{Event} Encore Catering, creates Food with Elegance

Website: http://encorecatering.com/
Twitter Handle: @Encore_Catering
Address: 5000 Dufferin Street, Unit P, Toronto, ON
When I attended: August 20th, 2015, Encores Blogger Bites Tasting Event

About the event:

When I got the invite to Encore Catering’s headquarters near Dufferin St. and Steeles Ave. W, I was beyond excited as I have been drooling over their pictures on Twitter (@Encore_Catering) for months. At the event, a dozen bloggers and I got to meet the owners, witness where the food was prepared, and enjoyed an evening of delicious bites.

I have been to many tasting events, and this event really stood out to me. The team at Encore really went out of their way to make us feel welcome, and the hospitality was incredible! From the moment we walked into their office, we were introduced to their staff and given name tags and a booklet of information about Encore. During the tasting, Encore had set up a dining area for us in the kitchen for us to enjoy our food, and allowed us to go into the kitchen prep area to watch the cooks in action. It was our own private party with a bar and pumping dance music! The chef and owner conversed with us frequently during dinner to answer any questions.

The hospitality and attention to detail of the event said a lot about how they worked as a team, and their food was no exception. I was impressed by the amount of effort, quality and attention to detail in every dish that I had sampled.

About Encore Catering:

Encore Catering has been operating for more than 30 years and is owned by Cary Silber (President), where he works with a core team including his son David Silber (VP of Sales) and Ryan Silber (Director of Operations). Roshan Wanashingha (@ChefRoshanW) is the Executive Chef at Encore and had won numerous awards and recognition for his work during his career.

Encore catering is a full-service off premise caterer covering weddings, corporate gatherings and other special occasions. Encore averages about 1000 events a year and had experience with managing over 1500 people at a formal dinner. They also have an in-house pastry chef and a full service facility with 4 delivery vans, 2 of them refrigerated, which means they can cater events anywhere in the city. They have a 10, 000 square feet industrial kitchen at their main location and another kitchen at the Beth Tzedec Synagogue, as they also offer Kosher catering. They will work with their clients with different budgets and collaborate on a menu. Each event is unique, so there are no set menus.

What I sampled at the event:

Amuse-bouche of a Lobster BELT, served open-faced in a brioche bun.

Amuse-bouche

Pastrami Salmon maki tempura hors d’oeuvre.

A tapas plate of Smoking Beet Tian with chevre foam, sweet and spicy cashews and Russian kale, served with an asparagus boat.

Chateaubriand Taco hors d’oeuvre.

A warm tapas plate that was Eurasian Inspired with a Braised Pork Belly Cube, with pickled celery, skiitake, enoki, and chili kewpie served on a steamed bun. Also on the plate, we had Serrano Ham, Caramalized Fennel and Quail Egg Bruschetta served with rapini, fried lotus and basil pesto.

Duck Confit Beignet served with rhubarb apricot marmalade hors d’oeuvre.

A tapas plate of Mango Chipotle Spice Seared Ahi tuna, Shrimp and jumbo Scallop, with a Cucumber, Watermelon and Peach Gazpacho, and a micro green salad.

A dessert amuse of Gorgonzola and Pear Pana Cotta, served on an egg-shell.

And our meal ended with a sweet note with Encore’s Homemade Vanilla Semi Freddo with strawberry rose consomme.

Now, did the tasting menu and pictures not just blow you away? If I was served this menu at a special occasion, it would be an event to remember! As the saying goes “We eat with our eyes”, and Encore did an outstanding job at wowing us with the precision of each dish, presentation and taste.

There was something positive to say about every dish, with my favourites being the smoking beet tian, braised pork belly, Chateaubriand taco, scallops and pana cotta.

Overall:

What I sampled during the tasting was an example of what Encore offers. If you are looking for a catering company with quality food that will impress you and your guest, do contact Encore Catering.

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