Last year, the unforgettable S.PellegrinoGrand Gelinaz! Shuffle entailed some of the best chefs in the world switching places/restaurants around the globe for one night only, with my dinner at Coi cooked by none other than the chef of Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain.
Christopher Kostow (Meadwood – L) & Chad Robertson (Tartine Bakery – R) talk about their collaborative courses
On July 11, they did something different but similarly exciting. Last night’s Gelinaz! Walk With Us San Francisco was a two part, 16-course feast held in Benu and at the new In Situ, where we walked mid-meal for the next 8 courses.
All 16 courses were fascinating and creative… some were fantastic. Oh, we also ate controversial balut/duck egg (a developing bird embryo, boiled and eaten out of the shell and a common street food snack in the Philippines).
Look at this rock star chef line-up: Corey Lee (Benu), Chad Robertson (Tartine), Danny Bowien (Mission Chinese, SF & NYC), Evan Rich (Rich Table), Sean Brock (Husk, Charleston & Nashville), Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn), Gabriela Camara (Cala), Christopher Kostow (Meadowood), Daniel Patterson (Coi), James Syhabout (Commis), Pim Techamuanvivit (Kin Khao), Joshua Skenes (Saison), Brandon Rodgers (In Situ), Blaine Wetzel (The Willows Inn, Lummi Island, WA), Riccardo Camanini (Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy), Paul Cunningham (Henne Kirkeby Kro, Henne, Denmark). Yes, all of these chefs in one — or, rather, two — kitchens for one night only.
Here are just a few highlights from a meal which randomly paired two chefs for each course under one ingredient theme each section, chosen by hosting Benu chef Corey Lee: tomato, egg, rice and peach.
In the “egg” round, Dominique Crenn & Evan Rich delivered this beauty of an egg “millefeuille”, or as appropriately Rich coined it, a French tamago (Japanese omelette), a silky France-meets-Japan omelette, laden with black truffles, cured roe and smoked creme fraiche
Part of the balut course from Danny Bowien & Joshua Skenes (under “egg”), here is an array of sauces, herbs and cauliflower accompaniments to flavor a bowl of congee
A “wow” course from Pim Techamuanvivit & James Syhabout under “tomato”: tomato and pork relish “nam prik ong”, khao jee tomato, Northern Thai curry paste, sticky rice on a stick
Danny Bowien (left) and Joshua Skenes (right) talk balut
From Evan Rich & Dominique Crenn, another pure beauty showcasing tomatoes of the season with “fermented tomato heart”, smoked vinegar, shiso and kogi yeast
Sean Brock (right) and Brandon Rodgers (left) tell us about their abalone and pig tail blanquette with Charleston warm rice ice cream
Pim Techamuanvivit & James Syhabout were “bringing it” with Thai influence & deliciousness, here in the “egg” round with fried egg “salad”/yum kai dao, given depth from shallot chili jam and edible flowers/herbs
Texture perfection (not surprisingly) from Chad Robertson & Christopher Kostow in this pasta of freshly-milled durum rice laced with smoked & dried albacore over grilled cucumber
Yes, it’s abalone and pig tail blanquette, warm & creamy around edible flowers with Charleston warm rice ice cream
Fascinating & delicious dessert: peach tamal with peach leaf-infused queso fresco & ice cream from Gabriela Camara & Blaine Wetzel
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