Michael Ferraro, Alex Fan, Thomas Chang
Photo credit: The Epoch Times Stephanie Wang
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau hosted the “Taste Taiwan” Culinary Tour Show Premiere at Executive Chef/Partner Michael Ferraro’s Delicatessen in Soho, New York, from 5pm to 6:30pm on January 9th, 2014. More than 150 guests attended the event and got to taste all the delicious dishes that are infused by Taiwanese influences.
Alex Fan, Deputy Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau held the “Taste Taiwan” Chef Nomination in October 2013 and selected three award-winning chefs from Los Angeles, New York, and Vancouver, Canada. Chef Michael Ferraro was selected to participate in a culinary tour, along with Chef Bryant Wigger of Trattoria Neapolis in Los Angeles and Chef Thomas Heinrich of Mosaic Bar and Grille at Hyatt Regency in Vancouver. The three chefs recently returned from an 8-day culinary trip in Taiwan, which was documented and produced as a 30-min show to air on the Discovery Channel in February 2014.
More than 150 guests, including media, tour operators, travel agents, and consumers, were invited to watch the Taste Taiwan show which follows the chefs visiting Taiwan’s finest restaurants, fresh produce markets, street foods, and culinary institutes as well as partaking in other adventures along the way. In addition, Chef Michael introduced his new special dish inspired by the trip. The guests were the first to taste this dish, infused with Taiwanese influences, which will be available at Delicatessen for the month of January.
As Chef Michael shared with the guests his behind-the-scene photos and personal experience of the trip, he mentioned that Taiwan was the first country he had visited in Asia. He highly recommends Taiwan as a starting point: “My experience in Taiwan was a memorable one. I was fortunate enough to see many different sides of the country. We traveled from the east to west coasts, north and south, tasting different types of Taiwanese cuisine along the whole way and taking in the beautiful scenery. I was especially touched by how welcoming the Taiwanese people and culture is. For those looking to travel to Asia for the first time, I would recommend Taiwan. It is a perfect gateway country.”
The chefs featured in the Taste Taiwan show are:
Chef Michael Ferraro of Delicatessen
New York: Chef Michael Ferraro of Delicatessen
Chef Michael Ferraro’s interest in food began around his family’s kitchen table. His experience in New York’s most prestigious kitchens includes the Beacon Restaurant, Jean-Georges restaurants, Fifty Seven Fifty Seven at the Four Seasons Hotel, the Biltmore Room, and Café Centro. Chef Michael began his work at Delicatessen in 2008, elevating the restaurant’s cuisine and keeping the menu fresh and fun season after season. He also serves as Executive Chef of macbar, Delicatessen’s single-concept sister restaurant fully dedicated to gourmet macaroni and cheese, which opened in 2009. Chef Michael was selected as a member of the inaugural class of Zagat’s 30-Under-30 New York in 2011. He has appeared on numerous national TV spots, such as the Travel Channel’s Food Paradise, CBS’s Saturday and Sunday morning shows, and Cooking Channel’s Food(ography). He has also competed on Food Network’s Chopped and Iron Chef America. Most recently, Chef Michael took home the grand prize at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Soup’er Sandwich competition.
Chef Bryant Wigger of Trattoria Neapolis
Los Angeles: Chef Bryant Wigger of Trattoria Neapolis
After earning his degree in Culinary Arts, Chef Bryant worked in the kitchens of various 4- and 5-star hotels throughout southern California. Under his direction, the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in San Diego’s Vivace restaurant was awarded the Four Diamond award three years in a row and was voted Best Italian Restaurant in San Diego. Chef Bryant was most recently at the prestigious Four Seasons Los Angeles, where he took the helm of the renowned Four Seasons Sunday Brunch and started the much-admired farmers-market-driven station. With nearly 20 years of experience, Chef Bryant brought his experience in Italian fine dining to Trattoria Neapolis. Paying respect to the culinary traditions of southern Italy, he creates dishes inspired by his love for California’s locally-grown and seasonal ingredients.
Chef Thomas Heinrich of Mosaic Bar and Grille, Hyatt Regency
Vancouver: Chef Thomas Heinrich of Mosaic Bar and Grille, Hyatt Regency
An Australian native, Chef Thomas Heinrich began his career in Sydney before moving to New York City, where he honed his culinary skills as Sous Chef at the prestigious Fifty Seven Fifty Seven restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel. Returning to Australia, he accepted the role of Executive Chef at one of Sydney’s most respectable fine-dining restaurants, Deep Blue Bistro. He was honored as one of Australia’s “most creative chefs” and later found his way back to the United States as Chef de Cuisine at the Michelin-star-awarded Seasons Restaurant in Chicago. Chef Thomas was then recruited by Hyatt Regency Chicago as Executive Sous Chef for Hyatt’s flagship property. After quickly displaying his talents and abilities, he was promoted to Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Quality ingredients, meticulous preparation, and a genuine love for flavor allow his culinary dishes to speak for themselves.
For more details, visit: www.tastetaiwan2013.com
Michael Ferraro
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