Have you heard of this cafe in the Downtown Eastside called H.A.V.E., which only opens for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday?
H.A.V.E. Cafe is the store front of a culinary training program that is designed to provide the community with skills training and opportunities for employment. The acronym stands for Hope, Action, Values and Ethics.
Through work, I had the pleasure to attend its very first fundraising dinner last week. This year they’ve kicked off a fundraising initiative called “Project 374” to raise fund for renovations and the upkeep for the school. The cafe will also be renamed to Cafe 374 soon. Why 374? The cafe/culinary school is located at 374 Powell Street, Vancouver.
Chef Alex Chen, who will be representing Canada in Bocuse d’Or in Lyon in 2013, put together the menu for the evening. Chef Alex’s dishes were basically a new take on the classics.
Chef Alex Chen in action
Our dinner consisted of Amuse + 5 courses. Here are some pictures:
Amuse - Kumamoto Oyster, Asian Flavour
Amuse: Very clean flavour. Of course, it was extra enjoyable since I got two, thanks to my boss who doesn’t like oysters!
Course One - Heirloom Beets with Salt Spring Goat Cheese, Sylvetta Arugula and Hazelnut Streusel
Course One: Who would’ve thought that the beets could be sliced so thinly then stacked like this? The goat cheese balls had a semi-crispy exterior that added a bit of texture to the creaminess of it, along with the crunchy hazelnut streusel. One of my favourites of the evening.
Course Two - Bouillabaisse with Shellfish, Rouille, Fennel Veloute and Olive Oil
Course Two: Very interesting soup course. When the dish was first served, I was surprised to see the “soup” jiggle! (more…)
Like this:
Like Loading...
Read Full Post »
VanFoodies.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.