It's not every day that you get to try food prepared by a Top Chef winner.
But attendees at this year's Plate by Plate got to do just that when Chef Hung Huynh, the winner of Top Chef Season 3, served them an exclusive dish for the evening's tasting benefit.
Hosted by Project by Project, a non-profit organization whose vision is to create an empowered Asian American community, the annual Plate by Plate takes place across the country in each of its chapter in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Each tasting event allows attendees to sample delicious food and drinks from top rated restaurants, mingle with the city's best chefs, and give back to the Project's charity partner. All net proceeds from this year's New York event benefitted Asian Americans for Equality.
Hand-made Udon Noodles by Chef Hung Huynh
Chef Hung Huynh created his hand-made udon noodles sautéed with Chinese sausages, bean sprouts, and scallions. He seasoned the dish with his new line of hot sauces, which the attendees had a chance to name for a chance to win a year's supply of them. The chewy, perfectly al dente hand-made udon noodles varied in thickness and width, while the flavors from the hot sauce highlighted, rather than overpower, the dish. I personally loved the passionfruit + habanero hot sauce - a great balance of fruity and spicy! Chef Hung Huynh also served crispy scallion pancakes topped with tender duck.
Seafood Salad and Lavraki Tartare from Thalassa
Another one of my favorites was from Thalassa, which served seafood salad atop a crispy pita bread, with a dollop of sweet potato puree and a drizzle of honey. The bite of this tantalizing dish showcased flavors of sweet and savory with a range of textures like smooth, creamy, and crispy. Additionally, I enjoyed Thalassa's Lavraki Tartare, made with well-seasoned Mediterranean sea bass tartare stuffed in phyllo cones with rich caviar mousse.
Streen Corn from Gordo's Cantina
Gordo's Cantina brought Mexico's favorite street food to the event. The grilled corn on a stick was rubbed with house-made crema and chili powder. It packed so much flavors - creamy, spicy, salty, and buttery. Squeeze some lime juice on top, and you got yourself the perfect street snack on a stick.
Chilled Late Summer Ramen from the Sea Grill
The Sea Grill served one of the most photogenic and intricate dishes of the evening. The brothless Chilled Late Summer Ramen had pieces of nori, chili flakes, and a beautiful poached quail egg. I loved when the yolk popped right over the noodles for that additional flavor.
Vegan Sweets from Rawsome Treats
I went back for second, third, and fourth (!) servings of the delicious raw and vegan sweets from Rawsome Treats. I absolutely loved the Matcha Misut, a combination of matcha and tiramisu. This vegan, raw dessert is a green tea lover's dream. The dessert is delectably smooth and fluffy with the earthy flavor of matcha green tea. Trisome, made with layers of smooth vanilla cream, mixed berry cream, and chocolate chip crust and all topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce and tangy freeze-drized raspberries, was another dessert that tantalized my sweet tooth.
Tofu Matcha Pudding from Kulu Desserts
Kulu Dessert's Tofu Matcha Pudding consisted of creamy tofu infused with Japanese match and mixed with honey flavored red beans. The little cup packed all the sweet flavors I loved. It may require a couple spoonfuls to get used to the texture of the pudding, which tastes just like tofu.
In addition to the food tasting, the fundraising event also featured silent auctions with items like gift certificates to top restaurants, SoulCycle passes, and a signed poster by Taylor Swift. In the spirit of Top Chef, there was a "Quickfire Challenge" competition, where the participants had to make the most creative, delicious grilled cheese in 10 minutes. Chef Hung Huynh came full circle - this time not as a competitor, but as a judge - to crown the best grilled cheese of the evening.
Photo courtesy of Project by Project New York and Lucas Huang
