Monday, June 20, 2011

Dinner at the Four Seasons with Iron Chef Champion Chef Rob Feenie

I felt extremely, extremely lucky to have been invited to Salut Food + Wine Festivals' Grand Finale dinner, hosted by Visa Infinite, at the Four Seasons Hotel last month. This was a rare chance to experience and taste an exquisite multi-course menu prepared by Chef Rob Feenie, Canada's first Iron Chef Champion. That night, he who worked alongside with Four Seasons Toronto's Executive Chef, Thomas Bellec. Hmmm I guess the title of this post is a bit misleading - I didn't have dinner with Chef Rob Feenie...I had dinner prepared by him ^_^




For those who do not know Chef Feenie, here's a short description about him from Salut's Event page:


"From France to North America, Chef Feenie is revered for his mastery of French cuisine. Throughout his career, he has worked along side various world renowned Chefs including Emile Jung, Charlie Trotter and Jean-Georges Vongerichten to name a few. Chef Feenie has received the Relais Gourmand Designation, and was awarded the Traditions et Qualite & AAA Five Diamond Award.

In addition to publishing three cookbooks and starring in New Classics with Chef Rob Feenie on Food Network Canada for five seasons, he is most noted for claiming the Iron Chef title after defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto on the Food Network's Iron Chef America."




By the way I thought I would share Wikipedia's photo of Chef Marimoto lol (^_^)V




The dinner was held at Four Seasons's Truffles, which is now a private dining room (the restaurant closed back in 2009 after 37 years).



Elliot Faber, Salut's Wine Director & Operations, and I at the champagne reception.

Photo credit: The Kitchen Shoot

5 wine glasses + 1 water for each person. 



Mark Schatzker from The Globe and Mail, was the host that night. He is also the author of "Steak: One Man's Search for the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef".


Chef Bellec and Chef Feenie being introduced to the guests.


Every single course that night was like phenomenal, extremely unique, and was unlike anything I've ever tasted (in a good way haha). I included some random notes I took during the dinner :)

Soup of BBQ duck broth, with a BC spot prawn and dungenous crab ravioli.


Lobster carpacccio with beet jelly, olive oil sorbet
(lobster was cooked for 1 minute)


Citrus cured steelhead cooked sous vide, curry lentils
(steelhead cured for 5 hours and cooked for 12 mins with vanilla oil)


Fraser valley duck and chicken presse, foie gras boudin with parsnip puree and carmelized onion foam.


I you, foie gras


Chef Feenie came by our table to say hi :)


Fine Canadian cheese (from bottom left): Alber's Leap, Louis d'Or, Avorlea Clothbound Cheddar


Citrus terrine with lemongrass and vanilla
(palette cleanser)


Strawberries and Cream - Strawberry ice with white chocolate cremeaux and coconut salad.


Freshly baked coconut and toffee bits chocolate chip cookies.


Everyone got a gift bag to take home.


I was so happy to see this beautiful Ocean Wise cookbook inside.


The pictures inside make me drool.


An "all you need is cheese" apron. If all this isn't a sign that I should cook more, I don't know what is (I still haven't used the apron I got from the Menchie's opening).


Make sure you visit my friend Phelia's food photography blog The Kitchen Shoot; Phelia was the photographer that night on behalf of CityBites Magazine and she took some fantastic shots of Chef Feenie, Chef Bellec and the rest of team working in the kitchen.