Top Chef Canada finalist Alex Kim takes the helm at Five Sails, weaving personal history into every plate

Alex Kim now has his name on the restaurant. In August, the culinary director of Glowbal Restaurant Group was announced as chef-partner and co-owner of Five Sails, the Pan Pacific Hotel's 40-year-old waterfront fine-dining landmark, which is now formally known as Five Sails by Alex Kim.

For Kim, the transition represents a full-circle moment. He joined Glowbal as executive chef in 2021 and has worked across the company's nine properties in Vancouver and Toronto. His trajectory in kitchens has traced a path from the Shangri-La and Fairmont hotels—where he honed French technique—to a platform where he can finally express his own vision: modern Korean cuisine rooted in locally sourced ingredients and family memory.

Glowbal founders Emad Yacoub and Jack Lamont gave Kim the room to shape his own concept. "We decided to be 100 per cent hands-off," they said. "The restaurant was financially stable and able to operate on its own, and we felt this was the perfect time for Chef Alex. He proved to us that he was ready to operate his own flagship restaurant with his own concept and vision."

Kim's credentials have been building publicly for years. He was crowned national champion at the 2025 Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa and earlier won both the gold medal and People's Choice Award at the B.C. regional competition. He was also a finalist on season 12 of Top Chef Canada. Yet when asked about any of it, Kim redirects toward gratitude—words that are literally printed at the top of his tasting menu.

"Throughout my time with Emad and Jack, they have always believed in me, supported my vision," Kim says. "Building Five Sails by Alex Kim alongside partners who have consistently had my back and shared my drive made remaining here the obvious choice."

The restaurant has undergone significant changes under Kim's direction. He is replacing what he calls "stiff predictability" and "generic luxury" with deeply personal cooking and dynamic local sourcing. Some design updates to modernize the dining room are in progress. But Kim isn't interested in erasing the restaurant's four decades of history—the harbour views and the infrastructure that made Five Sails iconic will remain.

Kim's menu approach marks a departure from Five Sails' previous incarnation. "From the moment guests sit down, I want them to notice a shift toward a more expressive, intimate dining experience where local ingredients are elevated through a contemporary Korean lens," he says. He weaves his own story into every dish introduction, connecting memory to flavour. During the tasting menu, a 5-by-7-inch frame bearing a childhood photo is placed on the table—Kim as a five-year-old pushing a farming tractor through his grandparents' house in Jochiwon, South Korea.

"It's no longer just about regional ingredients; it's about a personal thesis," Kim says. "By weaving in modern Korean techniques and subtle traditional fermentations, I'm building a flavour profile and identity that only I can create, delivering an experience guests truly can't find anywhere else."

Some familiar dishes remain—the edible oyster shell that requires up to two days of prep, which Kim spent more than six months developing—while new creations anchor the current menu. The king crab mandu arrives with scallop, shellfish bisque, dashi foam and gochujang fermented since March. A personal favourite, the Pacific squid with fermented kohlrabi and a Langley rice nuruk sauce, represents the marriage of past and present Kim is pursuing. "It relies on fermented condiments inspired by my grandmother, seamlessly balancing my past in Korea with my home in B.C."

Guests are invited into the kitchen daily during their tasting menu experiences—something Kim says is only possible because of the team environment he has built. "My demeanour in the dining room is identical to how I run the pass, and showing patrons our kitchen in real time reflects the absolute confidence I have in my team and our environment."

Kim's ambitions extend beyond the current menu. He's planning more experiential and curated dining experiences, with an eye toward making Five Sails a reference point for progressive cuisine in Canada. "Dining should evoke emotion beyond taste," he says. "I hope people say it's one of the most unique, personal and progressive culinary dining spots in Canada."

Five Sails by Alex Kim is open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 999 Canada Place.