Vegan tastings dinner event

Folke X Maest collaboration dinner is two days away. 24th April(Monday)

Here are some sneak peeks.

Tickets are from here.

The event details:

A plant-based menu featuring spring vegetables, the base concept is Japanese food culture.

See other posts about our food and concept.

April 24th with 2 seatings at 6pm(sold out) and 8pm(a few spots left).

$85 tips are included. Drink pairing(sake / wine) is also available for an additional $45. 

At Folke restaurant at 2585 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC 

Savory Sumi chacoal donuts

Plant based surf and turf.

Spring shoots plate.

Great grapes

I was at farmers market to look around interesting vegetables that I only can find at the market.

Stoney paradise farm. They are famous for tomatoes, their tomatoes are flavourful and sweet, they have huge line ups when they are at the market.

I saw they are selling coronation grapes - and I was wondering how do they taste like. I tried a grape berry - wow. It was amazing.

The grapes are in our second course, eye ball beets.

Cherry blossom flavoured slow cooked beets. Beets are stuffed with local hazel nut cheese.The grapes are on the centre, it is tiny part of the dish but their flavour is bold, perfect with floral flavoured beets.

Serving with plum seed flavoured dashi broth. The plum pit flavour is from Denmark’s famous distillery Empirical’s liquor.

Flax seed crackers on the side.

Our dinner pop up event at Burdock and co, tickets and details are here. Don’t miss it - this is our last pop up 2022

Trick, or…Dinner

Finalizing the menu ideas for my event on 18th October.

Today is a test for a snack. Planning to make a “black tart”.

My experiment went well. I was originally thinking to make it very thin crusts but, it looks neat and ancient when I made thicker crust with unfinished touch of shapes. It is perfect for my theme.

The dough is made with activated charcoal, Canadian ancient grain red fife flour from Flourist.

The filling is made with local potato with truffle flavour, chestnuts, vegan caviar.

Vegan farm to table dinner vol.11 at Burdock and co “Nightmare before halloween” tickets link is here.

Vegan Farm to table dinner pop up at Burdock and co

This will be 10th of my Vegan dinner event - I have been doing the event for 5 years, I used to call it “Far East”, but not anymore.

Still I’m using traditional Japanese methods but it isn’t visually noticed when you served the dishes at the table.

This time, foods are European inspired.

I went Denmark in April for joining Mad symposium which is hosting by Mad project, they are doing hospitality related symposiums.It was very inspiring days, but won’t write about this subject here, I will write about it in the future.

Back to main subject, the menu is inspired by the trip. and wanted to do this event light after, but I got long covid symptoms for two month.

.Anyways, it is 6 course, introducing a few of dishes of the menu..Ticket link is here

I will donate 10% of ticket sales to Vancouver farmers market. I saw many farmers are struggling with weather this year, and I wanted to do something to support them.Using local farm veggies as usual.

Kohlrabi.

Kohlrabi-ravioli. Say it three times ',) with smoky potato filling.Pressured lemon. Kelp caviar.Lemon kohlrabi sauce

Carrots.

Carrots are braised with wild ose hip paste, nice acidity and sweetness. Serving with rose hip and almond paste, lentils, aged pickled garlic scapes, carrot crapes.

Squash pave.

The pave is roasted 12 hours with fig leaves, serving with a pie crust, emerald oil that made with wild sorrels and spruce tips, squash sauce.

Event ticket price is $120 including a glass of wine, also non-alcholic refreshment in the end. The gratuity is not included. Ticket link is here.

Ancient Japanese tofu dish

Do you know Gisei tofu? It is one of ancient menu item made by a Japanese monk.

It is like a tofu based cake or baked tofu terrine. Made with tofu, lots of vegetables… and normally, eggs.

The original story behind this dish is the vegan monk who wanted to eat eggs secretly made it, it is hard to tell it looks like including eggs.

My version is made with tofu, some Japanese burdock, carrots, other vegetables and nettles.Instead of eggs, it is with long taro.

You can try it at our event, Will travel for food. Event tickets are here

Cheese board, green walnut

Finished for a test for one of a menu for vegan contemporary dinner series vol.9 Far East.

We will feature Vancouver vegan’s favourite, plant based cheese shop, Blue Heron’s products.

We call it “board”, cheese samplers are on a pear compote(the cheeses on the pear are ideal, we don’t have actual products yet since we need to serve them fresh).

Pears.When I saw the pears at a farmers market, I bought it right away.

They looked like a treasure that I found in a cardboard, beautiful product.(And actual taste is perfect too)

Green walnuts. I received them from a farm where I took a field trip to, and then preserved in pickling liquid in mid summer.

I’ve tried the taste of nochino before but not pickled green walnuts.

After fermented a few days, the liquid got so black and I was excited how strange they are. Then left it about a month.

When I tried them two weeks ago, it was slightly too bitter and I thought I can’t use it for the event. Then I tried it again this week -happy surprise! It wasn’t bitter. Food science and time made a magic. Wonderful fragrance, unique texture and taste. Great addition for cheese & wine snack.

Shiso. Found them at a farmers markets then made an extract, then jelly. Very unique flavour, in between anise, basils, and mint.

Try them at our event. September 14th at Burdock & co. 7 course tastings dinner with a glass of wine, cold brew coffee & a dessert. The details are here.