3rd Annual SAVEUR Summer BBQ with Notable Chefs and Delicious Global Dishes

Thanks to Taiwan Tourism New York, we had the pleasure to attend the 3rd Annual SAVEUR Summer BBQ at The Boat Basin (West 79th Street on the Hudson River).  The event was organized by SAVEUR magazine and many of our favorite chefs were there for an evening of summertime cuisine, cocktail, beer, and desert tastings.  Nothing can beat an amazing night enjoying the grand feast prepared by top chefs with unlimited grilling food and cocktail drinks near the Hudson River!

chef Max & Eli Sussman and chef Chris Cosentino

chef Susan Feniger, Marc Murphy and Ben Pollinger

As soon as we walked into the Boat Basin, we were greeted by the staff of SAVEUR magazine and handed a press kit to us.  Though it’s just 6:30pm (door opened at 6pm), the venue encompassing the circular was already packed with many people waiting patiently getting all sorts of BBQ dishes.  The 2012 Annual SAVEUR Summer BBQ presented an impressive of line-ups of chefs including Chris Cosentino (Incanto), Susan Feniger (Border Grill), Shea Gallante (Ciano), Gavin Kaysen (Café Boulud), Susur Lee (Zentan), Anita Lo (Annisa), Seamus Mullen (Tertulia), Sisha Ortúzar (Riverpark), François Payard (Payard), Andy Ricker (Pok Pok), and Max & Eli Sussman (Roberta’s), Damon Wise (Monkey Bar) and more!

chef Anita Lo

chef Chris Cosentino with Aaron Sanchez

chef Gavin Kaysen

chef François Payard

Of course, the fist station we spotted was the Taiwan chefs table which was sponsored by Taiwan Tourism of New York to showcase 2 amazing chefs: Chen-Hua Yang and Shao-Lung Huang with the traditional BBQ pork sausage and hot stone grilled beef.

Taiwan station at 3rd Annual SAVEUR Summer BBQ

Chef Chen-Hua Yang is an award-winning chef who specializes in Taiwanese and Shanghai cuisine. After working at top Chinese restaurants Shun Fen and Shun Lee Palace in Taiwan for over 15 years, he moved to USA in 1984 to pursue his culinary dream. Soon he become the Executive Chef at Mr. K’s Restaurant in Washington DC, a position he held for over 10 years. From 2000-2003, he was the winner of the Five Star Diamond Award by the American Academy of Hospitality Science. He is currently the Executive Chef at the New York branch of Mr. K’s.

Chen-Hua Yang

Chef Shao-Lung Huang grew up in a culinary family where his father was executive chef for 20 years. A lifelong food-lover, he opened his first shop in Chinatown, VIVI Bubble Tea, in 2007. His specialty is Taiwanese street style cuisine, such as salty fried chicken. In 2008, he was invited by Rockefeller Center to present authentic Taiwanese food. In 2010, his restaurant was listed as a Top 100 Chinese Restaurant in New York. Currently, he is the Executive Chef and owner of Maruko Sushi & Tea.

Shao-Lung Huang

While we were waiting to try the dishes prepared by Taiwan station, we bumped into 2 fans of Taiwan cuisine, Natasha Wolff  (Staff Editor of Us Weekly) and Michael Fioravanti ( the lawyer who tried to import the Taiwan Beer to USA) and they truly loved the tasty sausage and beef prepared by the chefs.

Michael Fioravanti and Natasha Wolff

Besides our interview with the two Taiwan chefs, we also got to speak to some of America’s favorite chefs including Aaron Sanchez (he has appeared on Iron Chef America and was a contestant on The Next Iron Chef. He currently appears on the show Heat Seekers with Roger Mooking, and is a recurring guest judge on the show Chopped on Food Network) and Marc Murphy (he has appeared numerous times on the Food Network’s Chopped series television show as a judge and he has also been on Iron Chef America as a challenger against Iron Chef Bobby Flay).

Thomas Chang (head of Taiwan Tourism of NY), chef Aaron Sanchez, Sasha Chou and chef Shao-Lung Huang

Chef Marc Murphy with Thomas Chang (Head of Taiwan Tourism NY), chef Shao-Lung Huang and Sasha Chou ( Marketing Executive of Taiwan Tourism Bureau)

There were also many Asian cuisine stations at this year’s BBQ feast such as the delicious masala lamb chops prepared by the Indian chef, K.N. Vinod (he is the Chef/Co-owner of Indique Heights and has also appeared on Fox TV and Channel 9 WUSA programs doing cooking demonstrations) and amazing Thai food prepared by two chefs, Warach Lacharojana and Patharaphon Phutpha (member of Spice Group who specialize in making Thai food that impresses both looks and taste).

chef K.N. Vinod

chef Warach Lacharojana

Besides all the wonderful food, there were some specialty Grey Goose cocktails, a Brewery Ommegang beer, a wine from Dona Paula, and many unbelievable sweets such as chocolate BBQ macarons with toasted marshmallow milkshakes and peanut butter cheesecake with fried Banana.  What a night!!  We will definitely come back for next year’s feast!

chef Andy Ricker

chef Damon Wise

SAVEUR Magazine (on the right: James Oseland Editor-in-chief)

SAVEUR Magazine

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