of the restaurant business, from greeting and serving people to cooking the food and spending precious moments making designs in a coulis to ensure the presentation is just right.

Like many of his colleagues, Therriault has competed in international cooking contests, taking a fourth prize in the Concours Culinaire Européen in Namur, Belgium.

In his free time, Therriault enjoys renovating houses and jogging. But even in his off time, he returns to cooking vegetables - artichokes being a particular favourite.

When he's cooking, Therriault is guided by what the chefs who have mentored him have told him: great food is not always about fancy ingredients.

"There's a balance between what looks good and what tastes good," he says. It's a philosophy he brings to Shanghai.