Caesar Challenge 2017 Winners

The Vancouver Foodster Caesar Cocktail Challenge was a great success featuring unique creations at restaurants and bars around Vancouver, Langley, Maple Ridge and West Vancouver.  Each restaurant featured their creation on their menu from May 4-28, 2017. and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge for their People’s Choice favourites.

Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.

Our Media judges for this challenge were: Aaron Alexander, David Peng and Maggi Mei

The Winners are:

1st Place:

Ban Chok Dee

BanChokDee TYG Caesar

Price: $12

Created by:  Parinya Loptson

Description: Enjoy the tingling Thai flavours of Tom Yum Soup spices fused with this quintessential Canadian beverage. Topped with an assortment of delights including a Goong Sarong shrimp skewer.

Begins with a Spiced Bacon Caesar Sphere to pop in your mouth and get you started!

Ingredients: -Absolute Vodka, Maekhong (Thai whiskey) , tobacco, horseradish , Worcestershire, black pepper and thai chili sauce. -Lemongrass, Galangal, lime juice, lime leaf, mixed with Caesar spices.-Dried spiced prawns ,smoked bacon bits

Offered: All the time

Ban Chok Dee

20563 Douglas Crescent, Langley

Tel: 778-278-3088

Twitter: @BanChokDeeThai

Instagram: @banchokdeethai

And

Ban Chok Dee

20395 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge

Web: http://www.banchokdee.com

Twitter: @BanChokDeeThai

Instagram: @banchokdeemr

Parinya Loptson

2nd Place:

House Special

Night Market Caesar

Price: the Double is $12 and “The Whole Shebang” is $18

Created by: Bar Manager – Bryan Statham

Description: Transport yourself to the streets of Vietnam with House Special’s Night Market Caesar! Made completely from scratch – this caesar marries a festive house-made fish sauce “clamato,” an exotic 6-spice rim, your choice of lemongrass infused vodka or kaffir lime infused gin, and your pick of street food-style garnishes. Make it a meal and get the whole shebang – a spring roll, betel beef skewer, chicken satay, AND crispy tofu!

Ingredients:

Caesar mix – Tomato juice, fish sauce, sriracha, red chili, worcestershire sauce (vegan option available)

Rim – Anise, Coriander, peppercorn, celery seed, chili, curry powder, pink Himalayan salt

Choice of lemongrass infused vodka or kaffir gin

Offered: All day

House Special

1269 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Tel: (778) 379-2939

Web: http://www.housespecial.ca/

Twitter: @housespecialvan

Instagram: @housespecial.ca

 

3rd Place (tie):

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

Stadium District Caesar

Price: $10.50

Created by: Bartender: Mark Ryan

Description: A smoky twist on our Fanny Bay Classic Caesar, the Stadium District Caesar reflects the wonderful neighborhood our Oyster Bar is located in. The smoked pickle juice also nicely pairs with our house smoked Fanny Bay Oysters.

Ingredients: Smoked Pickle Juice Brine, Olive Brine, Lime Juice, Vodka, Clamato Juice, Tabasco, Worchesters sauce, Skewer –  Olive and a house smoked Fanny Bay Oyster, Rim – Montreal Steak spice, celery salt, smoked paprika

Offered: all the time

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

762 Cambie Street, Vancouver

Tel: (778) 379-9510

Web: http://fannybayoysters.com/location/oyster-bar–shellfish-market

Twitter: @fannybayoysters

Instagram: @fannybayoysters

Mark Ryan (middle)

3rd Place (tie):

Hendricks Resto-Lounge

Hendricks Tandoori Caesar

Price: $9.50

Created by: Simon Hawley

Description:  House made Clamato juice, Jalapeño & black peppercorn infused tequila, , Tandoori & Cajun spiced rim, Cucumber rose with yogurt raita, pakora garnish

Ingredients: Clamato juice made from scratch using clam nectar, tomato juice, HP sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, chili flakes, Cajun seasoning, tandoori masala, wasabi

Cholula hot sauce, tabasco and lea & perrins.

Infused blanco tequila with jalapeños and black peppercorn.

Tandoori and Cajun spiced rim.

Cucumber rose with yogurt raita, pakora garnish.

Offered:  Lunch and dinner

Hendricks Resto-Lounge

Location: 433 Robson Street in The Westin Grand

Tel: 604-647-2521

Web: http://hendricksrestaurant.com/

Twitter: @hendricksyvr

Instagram: @hendricksyvr

Simon Hawley

In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Caesar Creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.

The Winners are:

1st Place People’s Choice:

Hendricks Resto-Lounge

Hendricks Tandoori Caesar

Price: $9.50

Created by: Simon Hawley

Description:  House made Clamato juice, Jalapeño & black peppercorn infused tequila, , Tandoori & Cajun spiced rim, Cucumber rose with yogurt raita, pakora garnish

Ingredients: Clamato juice made from scratch using clam nectar, tomato juice, HP sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, chili flakes, Cajun seasoning, tandoori masala, wasabi

Cholula hot sauce, tabasco and lea & perrins.

Infused blanco tequila with jalapeños and black peppercorn.

Tandoori and Cajun spiced rim.

Cucumber rose with yogurt raita, pakora garnish.

Offered:  Lunch and dinner

Hendricks Resto-Lounge

Location: 433 Robson Street in The Westin Grand

Tel: 604-647-2521

Web: http://hendricksrestaurant.com/

Twitter: @hendricksyvr

Instagram: @hendricksyvr

 

2nd Place People’s Choice:

Ban Chok Dee

BanChokDee TYG Caesar

Price: $12

Created by:  Parinya Loptson

Description: Enjoy the tingling Thai flavours of Tom Yum Soup spices fused with this quintessential Canadian beverage. Topped with an assortment of delights including a Goong Sarong shrimp skewer.

Begins with a Spiced Bacon Caesar Sphere to pop in your mouth and get you started!

Ingredients: -Absolute Vodka, Maekhong (Thai whiskey) , tobacco, horseradish , Worcestershire, black pepper and thai chili sauce. -Lemongrass, Galangal, lime juice, lime leaf, mixed with Caesar spices.-Dried spiced prawns ,smoked bacon bits

Offered: All the time

Ban Chok Dee

20563 Douglas Crescent, Langley

Tel: 778-278-3088

Twitter: @BanChokDeeThai

Instagram: @banchokdeethai

And

Ban Chok Dee

20395 Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge

Web: http://www.banchokdee.com

Twitter: @BanChokDeeThai

Instagram: @banchokdeemr

 

3rd Place People’s Choice:

House Special

Night Market Caesar

Price: the Double is $12 and “The Whole Shebang” is $18

Created by: Bar Manager – Bryan Statham

Description: Transport yourself to the streets of Vietnam with House Special’s Night Market Caesar! Made completely from scratch – this caesar marries a festive house-made fish sauce “clamato,” an exotic 6-spice rim, your choice of lemongrass infused vodka or kaffir lime infused gin, and your pick of street food-style garnishes. Make it a meal and get the whole shebang – a spring roll, betel beef skewer, chicken satay, AND crispy tofu!

Ingredients:

Caesar mix – Tomato juice, fish sauce, sriracha, red chili, worcestershire sauce (vegan option available)

Rim – Anise, Coriander, peppercorn, celery seed, chili, curry powder, pink Himalayan salt

Choice of lemongrass infused vodka or kaffir gin

Offered: All day

House Special

1269 Hamilton St, Vancouver

Tel: (778) 379-2939

Web: http://www.housespecial.ca/

Twitter: @housespecialvan

Instagram: @housespecial.ca

Thank you to all the bartenders and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured the Caesar Challenge creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.

I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their Caesar creations! See all the Caesar Challenge entries here.

By: Richard Wolak

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