Food

Vancouver's international culinary talents spice up Indian Summer Festival opening gala

by Craig Takeuchi on July 11th, 2016 at 12:30 PM
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      Indian Summer got off to a delicious start with its festival opening gala on July 7.

      In keeping with this year's theme of border crossings, restaurateur Vikram Vij invited the city's top culinary talents to serve dishes that reflected the global outlook of the festival.

      The lineup included My Shanti, Medina, Blue Water Café, Ancora, Maenam, Bob Likes Thai Food, Cactus Club Café, Bodega, and Bella Gellateria.

      Food items ranged from Maenam's Thai curry inspired by Indian roots to Bodega's boquerones en vinagre, with marinated white anchovy filets and piquillo pepper marmalade.

      Three particularly memorable bites were Bob Likes Thai Food's refreshing citrus salad, which featured pomelo, orange, and grapefruit in a tamarind sauce with chili, cashews, and toasted coconuts; Blue Water Café's addictive devilled eggplant with capsicum caviar, marinated cucumber, and seaweed tempura; and Ancora's delicious dungeness crab causa with avocado purée, crispy yam, kalmata olives, yukon gold potato, and huancaina sauce.

      The festival continues on until July 16.

      Here's a selection of photos from the event.

      Bob Likes Thai Food's Tai Keattivanichvily helped serve labb tod: northeastern-style bread with chicken and green spicy sauce.
      Craig Takeuchi
      Cactuc Club's lemon parmesan mascarpone arancini with fried cauliflower and goat ragout
      Craig Takeuchi
      Bodgea's piquillo rellenos: piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese basil, dates, and marcona almonds
      Craig Takeuchi
      Bodega's albondigas: three-meat meatball with aged manchego cheese in a brioche bun
      Craig Takeuchi
      Medina Café's lamb kofte with tomato sauce, cucumber yogurt, and sourdough coco bread
      Craig Takeuchi
      Medina Café's sourdough coco bread
      Craig Takeuchi
      Maenam's geng gari gai: roasted chicken in curry
      Craig Takeuchi
      Ancora's dungeness crab causa with avocado purée, crispy yam, kalmata olives, yukon gold potato, and huancaina sauce.
      Craig Takeuchi
      Ancora chef Ricardo Valverde with staff
      Craig Takeuchi
      Blue Water Café's devilled eggplant with capsicum caviar, marinated cucumber, and seaweed tempura
      Craig Takeuchi
      Blue Water Café's executive chef Frank Pabst
      Craig Takeuchi
      My Shanti's grilled marinated chicken with korma sauce
      Craig Takeuchi
      Craig Takeuchi

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