Show 208, January 28, 2017: Show Preview with Andy Harris, Co-Host & Executive Producer.

The Dumpling Trail in Richmond British Columbia“The SoCal Restaurant Show” is going international. On Saturday morning, January 28th the show is live from Richmond, B.C. (“Where the Far East Meets the Canadian West Coast”) for their festive celebration of Chinese New Year.

Now am enticing preview of that Saturday’s fully-loaded show with Co-Host & Executive Producer Andy Harris. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s actually a pretty good thing…

The Pechanga Resort + Casino’s executive chef, Duane Owen, is no stranger to the show. Chef Duane joins us to preview Pechanga’s upcoming Chocolate Decadence Event (February 10th) and the 9th Annual Pechanga Wine Festival on February 11th. Perfect Valentine’s Day gift…

Executive Chef Danilo Ibarra of the Marriott Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond. B.C. oversees The American Grille, The Lotus Land Lounge and all other food and beverage provided on-property. We’ll meet him.

Dominique and Cindy Duby are the Chief Chocolate Officers of Richmond’s one-of-a-kind boutique chocolatier, Wild Sweets. They join us in sweet conversation.

Executive Chef Angus An is the proprietor of Maenam, Vancouver Magazine’s selection for 2016 Restaurant of the Year and as the perennial Best Thai Restaurant. He’s had the honor of cooking at the James Beard Foundation in New York. We’ll talk about the flavor balance of Thai cuisine with Chef An as well as his growing restaurant empire.

A popular visitor attraction in Richmond is the River Rock Casino Resort located on the Fraser River. There are eight tempting dining options there including the fine-dining Tramonto and Chinese specialties at Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant. Karsten Purbs, River Rock’s Food & Beverage Director, is our able guide.

Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Italian – diners can enjoy authentic and delicious culinary styles from across the globe, without ever leaving Richmond. Richmond is home to more than 800 restaurants, half of them Asian and many highly acclaimed. Local food expert Lee Man, founding judge for the Chinese Restaurant Awards, joins us with commentary on Chinese New Year and the diversity of appealing cuisine in Richmond.

There is a burgeoning local wine industry in British Columbia. Sommelier Rachel von Strumer is a passionate wine writer who divides her time between Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley (where 80 per cent of the wine grape plantings in B.C. are located.)

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Show 208, January 28, 2017: Karsten Purbs, Director, Food & Beverage, River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, B.C.

Karsten PurbsA popular visitor attraction in Richmond is the River Rock Casino Resort (with 400 guest rooms in a variety of price ranges) located on the Fraser River. There are eight tempting dining options there including the fine-dining Tramonto and Chinese specialties at Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant. Karsten Purbs, River Rock’s Food & Beverage Director, is our able guide.

“Nestled along the Fraser River, in a gorgeous West Coast setting, River Rock is Western Canada’s only Four-Diamond Casino Resort, where luxury, ambiance and exceptional hospitality await. As with everything at River Rock, when it comes to accommodations, the choice is yours. Enjoy bright, contemporary, deluxe rooms at The Hotel, or relax in style and luxury in a suite at The Resort.”

“Fill your days with a variety of activities, including a visit to our first-class spa, or take a refreshing swim in the beautiful resort pool. Dine in your room or explore the resort and discover the restaurant that suits your mood. Take a stroll on the marina boardwalk, or sit back and relax on our gorgeous waterside patio at Curve Lounge. In the evening, take in a concert at the Show Theatre, and test your skill and luck at one of the largest, most dazzling casinos in Canada. At River Rock, the possibilities are truly endless.”

January 28: Live from Richmond, BC and the Chinese New Year Celebration!

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Andy Harris, Co-Host & Executive Producer
Segment Two: Duane Owen, Executive Chef, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula
Segment Three: Executive Chef Danilo Ibarra of the Marriott Vancouver Airport Hotel
Segment Four: Dominique Duby of Wild Sweets, Richmond, B.C.
Segment Five: Executive Chef Angus An, Maenam, Vancouver
Segment Six: Karsten Purbs, Director, Food & Beverage, River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, B.C.
Segment Seven: Lee Man, Chinese Food Expert & Founding Judge, Chinese Restaurant Awards
Segment Eight: Sommelier Rachel von Sturmer, Vancouver & Okanagan Valley, B.C.

The Dumpling Trail in Richmond British Columbia“The SoCal Restaurant Show” is going international. On Saturday morning, January 28th the show is live from Richmond, B.C. (“Where the Far East Meets the Canadian West Coast”) for their festive celebration of Chinese New Year. It’s a genuine first…

Now am enticing preview of this Saturday’s fully-loaded show with Co-Host & Executive Producer Andy Harris. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s actually a pretty good thing…

The Pechanga Resort + Casino’s executive chef, Duane Owen, is no stranger to the show. Chef Duane joins us to preview Pechanga’s upcoming Chocolate Decadence Event (February 10th) and the 9th Annual Pechanga Wine Festival on February 11th. Perfect Valentine’s Day gift…

Executive Chef Danilo Ibarra of the Marriott Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond. B.C. oversees The American Grille, The Lotus Land Lounge and all other food and beverage provided on-property. We’ll meet him.

Dominique and Cindy Duby are the Chief Chocolate Officers of Richmond’s one-of-a-kind boutique chocolatier, Wild Sweets. They join us in sweet conversation.

Executive Chef Angus An is the proprietor of Maenam, Vancouver Magazine’s selection as Best Thai Restaurant. He’s cooked at the James Beard Foundation in New York. We’ll talk about the flavor balance of Thai cuisine with Chef An as well as his growing restaurant empire.

A popular visitor attraction in Richmond is the River Rock Casino Resort located on the Fraser River. There are eight tempting dining options there including the fine-dining Tramonto and Chinese specialties at Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant. Karsten Purbs, River Rock’s Food & Beverage Director, is our able guide.

Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Italian – diners can enjoy authentic and delicious culinary styles from across the globe, without ever leaving Richmond. Richmond is home to more than 800 restaurants, half of them Asian and many highly acclaimed. Local food expert Lee Man, founding judge for the Chinese Restaurant Awards, joins us with commentary on Chinese New Year and the diversity of appealing cuisine in Richmond.

There is a burgeoning local wine industry in British Columbia. Sommelier Shiva Reddy, Wine Director & Assistant Manager of Royal Dinette (Vancouver Magazine’s Best New Restaurant 2016), uncorks this for us. BC wines are well represented on their menu.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Duane Owen of Pechanga Casino and ResortThe Pechanga Resort + Casino’s executive chef, Duane Owen, is no stranger to the show. Chef Duane joins us to preview Pechanga’s upcoming Chocolate Decadence Event (February 10th) and the 9th Annual Pechanga Wine Festival on February 11th.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE EVENT

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017 • 7-10PM
VIP* Ticket $75 • General Admission $55 • Designated Driver $30

Enjoy an array of chocolates and pastries while sampling a variety of wines, domestic sparkling wines, champagnes, spirits and dessert wines along with live music.

*VIP ticket includes early entry beginning at 5:30PM, upgraded souvenir wine glass, sliced seasonal fruit, international and domestic cheese and tray-passed hors d’oeuvres.

9TH ANNUAL WINE FESTIVAL

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017 • 1-5PM
VIP* Ticket $85 • General Admission $65 • Designated Driver $40

LIVE MUSIC

The most notable wineries from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Temecula, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and beyond will offer a few hundred of their finest vintages along with live music. Sip and savor as you sample a variety of distinguished dishes from the award-winning chefs of Pechanga Resort & Casino.

Combo VIP Ticket $140 • Combo General Admission Ticket $100

Danilo IbarraExecutive Chef Danilo Ibarra of the Marriott Vancouver Airport Hotel in Richmond. B.C. oversees The American Grille, The Lotus Land Lounge and all other food and beverage provided on-property. We’ll meet him.

“A world of culinary delights awaits you at The American Grille. Located in the heart of Richmond at the Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel, it is the city’s most popular business lunch and dinner destination. Offering a comfortable business-casual setting by day and elegant candlelit dining at sunset, The American Grille is sure to wow you and your guests.”

“Our menus offer the best of the season from the Pacific Northwest, celebrating the richness and diversity of North American cuisine, while incorporating the freshest local products available. Sample one of our specialties or just relax and people watch while enjoying one of our house made desserts.”

Dominique and CIndy DubyDominique and Cindy Duby are the Chief Chocolate Officers of Richmond’s boutique chocolatier, Wild Sweets. They join us in sweet conversation.

“As Canada’s only science-based cocoa bean-to-bar chocolate-makers, we turn premium cocoa beans into ‘Haute’ chocolates, novel confections & designer pastry. Located in Richmond, Greater Vancouver Region, BC, Canada.”

Angus AnExecutive Chef Angus An is the proprietor of Maenam, Vancouver Magazine’s selection as Best Thai Restaurant. He’s cooked at the James Beard Foundation in New York. We’ll talk about the flavor balance of Thai cuisine with Chef An as well as his growing restaurant empire.

Chef Angus An is a graduate of New York’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, where he worked under the world’s culinary greats including Jacques Pépin, Alain Sailhac and André Soltner, and later apprenticed at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s legendary Jo-Jo. After graduating from the FCI, Angus trained under Chef Normand Laprise at Montréal’s Toqué before moving to London, UK, where he worked at Michelin-starred restaurants including The Ledbury and The Fat Duck. Following this he cooked at Chef David Thompson’s famed Nahm, which is also where Angus met his wife, Kate.

Upon returning to Vancouver, Kate and Angus opened their first restaurant, Gastropod. Lauded by diners and critics alike, Gastropod received several awards for cuisine and atmosphere before closing its doors in 2009.

In May of that year, Maenam was born. Serving authentic Thai dishes, the kitchen at Maenam is directed by both Angus and Thai-born Kate. Perennial winner of Vancouver Magazine’s “Best Thai” award, Maenam has also received rave reviews from The New York Times, USA Today, and Food & Wine magazine.

Karsten PurbsA popular visitor attraction in Richmond is the River Rock Casino Resort located on the Fraser River. There are eight tempting dining options there including the fine-dining Tramonto and Chinese specialties at Sea Harbor Seafood Restaurant. Karsten Purbs, River Rock’s Food & Beverage Director, is our able guide.

“Nestled along the Fraser River, in a gorgeous West Coast setting, River Rock is Western Canada’s only Four-Diamond Casino Resort, where luxury, ambiance and exceptional hospitality await. As with everything at River Rock, when it comes to accommodations, the choice is yours. Enjoy bright, contemporary, deluxe rooms at The Hotel, or relax in style and luxury in a suite at The Resort.”

“Fill your days with a variety of activities, including a visit to our first-class spa, or take a refreshing swim in the beautiful resort pool. Dine in your room or explore the resort and discover the restaurant that suits your mood. Take a stroll on the marina boardwalk, or sit back and relax on our gorgeous waterside patio at Curve Lounge. In the evening, take in a concert at the Show Theatre, and test your skill and luck at one of the largest, most dazzling casinos in Canada. At River Rock, the possibilities are truly endless.”

Lee ManChinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Italian – diners can enjoy authentic and delicious culinary styles from across the globe, without ever leaving Richmond. Richmond is home to more than 800 restaurants, half of them Asian and many highly acclaimed.

Local food expert Lee Man, founding judge for the Chinese Restaurant Awards and contributor to Vancouver Magazine, joins us with commentary on Chinese New Year and the diversity of cuisine in Richmond. Lee is also a judge for the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Andy Harris, Co-Host & Executive Producer
Segment Two: Duane Owen, Executive Chef, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula
Segment Three: Executive Chef Danilo Ibarra of the Marriott Vancouver Airport Hotel
Segment Four: Dominique Duby of Wild Sweets, Richmond, B.C.
Segment Five: Executive Chef Angus An, Maenam, Vancouver
Segment Six: Karsten Purbs, Director, Food & Beverage, River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, B.C.
Segment Seven: Lee Man, Chinese Food Expert & Founding Judge, Chinese Restaurant Awards
Segment Eight: Sommelier Rachel von Sturmer, Vancouver & Okanagan Valley, B.C.