Cobayapalooza 7.16.14 @ Shikany

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Sunday, July 20, 2014
Cobayapalooza 7.16.14 @ Shikany
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Seven chefs + one kitchen + fifty tweezers = Cobayapalooza.
Fifty gourmet guinea pigs gathered at the recently opened and super sharp spot Shikany for Cobaya
experiment 43. This was a departure from our normal dinners because we had 7 chefs from 6
different restaurants in the kitchen. It was an impressive lineup and a wonderful night.
Chef Michael Shikany welcomed his fellow chefs with open arms and allowed them to go wild in his
brand new kitchen. He also conceptualized the menu and made sure that the nine courses resulted
in a balanced tasting menu. Prior to the dinner, he assigned each chef with a different custom spice
from La Boite to incorporate into their dish.
This wasn't a competition so I will refrain from making any dish of the night comments here. But I
will tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed the meal from start to finish and was very happy to see each
chef bring their A game. I would highly recommend paying each chef a visit at their respective
restaurants.
The setting was ideal for Cobayapalooza as diners had a direct view of the open kitchen and chefs
all night. It was definitely a cool sight. It was impressive to see each chef hustling all night making
sure every dish was plated just right for each other.
Collaboration, camaraderie and some kick ass cuisine.
All seven chefs along with the entire staff at Shikany made this a very special night for food fans.
There was a noticeable buzz in the room all night as guests excitedly awaited each course to be
served.
Huge thanks to Michael Shikany and his entire crew including his pastry chef Jill Montinola. And to
Timon Balloo, Danny Grant, Diego Oka, Mathia Gervais and David Sears for serving some fantastic
food.
Additional thanks to Alexis Knapp of Rockaway pr for making sure this went down. Jaylan Ochoa
too.
And thank you to all of the guinea pigs out there for your continued support and enthusiasm.
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The calm before the guinea pig storm. Three long communal tables with views of the open kitchen
were the perfect setting.
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David Sears, Timon Balloo, Diego Oka and Danny
Grant taking a quick break during service.!
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Chef Shikany kicked off the night with a couple killer
canapés. First out was a Bourbon infused quail egg,
truffle caviar, fat cap powder, chorizo, fleur de sel.
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Out next from Michael was a Nori macaron, pickled mung
bean, avocado mouse, smoke pastrami hamachi, white soy
foam, leek ash.!
Course 1 (Galil N.13)
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Fresh Diver Scallop Crudo watermelon rind, sour gooseberry, creme
fraiche sorbet, white truffle oil. Michael Shikany, Shikany.
Before opening Shikany Michael was running a catering and
consulting company. Prior to that he spent several years working
under Cindy Hutson at Ortanique on the Mile and Jean Paul
Desmaison at La Cofradia. His resume also includes stagés
at L’Ecole, Le Bernardin, Babbo, Tao and Gramercy Tavern.
Course 2 (Coquelicot N.24)
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Oysters & Salmon white sturgeon caviar, sweet heirloom tomatoes,
pickled pearl onion. David Sears, Sushi Samba Coral Gables.
Prior to joining SushiSamba, David was chef de cuisine at Temple
Orange at the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach. Prior to that he was
executive chef at The Bull & Bear in the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando.
While there they received AAA Four Diamond Awards in 2011 and
2012. Prior to that he was in the kitchen at Cafe MoZu at the
Mandarin Oriental in Washington D.C. David has degree in Aerospace
Engineering and Business Management from Georgia Institute of
Technology. I smell a future Cobaya in space....
Course 3 (Luberon N.4)
Wild Quohog & Madai Sashimi crispy sprout petals, soft tofu, Tosaka
seaweed, Okinawa sweet potato, coke syrup. Michael Shikany, Shikany.
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Course 4 (Vadouvan N.25)!
Yellowtail Snapper, Peruvian potato stew with chocolate, vadouvan, aji
panca, black Andean mint. Diego Oka, La Mar by Gaston Acurio.
Diego was born and raised in Lima, Peru and has a Japanese and
Peruvian background. While attending culinary school he interred at
Gaston Acurio's Astrid & Gaston which has been ranked one of The
World's 50 Best.
Diego remained with Gaston and has served as executive chef at other
La Mar locations, starting with the original Lima restaurant in 2005 and
followed by Bogota, Colombia and San Francisco, CA.
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Course 5 (Cancale N.11)!
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Foie Gras Terrine & Apple Cured Duck Breast sage/parmesan
gremolata, candied asparagus, blackberry, pernod. Michael Shikany,
Shikany.!
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Course 6 (Ararat N.35)!
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Organic Slow Poached Farm Eggs, Jabugo Iberico broth, Harlequin bell
peppers, marjoram, Ararat chocolate spice. Mathias Gervais, The Setai.
Before becoming the executive chef at both restaurants located at The
Setai hotel, Mathias worked at five Michelin star rated restaurants in
France, Italy and Monaco. He has worked with chefs Annie Feolde, Joël
Robuchon, Christophe Cussac and Takeo Yamazaki.
Course 7 (Apollonia N.29)
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Veal Breast, sweet breads & tongue, burnt peaches, summer
beans. Timon Balloo, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill and Bocce Bar.
Timon delivered a fantastic dinner a couple of months ago for Cobaya
41. You can read more about that meal and him here.
Course 8 (Tangier N.23)
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Roasted Lamb Loin Crepinette, pig skin, chanterelles, ras al hanout,
foie. Danny Grant, 1826 Restaurant & Lounge
Danny earned two Michelin stars in 2011 and 2012 at his Chicago
restaurant RIA. He also earned a four star review from the Chicago
Tribune. In 2012 he was Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef.
Course 9 (Lula N.41)
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Tupelo Honey Cremeux, fennel, apple crisp, lula seaweed snow,
raspberry, cilantro sponge, green apple sorbet. Jill Montinola,
Shikany.
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Prior to joining Shikany, Jill spent several years working for
SushiSamba in New York, Las Vegas and Miami including
Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill. She also worked under Frédéric Robert
at Okada and Wing Lei Restaurants at the Wynn Resorts in Las
Vegas.
The CobayaRazzi takes one last shot.!
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