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Archive for the ‘Competitions’ Category

2012 Gold Medal Plates British Columbia

December 18th, 2012 admin

Mark Filatow (Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar) Kelowna (Gold)

On November 16th, I attended the 2012 Gold Medal Plates British Columbia at the Westin Bayshore where 10 Chefs from around British Columbia competed in a Culinary Competition for Gold, Silver and Bronze in one of the most prestigious culinary events in Canada.

This was my third year attending this prestigious event which was well orchestrated in recognizing the chefs as well as the Olympic athletes and musicians who participated.

Chef Filatow wowed the judges with a dish of Bar ‘M’ Ranch Lamb (Charcoal Grilled Loin, Moroccan Braised Belly, ‘Neck’ Merguez, Potato Doughnut), which was paired with Orofino 2010 ‘Scout Vineyard’ Syrah, Similkameen Valley.

Chef Quang Dang and his Yarrow Meadows Duck

Chef Quang Dang of West Restaurant & Bar in Vancouver, rose to the occasion as well, taking the silver medal. Chef Dang created Yarrow Meadows duck with Foxtrot Vineyards apricot preserves, Pinot Noir glaze & Agassiz chestnuts paired with Foxtrot 2009 Pinot Noir.

Chef Angus An with his Dom Gati of Salmon

Taking the bronze medal was Chef Angus An of Maenam in Vancouver.  His dish was Dom Gati of Salmon served with hot & sour tamarind and coconut broth, with green mango & lightly smoked Spring Salmon, paired with CedarCreek 2011 Riesling.

Chef Joe Campo of the Westin Bayshore

Chef Lee Humphries of C Restaurant

Chef Taryn Wa of Savoury Chef Foods

Chef Darin Paterson of Bogner’s of Penticton

The other chefs competing in Vancouver were: from Vancouver, Joe Campo (The Westin Bayshore Vancouver), David Gunawan (Wildebeest), Lee Humphries (C Restaurant), Taryn Wa (Savoury Chef Foods); from Oliver, Jeff Van Geest (Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek Winery); from Penticton, Darin Paterson (Bogner’s of Penticton); and from Tofino, Nicholas Nutting (The Pointe at the Wickaninnish Inn).

Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian excellence in food, wine, athletic achievement and entertainment. In addition to the finest food and excellent music, guests had the opportunity to mingle with 25 celebrated Olympians such as Marnie McBean (Rowing), Steve Podborski (Alpine Skiing), Maëlle Ricker (Snowboard), Curtis Myden (Swimming), Erin McLeod and Melissa Tancredi (Soccer) and Olympic Gold, Double Silver and Bronze Medallist Adam van Koeverden (Canoe/Kayak) who emceed the event.

Proceeds from Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, supporting programs that further Canadian high performance athletes’ pursuit of excellence on the world stage – programs like Own The Podium and the COC’s Athlete Excellence Fund. Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has generated $6 million for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Gold Medal Plates Vancouver also featured a silent auction as well as a live auction, with spectacular getaways with Olympians and Canadian entertainers to destinations such as South Africa, Provence, Chile, Tuscany, and Kelowna for the Canadian Gold Medal Plates finals. Music for the evening was provided by Canadian legend Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo and an all-star cast of Canadian entertainers.

Chef Filatow went head-to-head with nine of British Columbia’s finest culinary masters at the prestigious culinary competition and will go on to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championships, the Gold Medal Plates Finale, in Kelowna on February 8th and 9th, 2013.

By: Richard Wolak

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Chocolate Challenge 2012

March 30th, 2012 admin

WINNER - Lauren Arsenault

Last night I attended the Chocolate Challenge 2012 Finale where the Top 6 entries recipes were prepared by Peter Fong and his team at Ganache Patisserie. There were 80 entrants narrowed down to 6 finalists and none were professional chefs.

Pastry Chefs: Thomas Haas, Rob Feenie & Greg Hook

The Judges were Chefs Rob Feenie, Thomas Haas and Greg Hook who declared Lauren Arsenault as the Grand Prize Winner of the best chocolate recipe of 2012. In 2nd place was Chitoe Okamato and in 3rd place was Susan Wiebe.

Chefs: Mitsuko Kojima & Peter Fong of Ganache Patisserie

The Grand Finale charity event was a gastronomic evening filled with food, wine and chocolate. Hosted by Jill Krop of Global TV.

The 6 finalists who presented their creations were:

 

Chocolate Rooibos Mousse by Lauren Arsenault

Chocolate Rooibos Mousse by Lauren Arsenault (1st place)

Velvety Chocolate by Chitoe Okamato (2nd place)

Chocolate Pear Torte by Susan Wiebe (3rd place)

Chili Lime Tango Truffles by Marni Johnson

Chocolate Raspberry Pecan Torte by Gary Monk

Chocolate Mousse Yule Log by Jane Bailey

Gourmet Warehouse was the gracious host of the evening event and all profits from the Chocolate Challenge 2012 were donated to the Strathcona Back-Pack Program.

By: Richard Wolak

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2012 Chinese Restaurant Awards

January 12th, 2012 admin

A packed house filled the award ceremony at the River Rock Hotel yesterday in Richmond. At the reception we dined on some of the winners dishes, a Gluttonous Rice dish as well as Durian Puffs. The panel of 12 professional chefs and food writers who ‘stepped up to the plate’ literally had ‘their plates full’ from July through mid-December as they tasted the best signature dishes to be found amongst Metro’s nearly 500 Chinese restaurants. Ballots were submitted to auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers with the results being unveiled at an ‘Oscars-style’ Awards Ceremony at the River Rock Show Theatre, emceed by Breakfast TV’s Dawn Chubai and ONMI TV’s Catherine Chan, held on January 11th in Richmond.

The guests were treated to a live cooking demonstration of Sautéed Geoduck with Egg White by the 2011 Chinese Chef of the Year, Tony Luk, of Jade Seafood Restaurant.

New Award Winners - Signature Dish Awards

The much-anticipated Critics’ Choice Signature Dish Awards were presented to start off the awards ceremony. As in previous years, Richmond and Vancouver were head-to-head in the running for gold. Richmond won the battle by taking 17 of the 28 awards, leaving Vancouver as runner up. The Gold Awards with Distinction were bestowed on five restaurants in Richmond for their continued high standards of their award-winning dishes. “We felt it was important to recognize these particular recipients who have persisted in maintaining a level of excellence that cannot be match anywhere else in Metro Vancouver,” says Lee Man, one of the food critics from the judging panel.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant - GOLD Award - Pan-Fried Prawns with Soy

James on Hastings Chinese Restaurant - GOLD Award - Dry fried Curry Dungeness Crab

This year, Signature Dish Dining Festival was inaugurated in November 2011 to encourage the public to visit 18 different restaurants over a period of 18 days throughout Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. The Festival proved to be a great success, attracting over 8,000 diners and generating over CAD$240,000 revenue. The participating chefs were asked to design new menus that featured Alberta Beef and Pork, British Columbia seafood, and Amoy sauces—pushing the boundaries of Chinese cuisine in Metro Vancouver into delicious new territories.

Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant - BEST AMOY SAUCE DISH - Signature Dish Awards

In recognition of the restaurants’ achievements, seven new awards were created under the Festival’s category. The recipients of the Festival’s Best Alberta Beef, Best Alberta Pork, and Best Amoy Sauce Dish were voted by a panel of eight professional food critics and announced today during the ceremony. The remaining four awards, Best Restaurant Overall, Best Service, Best Dining Environment, and Most Innovative were voted online by diners and announced together with the 15 Diners’ Choice Awards on December 5th.

BEST DIM SUM Restaurant -- The Jade Seafood Restaurant - Diners Choice Awards

BEST XIAO LONG BAO - Dinesty Chinese Restaurant - Diners Choice Awards

BEST NEW Restaurant - Grand Dynasty Seafood Restaurant - Diners Choice Awards

BEST KING CRAB DISH - Excelsior Restaurant - Diners Choice Awards

Among the culinary contenders on the award-winning list, one avid competitor stood out from the pack. Richmond’s Shiang Garden Seafood Restaurant (Executive Chef, Wing Leung), a frequent award-winner in the history of the CRA, took home two of the 2012 Critics’ Choice Signature Dish Awards—Best Alberta Pork and Best Amoy Sauce Dish. The panel of judges felt that Chef Leung deserved special mention for his creativity in modifying his past award-winning dishes—Dongpo Style Braised Alberta Pork with Amoy Sauce and Fried Lobster with Green Onions in Amoy Premium Soy Sauce. As a Critics’ Choice Award recipient in the Festival category, Shiang Garden also received a prize of $2,500 in supply credits from the producers of Alberta Pork.

Click here for all the winners of the Chinese Restaurant Awards.

By: Richard Wolak

Photo Credit: Alvin KC Lee

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2011 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown

November 24th, 2011 admin

Local Lounge Chefs team WINNERS

The 4th Annual Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder Chowdown was a huge success at a great event hosted by the Vancouver Aquarium on November 23rd. This event saw a packed house sampling many or all of the twelve chowders from BC’s top twelve Ocean Wise restaurants from around the Vancouver, and the Okanagan, all of the chowders were paired with BC brews and the suggested beers were listed along each of the restaurants chowders.

Local Lounge- 1st place Winner - “Smoked Outlandish Oyster Chowder”

Judges voted: 2011 Chowder Chowdown Champion Local lounge Chef Paul Cecconi for his “Smoked Outlandish Oyster Chowder”

Best Oceanwise Chowder and Beer Pairing was awarded to Chef Ned Bell of Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver

Chef Ned Bell of Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver "Smoked Black Cod and Gala Apple Chowder"

Driftwood Beer pouring their Farmhand Ale

Best Oceanwise Chowder and Beer Pairing was awarded to Chef Ned Bell of Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver & Driftwood Beer Farmhand Ale!

Since I have been to this event in 2009 and 2010, I noticed that the 2011 event had a much better layout than in previous years for easier mingling, however, the serving bowls were wider and better last year. I sampled my way through all the 12 chowders and these are MY favourite chowders.

My Vancouver Foodster Top Picks

My 1st Place: Chef Paul Cecconi of Local lounge for his “Smoked Outlandish Oyster Chowder”

My 2nd Place: Chef Chris Whittaker of O’Douls’s Restaurant for his “McLoughlin & Steele Whiskey Cured Bacon & Dungenous Crab Chowder”

My 3rd Place: Chef Ned Bell of Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver “Smoked Black Cod and Gala Apple Chowder”

Participating restaurants: COAST Restaurant, Codfather’s Market, Edible Canada, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver,  Hapa Izakaya, Local Lounge, Noodle Box, O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA), Sunset Bay Yacht Group, Westward Ho! Public House, and the Vancouver Aquarium.

O’Douls's Restaurant "McLoughlin & Steele Whiskey Cured Bacon & Dungenous Crab Chowder"

Red Truck Beer

Chef Jenn Dodd (L) of Edible at the Market

Lighthouse Beer

Ocean Wise is a program that was launched by the Vancouver Aquarium in 2005 to educate consumers on ocean-friendly seafood choices, this local initiative has become a national program, learn more at www.oceanwise.ca

By: Richard Wolak

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2011 Gold Medal Plates: Vancouver

November 5th, 2011 admin

Chef Rob Feenie (Gold Medal Winner)

On November 4th, I attended the Gold Medal Plates Awards at the Westin Bayshore where 11 Chefs from around British Columbia competed in a Culinary Competition for Gold, Silver and Bronze in one of the most prestigious culinary events in Canada.

This was my second year attending this prestigious event which was well orchestrated in recognizing the chefs as well as the Olympic athletes who participated.

Chef Rob Feenie of Cactus Club Restaurants proved his culinary prowess  taking home the gold medal at the Vancouver 2011 Gold Medal Plates competition. Chef Feenie will go on to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championships, the Gold Medal Plates Finale, in Kelowna on February 10th and 11th, 2012.

Rabbit Leg Confit, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Chestnut, Veal Tongue and Porcini Ragout and Brown Butter Squash Purée by Chef Rob Feenie

Chef Feenie, who also won in 2009, wowed the judges with a dish of Rabbit Leg Confit, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Chestnut, Veal Tongue and Porcini Ragout and Brown Butter Squash Purée paired with Switchback Vineyard Pinot Gris Clone 52, 2010 from Summerland’s Haywire Winery.

Chef Dale Mackay (Silver Medal Winner)

BC Spot Prawns with Pork Thai Broth and Bok Choy

Chef Dale MacKay of ensemble Restaurant, rose to the occasion as well, taking the silver medal for the third year in a row. Chef MacKay’s dish was BC Spot Prawns with Pork Thai Broth and Bok Choy paired with Laughing Stock Vineyards’ Pinot Gris, 2010.

Chef Joël Watanabe (Bronz Medal Winner)

Pork Belly with Poached Asian Pear, Superior Stock Gelée, Buckwheat Honey and Soy Reduction

Taking the bronze medal was Chef Joël Watanabe of Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, whose dish was Pork Belly with Poached Asian Pear, Superior Stock Gelée, Buckwheat Honey and Soy Reduction paired with Road 13 Vineyards’ Sparkling Chenin Blanc, 2007.

Road 13 Vineyards’ Sparkling Chenin Blanc, 2007

In one of the closest competitions ever in these Gold Medal Plates, Gold and Silver were separated by no more than 0.15 percent between each score. I had the pleasure to Interview Chef Rob Feenie as well as a few other chefs in advance of this competition, and you can read about it here.

Here are a couple of my favourite dishes, I wasn’t one of the judges but I tasted most of the dishes and these two stood out for me in taste and presentation.

Chef Alana Peckham of CRU Restaurant

Natural Beef Short Rib braised with Sundried Cherries, Spiced Autumn Squash Puree, Pecan, Bacon, Thyme and Vanilla Crumble, Krispy Kale by Chef Alana Peckham

Chef Rod Butters of Raudz Restaurant (Kelowna)

Takeoff Farm Raised Chevon Goat Curried Shoulder, Apricot Chutney Sausage, Masala Loin with Quinoa & Chevre and Chai Reduction by Chef Rod Butters

Raudz, Mixologist Gerry Jobe with Cannery Brewing Co's Apricot Pail Ale (paired with Rod's dish)

The other chefs competing for top prize in Vancouver were Ned Bell (YEW restaurant + bar & Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver), Lee Cooper (L’Abattoir Restaurant), Alana Peckham (CRU), Adam Pegg (La Quercia), Neil Taylor (Cibo Trattoria), Tim Cuff (Aura, Whistler), Rod Butters (RauDZ Regional Table, Kelowna), Mark Filatow (Waterfront Restaurant & Wine Bar, Kelowna).

The theme for this year’s event was “When London Calls: Canada Will Answer,” referencing next year’s Olympic Games in London, England. Music for the evening was provided by Canadian legends Barney Bentall (Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts), Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea) and other musicians, who treated guests to an evening of British classics.

Gold Medal Plates is the ultimate celebration of Canadian excellence in food, wine, athletic achievement and entertainment. In addition to the finest food and excellent music, guests had the opportunity to mingle with 28 celebrated Olympians and Paralympians such as Marnie McBean (Rowing), Simon Whitfield (Triathalon), Ashleigh McIvor (Ski Cross) and Steve Podborski (Alpine Skiing), along with athletes that will be competing for Canada in London in 2012.

Silent Auction

Gold Medal Plates Vancouver also featured a silent auction as well as a live auction, with spectacular getaways with Olympians and Canadian entertainers to destinations such as Tuscany, Napa Valley, Chile, Provence, Burgundy and Kelowna for the Canadian Gold Medal Plates finale.

Proceeds from Gold Medal Plates go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, supporting programs that further Canadian high performance athletes’ pursuit of excellence on the world stage – programs like Own The Podium and the COC’s Athlete Excellence Fund. Since 2004, Gold Medal Plates has generated $5 million for Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The Judges

Judging the 2011 competition in Vancouver was: James Chatto (Head Judge) John Bishop, Sid Cross, Barbara-Jo McIntosh, Andrew Morrison, Lesley Stowe and last year’s Vancouver winner, Chef Robert Clark. Each dish was judged out of 100 points, based on visual presentation (20%), texture (20%), taste (30%), wine compatibility (10%), originality (10%) and wow factor (10%).

By: Richard Wolak

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That Barista Thing

October 3rd, 2011 admin

I was one of the judges along with Anya Levykh, Mark Villela and Wayne Wright at That Barista Thing yesterday for the International Latte Art Competition. There were 16 competitors and each were highly skilled baristas who were passionate and ever so impressive in their presentations.

Masahito Orita

John Giannakos

Koji Kozuka

The winners were:

  1. Masahito Orita – 1st Place from Blenz Coffee in Japan
  2. John Giannakos – 2nd Place from Revolver Coffee in Vancouver
  3. Koji Kozuka – 3rd Place from Blenz Coffee in Japan

 

This Free Pour latte art competition featured head to head competition between Baristas as “a match” out of 16 competitors. The competitor receiving the highest score advanced and the loser was eliminated. The Baristas  were judged based on 5 categories: 1) Aesthetic Beauty 2) Definition 3) Colour Infusion 4) Degree of Difficulty and Creativity 5) Speed. Competitors were given 4 minutes to make one latte for the judges to be scored against each other.

That Barista Thing is a celebration of Barista Culture proudly supported by BLENZ COFFEE, the event was held at Library Square in Vancouver.

By: Richard Wolak

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Appleton Rum Cocktail Competition

June 14th, 2011 admin

Trevor Kallies of The Granville Room - 1st place Winner

On Sunday May 29th the Fairmont Pacific Rim Lobby Bar played host to the Appleton Rum Mixologist Competition that saw 17 of Vancouver’s finest bartenders compete in a black box style competition. After 3+ hours of intense competition, Trevor Kallies took first place and he won an all expense paid trip to Jamaica!

Dani Tartarin of the Keefer Bar - 2nd Place Winner

Joel Virginillo of Market in the Shangri-La Hotel - 3rd Place Winner

Second place winner was Dani Tartarin of the Keefer Bar and Third place was Joel Virginillo of Market in the Shangri-La Hotel.

Here are some of the other competitors mixing their drinks.

David Wolowidnyk of West Restaurant

Arthur Wynne of the Cascade Room

Jason Browne of Calabash Bistro

There were 17 competitors and all of them tops in their field representing restaurants and bars in Vancouver. It was a pleasure for me to watch this competition and to see the drinks these bartenders were creating.

By: Richard Wolak

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Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch 2011

April 25th, 2011 admin

Chef Eric Edwards of Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort

On April 10th, for the 2nd year in a row, I attended Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch that benefited Variety – The Children’s charity.  The event brought together some of BC’s finest chefs in a battle for best brunch. Guests sampled each delicious offering and cast their ballot to declare one chef the Food Fight champ! A couple hundred foodies and their friends enjoyed tasty eats from the participating restaurants.

Italian Panini on marble rye with crab bisque and saffron cream by Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort

Event contenders were the Executive Chefs from MARKET at Shangri-La, O’Doul’s Restaurant and Bar, Terminal City Club, Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort and YEW Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel and the Abercorn Inn.

YEW Restaurants Lollipops

After the ballots were cast, it was an incredibly close race but Yew restaurant + bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver came out on top, thanks to their delicious Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese Croquette and Wild Berry Cheesecake Lollipop.

Runner up was Ebo Restaurant at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre with their Quail Egg Benedict, House Cured Maple Bacon and Pecan and Banana Stuffed French Toast.

Terminal City Club

My favourite dishes this year were not the winning dishes, my favourites were the French Toast with caramelized apples by Market, Italian Panini on marble rye with crab bisque and saffron cream by Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort.

French Toast with caramelized apples by Market

The always entertaining Fred Lee was back as emcee and served as live auctioneer. The auction, raised an incredible $4,250! In total, the event raised over $40,000, which will be used by Variety to support children in British Columbia who have special needs.

By: Richard Wolak

 

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