EVENTS

Are You What You Cook?

Monday, July 21, 2008
San Francisco Ferry Building


With the San Francisco Bay as our dramatic backdrop, we learned the many different ways celebrated chefs and food writers approached Asian flavors. They shared how they’ve overcome the challenges of introducing new foods to diners, how they developed their signature styles and how their personal and professional experiences shaped their vision of Asian food past, present and future. 


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  1. Charles Phan: From Raku to Restaurants

  2. His early love of pork fat, his days bussing tables at an English pub, and how he gave up stacking kilns to express his creativity in kitchens.

Wine Reception & Book Signing

Chefs Kelly, Kirti, and Charles provided a delicious selection of savory treats from their restaurants. Elaine Villamin from Eden Canyon Vineyard poured tastings of Jolie, their excellent Bourdeaux-style blend, and Miette Patisserie and Boulette’s Larder created lovely sweets to finish the evening.


Book Passage kindly provided copies of our speakers’ cookbooks for the book signing that followed the evening’s discussion.









 

Speakers

We were honored to have on the panel:

  1. Kelly Degala, executive chef, Pres a Vi and Va de Vi

  2. Eric Gower, author, Breakaway Cook

  3. Michelle Mah, executive chef, Midi

  4. Kirti Pant, executive chef, Junnoon

  5. Charles Phan, executive chef, Slanted Door

  6. Linda Carucci (moderator), chef director, International Culinary School at

  7. The Art Institute of California - San Francisco

  1. Kelly Degala: “Fifteen years ago, not one person would touch it.”

  2. How an ingredient moved from their family meal to the main dinner menu.

  1. Eric Gower & Charles Phan: Sustainability

  2. How Asian restaurants haven’t realized the power and pull of sustainable ingredients, and why Asian American consumers may not realize the importance of learning more about their food.

  1. Kirti Pant: Trying a New Dessert

  2. Somce diners’ surprise when eating kulfi for the first time.

  1. Kirti Pant, Eric Gower & Michelle Mah: Signature Dishes

  2. Presenting traditional flavors and textures with a modern flair: Sea bass with crushed rice crust and kokum sauce, matcha salt on poached eggs, and spicy tuna tartare with sambal olek and ginger-ponzu sauce.

  1. Kelly Degala: Accomodating Diet Restrictions

  2. The challenge of cooking and serving food with no dairy, no gluten, no salt, or no garlic (“god help that person!”).

Asian Culinary Forum gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our event sponsors:


Audio Highlights

Below are just a few of the memorable stories our guests shared during their conversation that evening.