Existential Eating is collaborating with Tomoko Tahara for a special Cha kaiseki inspired dinner at Grapes & Soda February 24! There will be a pescatarian and vegan option for this dinner and a very limited number of seats so reserve your tickets ASAP! If you would like the Vegan menu please email us at existentialeating@gmail.com to confirm your reservation as vegan! Thank you!

The meaning of the word “kaiseki” is banquet so we are designing an elegant evening to celebrate of the beautiful food that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. It is traditionally very important to prepare the food thoughtfully, respecting and bringing out the flavours of each ingredient to bring them together without overpowering anything.

Taking inspiration from the traditional Cha Kaiseki ceremony we will be serving a 6 course meal ending with traditional Japanese matcha. The goal of the meal is to prepare your stomach for the tea (which will not sit well on an empty or full stomach) so you can enjoy the ceremony and Omotenashi (thoughtful service & the best treats for the guests.) We will be serving sake and beer as well throughout the dinner at a cash bar, so please bring cash if you would like to drink!

Tomoko Tahara ( aka #cookhatter … she also is a hat maker!) has been cooking since 1998 when she was in Japan (if her memory serves her right.) She moved to Vancouver in 2004 and has worked with many wonderful Vancouver restaurants like the Pourhouse, The Acorn and Cacao (to name a few.) Tomoko has been doing a series of Japanese Shojin (monk food) inspired dinners/events paying respects to seasonal food while putting a Pacific Northwest spin on things.