The Bentway

Chef Greg Couillard is best known for his unique and eclectic mix of Caribbean, Asian, Latin, and Indian flavours and ingredients. He has forged a reputation as a fearless culinary innovator, a kind of supercollider of food ideas, smashing them together with incredible force, producing novel and exotic new dishes for lucky diners to marvel at. Chef Greg’s 30+ year culinary legacy has left an indelible impression on fine dining in Toronto, opening eyes, minds & palates to the incredible culinary diversity of our city. For this dinner, Greg takes a journey down the old Silk Road, following the ancient trail of spices from Southeast Asia through India and Central Asia on their way to the Mediterranean and Europe.

The food of the Philippines is complex, as diverse as the more than 100 ethnic groups that populate its 7600+ islands, and overlaid with centuries of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Spanish, and American influences. Tonight’s menu by Maria Polotan incorporates local ingredients into traditional Filippino recipes.

Mexican culture has a profoundly long history, with settlements reaching back to 10,000 BCE, and a pre-Hispanic agricultural legacy contemporaneous with ancient Egyptians. This rich and ancient tradition, combined with centuries of Spanish colonial influence, has evolved into the full glory of contemporary Mexican cuisine. Tonight Chef Erika Araujo of Ixiim prepares a selection of classic Mexican dishes from Puebla, Veracruz and Mexico City, a colourful and flavourful picnic perfect for a warm summer night.

Turkey has an ancient culinary tradition stretching back to the very beginnings of Western civilization. From these deep roots the Ottomans developed a sophisticated and aristocratic cuisine based on ingredients and influences pulled from an empire that stretched from North Africa across the Middle East and into Greece and the Balkans. The flavours of contemporary Turkish food emerge from this mix of cultures and traditions, and shine in Chef Tuba Tunç’s selection of traditional Turkish dishes.

Paella is often thought of as the Spanish national dish, but it is really a speciality of Valencia, though it has countless regional variations. This classic rice dish has five key ingredients: short-grain rice, saffron, pimentón (smoked paprika), olive oil and the large, shallow paellera pan from which the dish gets its name. José Arato, owner and Head Chef of Pimentón, will be preparing his paella live on site in his giant 100 cm wide paellera!

African traditions, Indian spices, and tropical ingredients all go into making Jamaican food a culinary treasure that is beloved the world over. Chef Billy Bass brings his Caribbean roots to the table with this hearty meal of Jamaican-inspired recipes, including his signature charcoal-grilled Jerk chicken, just in time for Caribana weekend.

Long-time Dep favourite, Chef Dali Chehimi brings his traditional Tunisian favourites to the table for a delicious taste of the Casbah! Tunisian cuisine features all the hallmarks of delicious North African food: complex spices, lush combinations of fruit and meat, Mediterranean ingredients and a hint of French colonial influence. Tagines, the flavourful stews that range from Morocco to Egypt, get their name from the characteristic conical dishes of the same name that they are most often cooked in.

Italian food has become one of the most popular cuisines the world over, but like all culinary traditions it is not a fixed thing; some dishes stick very close to their ancient roots, others have evolved to incorporate new ideas and ingredients. Tonight Chef Luciano Schipano shares with you a delicious mix of classic recipes and creative updates that capture the spirit of this justly world-class cuisine. Don’t miss the exquisite mushroom risotto, cooked on site in the spectacular Pentolo, a giant 1-metre wide suspended pan imported from Italy; the largest of its kind in Canada!