Local chefs have special menu set for music gala
Honey Salt and The Victor to showcase fresh Western Canada elements
The 2018 Juno Awards, hosted by Michael Buble, are March 25 at Rogers Arena.
The Juno Awards officially kick off Friday with a reception dinner that’s sure to be as delicious as it is star-studded.
Presented by Music Canada, the event is set to showcase West Coast fare through the lens of two Parq Vancouver restaurants: Honey Salt and The Victor.
“We wanted to showcase some of our restaurants here at Parq Vancouver, and highlight some memorable dishes,” chef Kim Canteenwalla of Blau + Associates explains of the evening ’s planned eats. “For such a fun event, we wanted to showcase the fun in our food.”
For attendees, that will translate into delectable dishes that highlight some of the freshest ingredients Western Canada has to offer.
“Most of the vegetables on our signature Honey Salt market table are Canadian, and come from Klippers Organics,” Canteenwalla says. “Klippers is a small, certified-organic farm located in Cawston. The inspiration for the whole dish was teaming up with them to showcase what the bounty of British Columbia can offer.”
The four-person team manning the market table at the relaxed reception (organizers opted for a less formal approach to the traditional seated dinner service so guests could mingle) will include charcoal beets and squash, pickled vegetables, cauliflower hummus, peppers, radishes, heirloom carrots, sweet potato chips, and “goddess” dip, according to Canteenwalla.
At the The Victor’s booth in the hotel’s grand ballroom, diners will enjoy assorted sushi as well as one of the typical three “tiers” of meat the upscale eatery serves: Canadian Angus Reserve, USDA Prime, and Japanese Wagyu. As you likely guessed, the chosen meat is one that best celebrates “Canada’s Music Awards.”
“For our dish during the Junos, we will be serving the Canadian Angus,” Canteenwalla says.
“We will also be serving sushi that features local and sustainable fish.”
The beef will be presented in the form of a classic Philadelphia cheesesteak — with an unexpected twist.
“We’ve incorporated a truffle component that people will be surprised and delighted with,” Canteenwalla says.
Reception guests will also be sipping beer from Toronto’s Steam Whistle Brewing and wine from Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estates.
How far in advance did the culinary team have to prep for the planned 1,200 diners?
“The Junos are in two weeks and we’re ready to go now,” Canteenwalla says with a laugh.
“Our chefs are very good — and very quick — at building menus based on the needs of the guests at events. Once the menu has been decided, it’s the preparation and execution planning that takes the time.”
Canteenwalla says that while planning for an event of this size can pose some problems, it also offers the opportunity for his staff and their guests to see a different side of local cuisine and cooking styles.
“Having the cooks and chefs be in the forefront of the guests, they get to see and appreciate a different side that they don’t always get to see,” he says. “And that’s what it’s all about.”