There has been no shortage of fantastic dining experiences on my calendar of late. Tuesday night's (Oct 11th) was no exception. It was a pop-up monthly dinner organized by Dan & Sukko of TBD. I recently learned about it from Chef Coulson. It is a dining experience set in a different venue with a different chef each month. This week's featured Chef Steve Gonzales (formerly Chef de Cuisine of Origin Restaurant as well as a contestant on the first season of Top Chef Canada). Latin cuisine was showcased – in particular – CEVICHES. We quickly learned that Steve Gonzales is preparing to open his own restaurant in Toronto this year featuring a menu of 60-70% raw ceviche dishes. Our six-course dinner included four different and amazing ceviches. My favourite one had to be the hamachi – though it was a tough call as all of them were pretty fantastic.
To start, it was an intimate evening consisting of 12 diners. We were seated in one of The Drake Hotel's private event rooms just off to the side of the rooftop patio. The crowd consisted of people in the food industry as well as avid foodies and diners. It would be TBD's fourth dinner to date (my first). Dinner was kicked off with a glass of bubbly and an introduction by the guys from TBD and Chef Gonzales' account of what we were about to enjoy. Each flavour-packed course was thoughtfully paired with amazing, innovative cocktails. The night's menu went from cold to hot – warming up through the evening. I loved being surprised with something really fresh and tasty with each course – including a caramelly, pulled pork that had been slow-cooked for 22 hours! The hot chocolate brought back warm memories of Filipino hot chocolate from my childhood.
What a great night. I am so thrilled to learn about and partake in all the exciting things currently unfolding – in Toronto's food scene. It's so great to meet and talk with the passionate people behind these delicious food and events. I am looking forward to seeing (and tasting) what's next! I would highly recommend signing up for TBD's list to find out what's happening next month. It will undoubtedly be amazing.
Thank you to Chef Gonzales, Dan & Sukko and Chef Coulson for a wonderful night!
October 11th Menu
Steve Gonzales / Drake Hotel / TBD Toronto
East coast oyster + watermelon + picked ginger
Watermelon Caipiriña
Red snapper ceviche + lulo granita
Pisco Sor
Hamachi tiraditto + aji amarillo + fried yucca + pickled red onion
Mojito / Margarita
Grilled shrimp and calamari + tomato + aji ancho
Mexican Beer
Pulled pork + corn + beans + avocado + tomato + nachos
Colombiana Refajo
Dessert
Hot chocolate + buñuelo + cuñape + arequipe
