Few people know about the private, 36-seat Blue Moon Theatre tucked inside the Shangri-La Hotel (1128 West Georgia Street). That’s where a new Movies at MARKET series debuts next Wednesday and Thursday (April 23 and 24), elevating dinner-and-a-movie date night.

For $78 per person, guests will be greeted with a glass of Champagne and then will watch a food-focused flick, complete with popcorn. Afterward, they’ll tuck into a four-course dinner inspired by the film at MARKET by Jean-Georges.

Next week’s show is Spinning Plates, an emotional, award-winning documentary about three restaurateurs. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the 5:30 p.m. movie. Here's the trailer:

I attended a media preview of the April 23/24 event and really enjoyed the movie. The theatre is intimate and plush, and MARKET chef de cuisine Montgomery Lau has put a lot of thought into the evening's menu.

In keeping with the theme of the movie—the life stories of these restauratuers—he's created a menu that tells his own life story. It starts with the popcorn guests are given, which is inspired by his early years in Hong Kong. According to Lau, popcorn in Hong Kong is sweet, and the version he's done up here includes sweet Chinese White Rabbit candies in the savoury fried fava beans and fried onion mix. It's an addictive salty-sweet mix.

The rest of Lau's menu is an homage to various life stages, and it's an impressive menu indeed. I won't give away his entire story, but here's what diners can expect on the table:

Below, here's a photo of the second coarse, a superlative butter-poached lobster with wild mushrooms and truffled gnocchi that was a signature dish at Diva at the Met when Lau worked there. "If there's any one dish that represents my apprenticeship, this is it," he said.

The Movies at MARKET events are slated to run two evenings per month into June, and then possibly resume next fall. The menus will change with the movies. 

After next week's Spinning Plates, May's movie will be Somm, a documentary about the world of sommeliers. The dates for that are May 28 and 29.

For tickets call 604-695-1115, and see the MARKET by Jean-Georges Facebook page for details on upcoming events.