Business & Tech
Top Chefs Cook Up Charity Dinner for Japan
A superstar lineup of chefs gather at Weho's Comme Ca on Thursday night to cook up a six course dinner for Japan.
Many people believe that food can heal the soul, but can it also make the world a better place? Last night at Weho eatery , the resounding answer was "Yes!"
Organized by chefs Noriyuki Sugie and Comme Ca's David Myers, several of LA's top chefs cooked up a six course dinner to benefit the Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan. The cost of the dinner was $110 per person, with all proceeds going to help rebuild the prefacture's schools, which were devastated by the earthquake in March.
The culinary dream time included Roy Choi (A-Frame, Kogi BBQ), Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (Animal, Son of a Gun), Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio (his hotly anticipated restaurant Ink is slated to open in Weho in July), and pastry chef Jordan Kahn (XVI). Each chef was responsible for one of the six courses.
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They did not disappoint. Myers' Kelp Cured Fluke kicked things off, with thin slices of delicate fish nestled on a bed of emerald green kelp. Next up was Sugie's Caesar Salad Soup, a savory concoction that tasted wonderfully of aged lard. The meal continued with Shook and Dotolo's Ling Cod course, with raw fronds of bok choy sitting in a cinnamon flavored broth; and got serious with Choi's Cracklin' Beer Can Chicken, a street food influenced dish of half a chicken accompanied by red and green salsas for dipping and white kimchi.
The savory courses came to a close with Voltaggio's Veal Cheek, an artfully constructed dish accented with a crispy anchovy-potato chip and lemon ash. The final course of the night came from famed pastry chef Jordan Kahn. Aptly named Abstract Calligraphy, the dessert tasted powerfully of dark and white chocolate and sesame, all strung together with abstract chocolate "scribbles."
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As each course matriculated from the kitchen, Myers brought the chef around to every table to greet the guests.
Wine pairings were offered for an affordable $30 to pair with the courses, in addition to Comma Ca's signature cocktails. T-shirts designed by Alternative Apparel and bracelets were available for sale, with all proceeds benetifing the charity. The charitable evening wound to a close with a silent auction for a signed chef's jacket.
Wednesday night's charity dinner proved that great food can indeed make the world a better place, one prefecture at a time.