kiki's B.F.F: Beast & Friends - Classic French Cuisine [u-feast Event]

This is my 3rd u-feast(@u_feast) event I attended and it's at one of my favorite Toronto restaurant, Beast (@beastrestaurant). Scott Vivian of Beast manage to invite Ned Elliott of Foreign & Domestic (@ForeignDomestic) from Austin and Mathew Gaudet of West Bridge (@WestBridge02139) from Boston for this dinner collaboration.

Scott Vivian not only being the chef/owner of one of my favorite restaurant is also one of my favorite chef, always found time to do collaboration dinners with guest chefs and the fun popup dinner
with The Group of 7 Chefs.

Sab Stories

Wasabi infused Dillon's vodka, raspberry syrup, lime, angostura, citric acid

~ by guest bartender Jamie Martyniuk form Ottawa's Union Local 613

You can definitely smell the wasabi but not so much as tasting it but that aside, it was a very well balanced cocktail.

Rebecca Meir-Liebman was the guest sommeliere of the night and expertly paired all the wines from Chateau des Charmes. Always love listening to her talk about the wine, the history, the reason for the pairing and a little fun story along the way. So much fun surprising paring from her once again!!!

Sea Urchin Mousse

Leeks, champagne vinegar, beurre blanc

~ by Beast's sous-chef Jason Poon (@ja_poon/)

Paired w/ NV Brut Sparkling Wine, Méthode Traditionnelle

This was my favorite pairing of the night and it's a lot coming from me since I am not a fan of sparkling at all. The sea urchin mouse was so smooth and packed with flavors but with a sip of the sparkling, it sea urchin flavor burst out in a pretty major way.

Grilled Spicy Duck Heart Salad

cured foie gras, Burrata, little neck clam vinaigrette

~ by Mathew Gaudet (@WestBridge02139)

Paired w/ 2013 'Old Vines" Riesling

Loved the shaved foie gras torchon with the creamy burrata and doesn't hurt to throw in a bit of spices with the gochujang marinated grilled duck hearts. Heard that gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste) is the next big thing after Sriracha, so this was a perfectly on trend dish.

Smoked Trout Tart

swiss chard, dill, caviar, hollandaise

~ by Scott Vivian (@beastrestaurant)

Paired w/ 2012 Gamay Noir "Droit", St.David's Bench Vineyard

This was meant to be split into 4 but still a huge portion. Love the applewood smoked rainbow trout mousse with the sturgeon caviar and dill. Love the smokiness paired with the surprising of a Red, a light and incredibly versatile Gamay "Droit". I think I should be stocking up on a few bottle.

Pamericlli of Sweetbreads & Foie Gras

wild mushrooms, Treviso

~ by Beast Chef de cuisine Colin Moise (@colin_moise)

Paired w/ 2008 Late Harvest Riesling

Love the buttery puff pastry and it doesn't hurt that it's filled with foie gras and porcini mushrooms. And another surprise pairing of dessert wine and the sweetness works incredibly well with the slightly bitter sauce.