{"id":14279,"date":"2018-05-03T14:23:46","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T21:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/?p=14279"},"modified":"2019-01-07T13:59:21","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T21:59:21","slug":"flavour-of-spring-pop-showcases-local-young-culinary-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/flavour-of-spring-pop-showcases-local-young-culinary-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Flavour of Spring\u201d pop-up showcases local young culinary talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was invited to attend “The Flavour of Spring<\/strong>“, a\u00a06-course Pop-up dinner prepared by Mielye Mitchell,\u00a0currently the Chef de party at AnnaLena<\/a>.\u00a0 The lovely Areta\u00a0(@foodgressing<\/a>) was the great company of the evening\u00a0 \u00a0The\u00a0dinner was hosted at Aphrodite’s Organic Cafe<\/a>, where Mitchell used to helm the kitchen. And it’s great to see the eatery didn’t just provide the beautiful space but also offered the source of the fresh organic produce to the chef, so that he could incorporate incredibly fresh organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs from the local farms such as\u00a0Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-Op<\/a>, Sole Food Street Farms<\/a>, and UBC Farms<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are highlights of brilliance in the dinner, with techniques that I\u2019d never seen, handling fresh ingredients with classic or innovative cooking methods to induce the optimal flavours.\u00a0 The plating was both rustic and refined showing the chef’s attention to details.<\/p>\n

The prix-fix menu was priced at $80 per person, including wine pairing with a list of delicious BC wines, curated by the seasoned sommelier from Annalena.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amuse-Bouche<\/h3>\n

Sourdough, Whipped Riccota, and Variations of Rhubarb<\/em><\/p>\n

Wine-paring: <\/strong>Bella Method Ancestral\u00a0Sparkling Rose<\/em><\/p>\n

I like how he plays\u00a0with the different textures of one\u00a0ingredient, which is the rhubarb here. The combinations of flavours of rhubarb and riccota work nicely here. Although the portion could be a little smaller for amuse-bouche.<\/p>\n

\"Sourdough,<\/a>
Sourdough, Whipped Riccota, and Variations of Rhubarb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Bella<\/a>
Bella Method Ancestral\u00a0Sparkling Rose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First Course<\/h3>\n

Lettuce, Yuzu Vinaigrette, Dashi Mayo, Puffed Grains<\/em><\/p>\n

Second Course<\/h3>\n

Grilled Asparagus, Hazelnut Crumble, Gougere, Asparagus Jus, Bearnaise<\/em><\/p>\n

Wine Pairing<\/strong>: La Vieux Pin – Petit Blanc<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Lettuce<\/strong> salad features a variety of leafy lettuces with fresh garden herbs, topped with a sprinkle of little crispy puffed grains. The Dashi Mayo, inspired by\u00a0Japanese cuisine, is bursting with UMAMI and it’s one of my favourite things of the evening.\u00a0 As I was loving the puffed grains,\u00a0 they really should be the salad crouton of 2018 and everyone should put them in their salad!<\/p>\n

\"Lettuce,<\/a>
Lettuce, Yuzu Vinaigrette, Dashi Mayo, Puffed Grains –\u00a0The Flavour of Spring<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Grilled Asparagus<\/strong> is lovely with asparagus freshly pulled out the field in the morning. A classic French bistro dish, with the nice texture contrast from the crumble and the rich flavour of the bearnaise sauce. It reminds me of the asparagus dish that I had at State Bird Provisions<\/a> in San Francisco, a one-star Michelin restaurant the serves small tasty plates like this.<\/p>\n

\"Grilled<\/a>
Grilled Asparagus, Hazelnut Crumble, Gougere, Asparagus Jus, Bearnaise –\u00a0The Flavour of Spring<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3rd Course<\/h3>\n

Pan Seared Trout, Seasonal Vegetables, Red Cabbage Puree, Herb Beurre Blanc<\/em><\/p>\n

Wine pairing<\/strong>: Orofino Gamay<\/em><\/p>\n

Although\u00a0Trout<\/strong> is a great choice of fish in the Spring, I would probably have liked the dish even more if salmon or arctic char is used for a bit more richness.\u00a0 The star of the dish, valsartan over the counter <\/a> however, is the red cabbage puree. It’s hard to imagine how a tough ball of fibery red leaves turns to this smooth and luscious texture, without adding cream or oil. Mitch told me that it took them hours to cook and break down the cabbage. It’s simply brilliant.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

4th Course<\/h3>\n

Short Rib, Market Vegetables, Ricotta Tortellini, Red Wine Jus, Potato Crumb<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Wine pairing<\/strong>: Daydreamer “Jasper” Merlot\/Cabernet Sauvignon<\/em><\/p>\n

A more rustic approach, the Short Rib<\/strong>\u00a0hit a home run with beautiful flavours and textures. The meat is cooked in sous vide for 24 hours, and it was texture perfect. I just adored the touch of lemon in the Ricotta Tortellini, something so small and simple,\u00a0 which elevates the entire dish. Without the tortellini, the dish is just a good meat and vegetable dish.\u00a0 But now, it’s an amazing dish that I would remember for a long time.<\/p>\n

\"Short<\/a>
Short Rib, Market Vegetables, Ricotta Tortellini, Red Wine Jus, Potato Crumb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Daydreamer<\/a>
Daydreamer “Jasper” Merlot\/Cabernet Sauvignon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dessert Course<\/h3>\n

Honey Nut Panna Cotta,\u00a0 Buckwheat Honey Chiffon, Toasted Milk Jam, Milk Crumb, Buckwheat Honey Gel<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Paired with: JusTea chamomile cleanse<\/p>\n

I would call this “The Affair of Milk and Honey<\/strong>”\u00a0because it showcases various ideas of turning milk and honey into tasty little bits of goodness.\u00a0 To be honest, I was not super impressed when I see only the colours of white and caramel were on the plate. But the complexity of the textures and flavours is truly impressive – the light and fluffy chiffon cake, the firm but silky smooth pannacotta, and the jammy bits of milk and honey. What a treat!<\/p>\n

\"Honey<\/a>
Honey Nut Panna Cotta,\u00a0 Buckwheat Honey Chiffon, Toasted Milk Jam, Milk Crumb, Buckwheat Honey Gel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Flavour of Spring<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h2>\n

Final Words<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What a fun and delectable evening that we just had!\u00a0 \u00a0We finished the multi-course dinner at a relaxing pace.\u00a0 It was such a pleasure to witness the passion for cooking of a young\u00a0talented chef through “The Flavour of Spring”. Areta and I recently visited one of the best Michelin restaurants in California, Saison<\/a>, (also the most expensive one in California),\u00a0 and very few people know that Saison started as a pop-up restaurant. We are glad the Mitch is off to a great start, presenting his talents in such an awesome space and with such incredible local organic ingredients. And we will continue support all the aspiring young chefs like him and help their dreams come true.<\/p>\n

Chef Meilye Mitchel is also available for private dinners and events.\u00a0 You can find him on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>. Their tentative date for the next pop-up dinner is Thursday, June 7th<\/strong>, but please follow\u00a0Aphrodite’s Cafe & Pie Shop<\/a>\u00a0for the upcoming events.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was invited to attend “The Flavour of Spring“, a\u00a06-course Pop-up dinner prepared by Mielye Mitchell,\u00a0currently the Chef de party at AnnaLena.\u00a0 The lovely Areta\u00a0(@foodgressing) was the great company of the evening\u00a0 \u00a0The\u00a0dinner was hosted at Aphrodite’s Organic Cafe, where Mitchell used to helm the kitchen. And it’s great to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[250,347],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/0F235A4B-B8FE-4445-8819-83DBD386F321-e1546898353291.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14279"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14279"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16412,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14279\/revisions\/16412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}