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Joe Thottungal, the chef and owner of Coconut Lagoon, a well-established Indian restaurant on St. Laurent Boulevard, won silver Saturday night at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, B.C.

Last fall at Ottawa’s Gold Medal Plates Competition, Thottungal topped a field of 10 Ottawa-area chefs to qualify for the national contest, the crowning event in a network of fundraisers for Canada’s Olympians.

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In Ottawa and Kelowna, Thottungal presented judges with a dish that relied heavily on the influences of his homeland, India’s Kerala province — halibut poached in spiced oil, with fish curry crumbs, woodland mushroom aviyal and a lentil emulsion. Thottungal, who opened Coconut Lagoon a dozen years ago, also conducts tours of Kerala, which is renowned for its flavourful, spicy cuisine.

Reached by phone Sunday evening after landing in Ottawa, he said he was thrilled with the silver medal win, which he plans to proudly display in his restaurant.