10th Anniversary Gohan Society Gala: An Evening of Japanese Food & Culture

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to attend the 10th Anniversary Gohan Society Gala. The Gohan Society was founded with the mission to: "foster an understanding an appreciation of Japan's culinary heritage in the United States through outreach to chefs, culinary arts professionals and all who admire and enjoy Japanese culture." The event was held at SONY's lounge and it was quite extravagant. 

My parents and I arrived at around 6 pm and enjoyed two hours of canapés. There were several restaurants represented (Boulud Sud, Nobu, Brushstroke, Gramercy Tavern, just to name a few...) and each restaurant created a canapé that was inspired by Japanese ingredients and cooking. 

Gramercy Tavern

Nobu

Boulud Sud

Brushstroke

Yummy cake

The reception was quite large, I'd estimate at least 150 people, but the actual dinner was much smaller and meant for donors to the society. The dinner featured several speakers, an awards ceremony, and a three-course meal. 

The keynote speakers at this event were the Tim and Nina Zagat, founders of the Zagat Guide. To quote wikipedia: "The Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners; for their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. At its height, ca. 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of 250,000 individuals with the guides reporting on and rating restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, zoos, music, movies, theaters, golf courses, and airlines. The guides are sold in book form, and were formerly only available as a paid subscription on the Zagat website." In their speech, the Zagats discussed the evolution of Japanese cuisine in the United States and how it is becoming a staple all over -- particularly sushi. They also talked about their first exposure the Japanese good, which was entertaining to listen to.

Tim and Nina Zagat

After the Zagats spoke, there was an award ceremony. The Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations presented chefs David Bouley and Nobu Matsuhisa with the "Washoku Ambassador" Award. This commendation signifies their contributions to the advancement of Japanese cuisine in New York City and their success in introducing more diners to the flavors and cooking techniques of Japanese cooking (washoku).

From L-R: Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, the Ambassador, Chef David Bouley

Chef David Bouley talking about his initial exposure to Japanese cooking

The whole evening was divided into two events, with a meal intermission. Although the dinner was well prepared, I was a bit disappointed to find that we were eating Western food. Since this event and organization is all about promoting Japanese cuisine, I thought it was a bit odd that the dinner did not highlight Japanese cooking.

The appetizer consisted of poached asparagus with chanterelle mushrooms. Normally, I would probably not enjoy this dish, since I'm not fond of either ingredient, but I thought this was very tasty. The vegetables were cooked really beautifully. They were very soft and managed to maintain a subtle light flavor. 

For the main course, we were served filets of steak, steamed string beans wrapped with bacon, and potato gratin. This dish was tasty, however, a bit too heavy for my taste, particularly the potatoes. I'm not a huge fan of creamy food, and this was just too much for me. The steak was cooked wonderfully and I really loved the string beans! I'm going to try wrapping my string beans with bacon from now on.

Finally, for dessert: creme brûlée. I'll admit, I wasn't impressed at first. I don't really love creme brûlée because I tend to find it too sweet. I also thought it was a bit cliche and boring, but I soon ate my own words. This creme brûlée was delicious! It wasn't too heavy or too sweet. Also, it had a citrus infusion, which really lifted the dish. I couldn't get enough! In addition to the creme brûlée and coffee/tea service, there was a tier of cookies, confections, and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

After dessert, there was a closing ceremony honoring four chefs. These chefs are the recipients of this year's Gohan Society Culinary Scholarship. Essentially, these chefs will spend two weeks traveling in Japan, working with other established Japanese chefs, and learn all about Japanese cuisine. The gala program included an itinerary for their trip and it looks amazing! I wish I could go! They are visiting a lot of markets, spending time in revered kitchens, and soaking at an onsen. What an fantastic way to experience Japan!

Last years winner is currently the Chef de Cuisine at Boulud Sud

Chef David Bouley relaying words of wisdom and advice to the scholarship recipients

Overall, it was a very interesting and yummy evening. I learned a lot about the Gohan Society and their mission to educate Americans about Japanese cuisine. I also got to try some truly delectable foods and meet some very interesting people. A very enjoyable evening. 

View of Manhattan from the top of the Sony Lounge