Dim Sum Tapas:
Bluefin Tuna Week
Friday, July 27
La Ruta PDX gastronomic festival and Toro Bravo Inc are importing an entire 500-pound Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna from sustainable Spanish tuna producer Balfegó for Portland, Oregon’s premiere Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna Week. Eleven chefs from John Gorham’s Toro Bravo Inc Restaurant Group will put their own twist on Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna dishes at their restaurants from July 27th-August 5th. The week kicks off on July 27th with a once-in-lifetime culinary event where all the chefs come together to prepare their dishes under one roof at the seventh edition of gastronomic society PLAZA DEL TORO’s Dim Sum Tapas dinner series.
HOW IT WORKS
Dim Sum style service is a casual, fun opportunity to pick and choose dishes as they circulate the room without placing an order. You could see up to 25 rotating dishes, including desserts. Full bar, wine, and flights available. Individually priced tapas range from $5-$25.
RESERVATIONS
Reservations for this event are full. Please email inquiries@plazadeltoropdx.com or call 503-764-9678 to be added to the wait list for 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 8:00pm, 8:30pm, or 9:30pm. Limited walk-in seating will be available at the bar on a first-come-first-serve basis.
GUEST CHEFS
July 27th chefs for Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna Week at PLAZA DEL TORO include Toro Bravo Chef de Cuisine Pat Manning, Shalom Y’all SE Chef de Cuisine Natalie Gullish, Tasty n Alder brunch Chef de Cuisine James Cebron, Tasty n Alder dinner Chef de Cuisine Perry Austin, Tasty n Sons brunch Chef de Cuisine Erin Connell, Tasty n Sons dinner Chef de Cuisine Marcus Sherard, Shalom Y’all SW Chef de Cuisine Daniel Valley, Mediterranean Exploration CompanyChef de Cuisine Stephanie Arnet, and Drew Sprouse, Executive Chef and partner of Bless Your Heart Burgers in the Pine Street Market and McMinnville’s Atticus Hotel. PLAZA DEL TORO Chef de Cuisine Michael Kessler and restauranteur John Gorham will prepare additional dishes for the Dim Sim Tapas menu while pastry chefs Ashley Claybaugh and Mary Silfven offer a variety of complementary desserts.
WHY BLUEFIN TUNA?
We were first introduced to Balfego’s Bluefin Tuna when Spanish chef Jordi Parra of el Bulli brought some of the beautiful fish from Spain in a suitcase for the 2017 La Ruta PDX gastronomic festival. Restauranteur John Gorham was so inspired that he wanted to experience these incredibly special tunas first-hand and swam with them during his 2017 culinary tour of Spain. La Ruta PDX is proud to introduce this delicacy to Portland with the help of True World Seafood to further our mission of connecting Spain and Portland.
Gorham returns to Spain this October to lead another 10-Day food exploration trip around the hidden corners of Catalan and Spanish cuisines with Spanish food insiders Aborígens. A small group of lucky travelers will start this journey in Barcelona and head North to South along the coast where they will meet artisan food producers, passionate winemakers, skilled fishermen, renowned local chefs, and swim with Bluefin tunas. For 2018 tour booking information please click here.
Bluefin Tuna are some of the most desirable tuna in the world because their large size allows for a higher marbled fat content. Balfegó is a fifth generation Spanish fisherman-run company with multiple awards for their commitment to quality and the environment. Balfegó tuna are a sustainably farmed product that are heavily monitored and regulated. They are one of the few fish farms where the fish continue to breed in captivity. The capture method doesn’t pick up by catch and Balfegó donates a portion of their profits to fund sustainability research. Read more about Balfegó’s practices in Forbes and on their website.
PAST DIM SUM TAPAS DINNERS
DIM SUM TAPAS
Tacobar's Jack Schwartz
Friday, June 8 2018
PLAZA DEL TORO’s sixth edition of the Dim Sum Tapas dinner series featured Mexico City native and award-winning restaurateur Jack Schwartz of San Francisco’s lauded taqueria, Tacobar. Jack presented a menu in the service style of Dim Sum with tapas inspired by Mexican cuisine in collaboration with PLAZA DEL TORO chef Michael Kessler. Guest bartender Owen Young of Mediterranean Exploration Company designed a specialty cocktail menu to complement the cuisine. Spinning by DJ Jimbo.
DIM SUM TAPAS: ISRAEL
Chef in Residence Series
Friday, May 11 2018
PLAZA DEL TORO’s fifth edition of our Dim Sum Tapas dinner series featured Israeli Chefs in Residence JONATHAN BOROWITZ of M25, BENTZI ARBEL of Mifgash Osher, and RON GIBORI formerly of Jeremiah. The chefs from Tel Aviv presented a menu served in the style of Dim Sum with tapas inspired by Israeli cuisine. Guest bartender JAMAL HASSAN of Shalom Y’all, Mediterranean Exploration Company, and BYH Burgers designed a specialty cocktail menu to complement the cuisine.
DIM SUM TAPAS
with Chef Gabe Rosen
FRIDAY, April 13 2018
PLAZA DEL TORO’s fourth edition of our Dim Sum Tapas dinner series featured Chef GABE ROSEN of BIWA and NORANEKO. Gabe presented a tapas menu served in the style of Dim Sum inspired by classic izakaya Japanese favorites with a Portland sensibility. Guest bartender XTIAN ROUILLIER of TASTY N SONS designed a specialty cocktail menu to complement the cuisine.
DIM SUM TAPAS
with Chef Jason French
FRIDAY, MARCH 30 2018
PLAZA DEL TORO’s third edition of our Dim Sum Tapas dinner series featured Chef Jason French of Ned Ludd and Elder Hall. Jason presents a tapas menu served in the style of Dim Sum inspired by classic traditions of farm driven craft cookery. Guest bartender Erica Namare of Mediterranean Exploration Company designed a specialty cocktail menu to complement the cuisine.
DIM SUM TAPAS
with Chef Han Ly Hwang
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16 2018
PLAZA DEL TORO’s second edition of our Dim Sum Tapas dinner series featured Han Ly Hwang of Kim Jong Grillin' and Kim Jong Smokehouse /Kim Jong Smokehouse NW. Han presented a tapas menu served in the style of Dim Sum with a Kim Jong twist! Guest bartender Jeremy Mielen of Tasty N Alder designed a specialty cocktail menu to complement the cuisine.
DIM SUM TAPAS
with Chef Juanjo Canals
La Ruta del Toro Chef in Residence Series
Friday, January 19 2018
PLAZA DEL TORO’s premiere Dim Sum Tapas Dinner Series featured the return of Spanish chef Juanjo Canals of Madrid’s Con Amor and Despecho restaurants. Juanjo, a veteran of PLAZA’s Chef in Residence series and Portland’s La Ruta PDX gastronomic festival, collaborated with PLAZA DEL TORO Chef Michael Kessler and Toro Bravo Chef Pat Manning on a Spanish tapas menu served in the style of Dim Sum.