Meet Jessica Noël: One of the Best Chefs in the Country

Jessica Noël grew up cooking with her family, alongside her mother and grandmother: “My beginnings aren’t very original…!” Plot twist: although her family loved to cook, they also came from a long line of military members and avid travelers. Her grandmother would bring back unique culinary influences from her journeys around the world. She loved experimenting with flavors and nurturing her granddaughter’s curiosity for food.
Thank you, Grandmaman Marquis — you helped shape one of the city’s finest chefs!

Jessica’s teenage years were marked by watching Josée di Stasio’s shows and Food Network programs. However, at the time, a career in the kitchen didn’t seem realistic, so she initially pursued a path in nutrition. She quickly realized she had a few academic shortcomings:
“Let’s just say physics wasn’t my strong suit!”

She then pivoted to fashion marketing and merchandising. She worked as a buyer for Canadian clothing chains but found herself spending more time thinking about what she would cook for dinner than focusing on her actual job.

An existential crisis in her mid-twenties finally pushed her to apply to the ITHQ (Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec) in 2012. However, she was turned down due to a lack of restaurant experience. Following that setback, she landed a job at a bakery, making sandwiches at 3 a.m. to start building her skills from the ground up.

A chef friend encouraged her to knock on the doors of the best restaurants in Montreal to ask for a stage, assuring her that if she had the right attitude and determination, a job would surely follow. She took her shot at Toqué!, under Charles-Antoine Crête.
Jessica juggled shifts at the bakery with her unpaid stage, pushing herself to the point of exhaustion (she would sometimes fall asleep on the bus ride home), but she was so motivated by everything she was learning that she felt completely fulfilled by her new path.
After the stage, she earned a position at the cold station.

Thanks to this experience, Jessica Noël was finally accepted at the ITHQ! She already had her sights set on where she wanted to do her summer internship. Her growing interest in the farm-to-table movement led her to Blue Hill at Stone Barns, run by Chef Dan Barber — a chef who greatly admired Normand Laprise.
A connection was made between the two chefs, and Jessica was warmly welcomed:
“I’ve been really lucky throughout my journey to have chefs willing to help and support me. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

At Blue Hill at Stone Barns, she discovered a philosophy where the product came before aesthetics, far from the traditional Michelin standards. The menu changed daily, without rigid structure, which delighted her. However, difficulties obtaining a visa prevented her from staying longer. She returned to Montreal and enrolled in the ITHQ’s higher-level culinary program (FSC).

In 2013, back home and hungry for a new challenge, she met Marc-Olivier Frappier, chef at the newly opened Vin Papillon, and joined the team. She learned hands-on, tackling everything from deboning quails to preparing terrines.

Jessica earned a Relais & Châteaux scholarship offered by the ITHQ. Between her FSC internship and the scholarship, she completed four three-month stages in Lyon, Vienna, Stockholm, and Valence.

She then had a brief stint at Paul Bocuse, where she was deeply impacted by the discipline and tradition that defined the legendary kitchen. She accumulated not just culinary knowledge but also insights into kitchen organization and management — lessons both to cherish and, at times, to question.

In 2015, Dan Barber from Blue Hill reached out to her again, this time helping her secure a visa to work in the U.S. She returned to Blue Hill for two years, deepening her understanding of agriculture and raw ingredients: “I love that place. I love how everything is built around the quality of the product. It’s not about appearances — it’s about extraordinary flavors, created by passionate people!”

In 2017, after a period of introspection, Jessica returned to Montreal without a clear plan. Marc-Olivier Frappier invited her out for lunch and shared his idea for a new project: Mon Lapin. The adventure officially began on March 6, 2018, with an ultra-collaborative approach where every detail of the menu was crafted together by the two chefs. Marco and Jessica became professional yin and yang — perfectly complementary.

Mon Lapin went on to win the title of Best Restaurant in Canada twice (!).
The lively atmosphere and dining experience became a key differentiator for Mon Lapin.
Unlike strictly fine-dining establishments, the team made it a point to offer warm, relaxed service. At Mon Lapin, there’s no fuss, no overly conceptualized plates — just exceptional ingredients, worked with creativity and taste.
Everything tastes incredible — and it’s just so much fun!

In December 2024, Jessica also helped open the group’s new project, Rôtisserie La Lune, a spot where she applies her culinary philosophy focused on simplicity and essentials.
In 2026, she will publish a book with Marco and Vanya through Phaidon (!), featuring recipes from the restaurants, personal favorites, and wine pairings throughout each chapter.

While part of the group’s success is undoubtedly due to the unique synergy of power couple Vanya Filipovic and Marc-Olivier Frappier, the co-chefs’ dynamic plays a crucial role too.
More reserved in the kitchen than Marco, Jessica is nonetheless an essential pillar of Mon Lapin’s success, as well as Rôtisserie La Lune and all the projects surrounding them.
She is one of the most talented, rigorous, and creative chefs in Montreal — and the city’s culinary scene simply wouldn’t be the same without Jessica Noël and her incredible contribution.

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet