Mæst Food Secret dinner - Daikan - the coldest season
This Secret Dinner is situated in Daikan, the coldest period of the Sekki calendar, when culinary practice has historically shifted from immediacy to continuity. In this phase of the seasonal cycle, food is less concerned with freshness and more with preservation, storage, and metabolic efficiency. Daikan marks a threshold in the year when both land and body slow down, and cooking becomes an act of maintenance.
A way of sustaining life through restraint, foresight, and accumulated knowledge.
The menu is organised around winter roots, alliums, and ginger — ingredients selected for their structural density, thermal qualities, and capacity to endure extended cold with local produce and modern Nordic culinary approach.
The dinner takes place within an antique room setting. The presence of aged materials, accumulated objects, and visible time aligns the physical space with the temporal conditions of the season.
Mæst food Secret dinner - Daikan
January 17th
At secret location in south Granville
5 pm / 7:30 pm
Location details will be shared upon booking, near downtown and Kits, in south Granville area
Very limited seating
Drinks are available to purchase at the table.
Menu :
1.
Twig cracker with fruit leather
Cultured cashew & matcha moss balls
Leaf crisp with seasonal toppings
Squash cream, smoky Pumpkin bushi crust
2.
Leek terrine, Quince paste, pickles, Charcoal crust, Leek top sauce
Japanese milk bread & smoky vegan butter
3.
Buckwheat pasta with daikon mizore broth, charred mushrooms and seasonal vegetables
4.
Palete changer : TBA
5.
Hojicha chocolate tart
6.
Petit four :Ginger pate de fruit & Japanese inspired mini Tebrike(danish pastry)
Tomoko Tahara
Chef | Food culture Researcher | Founder of Mæst Food
Tomoko Tahara is a Vancouver-based chef with over a decade of experience in ethical, plant-based cooking.
Her culinary work focus on sustainable, seasonal ingredients, often foraged or sourced from local farms, using fermentation or other unique technique and is guided by a deep respect for technique, culture, and nature.
Tomoko has honed her skills at some of Vancouver’s most respected restaurants, including AnnaLena, Published on main, and The Acorn. She also served as head chef at Harken Coffee, where her inventive, ingredient-focused approach brought a new perspective to plant-based cafe.Her training includes an internship at Inua(closed by pandemic)—the Tokyo-based sister restaurant to Noma—and two terms at the MAD Academy in Copenhagen (2022 & 2024), where she further developed her focus on sustainability, fermentation, and leadership in the kitchen.
Looking for private dinner experience in your space? Click here
Mæst Food Secret dinner - Daikan - the coldest season
This Secret Dinner is situated in Daikan, the coldest period of the Sekki calendar, when culinary practice has historically shifted from immediacy to continuity. In this phase of the seasonal cycle, food is less concerned with freshness and more with preservation, storage, and metabolic efficiency. Daikan marks a threshold in the year when both land and body slow down, and cooking becomes an act of maintenance.
A way of sustaining life through restraint, foresight, and accumulated knowledge.
The menu is organised around winter roots, alliums, and ginger — ingredients selected for their structural density, thermal qualities, and capacity to endure extended cold with local produce and modern Nordic culinary approach.
The dinner takes place within an antique room setting. The presence of aged materials, accumulated objects, and visible time aligns the physical space with the temporal conditions of the season.
Mæst food Secret dinner - Daikan
January 17th
At secret location in south Granville
5 pm / 7:30 pm
Location details will be shared upon booking, near downtown and Kits, in south Granville area
Very limited seating
Drinks are available to purchase at the table.
Menu :
1.
Twig cracker with fruit leather
Cultured cashew & matcha moss balls
Leaf crisp with seasonal toppings
Squash cream, smoky Pumpkin bushi crust
2.
Leek terrine, Quince paste, pickles, Charcoal crust, Leek top sauce
Japanese milk bread & smoky vegan butter
3.
Buckwheat pasta with daikon mizore broth, charred mushrooms and seasonal vegetables
4.
Palete changer : TBA
5.
Hojicha chocolate tart
6.
Petit four :Ginger pate de fruit & Japanese inspired mini Tebrike(danish pastry)
Tomoko Tahara
Chef | Food culture Researcher | Founder of Mæst Food
Tomoko Tahara is a Vancouver-based chef with over a decade of experience in ethical, plant-based cooking.
Her culinary work focus on sustainable, seasonal ingredients, often foraged or sourced from local farms, using fermentation or other unique technique and is guided by a deep respect for technique, culture, and nature.
Tomoko has honed her skills at some of Vancouver’s most respected restaurants, including AnnaLena, Published on main, and The Acorn. She also served as head chef at Harken Coffee, where her inventive, ingredient-focused approach brought a new perspective to plant-based cafe.Her training includes an internship at Inua(closed by pandemic)—the Tokyo-based sister restaurant to Noma—and two terms at the MAD Academy in Copenhagen (2022 & 2024), where she further developed her focus on sustainability, fermentation, and leadership in the kitchen.
Looking for private dinner experience in your space? Click here
