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Joe Thottungal, the chef and owner of Coconut Lagoon, a well-established Indian restaurant on St. Laurent Boulevard, took home the gold Monday night at Ottawa’s Gold Medal Plates competition.

Competing for the second time in the contest, which is the centrepiece of a fundraiser for Canada’s Olympians, Thottungal took home the gold for his dish, which featured halibut poached in spiced oil, with fish curry crumbs, woodland mushroom aviyal and a lentil emulsion.

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Thottungal, who opened Coconut Lagoon a dozen years ago, finished ahead of nine other chefs, including two winners of the competition in previous years and a selection of young chefs at some of the Ottawa area’s most celebrated restaurants.

Coming in second this year was Jamie Stunt, a previous winner of the competition, and the chef at Soif bar á vin in Gatineau’s Hull sector. His dish paired various crab preparations, bison carpaccio and deep-fried oysters.