This past week was a week full of wining and dining with Four Seasons Hotels. On Wednesday, I joined the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, their Executive Chef, Thomas Bellec and Chef/Owner of Redbird, Neal Fraser for a preview dinner of Chef Fest 2017. The following Friday, I headed to Four Seasons Westlake Village, where I dined at a preview dinner from Executive Chef, Jose Fernandez and Executive Pastry Chef, Patrick Fahy to celebrate an upcoming hotel redesign including new dining options.
Chef Fest takes place from October 4 to 7 at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and features a grand tasting, cooking academy presented by All-Clad, mixology showcases, and dinners at various oceanfront locations. In addition to Chef Neal Fraser, additional guest chefs include Gabrielle Hamilton, Chef/Owner of Prune in New York City; Edward Lee, Chef/Owner of 610 Magnolia, The Wine Studio, MilkWood, and Whiskey Dry in Louisville; Ivan Orkin, Chef/Owner of Ivan Ramen in New York City; Andy Ricker, Chef/Owner of Pok Pok in Portland and New York City; Fabrizo Schenardi, Executive Chef of Four Seasons Resort Orlando; and Christof Syre, Executive Chef of Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas.
To celebrate Chef Fest, Redbird, an award-winning restaurant in DTLA, hosted a dinner in their private dining room space featuring an open kitchen. The interactive five-course dinner started off with a signature welcome cocktail featuring Kohana Rum and allowed us to chat with the chefs as they prepare the meal that showcased unique dishes featuring sustainable Hawaiian seafood and island-inspired ingredients. Each course was paired with carefully selected wines from throughout the world.
From Hualalai Oysters “Brulee” to Marinated Kona Kampachi to a Whole Pan Roasted Seabass, everything was incredibly fresh, innovative and delicious. The meal ended with a roasted pineapple cheesecake by Redbird’s Pastry Chef, Kasra Adjari. If this was just a taste of what is to come at Chef Fest, book your ticket now!
If Hualalai isn’t in the cards for you, equally unique and satisfying is the food from Four Seasons Westlake Village. We sat down for a dinner that was a preview of the restaurants to come, once the redesign is complete. From the frozé (rosé with macerated strawberries) to the bread/butter/oil display that ran from the head of the table down, the night started off with a bang. The nine course dinner included dishes like Smoked Tomato Tartar & Citrus-Basil Watermelon, Forbidden Rice; Pickled Cherries, Corn, Burnt Grapes, and Crispy Chicken; Octopus “A las Brasas”with Ginger-Passion Fruit and Cilantro; and Grilled Apricots, Shallots, and Stone Valley Pork Belly, all paired with incredible wines from around the world.
The grand finale to the incredible meal, was dessert. Executive Pastry Chef, Patrick Fahy does dessert like no one else. As they sadly took the bread away, it was replaced by planks of wood covered with house made bon bons, truffles, and candies. Before we could even focus on what was happening, the room filled with smoke from dry ice and dessert was presented in front of us. The Tonka Bean Ice Cream sat perfectly on top of the Oriado Cremeux, all enclosed in a Coco Gateaux (chocolate dome). It was not only a sweet and exquisite way to end the meal, but it was a unexpected show that left us all with our mouths dropped open and applauding.
Fully satisfied with our box of chocolates in hand, we headed to our room for the night where Frank was waiting (yep, they are dog friendly). The hotel stay was luxurious, relaxing and highly recommended if you need a staycation/vacation. Four Seasons Westlake never disappoints and I can’t wait to see what the revamped version will be rolling out with next.
