The chef instructors and students at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA) will come together and capture the full flavours of the season during a special Chef Showcase Pop-Up Dinner at PICA’s Blue Hat Café on Wednesday, June 7 at 6 p.m.
The one-night-only dinner will see PICA chef instructors Ben Kiely (Culinary Lead), Christian Lai-Chun (Baking & Pastry Lead), Phyllis Tanga (Advanced Culinary and Baking & Pastry) and Gary Wong (Advanced Baking & Pastry) and their top students combine their talents to showcase the fresh and robust flavours of late spring and early summer on plate and palate.
The multi-course tasting menu spotlights an array of ingredients lovingly sourced from local farms, fields and fisheries like rhubarb, strawberries, coriander, lovage, baby leeks, English peas, cherries and more in creative ways.
Two wines will be curated by Blue Hat Bakery-Café & Bistro GM and Wine Director, Anna Collard, will be available as an optional add-on by the glass or bottle for $10 or $50, respectively.
Collard, who also oversees events and wine and cooking classes, recently joined PICA family after leading teams at Victoria’s The Courtney Room, and Liquidity Winery in Okanagan Falls and was most recently at the Naramata Inn.
Chef Showcase Pop-Up Dinner Menu
Wednesday, June 7 at 6 p.m.
Tickets $85 per person includes gratuities
Amuse
- Pacific Oyster
- cucumber, coriander, pomelo
First
- Brioche-Crusted Local Camembert
- apple cider, rhubarb confit, strawberries
Second
- Pan-Seared Salmon with Fresh Lovage
- petit pois à la Française, radishes,
- lemon thyme olive oil poached fennel,
- citrus beurre blanc
Third
- Grilled Beef Striploin
- Swiss chard, baby leeks, smoked butter king
- oyster mushroom, fondant potato,
- Romesco sauce with Agassiz hazelnuts
Dessert
- Dessert Platter
- chocolate, cherries, pistachio, caramel
Mignairdise
- assorted chocolate truffles,
- pâté de fruits
Tickets
A limited number of tickets to the PICA Chef Showcase Pop-Up Dinner are available for $85 per person plus tax and gratuity at here.