Today I was a day time gala at Fairmont Pacific Rim, hosted by Frobisher International. Frobisher is known for their import of luxury food brands overseas for the Canadian market. The afternoon was particularly focused on Imperial bird’s nest and Hitachiwagyu beef.
Held in the Emerald Ball Room on the third floor, guests were greeted with glasses of Prosecco and welcomed in by the music of a four string quartet.
The first hour was dedicated to mingling as guests checked in, found their assigned seats, and partook in light conversation with one another.
Cold appetizers were already set up around the room for self service. They included Premium West Coast Oyster with a Seasonal mignonette. These were sweet and small oysters, dressed as you like in either cocktail sauce or a sweet tangy vinegar.
The Heirloom Tomato Tart had a fluffy, flakey base. This was topped with a sweet stewed tomato spread that was tempered by light ricotta and the sweetness of balsamic.
The Herbed Goat Cheese Gougères was flavoured with rosemary and lemon. It was a dense puff with a packed cheesy centre in a starchy coating. A little heavy and salty as is, I found myself relying on the sparking wine for relief.
The Foie Gras Parfait with its cherry financier was my favourite. The flavours here weren’t as rich, but instead a more toned down version of the typically lush liver product. This was made most approachable with the fruit topper and butter based tart.
There were also a selection of passed hot canapés, offered by Fairmont’s banquet staff. The Soy Ginger Beef Skewer had a familiar and classic Chinese flavour. Each cube skewered was tender and juicy. I enjoyed this one the most.
The BBQ Duck Spring Roll with hoisin dip was a little less crispy by the time it got to me. The filling was more vegetable and wrapper than any notable duck. As is, it was bland, and in need of a generous dunk into the side sauce for flavour.
The Braised Beef Short Rib Croquette with horseradish and black pepper was a bold little nugget, on the heavier and saltier side.
However the star of the appetizer course was definitely the hamachi station where Chef Poyan dressed each slice of sashimi to serve. Each slice was lush with the right amount of fresh raw vegetable, brightening fruit, pickled onion, tangy vinegar, and sweet soy to flavour and delight. And who could turn down such a generous scoop of caviar topping it?
The formal service began with a welcoming speech from Kitty, the brand ambassador of Imperial’s Bird Nest and our host for the afternoon. On behalf of today’s sponsors, she not only promised good food, but the dedication to quality, wellness, and connection.
We got to meet representatives from Japan speaking to the beef we would be tasting. From the agricultural minister to the owner of the ranch were the cows are cultivated. The latter was so dedicated to their craft they even sent representatives to teach proper cutting and keeping techniques for their wagyu.
The room learned about Ibaraki, as where today’s wagyu was sourced. It is 19 minutes from Tokyo with a mild climate and beautiful landscape. This is one of Japanese foremost agricultural prefectures, and it supplies much of Tokyo’s needed food stuff. And this includes today’s Hitachi Wagyu Beef.
This is a Premium Japanese Wagyu, ranked alongside Kobe and Matsusaka for its international fame. The meat is farmed by 140 certified farmers during a specific 30-month raising period. They utilize advance management techniques and carefully selected feed to produce the best product that they can. And even then, only meat graded 4/5 in A/B classes (Japan Meat Grading Association) earns the distinction. Hitachi Wagyu Beef is known of its excellent balance of lean meat and marbling. It possesses rich flavour and a clean finish, and is highly valued by Michelin-starred chefs both in Japan and abroad.
The rest of the presentation was only spoken in Mandarin, and the room was too bright to read the translation screen, plus my mandarin is only conversational, so I missed a lot more in translation. But I think I got the gist that we would be trying a premium product, not often seen today, and was lucky to do so.
The first seated course was Braised Japanese Kanto Sea Cucumber in scallion oil. Apparently these ones from Hokkaido are some of the finest in the world, well known for its quality and texture. Sea cucumber are also a popular delicacy due to the fact that it is mostly nutrients with no extra fats.
And what better way to display it than having it prepared and served whole. I have never had it like this before. This can be seen as off putting for those not familiar, given that all its tentacle-spines visible. The leeks and sweet pealets helped to break apart its gummy and slimy gelatinous texture that can easy overwhelm and grow monotonous. It was well balanced and a treat to have a whole to yourself.
This sea slug of sorts was paired with 2022 Mission Hill Chardonnay. I got peach on the nose and the flavours of sharp citrus to cut into some of that sea gravy.
Asian food is all about texture and this meal is the perfect example. The enjoyable act of eating is in the strands of our next exotic, premium product. Warm Bird Nest Soup in 24-hour Chicken Consommé. Bird’s nest, also known as, swallow’s spit has no taste. It is eaten due to its rarity, its challenging to source nature, and for its health benefits. This is another naturally occurring product (like the sea cucumber) that is high in collagen. As is, it added a gentle texture to match the gentle soup. Both were so delicate, that they helped to wash the palate clean and set us up for the richness of our main course to follow. I knew better to not have it with any wine.
And our main was the highly anticipated Japanese Hitachigyu A5 BMS12 NY Striploin. Served with Bone Marrow, a Wild Mushroom Tart, and a Warm Smoked Sherry Vinaigrette. This was the epitome of decadence and I was thankful for the red wine to double as a break between luxurious bites.
The wagyu was so fatty and lush, that two pieces was almost too much. The more you chew the more the flavours came out and the fattiness of the marbling took over. I needed the aid of all the side vegetable for freshness, although found the mushroom tart a little too heavy in this regard. Although its flavour was reminiscent of a classic steak dinner, I was just missing the potatoes, but the white asparagus did well to supplement. As for seasoning, there was enough course salt to flavour, that I didn’t need the extra pool of jus the meat day in, other than for the plate’s visual interest.
The wine pairing here was from Vineyard 7 Cabernet Merlot. I got dark cherry and chocolate note, like a fresh baked black Forest cake. Once again, it’s mellow acid and heavy tannins helped to break into to the fatty beef, and I found this much needed for balance.
And for dessert each guest was presented with a bottle of Imperial’s Honey Rock Sugar Bird‘s Nest. Slightly sweetened, this served as a great slurp to end on, and to sandwich our lunch with. Bird’s nest in both savoury and sweet presentation was an indulgent and lavish treat, but like this whole afternoon.
In short, this was such a great introduction to these products and a delicious meal unlike any I have ever had. I was impressed and would certainly given each a second look if/when I encounter either and any.
