On Wednesday, I attended a dinner event at Parkside Austin sponsored by Chobani! A 5 course Chobani-inspired menu? You don't have to ask me twice ;). I left my house extra early in anticipation of the madness that is SXSW. And of course... I got lost and arrived 30 minutes late. In my brief moment of weakness, I considered giving up and just going back home, but my growling tummy and curious palate helped me stay the course. Lucky for me, the dinner hadn't started yet. I had only missed the cocktail time, but there wasn't any Chobani in the drinks so I was fine with that ;).
The chef at Parkside was given the challenge of creating a menu using Chobani products. Did he deliver? You are about to see...
(Photo via courtesy of Lindsay)
To start, we had a chilled avocado soup with blood orange, smoked trout caviar, and calabrese chili (?). Quiet fancy, eh? I had no idea what calabrese chili was, and I didn't want to ask anyone as I was in the presence of some amazing foodies. Regardless, the soup was delicious! So refreshing and creamy without feeling too heavy. A beautiful way to start the meal.
The soup was followed by a local beet salad which had celery root, mache (?), coriander, yogurt jerky (!), and puffed mustard seeds. First of all, the presentation was gorgeous! Well actually, all the dishes were quite the lookers, but this one especially, thanks to the vibrant red from the beets. The first thought that crossed my mind was, "ooh this bottom layer looks like a fruit roll-up." I'm sure that was the last thing on everyone else's minds...I probably should've eaten everything together, but I picked at the beets first and was left with the rest which, as a result, looked quite lonely. Oh and the yogurt jerky was very fun to eat. Tasted like cheese.
For the second course...hello, grilled prawns! They were served with caramelized yogurt, carrots, and Ras El Hanout (?? as you can see there was one component in every dish that was a head scratcher for me). It's been such a long time since I last had prawns so this was quite a treat. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly! What else was exceptional was the caramelized yogurt. I absolutely loved the distinct citrus note.
The last savory dish was braised beef short ribs with yogurt farina, morello cherries, and green garlic. I couldn't help but think of Tim and wish that he could've tasted it. I contemplated taking it to go for him, but I didn't think it'd be very classy to ask for a to go box at an event like this. Sorry hun. I'm not a huge fan of short ribs as they are a bit too rich for me. However, the tartness from the cherries and a slight tanginess from the yogurt made the experience truly enjoyable.
Now, for the grand finale...what I'd been waiting for since the beginning (we, women, always have room for dessert, right?)... Yogurt custard served alongside Texas strawberries, compressed mango, almond, and basil ice cream. I will have to say that my favorite from the whole entire meal was this yogurt custard. It didn't scream out, "eat me!" like the rest. It looked like a white log that jiggled like...custard. But with one bite, I was sold! It just tasted... so smooth. light. clean. with just the right amount of sweetness. The crushed almonds accompanied it nicely with their subtle saltiness. Everything on that plate was remarkable, but I found myself longing for more of that custard. So that concludes the 5 course meal. So I ask again, did the chef deliver? Heck Yea!
The three lovely ladies from Chobani, Emily, Emily, and Hillary (who all flew in from New York and are returning with their bellies full of tacos and more tacos) did such an amazing job coordinating the event and making all of us feel comfortable and welcomed. From the conversations we shared, their love for the company and the products was unmistakeable. There were about 15 of us food bloggers who were invited, along with respected guests. It was my first time meeting other Austin bloggers, and boy I tell you, I was in the presence of some seriously talented food bloggers! Delicious recipes, gorgeous photography, eloquent writing...I have a lot to learn from all of them. Everyone was so friendly and down-to-earth that I felt more and more at ease as the night progressed. To be honest, I was quite nervous at the beginning.
Great company. Exceptional food. Unforgettable experience.
Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says
What a wonderful recap of the event! Such beautiful photos despite the poor lighting! I am so glad you didn't give up and you found your way to the event, because it was so nice meeting you. Since we live so close by we should totally meet up for lunch or coffee one day!
Linz says
looks so fancy and so fun!! 🙂 🙂 chobani rocks - all the time, every time!
Sara @ Nourish and Flourish says
Wow, what an incredible evening! I'm so glad you didn't turn around and head home--not just for your sake, but for mine, too! 😉 I'm drooling over every one of your photos, and the descriptions are making my mouth water even more. The chefs at Parkside Austin created some really innovative dishes--especially the yogurt jerky and "fruit roll up"; I'd love to know how they pulled those two off! The beautiful prawns are catching my eye, too, but what I'm really intrigued by is the caramelized yogurt that accompanied them! Yum. Of course dessert looks perfect as well...and yes, we women *always* save room for the sweets. 😉
Thanks for sharing this with us, Min! I bet it was lots of fun meeting other Austin-area bloggers, and Emily, Emily, and Hillary as well! I love those ladies!
Hope you're doing well, my dear! I miss you lots, and hope we're able to catch up soon. <3 (Is there any chance I can convince you to attend the Blend Retreat in May? I'm going, and would LOVE to see you!) xoxoxo
Min says
I know, right? I'm so glad that I didn't give up! 😉 You would've LOVED this meal, no doubt about it. I really really wish I could go to the Blend Retreat, but May is a bad month for me...boo...hopefully we can reunite soon! miss you too!!
Julie @ Sugarfoot Eats says
Those ingredients would have been head scratchers for me too! And I love the fruit roll-up comment! 🙂
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
What an amazing dinner! I am so glad you convinced yourself to go in after being a bit late 🙂 It sounds like Chobani has many more uses than I might have guessed...
rosewithoutthorns says
Hey Min!
What an amazing experience to meet up with all the foodbloggers in Austin! It must have been an incredible opener...and i loved the way you described all the food! 🙂 The short ribs look amazing! Never been to the states (much less Austin, Texas) but all your restaurant recommendations are making me itch to visit!
Plus of course, the highlight would be to meet YOU in person!!
have a great weekend dear. say hi to tim!
Laurie @ Love, Laugh, Laurie says
Umm, YUM!! Looks so delicious!!
Chobani says
So glad you could join for dinner! 🙂
@Chobani
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
I am so glad you have a good experience and met with fellow bloggers. I have never met anyone like that in Dallas yet. The dinner looks fancy and delicious. hope things are going well.
cottercrunch says
it was such a blessing to meet you too min! Keep me posted on your father in law! And yes, we were spoiled. The company was just amazing, food was a bonus!