Langbaan is already an amazing restaurant with its incredible multi-course dinner that take you on a tour of regions of Thailand (example dinner that I recapped here), and in addition to those special dinners they also have been doing a Chefs Who Inspire Series. For these dinners, Langbaan head chef Earl Ninsom brings in a chef who inspires him and they collaborate for a unique, once in a lifetime meal in which they offer twists of dishes by collaborating with each other or riffing off ideas from each other. I attended one of the Chefs Who Inspire Dinners with Chef Justin Woodward (recapped here), and last week, I attended one with Chefs Who Inspire Dinner with Edouardo Jordan.
Chef Edouardo Jordan is the chef and owner of Salare (I actually first had his cuisine at a dinner where he came down to Portland to do a dinner a Salt Fire Water series Dinner with Renata back in 2015), and last year, almost a year ago, he opened new Southern restaurant Junebaby. He recently won two titles at the 2018 James Beard awards for Best New Restaurant in the US, and Best Chef Northwest, though Chef Earl had already asked him to be part of this Chefs Who Inspire series before he won those accolades.
During the introduction to his friend, Chef Earl mentioned how he knew Chef Edouardo from cooking against him and getting beaten – perhaps a reference to The Wild About Game event a couple years ago when they went head to head cooking rabbit. Chef Edouardo not only beat Chef Earl but also won overall for that year! Both chefs cook from their heritage and tell a story that is too often told white chefs in the elevated dining circles, but both have successfully broken through and become successful while infusing their own history and perspective in a way no one else has.
Fifteen percent of the proceeds of this dinner went to Chef Edouardo’s charity of choice, Farestart. Farestart is a nonprofit which for the past 25 years had provided the homeless and disadvantaged with culinary and life skills and job placement to give them a chance at a self-sufficient life. He referenced the commitment to growing and making a difference with the just that day announced that Angela Stowell was leaving her position as CEO of Ethan Stowell Restaurants to become the CEO of Farestart. If you are Seattle, besides visiting some of the restaurants and cafes where attendees of the programs get a chance to practice, definitely look up the Guest Chef Nights too.
Finally, here’s a look at the fantastic meal I enjoyed.
