It’s quince season

I love smell of quince. I’m looking forward to have it this time of the year. Conversely to the aroma, they are tuff, dry taste when you try it raw.

I cooked them as savoury with yuzu, Mexican mint, organic sugar, vegetable dashi broth and salt.

Additional, Mexican mint has great aroma, it smells like tarragon and mint, a hint of vanilla.

You will try this sauce with a rulade dish, at my vegan dinner pop up at Burdock & co. 18th October.

This is the last pop up 2022. Don’t miss it. Tickets link is here

Beets carpaccio

Beets carpaccio. Sounds like ordinary? Ours is special.

10+ hours roasted charred beets that inspired by a dish that Christian Puglisi was doing at Relae.

He charred the beets with a jasper and roasted long hours, with a few process like carefully cut them like sashimi and with unique seasonings, he called it fish.

Our version is the roasted charred beets with a few processes, will serve them with almond crackers, sorrel aioli, salted plum, grapes, pickled chive flower buds.Using elder flower vinegar is also Puglisi’s idea but the vinegar is house made, also the flower is from wild that I harvested in the summer.

You can try the menu at our event, Maest food presents vegan contemporary dinner series Far East vol.9 “Fruits rules” at Burdock and co(2702 Main street).

14th September, 5:45pm seating / 8:00pm seating. Ticket holders only. (you will be required to show vaccine passport at the door, the gouverment order effective from 13th Sep)

The ticket price is including a 7 course tastings dinner, a glass of wine, cold brew coffee and a dessert. We will have a wine bar for your extra glasses of wine.

Ticket order is here. Limited numbers. We only have a few spots left for each seatings.

Vegan cereals

When I was working at Harken coffee, Tomoko Tahara made a series of flavoured puffed rice cereals.

Since the menu was dine in basis, the cereal was simple, combination of toppings and flavoured milk made the charactor of the cereals.

This time is packaged so it has flavours in the cereals.

There are two kinds. Tamari candied almonds and seeds, brown sugar oats, raisins and cocoa nibs. Nice variety of flavours and texture, and good saltiness from the Tamari.

An another one is marshmallow puffed rice and almonds, seeds, freeze dried blueberries.

Not only for your breakfast, they both can be a dessert with good creamy “m*lk”. & fresh fruits, and nice with vegan ice creams.

Oh wait! Vegan miso “butter” is new item too.

Available for online pre-orders, as well as in store at Harken coffee (338 Powell street)

Nettles

These are for my weekend pop up at Harken coffee.

Farm and forest chirashi Bento box with miso soup.

Nettles are for the mochi in the miso soup.

We boiled, and mashed, then knead into mochi dough.

For more details of bento box, visit Mæst Market.

Nettles are truly a gift from spring.　Lots of nutritions.

Maest food at Harken coffee

Pop up 0.1 : Take away

Maest food (by Tomoko Tahara) will make a ¨To-go style¨ lunch pop up at Harken coffee(338 Powell street).

It will be every weekends from March 6th with a weekly rotation menu .

The menu for March 6th & 7th :

Confit carrot, sunflower seed “cheese”, Crushed candied Tamari almonds

Charred broccoli with yuzu salt, shichimi, evo

Marinated, compressed Tempeh steak

Sourdough

Preserves : rosehip jam

Kale caesar salad

$18 before tax

Limited number. Pre-order from Maest market, or just simply walk in to Harken.

Time flame: 12-2:30pm for walk in, pre-order pick up 12-5pm.

More details will be updated on closer day in this blog, also Tomoko Tahara instagram story.

Thank you for everything, and new start.

Minor’s lettuce, common edible plants in BC

Thank you for all guests enjoyed the food program at Harken coffee.

I’m no longer involved with their actual food menu for a while, hopefully until their reopen for their kitchen.

However I am stick around with them with my food project called “Maest”(pronounce like must), that is rebuilt my food project “Cookhatter”. I am doing this project since 2017.

The world is different since pandemic - the word “essential” is taking over everything.

Staying home is basic human life in the earth for now, travelling is banned, meeting people are limited, many of entertainment spots are closed, creative restaurants and some service industries are suffering.

Writing all those reality, feeling terrible, but I don’t want to give up.

We need to keep our creative ideas alive -

Having completely new ideas, or finding solutions that the creative people can survive with their ideas getting along with this world of conservatism.

Anyways, my project’s goal is making our clients smile with unique food experience, that is the same as before. The most important thing to make delicious food - love, not egos.

The menu will be different than the menu I made for the Harken - it won’t be Japanese food menu based. 

More focussing on ingredients and flavours, comfort yet fancy food with a twist of Japanese cooking ideas.

To start, popup 0.1 :

Weekend take away lunch box will be at Harken March 6 & 7th. 

The event will happen every week.

The details coming up very soon.