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Last last weekend was the first ever Chipotle Cultivate Festival. It was held at Lake Carolyn in Irving on Saturday, October 18. And the best part? Admission is free!
I first found out about this festival when I went to pick up some dinner at Chipotle. They had a poster up. Food festival? Free? And FOOD?!? I'm soooo there! I immediate looked it up online and sent the info to all my friends to let them know about it. I also told my fiance we were not to schedule anything else for that day! haha.
Other than the reasons I've already presented... I was super excited because there were also chef cooking demos and the line-up was fantastic.
First up was Chef Paul Qui from Austin. I love this guy. I first cheered for him on Top Chef Texas, which he won. Woot! Then I was lucky enough to dine at his restaurant (Qui) over Christmas last year and got to meet him!! Can you tell I'm a fan?? haha. And he is just the nicest guy ever. He made Filipino Squid Adobo.
I haven't had much Filipino food in my lifetime but I'd really love to try. But I do love baby squid, my mom used to cook it a lot when I was young. It looked so good. I wish it was one of those demos where the audience could sample the finished product... Oh well. After the demo, people lined up to take pictures with him. Of course I was there! I got my picture. And better yet, he signed my CHOMP! shirt. *Squeal* Oh and did I mention that my fiance was actually wearing the shirt? hehehe. I know I got a good one when he lets other dudes sign his chest. :P So the day started off really well. I was super psyched to check out the rest of the festival.
After the demo, we walked around for a bit. They had several areas set up with different exhibits and demos. You can learn about fresh vs. processed foods, GMO (genetically modified organisms), how livestock is raised in factories vs. those that are responsibly raised and more. The festival was created by Chipotle to celebrate food that is "responsibly raised, skillfully prepared and delightfully enjoyed." It's such an awesome way to spread awareness for better processes and ingredients for food.
I was hungry so we went to find some lunch. There wasn't that many options for food, but they all sounded really yummy.
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen (a new concept of Chipotle)
Meatball Bowl (Jasmine rice, green curry, green papaya slaw, herb salad, charred green beans with chili jam & crispy garlic) $6~
My fiance got this. I wanted to try it too. I absolutely loved it. The meatballs were super tender, and that green curry was delicious. It had a spicy kick to it too. The papaya slaw on top added a crunch and freshness to it. It was the best dish of the day, in my opinion. It was a little too spicy for him though, he ended up liking my kale salad more. Seriously though, we totally need a ShopHouse in Dallas (currently there's only 2 or 3 states in the US that has it)!!
Kale Salad (Baby kale, roasted corn-escabeche, crumbled cotija, crispy tortillas, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette; Choice to add grilled steak) $7~
I'm loving the whole kale craze because I think it's a great vegetable and so good for you too. It was a little salty... I think they were a little heavy handed with the cotija. I do like the steak addition, it had a lot of flavor. Overall it was good, lots of textures and flavors. But the meatball bowl was better.
Sofritas® Tacos (Sofritas® organic tofu, in soft corn tortillas with fresh tomato salsa, Romaine lettuce and shredded cheese) 2 for $6~
A friend of mine got this. I have to say, it looked a bit sad. Other than the lettuce and hot sauce, I didn't see anything else. I tried a bite. The tofu was cut into little teeny tiny pieces and I really couldn't get much of it at all. I wonder if their chicken taco was better...
Next, we moved on to the Artisan's Hall. There were many local vendors showcasing and selling their products. More food! Yay! hehe. A lot of the products looked yummy, but I had to choose one... I was already a little full.
Texas Honeybee Guild
Whipped Honey (cinnamon) $9~ I've never even heard of whipped honey but it sounds cool! My fiance said he's had them before and it's awesome. So he got a jar of the cinnamon one. I tried it when we got home and it's pretty tasty. And I'm not even a huge fan of honey!
Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles
Cucumber Lemon Mint $3~ He also got a popsicle. Personally I would've opted for the strawberry lemonade flavor but I had my eyes set on a different vendor. The cucumber popsicle definitely tasted like its listed ingredients. It wasn't too sweet and was very refreshing. He really liked it. That combo isn't for me...
Butterfield Gourmet
Chocolate Pie Slice (topped with whipped cream) $5~ I got a slice of pie. It looks so ooey gooey, I just had to try it. Yummers! The filling was dense and gooey. A bit too sweet for my friends but I liked it. I wish I had some ice cream or milk though. The bottom of the pie had kind of caramelized so it was even sweeter during a few bites. It's definitely very decadent. Thumbs up.
They also featured several other businesses that have partnered up with Chipotle for the event. One of them was Tabasco! Holla. Shout out to one of my favorite hot sauces. And I'm traditional, just the original flavor for me thanks. All the mini sample bottles were so cute!
Then it was time for the next chef demo I was waiting for... Matt McCallister of FT33. The hottest restaurant in Dallas right now I'd say. And I agree, I think it's probably the best restaurant in town.
I was lucky enough to go to a special event there with my friend and got to eat a 3 course meal prepared by the chef. I ate lamb! I never eat lamb because I don't like the flavor, but his dish, I cleaned it. That's a VERY big deal. We got to the tent after it had already started so I wasn't sure what he was preparing. It was a porridge of some sort? But using different grains/oats that I wasn't as familiar with. He showcased his knowledge on a variety of ingredients. And the final product looked delicious. I also got a picture with him and he also signed the CHOMP! shirt! :) Wheeeeee!
After the demo, we hit up Ben & Jerry's. Another partner business and one of my all time favorite ice cream brands. They were giving out free samples! Chocolate Fudge Brownie.
It was soooo chocolatey and decadent. I pretty much love all their flavors and their creative names. I would LOVEEEE to work for Ben & Jerry's some day. :P
The next chef demo we watched was Chef Kent Rathbun, a big name in the culinary world (especially Dallas). Most of you have probably heard of his restaurants Abacus and/or Jasper's.
He also owned Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen which was my favorite restaurant in Dallas for the past many years. I found out this year that it closed down. :( I was devastated... He was demoing chili, but not your typical ground beef stuff, this was giant chunks of choice steak. When the breeze came through, you can smell the aroma. OMG! Salivating! We can definitely tell that he's more seasoned in doing demos because he seemed very comfortable on the stage and talking to the audience. Afterwards, I got to ask him about Blue Plate Kitchen and he told me to "stay tuned", things are in the works. That cheered me up some. I can't wait to see what he's going to do next.
It was a great day. The festival was going on til 7PM but we left around 3:45PM. Amanda Freitag was going on next, but we missed her... She's frequently featured on Food Network's Chopped as a judge and also competed on the Next Iron Chef. I wish I could've met her. I love all those shows.
I would say the festival went very well. It was well organized, all the people/volunteers were very friendly. They featured great food, information, demos, and oh yea, live music! There were multiple bands playing on the stage throughout the day. So a little bit of everything for everyone. :) I definitely look forward to next year's event. I would love to see them add more to the chef's demo list and also more vendors in the Artisan's Hall!
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It's finally time to eat at Qui!! Chef Paul Qui was my favorite contestant during Top Chef Texas and I was so thrilled when he won. Later I hear that he's opening up his own place! Been following it ever since. It's been open for about 7-8 months now? And business seems pretty great. I was so excited when I was able to get a reservation while in Austin! I basically emailed the restaurant 3 different dates and said whatever is available I'll take!
Qui
1600 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 436-9626
www.quiaustin.com
Price: $$$
The restaurant is pretty small, but it's very cozy and well designed. All the design elements and decor were so well thought out. There was a fun pattern that they used on their menus that was used throughout the place, on the walls, on the doors, etc. I thought that was really fun. The kitchen was wide open so you can see everyone working in there. I've always liked that type of layout.
We checked in with the hostess and she said our table was being prepped. So we waited at the bar for a little bit. The bar area was pretty small too. But the whole place was very cozy. I had asked the hostess if the chef was in and she said yes! And that she would send him over to our table at some point. OMG OMG OMG!! Excited!!
We were soon seated. And our waiter Kacey was super friendly. She got us started with some drink orders and went over the menu with us. She was definitely very knowledgeable of the menu and restaurant.
Mama Floyd's Cup o'Love (el dorado 12yr rum, lemon, orange, maple, spiced yunnan tea; served hot) $10~
My bf got this to share with me. He loved it! It was pretty tasty. If you like spice, mulled wine, cider, or all of the above, you'd like this too. It was very warming. And it came in the cutest bunny cup. Oh I wanted to take it. haha.
That English Devil (pimm's #1, tapatio tequila blanco, allspice dram, lemon, curacao, ginger beer) $12~ One of his sisters ordered this. It was too strong for me, and I'm not a tequila fan. But she is! And she said it was really good.
Kacey came back and gave us some recommendations on how we should order. We decided on the option of everyone ordering something different and share family style. She also suggested on the order of dishes to be served. Everything at the restaurant was thought out. All the plates, utensils, etc were specially designed. I loved how it was eclectic yet cohesive. :)
Kinilaw (amberjack filipino ceviche) $16~
Never had amberjack before but this was delicious. It kind of looked like yellowtail? It wasn't a fishy tasting fish. The texture was great and the sauce in the ceviche was creamy and tart and refreshing. The sauce was made of coconut milk, vinegar, yuzu juice and ginger. We all loved it. Kacey told us that the chef would like all raw fish to be eaten with chopsticks. Good! I would do that anyways. :)
Kuruma Ebi (orange, fennel, green garlic, chapulines) $20~
We found out that chapulines were crickets so one of my bf's sisters was extra excited. She's always wanted to try cricket. We were informed that the cricket was more of a relish on top of the Kuruma prawns which made it easier for me to eat it. haha. His sister was slightly disappointed in that little detail but it was quickly forgotten. It came 4 to an order which was kinda expensive. But it was soooo good. The body of the shrimp was pretty good. But then Kacey came over and told us that we should also suck the shrimp heads. I never suck shrimp heads. I don't do it with crawfish either... But it was AMAZING. I didn't know such a little piece of shrimp head can have so much flavor!! Definitely one of my favorites of the night.
Cabbage (crispy chicken skin, fennel relish, spiced yogurt) $8~ This was good too. I particularly liked the crispy skin with the fennel relish. Never had fennel relish before. It added a sweetness to the dish.
Rib Rice (pork ribs, koshihikari, sofrito, aioli) $18~
Slow cooked rib meat in dashi-pork stock rice? OMG. Sounds awesome. And it was sooo good. The aioli on the side added another layer of richness. This was one of my top 3 dishes of the night. So many layers of flavors. Each bite, I would get a different flavor. I scraped that plate clean!
Pasta (sea urchin (uni), yuzu, chanterelle, squid ink, trout roe) $24~
This was my pick. Uni and squid ink? Done! The pasta was nicely cooked, and you can tell they made it in-house. And lots of uni on top! The uni was a little fishier than I've had in Japan. But that was Japan, and I've learned not to compare that with things in the states. hahaha. Everyone loved it. The creamy uni with the salty squid ink and earthy mushrooms. Yum.
Salt & Time Butcher's Cut (pork secreto...shhh) $20~
I asked what the pork secret was.. Kacey said it was the piece of meat behind the ribs. It's usually too tough to sell so the butchers take it home to their families. And since it's a tougher cut of meat, they cook it low and slow. It was really great. The meat wasn't super tender, but it had a good texture. And the seasoning on it was pretty light so you can actually taste the meat itself. It came with vinegar potatoes and kimchi which were both awesome. Never had anything like the vinegar potatoes before. That was a big winner at the table. And I ate the kimchi with the rib rice...which also paired extremely well.
I was actually quite full! I think the snack at East Side King helped though. hehe. But can't forget dessert! They only had 2 options so we got one of each.
Halo Halo (seasonal fruit, ice, milk) $6~
This had a lot of ingredients in it: rice pudding, pumpkin custard, toasted coconut, waffle crunch, candied pecans, pumpkin seeds, pears, eggnog, sweet potato gelato, spiced pate fruit, candied sweet potato. And a rum sauce was poured on it tableside. Wow... it was a little cup packed with stuff! It's more of a single serving but we all just wanted a bite or 2. Halo halo basically means mix mix, so we mixed everything together. Pretty yum! I got to down the last bit and got a big gulp of the eggnog and rum sauce at the bottom. That was amazing.
Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream (crispy waffles, goat milk cajeta, peanut praline, aged cheddar ice cream) $12~
This was the main dessert I wanted to try. It just sounds so interesting. Although I was a little hesitant on the goat milk cajeta since I don't like goat cheese. But it wasn't gamey at all, I didn't even taste any goaty-ness. :P This was the best possible end to an amazing meal. The perfect blend of sweet and savory. The waffles and praline added the crunch factor and all the flavors worked so well together. The perfect ending.
After the meal, the chef came to our table. OMG!!! I'm freaking out. hahaha. I'm such a foodie groupie. :P He was all smiles just like when he was on Top Chef. One of the main reasons I liked him. He seemed like just the nicest guy. And he was! Took pictures with our table and I got another pic with just me and him. :) Definitely didn't disappoint. In fact, we were all pretty blown away.
From beginning to end, the meal was fantastic. The friendly hostess, to our awesome waitress, delicious food, and of course, Chef Qui himself. Even the other waiters/waitresses were super nice. I had asked Kacey to tell me the ingredients in the halo halo and she said she would write them down for me. Within a few minutes another waiter came by and gave me their notes to the entire menu for the night. It had every dish listed with ingredients, the stations it's prepped in, the utensils used to eat it (which we learned was called "marking"), and dietary considerations. Wow!! That's awesome. I will definitely file away these notes.
It was a wonderful meal with some amazing people. We still talked about how great it is the next morning!
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This was my first Christmas with my bf and I was invited to join him and his family at a lake house in Canyon Lake (an hour south of Austin). We had a ton of fun and food! I'm very glad and grateful that I spent the holidays with such a great group of people. :)
On Christmas Eve Eve, we went into Austin with his 2 sisters and brother in law. We had dinner reservations at Qui, Top Chef Winner Paul Qui's new restaurant. Our reservation wasn't until 8:30PM so we wandered around Austin and decided to get some snacks before dinner. My bf's brother in law recommended this bar called The Liberty. But more importantly, they had the food trailer, East Side King, in the back. I had heard of ESK and even bookmarked it on yelp, but I didn't know there were multiple types of cuisine from each trailer. This location was just a few yards down the street from the restaurant.
East Side King - at The Liberty
1618 1/2 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 422-5884
www.eskaustin.com
Price: $
This one was the Asian fusion trailer. I also learned that it was a collaboration between Paul Qui and another guy. So we're going double Qui today! :P It was pretty cold outside but we were able to order and wait for our food inside the bar. I wanted to try everything on the menu, but gotta leave some room for dinner!
Poor Qui's Buns (2pcs. - Roasted pork belly in steamed bun, Hoisin sauce, cucumber kimchee, green onion) $7~
I can't resist pork belly. And I thought the name was so smart and playful. "Qui" is pronounced "key", so the name actually sounds like "Porky's buns. Teehee. :P The pork belly was totally tender and the buns were soft and steamed properly. Nommy!
Beet Home Fries (deep-fried roasted beets, Kewpie mayo, Shichimi togarashi, green onion) $7~
I've only had roasted beets one other time and it was pretty bland. This was the complete opposite! Fried to perfection, the outside was crisp and the inside tender. It had lots of flavor and paired so well with the mayo dip. I think this was my bf's favorite. It changed his life. hahaha.
Brussels Sprout Salad (fried Brussels sprouts, sweet and spicy sauce, shredded cabbage, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeno, deep-fried bun) $7~
I also lurrrrrv brussels sprouts, and these came highly recommended. It was fantastic. The sprouts with the fragrant herbs contrasted by the sweet and spicy sauce. Flavor explosion! I wished there was more brussels sprouts to herb ration though. I feel like there was some fish sauce in there, which added more complexity. The deep fried bun on top was great too. Lots of textures and flavors.
Chicken Buns (2pcs. - deep-fried chicken thigh in steamed buns, Thai flavored spicy mayo, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeno) $6~
This was delicious. I think it actually beat out the pork belly buns for me. The kicker... the Thai spicy mayo. That stuff was amazing!!
Everything was fantastic, but the restaurant actually texted me that they have a table for us earlier. We had checked in earlier so they said they would let us know if anything opened up. So we got in 30 minutes before our reservation! But that also means we scarfed down our snacks like a pack of hungry wolves. haha. Still tasty. I'd definitely go back next time in Austin. I still have 2/3rds of the menu to try!!! Great recommendation!
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