Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the one night only, Chef Hawksworth & Friends Dinner, with three of my friends.
This is a multi-course meal with the option of wine pairings, done in support of Covenant House, hosted by the illustrious Hawksworth Restaurant.
A ticketed event fully sold out on September 17th, 2023, and had guests seating all across their dining room in staggered time slots. Working with local chefs Stephanie Noël (Cheffanie, co-author of Hawksworth The Cookbook), Adam Pegg (La Quercia), and Yuji Otsuka (Yuji’s from Japan), this was promised to be a “well-thought-out and carefully curated seven-course menu” designed to “showcase and embrace each chef’s skillful techniques, whilst celebrating the cultural diversity of Vancouver and supporting a local charitable foundation.” (As per the press release.)
Partial proceeds from the event went towards the Covenant House, “an organization dedicated to providing shelter, support, and opportunities for young people in need.” In a similar generous gesture, the event was also generously sponsored by Henriot Champagne and San Pellegrino, also in support of Covenant House Vancouver.
The first course will be labelled “snacks” and featured a bite from each of our aforementioned chefs. This was a great introduction to each, and you could clearly see their personality and influences presented on this plate. (More on each, as we explore their course.)
Chef Hawksworth prepared a tube of foie gras wrapped in BC albacore tuna, both sitting on a cracker crisp. This was an unexpected juxtaposition. The foie gras is definitely the star, but you don’t miss out on the tuna, as you taste it through its contrasted texture; alongside a nice crunch from the cracker base.
Chef Stephanie prepared a grilled chicken heart with a hemp heart crumble, doubling down on her hearts. It was a tiny, yet meaty morsel, salty and gamey in all the right ways.
Chef Yuji placed tuna tartare on a nori tempura for a classic pairing of fresh fish over a crispy sheet of fried seaweed. This was well seasoned in soy with a whisper of wasabi.
Chef Adam had a a parmigiano reggiano cream on a cheesy crisp topped with 12 year aged balsamic. You must love cheese for this one, and luckily I do. Sharp cheddar and pungent parm in both smooth and crunchy.
The latter most was the best paired with our welcome cocktail, that would be the start of our drink pairings.
The Kazuki was a mix of Sheringham gin, woods chiaro, fino sherry, yuzu, green tea, and clarified milk. You smelled the green tea, but tasted the gin. Its fresh citrusy body helped to cut into the salted richness of each morsel.
We were lucky to be able to have the chefs themselves present their course to us and speak to each. Our second course was a seafood one, prepared by Chef Yuji Otsuka, the owner of “Yuji’s from Japan” in Kitsilano. Having completed his apprenticeship in Japan, he has come to Canada with a culinary background in both French and Japanese cuisine.
This was aburi sashimi, hokkaido scallop with wasabi dashi & yellowtail with ponzu jus. All the seafood was fresh and flown in from Japan. A wonderful light start to further open the appetite. The fish was fragrant and had the salt of the sea grape to help season. Whereas the edible flower paired with the scallop added some herbed spice to the buttery mollusks.
Our second glass the “nv henriot. brut souverain. reims. champagne . fra”. It was the perfect pairing, and as refined as the dish it was meant to accent. Fresh and zesty the citrus notes helped brighten the plate.
The next course was from Chef David Hawksworth himself, who is a well celebrated Chef in the Canadian culinary scene. He has spent over a decade in Europe honing his talents at some of the world’s most recognized MICHELIN starred restaurants. This list includes Le Manoir Quat’ Saisons, L’escargot, and The Square.
This was our vegetable course made sumptuous by stuffing an artichoke with foie gras, topping it with truffle, and having it wade in madeira jus. As it was placed before us, Chef Hawksworth explained the old school cooking method he has used to prepare this dish. Thus resulting in firm artichoke that had a dense texture similar to a potato, but not as heavy. I was most impressed by how it was delicately patterned with gingerly placed thin slices of truffle. Neither it or the stuffed foie gras distracted from the featured artichoke.
For wine we had the “2020 joh. jos. prüm . riesling . wehlener sonnenuhr . kabinett. mosel. germ”. Sadly, I found the sweetness of the wine acidic and a little overpowering against the gravy soaked dish that was more base heavy and rich.
Our fourth course was from Chef Adam Pegg, the chef and owner of La Quercia. He is an expert in pasta preparation and authentic italian cuisine. Both of which learned while cooking throughout Italy and training at the Italian slow food school, where he earned the title of “Master of Italian Gastronomy”. He is the first to do so in Canada. And as the “master of pasta” he uses centuries old techniques.
This was my favourite course of the night, alongside Yuji’s seafood. A stark white plate full of flavour character. Gorgonzola stuffed gnocchi and walnut crema & beet rotolo with smoked ricotta. You must love a pungent blue cheese for this one, and I do so was delighted by the former most. In contrast the beet pasta pocket was more of a simple classic, with the walnut adding some depth and weight to what is essentially a stuffed pasta, moulded to look like a purse or satchel.
For wine we had the “2018 long meadow ranch. pinot noir . anderson valley . california . usa”. A lighter red with the flavour of ripe berries.
Our fifth course comes from Chef Stephanie Noël, the co-author of “Hawksworth, the c
Cookbook”. And owner of “Cheffanie Backyard Table” in Courtenay, BC. With her comes the experience of working at a two MICHELIN starred restaurant in the French Riviera and Restaurant Septime in Paris. So far her food has read as being heavy and harvest forward, and her meat course did not disappoint.
Braised veal cheek, pickled veal tongue, smoked panisse, concord grape, and local mushroom. This was the plate to satiate your hunger. You can make out the quality of meat used and produced farmed and foraged. The latter of which included the use of her own grapes from her own back yard for the jus. The meat was tender, but could have used a tad more salt for my taste.
For wine pairing we had a more full bodied wine in the “2016 ceretto. nebbiolo. barolo. piedmont. ita”. Dark cherry and grape with roasted notes to parallel the grape in dish verses grape in glass experience.
Our sixth course was courtesy of Chef Marissa Gonzales, Hawksworth Restaurant and Bel Cafe’s in house pastry Chef.
I am not typically a fan of sweets and dessert, but I was a fan of this. I was sold in trying after hearing that the ice cream was prepared with a sweeter candy cap mushroom. Mushroom in the mix with the ice cream, topped with a walnut wafer and maple crumble. The ice cream read more as maple than earthy mushroom, but I did not mind. It had more depth of flavour than just pure sugary sweetness. And when taken with the assorted crunchy toffee and crispy water textures, you had quite the fun eating experience.
This was paired with the “2016 château megyer , tokaji aszu. 5 puttonyos. hng”. A honied spirt with a gingery finish. A great dessert meets digestif option that went with both of our dessert courses.
Our last and seventh course was a collection of mignardises sitting in a bin of cocoa nibs. Puffed amaranth caramel, yuzu & pear confit bar, and limoncello bonbon. The caramel was the sweetest of the lot, wrapped in cellophane, it was clear that this one was meant to be sucked on slowly. The yuzu and pear bar was mostly citrusy with the yuzu coming through most prominent. I liked the limoncello bonbon the best, as a great lasting taste to end your meal on. Tart to sweet in a creamy and refreshing manner.
Worth mentioning is Chef Sylvain Assie as Hawksworth Chef de Cuisine since 2019, utilizing his French background and cuisine to elevate and delight.
In closing this was a wonderful meal, and it is clear that the Chefs were cooking with their hearts, in support of a good cause. The dishes prepared surely thanked the guests tonight for supporting this epic collaboration and their chosen cause.
And to continue supporting Covenant House “Chef Hawkwsorth will also be participating in Vancouver’s Sleep Out, taking place November 16th, 2023. “Where Chef David Hawksworth will join other notable Vancouverites and give up his bed for one night to ensure youth facing homelessness can sleep safely and dream big.” (As taken from the press release.)
To donate and support sleep out for Covenant House, you can make a donation at the link below. David’s goal is to reach $175,000.
