The 6-course chocolate dinner with Chef Eyal Liebman

beef pastry with pure Caribbean chocolate, maple glazed baby carrots and asparagus

by Nick Lee

In celebration of all things chocolate, Chef Eyal Liebman (417 Restaurant, Boehmer, Harbour 60, Didlier) crafted a six-course chocolate-on-chocolate dinner in a pop-up venue. I was lucky to experience the 2nd iteration of this unique sweet and savoury evening. Wine sommelier Rebecca Meir (Luma) featured pairings with Stanner’s Vineyard from PEI. The featured chocolates in each course are from Valrhona Chocolates. And you’d think that from the sounds of it, a chocolate dinner would be overly sweet but it wasn’t at all up until the 6th course.

The evening was hosted by Abbey Sharp, a Toronto food blogger and host of the Abbey’s Kitchen Stadium series of chef competition events.

The intimate and packed evening started with the amuse bouche consisting of oysters with cocoa nibs infused mignotte, pickled heirloom carrots.

Oysters with cocoa nibs infused mignotte, pickled heirloom carrots

Oysters with cocoa nibs infused mignotte, pickled heirloom carrots

Appetizer: 2nd course was the Shrimp & Valrhona Manjari

Appetizer: Shrimp & Valrhona Manjari with pure Madagascar chocolate mole sauce, frisee salad

Appetizer: Shrimp & Valrhona Manjari with pure Madagascar chocolate mole sauce, frisee salad

Charcuterie: Rabbit and Valrhona Tainori

Charcuterie: rabbit terrine, Ontario cheese, Valrhona chocolate brioche crisp

Charcuterie: rabbit terrine, Ontario cheese, Valrhona chocolate brioche crisp

Fish: Fish and Valrhona Araguani

Mediterranean style white fish cake, parsnip, and pure Venezuelan chocolate puree

Mediterranean style white fish cake, parsnip, and pure Venezuelan chocolate puree

Main: Beef and Valrhona Caraibe
Beef and valrhona Caraibe with pure Caribbean chocolate, maple glazed baby carrots and asparagus

beef pastry with pure Caribbean chocolate, maple glazed baby carrots and asparagus

beef pastry with pure Caribbean chocolate, maple glazed baby carrots and asparagus

Dessert: Tomato, olive oil and Valrhona Ivoire

Dessert: tomato, olive oil and Valrhona Ivoire

Dessert: tomato, olive oil and Valrhona Ivoire

Mignardises: Bourbon and Valrhona Jivara Lactee
Chocolate macaron, bourbon and truffle honey hot milk chocolate

Chocolate macaron, bourbon and truffle honey hot milk chocolate

Chocolate macaron, bourbon and truffle honey hot milk chocolate

Being the 6th course, the chocolate macaron and incredibly delectable truffle honey milk chocolate put a sweet ending to the extravagant chocolate dinner. It was a night to remember.

One thing that was interesting was that Chef Eyal Liebman spent most of the evening at the back in the kitchen preparing the dinner for everyone and we didn’t see him until near the end. What a modest man, letting his work speak for itself making it more about the food than his face.

If you get a chance to get on the next pop-up dinner, you should give it a try as tickets go quickly. For more info visit www.LisFor.ca

Check out all of the chocolate drinks