Celeste Mah & Ross Larkin

Ross Larkin grew up in St John’s, NL. He became familiar with the restaurant industry at a young age, helping at his grandparent's restaurant, Henry's Lunch. He moved to Vancouver and started working in a small French bistro, where he became passionate about cooking.  

Originally from Vancouver, BC, Celeste Mah always had a passion for pastries. After graduating from the Baking & Pastry Arts program at Vancouver Community College, she worked her way up as a pastry chef at some of the city’s best restaurants.

In 2014, Chef Celeste moved across the country with her partner Ross Larkin and worked as the Executive Pastry Chef at Raymond’s Restaurant in St. John’s, NL.

While at Raymonds, Ross quickly worked his way up to Chef de Cuisine. In 2018, he brought his skills and style to Top Chef Canada and left with the winning title. In 2019, Chef Celeste was awarded the title of Canada’s Best Pastry Chef in Canada’s 100 Best magazine for her creatively crafted desserts.

Chef Celeste and Chef Ross are now co-founders, co-owners, and co-collaborators of their very own restaurant, Portage.

Since 2022, they have been making a name for themselves with their style of Newfoundland Canadiana, influenced and inspired by Celeste’s Asian heritage. They pride themselves on offering an elevated cuisine served in a casual atmosphere with sharing plates for family-style dining.