Dine Out Festival s 2015 Chef Soup Experiment

"We were excited to take on Dine Out Vancouver Festival’s Chef Soup Experiment challenge again this year," said Julian Bond, executive chef at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. "Last year, the chefs surprised us with ingredients like seaweed, shitake mushrooms and gelatin noodles that gave the soup a distinctly Asian flavour. This year, chefs picked more locally driven ingredients like burdock root, dandelion and house-cured pancetta, so we named it "Canadian Wedding" – a nod to the soup’s marriage of culture and flavour."

"The Chef Soup Experiment is one of my favourite events," said Tourism Vancouver’s Lucas Pavan, festival coordinator. "This rare collaboration between the city’s top chefs is truly indicative of how Dine Out brings together all parts of Vancouver’s culinary community. And what I like most about the Chef Soup Experiment is that we get to show our thanks to the public by providing a free festival event."

So how did the soup turn out?

According to social media chatter, attendees described the soup as hearty, spicy, sexy and innovative. Don't believe us? See it for yourself on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via @DineOutVanFest #Dovf #Soupexp.

The Chef Soup Experiment is one of 84 food-themed events that are part of Tourism Vancouver’s 2015 Dine Out Vancouver Festival.

2015 Dine Out Vancouver Festival Chef Soup Experiment – The "Canadian Wedding" Ingredient list

1. House-cured pancetta – Alessandro Vianello, ARC Restaurant at The Fairmont Waterfront
2. Ginger – James Coleridge, Bella Gelateria & Gelato
3. Chickpeas – Joel Ochsendorf, Belmont Bar
4. Enoki mushrooms – Zuzana Harsaghy, Black + Blue
5. Parmesan rinds – Roger Ma, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
6. Watercress – Yen Do, Broken Rice Vietnamese Restaurant
7. Dried Mandarin orange peel – Jason Mok, Burnaby Riverway Clubhouse
8. Anchovies – Jordan Kwan, Burnaby Mountain Clubhouse
9. Himalayan mix spices – Isha Devkota, Café Kathmandu
10. Chickpeas – Jonathan Chovancek, Café Medina
11. Smoked pork hock – Nathan Lowey, Campagnolo Restaurant
12. Lardo – Joachim Hayward, Campagnolo Roma
13. Shaved bonito – Edison Antejos, CAVU Kitchen Bar at the Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel
14. Okra – Tyrell Brandvold, Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar
15. Fresh bay leaves – Faizal Kassam, Cibo Trattoria at the Moda Hotel
16. Coconut milk – Jaroslaw Faryna, Copper Chimney at the Executive Hotel Le Soleil
17. Granny Smith apples – Keith Pears, E.B.O Restaurant & Lounge at the Delta Burnaby Hotel
18. Mussels – Shallaw Kadir, Fishworks
19. Sieglinde potatoes – Chris Whittaker, Forage
20. Fresh herbs (basil, thyme and sage)  – Karl Gregg, Frankie's Italian Kitchen & Bar
21. Lemongrass – Tim Vu, Fresh Restaurant & Lounge at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel
22. Dandelion root – Karen McAthy, Graze Restaurant
23. Tofu – Shogo Harada, Hapa Beach
24. Tofu – Nobutaka Watanabe, Hapa Izakaya (Coal Harbour)
25. Tofu – Takafumi Komahata, Hapa Izakaya (West End)
26. Tofu – Masafumi Okuno, Hapa Izakaya (Yaletown)
27. Fregola – Mike Genest, Hart House Restaurant
28. Fennel – David Hawksworth, Hawksworth Restaurant
29. Yellow beets – Wayne Sych, Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
30. Star anise pork Chicharon – Tee-Jae Conwi, Manhattan at the Delta Vancouver Suites Hotel
31. BBQ rib ends – George Siu, Memphis Blues Barbeque House (Broadway)
32. Tamarind – Jo Ong, Mosaic Bar & Grille at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver
33. Chicken – Gino Baisi, Nando's Flame-Grilled Chicken on Davie
34. House-smoked black pepper bacon – Atticus Garant, ORU Restaurant at Fairmont Pacific Rim
35. Bread – Julian Bond, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts - Bistro 101
36. Vegetable stock – Darren Clay, Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts - Bistro 101
37. Israeli couscous – Mike Mikoda, Pier 7 Restaurant
38. Burdock root – Erin Vickers, Prestons at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel
39. Harissa – Jean-Francis Quaglia, Provence Marinaside
40. Puy lentils – Alessandra Quaglia, Provence Mediterranean Grill
41. Sweetgrass – Stacy Jones, Salmon n' Bannock Bistro
42. Celery root – Westley Feist, Showcase Restaurant & Bar at the Marriott Pinnacle Downtown
43. Black garlic – Joseph Lee, Taboo Kitchen
44. Jicama – Antonio Martin, The Distillery Bar + Kitchen
45. Eggplant  – Mark Greenfield, The Italian Kitchen
46. Pimento seeds – Colin Dawkins, The Reef Restaurant on Main
47. Chorizo sausage – Cooper Green, The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
48. Sweet corn – Alan Tse, The Teahouse Restaurant
49. Sage – Phil Wilmarth, The Village Table
50. Butternut squash – Rajeshni Prasad, Tramonto at the River Rock Casino Resort
51. Kale – Craig Scherer, Trattoria Italian Kitchen
52. Jade of Africa rooibos tea braised pork – Nathan Wright, Urban Tea Merchant
53. Sunchoke – Tim Cuff, West Oak Restaurant
54. Vancouver Island brine – Ned Bell, YEW seafood + bar

About Dine Out Vancouver Festival:
Produced by Tourism Vancouver, Dine Out Vancouver Festival is Canada’s largest annual celebration of food and drink. Attracting more than 100,000 locals and visitors, the 17-day festival takes over the city with 84 culinary events, prix fixe menus at 277 restaurants (at $18, $28 or $38 price points), as well as "Dine and Stay" packages and special hotel rates (starting at $78 per night). The festival promotes local and regional ingredients, the wines of British Columbia, and the city’s exceptional culinary talent. Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2015 runs from January 16 to February 1. dineoutvancouver.com @DineOutVanFest #dovf #MyDineOutStory

Tourism Vancouver’s focus is on building exceptional customer relationships with meeting planners, travel influencers, travel media and independent tourists.  The organization’s brand essence is about "exceeding expectations".