Mike Green made a strong impression right from the start with what is listed as his signature dish when entering MasterChef Canada. He prepared pan‑seared Arctic char with ratatouille‑infused quinoa and basil/arugula oil sauce.

 This dish encapsulates several things about him: a respect for high‑quality proteins (Arctic char), a willingness to use bold, layered flavours (ratatouille‑style vegetables), and an interest in using fresher, herb‑forward finishing touches (the basil/arugula oil). It sets a baseline for the kinds of dishes he strives to produce.

One of his standout moments came in a challenge involving lobster roll. In that round, lobster was revealed as the mystery ingredient for a challenge that required contestants to use that ingredient.

Mike Green’s lobster roll won the challenge, which not only secured his safety from elimination but also gave him strategic power in selecting pairs for the next elimination challenge.

The success of his lobster roll demonstrates his ability to not only work with delicate seafood but to also conceive a dish that impresses judges both in flavour and presentation under pressure.

Another dish that stands out—though not a win—was in the Pressure Test where Mike was eliminated. He was tasked with making a Steak Frites and Béarnaise Sauce, a classic combination.

Mike’s steak, however, was judged to be too rare (blue rare) when the challenge specifically called for medium‑rare. The judges praised the flavour and seasoning, but since the doneness didn’t match the requirement, the dish that might have been excellent flavor‑wise became his downfall.

This moment shows both a strength (in seasoning, technique) and a weakness (interpreting what the brief demands in hardness / doneness), something many competitive cooks struggle with.

What makes each of these dishes interesting is how they reflect Mike’s broader culinary influences. Before the show, being a food and arts writer and experiencing food in many places (Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Panama) influenced his palate.

 You can taste this in his food: a respect for seafood and clean flavour lines, for vegetables and freshness, and sometimes in balancing richness with lighter, more aromatic components.

The Arctic char signature dish is a good example of this balance. On one hand, the char is a rich, fatty fish that demands careful cooking. On the other, the ratatouille‑style vegetables bring sweetness, texture, and colour; quinoa offers both substance and mild nuttiness; and the basil/arugula oil provides herbal brightness.

Together, this shows Mike’s skill in composing dishes that are not just about one big flavour or protein, but about contrast, texture, finishing, and visual appeal.

His lobster roll challenge victory also displays an understanding of how to treat ingredients simply but well. Lobster is expensive and delicate; you can’t mask it with heavy sauces or overcomplicated accoutrements.

In this challenge, Mike showed restraint—letting the lobster be the star, while using the roll format to showcase texture (bun, maybe a toasted component) and complementing flavour without overworking the core ingredient.

Even though his Steak Frites dish led to elimination, it still demonstrates some of his best skills: seasoning, taste profile, and likely plated well. The judges’ praise for the taste shows that he’s strong on flavour.

It’s just that competitive cooking demands both taste and matching the brief (doneness, timing, plating). That dish can be looked at almost as a “what if”—what if he had nailed the doneness, maybe used a more forgiving cut or better thermometer, maybe adjusted timing or rest—could’ve been one of his biggest triumphs.

Another strength in Mike Green’s cooking is adaptability. He has shown he can handle both seafood (Arctic char, lobster) and red meat (steak) well, that he’s comfortable with both complex flavour builds (ratatouille, oils, herbs) and simpler preparations (letting natural flavour shine).

That kind of flexibility is crucial in MasterChef-style competitions, where each challenge forces you to move between different proteins, styles, cuisines, and constraints (time, ingredients, equipment).

Visually, in the lobster roll win and the Arctic char signature, there’s evidence that he understands plating: how to make dishes look appealing, how to use colour and texture contrast (greens, herbs, sauces), and not over‑crowding the plate.

Though there’s not exhaustive public detail on his plating in every challenge, what has been praised is the ability of his dishes to “look like they belong in a competition” as well as taste good.

Finally, in looking at his best dishes overall, there’s an identifiable arc. Early on, his signature dish establishes his baseline. The lobster roll win shows growth under pressure and in challenge context.

The steak that led to his elimination, while not meeting the judges’ instructions, still shows his boundaries: where they are technically, where he pushes, what he accepts, and where he may misinterpret. His journey through MasterChef Canada suggests that his best dishes come when strategic discipline matches his natural flavour instinct.