Last night, a group of writers, food enthusiasts, entertainers and other Torontonians gathered at the Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto for the Celebrity Challenge- Great Hong Kong Culinary Cook Off in support of charity. Hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices and the Metropolitan Hotel, a few local celebs took up the cause of cooking one dish Iron Chef-style (for 15 minutes only) in support of their chosen charity. The evening saw the ever- amusing Justin Ryan and Colin McAllister (with their new book in hand no less) competing against ET Canada’s reporter Roz Weston and ETalk Reporter Zain Meghji. All three teams had 15 minutes to prepare a dish using the night’s secret ingredient- lobster. And while MCs Kurt Browning and Jennifer Lo tried to maintain order, the unruly Scots (aka Collin and Justin) weren’t having any of it- cracking jokes and generally having a good, unruly time- scripted narration be darned.
East Meets West Feast
The highlight of the evening for those watching the action was the multi-course meal created by guest judges and chefs Patrick Lin of the Metropolitan Hotels’ Senses, Lai Wah Heen and Lai Toh Heen restaurants and visiting celebrity Chef Chow Chung from Hong Kong who competed in the original, Japanese Iron Chef (earning the title of “Numero Uno of Hong Kong Cuisine). A studied fusion of east meets west greeted diners as the first course- a crispy foie gras and sweet mango spring roll with a curried mango yogurt dressing appeared. But it was the double-boiled seafood treasures in baby papaya that had the table swooning- as Food Network Canada Chef Christine Cushing commented, “I love the clean, clear broth and intense flavour of this dish.” Indeed, baby shrimp, shredded crab, and chopped clam sat in a tidy papaya bowl that you could also enjoy once the broth was all done. Following the broth, the chefs treated diners to wok-fried sea scallops with dragon fruit and bell peppers- both beautiful and delicious.
The Cuisine that Reigns Supreme
And then it was time to watch the harried contestants go for the big money- $2000 for their chosen charity. To be fair- the contestants who aren’t cooks, had a little culinary push from trained hotel chefs- which they needed lest they leave a truly bad taste in the judges’ mouths. Apart from Chef Lin and Chef Chung, Tre Armstrong (of So You Think You Can Dance Canada) rounded off the judges’ group. The most difficult to please of the three was Chef Chung whose hilarious commentary kept the crowd roaring. In the end, Roz Weston’s dish came in first (he used Chung’s favourite- XO Sauce in his dish which likely helped give him the advantage), with Zain Meghji coming in a close second and the boys from Scotland faring the worst (poor guys had to add a “suggestion” of tripe into their dish- and it was pointed out that it just wasn’t cooked long enough by Chung hence the less than impressive finish). But all contestants got to choose their own ingredients- it’s just that the Scots thought that the tripe was “elegant, flat pasta,” or at least that’s what they claim…
And the Winner Is...
For his efforts, Weston won the grand prize which he donated to the Princess Margaret Hospital Lodge for cancer patients and their families. But it was a feel-good kind of night, which meant that all teams were surprised with a $2000 cheque- Meghji’s went to Big Brothers, Big Sisters Toronto and the boys from Scotland to the Aids Committee of Toronto (ACT). After the culinary battle, diners continued their meal with a fabulous pan-fried lobster tail with dragon tea leaves, chicken and Yunnan ham filled pear and spinach sauce (not made by any competitors!), a stellar fried rice with Canadian smoked salmon, roe and Chinese broccoli with nuances of ginger (the evening’s best dish) and the most wonderful taro root dumpling with chocolate filling paired alongside a seasonal berry shooter. All of this just whets the appetite for a trip to Hong Kong where edible art like this awaits curious palates amidst bustling, vibrant streets.
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