Sakura at Home with Vancouver’s Top Chefs this April

March 25, 2021

3 min read

Meringue dessert with sour cherries and salted cherry blossom sorbet on a white plate with red sauce drizzled around.

Seven of B.C.’s most talented chefs are joining forces to support the non-profit Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival as it prepares to launch its second year of programming amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four scallops with red gel and purple leaves on a white plate with a large white crispy garnish on the side.

This year, the Festival’s most important fundraiser, Sakura Night, has been transformed into Sakura at Home. The culinary event, happening on April 25, will see seven all-star chefs create exclusive take-out meals that capture the beauty of the cherry blossom.

Chefs include:

Assorted sushi pieces on a black plate with chopsticks placing a white flower on one piece topped with orange fish roe and garnish.

Red cocktail in a coupe glass garnished with a cherry on top, with several cherries blurred in the background.

Paul Moran of Wild Origins (Winner, Top Chef Canada, 2019)
Andrea Carlson of Burdock & Co. (Vancouver Magazine’s 2020 Chef of the Year)
Will Lew of Nootka Marine Adventures resorts on Vancouver Island, with Clement Chan (Represented Canada at the World Culinary Olympics)
Salmon n’ Bannock Culinary Team – (Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant)
Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala of Vij’s Restaurant
Kazuhiro Hayashi of Miku Waterfront

Each tax-deductible ticket will entitle the buyer to an exclusive cherry blossom-themed meal from the restaurant of their choice on April 25, with the exception of Wild Origins, which will deliver a Cook-Along with Chef Paul Moran meal kit for four. Tickets are available now but, as each restaurant has a limited number of meals for sale, it is advised to order as early as possible to secure your first choice! As an added bonus, all guests will receive a Sakura at Home gift from event sponsor McMillan LLP.

Duck confit with cherry glaze and stewed cherries served on Ojibway wild rice on a white plate.

The virtual portion of Sakura at Home will feature:

A culinary presentation titled 'Edible Beach' featuring seafood and garnishes arranged on shells and driftwood over a foggy surface.

White bowl with green onion, tomato, and coconut curried vegetables including eggplant, served on spicy Basmati rice pilaf.

A performance by Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra music director and conductor Ken Hsieh on Vancouver House’s flying Fazioli piano;
Bard on the Beach Artistic Director Christopher Gaze reading winning poems from the 2020 Haiku Invitational
The world premiere of In Full Bloom, a short film by Patrick Weir of Peacemaker Filmworks. Following the film, Patrick will describe how he used drones to capture Vancouver coming into bloom this Spring, bringing the calming beauty of the cherry blossoms into everyone’s homes to make spring even more memorable.

Thinking ahead, Darnell Stager of Salmon n’ Bannock said, “these flowers feed our spirit and fill our heart with hope and promise…feed your spirit and body with the variety of the seasonal selection of flavors and textures being showcased at Sakura at Home.”