Kwintessential Cooking

🌞‼️ Reduced Summer Availability ‼️🌞 This summer, we’ll be offering limited services as Chef Kwin takes on an exciting contract in BC. We will prioritize regular clients with minimal availability, but we’re excited to return to full-time services in October and bring The Kwintessential Experience back to your table, creating more unforgettable dining moments with you! Inquire on our website, DM, or email to secure our limited spots before our 2025 availability is full 🍽️

Cebiche Canadian: Canadian scallops & bass, aji Amarillo tigre de Leche, Choclo Grano, cancha, Fresno, onion salad, fried sweet potatoes. Not a fan of the roasted squash so I leave that out. A cold course inspired by our travels in Lima for the Kwintessential Experience. Damn delicious and my favorite way to serve quality seafood now. Peruvian style Cebiche done with local Canadian ingredients - except all the corn. DM or visit kwintessentialcooking.ca for more details on how to book your custom tailored meal . . . #peruvian #peru #lima #ceviche #seafood #southamerica #perú #limaperu #cebiche #yyc #yycnow #yycevents #yycbusiness #yycfoodies #yycbuzz #yycfoodie #calgaryliving #calgarypopup #calgaryfoodie #calgarybusiness #calgaryeats #calgaryevents #calgarybuzz #calgary #alberta #foodie #finedining #privatechef

The Pallet Trip course: a pallet cleanser but more fun and interactive. A Miracle berry is eaten,1 minuite you wait, then you eat as much acidic products as you feel brave enough to! Be shocked as kefir lime tastes like a green fruit loop, lemon tastes like meringue pie, and exotic citrus gives the delicious flavours of floral citrus while being sweet as candy. I'll bring house made vinegars etc as well for those who really want to see the effects. A fun experience I share with open minded foodies before our pre dessert switches into a main dessert. Extra fun to see how long it lasts and effects each course for each guest! Want to try something new with food in the comfort of your home? Hire an expert food nerd to cater your meal! DM for details. Information supplied via Wikipedia: Synsepalum dulcificum is a plant in the Sapotaceae family, native to tropical Africa. It is known for its berry that, when eaten, causes sour foods (such as lemons and limes) subsequently consumed to taste sweet. This effect is due to miraculin. Common names for this species and its berry include miracle fruit,[3] miracle berry, miraculous berry,[3] sweet berry,[4][5][6] and in West Africa, where the species originates, àgbáyun (in Yoruba),[7][8] taami, asaa, and ledidi. The berry itself has a low sugar content [9] and a mildly sweet tang. It contains a glycoprotein molecule, with some trailing carbohydrate chains, called miraculin.[10] When the fleshy part of the fruit is eaten, this molecule binds to the tongue's taste buds, causing sour foods to taste sweet. At neutral pH, miraculin binds and blocks the receptors, but at low pH (resulting from ingestion of sour foods) miraculin binds proteins and becomes able to activate the sweet receptors, resulting in the perception of sweet taste.[11] This effect lasts until the protein is washed away by saliva (up to about 30 minutes).[12] #yyc #calgary #yycnow #yycliving #alberta #yeg #canada #yyclife #yyclocal #calgarylife #yycevents #yycbusiness #yycsmallbusiness #calgaryalberta #edmonton #supportlocal #calgarybuzz #calgaryliving #yycbuzz #shoplocalyyc #yyceats #love #shoplocal #yycmoms #yycfood #yyctoday #yycbeauty

Raviolo a la Huancaina Potato & egg filling, koji cured yolks, puffed rice, aji Amarillo queso sauce. This bowl of yellow goodness tasted like umami ridden nacho cheese in all the best ways. So much work in one shade of color. From our Peruvian Inspired Menu. Minimalism vs maximalism: I've been playing with these concepts in my tasting menus lately as far as presentations and balance of flavours in internationally traditional dishes go. I think with most European or north american foods easy to say less is more. It's arguably the simplest food out there (sometimes). Try to say that at a Korean or Thai meal with a full spread of 7-12+ components for dinner and you'll laugh at the stark contrast in skill level and flavour control it takes within the perfectly paired buffet in front of you built through generations of tradition with hundreds of spices & ingredients. "Less is more." Is a mantra driven into my brain since day one as a cook. I won't deny the most magical single or 3 ingredient showcasing usually follow this correctly and it's a true act of mastery in its own way. Though the most memorable flavours I've had included layers of complexity and a quantity of balance that make the minimalist approach seem boring and nearly lackluster or even unrefined in comparison. Minimalism leaves "less room to hide mistakes" but maximalism doesn't have room for mistakes as every inclusion must be calculated or mathematical for the whole picture to come into focus. But how do you put that on one plate? Was it ever ment to? Like a symphony in an orchestra vs a legendary solo performance - it's tough to compare the two being so amazing in their own rights but everyone has a favorite performance they'll never forget. They both have their strengths and applications so I don't believe one is superior to the other, only that they both require a level of expertise that are arguably incomparable in how they can both bring ingredients alive into a story of your own perception. How do you digest a painting? Don't eat with just your eyes, we got a whole brain up there to explore with! #foodforthought #yyc #calgary #privatechef #peru #minimize #maximilism #pasta

Octo-Saltado Octopus 2 ways, charred shallots, amino sauce choke cherry wine broth, tomatoes dressed in tomatoes, aji-Amerillo Roma puree, potato fondants, parsley Inspired by that time me and Leanne cooked lomo saltado in Peru. Wok fried beef with red wine soy sauce, tomatoes, onions, papa fritas, parsley, and served with rice. All the same techniques and flavours are used with the only ingredient missing being rice. You know we put shio koji all over the octo for that flavour & texture bomb so it's technically there. Memories influence my cooking most of the time and this is a favorite one put on the plate. Visit our pop up on Feb14-15 for a taste of our cooking style! DM or visit link in bio to book your custom tailored experience where no two creations are alike. #octopus #lomosaltado #peru #peruvian #lima #seafood #artontheplate #finefood #foodporn #foodie #chefsplate #plate #plating #cheflife #yyc #calgary #yeg #yycfoodie #yycfoodies #calgaryfood #calgaryfoodie #calgaryrestaurants #calgaryliving #calgarybuzz #yycbuzz #calgarypopup #calgarycoffee #calgarywine #fermented #foraged

Shellfish & Stonefruit: Canadian scallop crudo, Thai white curry, cilantro & tarragon oil, lacto fermented Okanagan Stonefruit, cauliflower, Absinthe A Kwintessential Classic inspired by The Fat Ducks seafood and fruit paring concept - Catch this dish at our @shelter.yyc x @kwintessentialcooking pop up Valentine's day and the Saturday following with portions available as supplies last! Pair it perfectly with the complexly savory and deliciously balanced "Brandy & Leche de tigre" on shelters Aromatic Pairing Menu. This dish was tweaked down to the last ingredient to be a match up with the flavours used in the cocktail. (Next slide) 🍸 Cocktail by @zarenklamer Want to try this and more? Visit our pop up downtown Calgary Feb 14-15. *Dish presentation subject to change day of event" #foodporn #seafood #scallop #crudo #thaifood #thai #canadian #yyc #calgary #yycnow #yycfoodies #yycpopup #calgarypopup #popup #newrestaurant #yyceats #yycevents #calgaryfoodies #calgaryfoodie #molecularsommelier #eats #food #calgarybusiness #calgarybuzz #calgarylife #calgaryliving #foraging #fermenting #fermented #terroir

Dishes created from memories: Lima, Peru Edition. When @leannerachelle & I went to Peru to eat at @centralrest there were two dishes that became imbedded in my memory. For one of our regular clients who gives us complete creative freedom with no limits, we decided to recreate these dishes for them using what our Canadian terroir can provide mixed with the authentic flavours of peru. These are just a bite and the 1st course of our 5 course Kwintessential Experience that eats like a 9 course meal. Slide 1: our dish called CENTRAL "MBSL" telling the story of the multi ecosystems exemplified through their tasting menu experience modeled after altitude relivent to sea level. Bladder wrack, smoked west coast shellfish, saltine crumble, spirulina, dashi espuma, olluco Slide 2: The dish from Central that inspired ours. Pretty close if I do say so myself! Though their flavours are hard to compare to. Slide 3: a queen violet potato baked in edible red clay local to North America served on a bed of coastal rainforest fauna & flora. Blackened sunchoke dip dusted with maca root as a dipping sauce. The potato was finished with a bit of Andean salt. Inspired by the best potato ive ever had in my life from Central Slide 4: the best potato ive ever had that inspired our previous dish. A local Peruvian variety baked in a harvested clay that's also edible and served at the table with a unreal dip. Slide 5: the potato we served baked in clay coated by @always_elle Who helped me this evening. Want to create memories on the plate using local and international terroir with us? Follow link in bio or DM for more details on how to book your experience in the venue of your choice. . . . #central #peru #lima #peruvian #terroir #finedining #privatechef #cheflife #personalchef #cateringservice #yycnow #yycfoodies #yyc #calgaryrestaurants #calgaryfoodie #cateringservice #calgarybusiness #calgaryevents #calgarybuzz #foodie #foodies #yycfoodie #calgaryfoodies #calgaryfood #airdrie #yeg #michelin

Flabbergasted! And it's thanks to YOU! 🥳 🤩 After all the support we recieved from our guests of @kwintessentialcooking sharing their experiences, we have been awarded the @canadianchoiceaward for Calgary's Catering Category 2025! Visit their website for more details. To every guest and every colleague who made this possible. We owe you our greatest appreciation. A thrill and an honor for our 1st year of truly giving our all to this little business idea that blossomed 5 years ago. Another small milestone is our 5 star Google maps buisness that's been held since day 1. @leannerachelle & I cannot express our gratitude enough. What to expect from us for 2025? A full dive into the culinary world of Canadian Terroir using international flavours & molecular science driven flavour pairing techniques through our "Kwintessential Package". Pop up events with themes and experience driven services ( Our 1st this Valentine's weekend). Collaboration projects planned with other creative talents and so much more. We are BOOKED for the entire summer/early autumn of 2025 until further notice (big news coming 😉). Bookings filling through February till March. We recommend reaching out ASAP if your interested in what we do! DM or visit our Instagrams profile links for more. . . . . #canadianchoiceaward2024 #canadianchoiceaward2025 #awardwinning #cater #catering #cateringservice #privatechef #personalchef #privatecheflife #award #awards #yycsmallbiz #yycbuisness #supportlocal #calgaryrestaurants #calgary #calgaryfoodie #calgaryfood #yycfoodie #yycfoodies #yycliving #yycbuzz #yycnow #yyceats #calgaryevents #calgarybuzz #calgarybusiness

Dessert, but not to sweet. Italian Ricotta Tart with rum raisin. Dm or comment to book your custom tailored dining experience in your venue of choice. We specialize in ultra personalized chefs tasting menus with Canada's terroir foraged and fermented. We use this to imagine unreal creations with every booking. Step into a new story with every meal. . . . . #dessert #food #foodie #cake #foodporn #yummy #chocolate #instafood #delicious #sweet #homemade #foodphotography #desserts #foodstagram #baking #foodblogger #icecream #cakes #pastry #love #sweets #bakery #instagood #foodlover #birthdaycake #sweettooth #cookies #cupcakes #tasty #dessertporn

Food inspired by memories and travels. A edible campfire and tent. Dm or comment to book your custom tailored dining experience in your venue of choice. We specialize in ultra personalized chefs tasting menus with Canada's terroir foraged and fermented. We use this to imagine unreal creations with every booking. Step into a new story with every meal. . . . . #privatechef #cheflife #chef #foodie #catering #personalchef #foodporn #food #chefsofinstagram #instafood #foodphotography #caterer #foodstagram #cooking #mealprep #travelingchef #delicious #yummy #dinner #foodblogger #privatedining #cateringservice #foodlover #celebritychef #healthyfood #miami #finedining #seafood #events

Dm or comment to book your custom tailored dining experience in your venue of choice. We specialize in ultra personalized chefs tasting menus with Canada's terroir foraged and fermented. We use this to imagine unreal creations with every booking. Step into a new story with every meal. . . . . #calgaryevents #yyceats #calgarybusiness #airdrie #kelowna #yycbeauty #yycfood #winnipeg #yycfitness #britishcolumbia #yycrealestate #supportlocalyyc #calgarynow #shoplocal #yyckids #okotoks #photography #yycphotographer #banff #yycrealtor #calgaryrealtor #brampton #reddeer #calgaryhomes #yychomes #smallbusiness #calgarymoms #calgaryphotographer #yycfoodie #calgaryfood

Waldorf beet salad Comment or DM to book your custom tailored dinner in the venue of your own choice. We use unique foraged and fermented ingredients inspired by canadas terroir to craft unique dinner with international Michelin Trained chefs. . . . . . . . #calgary #yyc #alberta #canada #yycnow #yycliving #edmonton #toronto #vancouver #calgarylife #calgaryalberta #yyclocal #yyclife #yycevents #calgaryliving #yeg #calgarybuzz #yycbuzz #yycbusiness #yycsmallbusiness #montreal #shoplocalyyc #yycmoms #yyctoday #supportlocal #love #ottawa #calgaryrealestate #surrey #ontario