Pop-Up Dinner in Squamish by Chef Kristian

For some of you, I'm sure you remember the brunch spot on 22nd at Rupert called Ham & Eggman's. It dished up an array of interesting items in a very non-traditional spot for brunch.  Sadly, it closed but Chef Kristian Leidig did not stop cooking.  I attended one of his popup dinners in Squamish and came away satisfied.  So when I heard about the next one, situated outdoors in a gazebo at Legacy Park while he cooked over an open flame, I ponied up the $79.00pp and brought Mijune along too.

Things started off the West Coast Seafood Groil sporting prawns, clams, chorizo, corn and baby potatoes cooked over an open flame Old Bay drawn butter and fresh torn herbs.  This was really good where the seafood was cooked perfectly.  Clams were just right while the prawns had a nice sweet snap.  Chorizo was meaty while the corn was so plump and sweet.  Those potatoes were a crowd-pleaser being creamy and inherently flavourful.

Next, we moved onto "You Might Make Friends With This Salad" featuring fresh green mix, shaved brassicas, sun gold tomatoes, toasted almonds, parmesan and grilled shallot vinaigrette.  Ingredients were fresh with crunch from everything but the tomatoes.  Shallot vinaigrette had good acidity, but I could've used more.  The ample parm on top added plenty of punch from the nutty saltiness.  Ironically, I did end up meeting a new friend at this dinner (because of this salad???  LOL).

Onto the meat of the meal, we were served the "Let's Go To Argentina With Bife Ancho".  The ribeye grilled over charcoal and served with chimichurri, brenejenas en eschsbeche and baguette.  As you can see, the steak was medium-rare but lacked some char.  This is the challenge cooking over an unpredictable flame.  Chimichurri was tasty and the pickled eggplant on the side brightened things up.  There was so much steak, we didn't finish it.

Of course, we have to get some veggies into the meal and we did with the "Eat Your Vegetables!".  As you can see, we had a selection of grilled asparagus, red onion and peppers.  These were cooked just enough to wilt but still retained crunch and texture.  They were lightly salted with maldon and dressed with balsamic and olive oil.  Yes, I did eat some of this.  LOL...

For dessert, we ended off with a S'mores Chocolate Tart with dark chocolate ganache, graham crust, toasted marshmallow and dulce de leche sauce.  This was a fine end to the meal with semi-sweet chocolate ganache that was smooth and not overly dense.  Loved the addition of dulce de leche as it added the sweetness to balance off the bitterness.  Overall, this was a good meal with huge portion sizes.  Yes, cooking over an open flame is challenging and Chef Kristian did well considering.  I've had his more composed multi-course popup dinner before and the food was refined and composed when he is cooking in a real kitchen.  The next one is slated for August 21st, so check his Instagram for more details.

The Good:
- Lots of food, enough to make you full
- Unique setting and opportunities to make friends
- Chef Kristian is a gracious host

The Bad:
- Unpredictable cooking apparatus means there will be some compromises