Even with the endless choices of dining in New York, there are the occasional surprises that tantalize the taste buds and reawaken the foodie in all of us. Project Sara, spearheaded by Viraj Borkar and Adhishek Khade, hosted an off menu experience known as Dining Reconstructed, fusing together seasonal ingredients and ethnic cuisine for a five course meal that was not to be missed.
While people waited for the courses to flow from the kitchen, guests were excited to see what Chef Evelyn Garcia created for the night. Project Sara promotes the vision and culinary excellence of undiscovered and unrecognized chef and mixologists, while bringing them into an atmosphere filled with food enthusiasts. People might recognize Chef Garcia from the hit television show Chopped, and instead of following the cuisine of a practical restaurant, she looked into her background for inspiration.
Taking people on journey through the Mexican culture, Garcia paid homage to her culture while also demonstrating her flair for Asian food that she discovered while traveling throughout the continent. As the dishes started to come out, everyone could not wait to taste what was in front of them. From the numerous dishes, Garcia used ingredients that are not usually found in typical restaurants, which included tamarind, tea oil, coco cream and shiso.
Aside from the delicious foods, the wine that was served was from the revolutionary urban vineyard, Rooftop Reds. Hailing from the Brooklyn Navy Yards, the vineyard brought their best wines to be paired with each dish. One of New York’s top mixologists Jeremy Buck, discussed each pairing and guided patrons to a better understanding of how to match wines with meals.
Whether people enjoy Italian, Spanish or Asian food, Project Sara highlights the importance of expanding our horizons to try something new. As people headed to the restaurant unaware of what to expect, everyone walked away pleasantly surprised and excited to see what the future holds for Project Sara.
Twisted Talk: Did you go to the Project Sara event? What do you think of this concept? Discuss below!
