The GOODS from ensemble

Vancouver, BC | Win or lose, Top Chef Canada competitor Chef Dale MacKay will be surrounded by friends and family one week from today on Tuesday, July 4th, when Top Chef Canada head judge Mark McEwan, host Thea Andrews, resident judge Shereen Arazm, and special guest judges declare Canada’s very first Top Chef on the final episode of season one of Top Chef Canada, broadcast exclusively on Food Network Canada at 6pm PT.  Competing for the coveted top spot are Chefs  Connie DeSousa of Calgary, Dale MacKay of Vancouver and Toronto’s Rob Rossi.  To release the tension and give back to a good cause, Chef MacKay is throwing a party to benefit Vancouver’s Boys Club Network and the celebrated Culinary Arts Program at Templeton Secondary School.

In-house next Tuesday to help in the kitchen and celebrate the spirit of culinary competition will be Top Chef Canada competitor Chef Dustin ‘Dusty’ Gallagher. Dusty and Dale roomed together during the filming last summer, and became good friends.  “Dusty is a fantastic chef and a great person, and I am so happy we’ll be together in Vancouver to watch the finale at ensemble,” says Dale MacKay.  “It’s going to be a great party!”  (read Dusty’s bio)

The $150 per-person, four-course dinner will be served precisely at 5:30 pm, to ensure that service concludes about 90 minutes later – more-or-less the same time as does Top Chef Canada episode 13.  “But, if, after 13 grueling episodes competing down to the wire in the GE Monogram kitchen, Dusty and I can’t get the timing thing right . who really cares. We can’t be eliminated,” adds Dale.

MacKay, Sous Chef Bradley Hendrickson and Dusty will be cooking for just 65 paying guests, with Dale and Bradley presiding over a Lobster Iceberg Salad with Caesar Dressing, Pea Shoots, Bacon and Crispy Shallots; Dale’s Top Chef Canada challenge-winning Black Cod with Pork Thai Broth, Bok Choy, Coriander and Chili Oil; and a Pineapple Soufflé with Spiced Pineapple and Coconut Sorbet. Dusty will be cooking his much-loved Roasted Ontario Quail with with parsnip purée, summer vegetables and a smoked chicken jus. Gorgeous paired wines for the evening have been generously provided by: Tantalus Vineyards of the Okanagan Valley; Blue Mountain Vineyard & Cellars of Okanagan Falls; and The Wine Syndicate of Vancouver – showcasing the Jackson Estate Winery of New Zealand’s Marlborough Valley.

Net proceeds from the evening will benefit the Boys Club Network for at-risk youth and one of its beneficiaries, the celebrated Culinary Arts Program at Templeton Secondary School.  Chef MacKay is an active Boys Club sponsor and mentor, and also mentors young male and female chefs attending Templeton’s chef training program.  Mentoring is dear to Dale’s heart and is a cause he is deeply committed to.

“If Chef Gordon Ramsay hadn’t recognized my passion for food and taken a chance on a young nobody from Canada 11 years ago, I wouldn’t be here today,” says Dale.  “The truth is, real culinary talent often comes from the most unlikely of places and as accomplished chefs it is our responsibility to find and nurture that talent.”

The season finale event is a sold-out private party.  ensemble dinner service is offered Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm-11pm, with weekend brunch service from 11am-2pm.  For more information or to reserve Tuesday through Sunday visit the ensemble website.

About ensemble

Details

850 Thurlow St., Vancouver, BC | V6E 1W2
Telephone: 604.569.1770 | Fax: 604.569.1786
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ensemblerestaurant.com | Twitter

Gallery

The People

Chef/Owner: Dale Mackay
Sous Chef: Bradley Hendrickson
General Manager: Kevin Van Hullebush
Bar Manager: Christopher Cho

About The Food

ensemble is an entirely new and exciting dining concept for Vancouver, and for award-winning Executive Chef Dale MacKay. Combining the classic French techniques and precision execution that earned Dale his Five Diamond reputation, with the casual, cosmopolitan vibe of Vancouver – ensemble promises an extraordinary culinary experience in a fun and approachable environment.

‘We are combining classic French techniques with modern influences and flavour profiles from around the world – promising a large menu and wide variety of tastes and textures in generous tasting size dishes, affordably priced from $8 to $24.” – Executive Chef Dale MacKay

About The Room

At the recessed corner of Smith and Thurlow, where Vancouver’s hippest shopping street meets its original city neighborhood, ensemble sits wrapped in floor to ceiling windows on culinary adventure.

ensemble’s interior design mirrors Chef MacKay’s fresh, clean and modern culinary vision. An open concept space features an elevated cocktail bar/lounge with 30 comfortable seats and plenty of standing room for busy times like date nights, game nights and live music weekends.

The 80 seat dining room, separate from but flowing seamlessly into the lounge area, is at once intimate and social – what Dale describes as a reflection of Vancouver’s contemporary dining scene. Signature plexi lamps over the sleek black glass-fronted bar, a glacial glass wall sculpture conceived by interior designer Rob Blaney, and ethereal organic art by local artist Mandy Tsung, highlight the space.

Looking up at the bar from the dining floor, the feeling is dark, warm and tufted, punctuated by soft bounces of light from the coolest feature lamps in the city. The bar is long and deep, set with upholstered stool of generous proportions – by design the perfect eat-at, stay-a-while, watch-the-game kind of arrangement.

Looking down, the articulated palette of glass and chalk grey walls garnished with colour is authentic, modern and sexy – foreshadowing Chef MacKay’s culinary style and the dining experience ahead.

Reserve a space now, or drop in next time you are just off Robson. Street parking is plentiful.