Our series of fun summer events is in full swing! CAFE is home to the best in cannabis-focused entertainment in Toronto, and our SENSES infused dining events are a big part of it. Our June event featured the extraordinary talents of Chef Kwin Marion, who has worked in multiple Michelin starred restaurants across the world and is now part of The Nomad Cook’s cannabis culinary team. On June 17, CAFE and Chef Kwin hosted our Nomadic Nights dinner – which was in full attendance and an absolute success!
We loved working with Chef Kwin on this latest dinner in the SENSES fine dining series. A young and highly talented chef, Kwin has worked in Michelin star restaurants in Thailand and the US, as well as many other fine dining establishments where he has been able to further cultivate and grow his skills. Now based out of Calgary, Chef Kwin is a valued part of The Nomad Cook’s team, and loves combining his love of food with his passion for cannabis at infused dining events across North America.
The Nomadic Nights dinner also featured the efforts of Chef Pat Newton – another highly talented Canadian chef who is passionate about cannabis and cooking. Chef Pat is well-known across North America for his culinary works and infused creations. He is a podcaster and food content creator, and has worked with us on several of our SENSES dinners to date.
Our SENSES dinner began at 5:30pm on Saturday, June 17 at a private location in downtown Toronto. Guests arrived in twos and small groups, and were promptly seated at their assigned tables for dinner. In the kitchen, Chef Kwin and his team were busy putting the final touches on dishes, and preparing to start serving guests. At the bar, our CAFE team could be found busily preparing drinks! This SENSES dinner included a mocktail add-on; a pairing of delightfully refreshing cannabis-infused drinks designed to complement the chef’s culinary creations.
The night was sponsored by Pineapple Express Meds (PEX/PEM), makers of full-spectrum gummies, chocolate bars, vapes and more, and Wesley Tea, a line of locally-sourced, organic tea infused with cannabis. All mocktails made at SENSES were prepared with cold-brewed Wesley Tea and other fresh ingredients for a beverage selection that was delicious and refreshing!
Once all guests were seated, Chef Kwin came out to address the room and kick the night off. After introducing the menu and speaking on some of the inspiration behind his chosen dishes, Chef Kwin turned the subject to cannabis tolerances. In order for our guests to have the best experiences at our SENSES infused events, we take extreme care to ensure cannabis dosages are prepared with each person’s own individual tolerance in mind. Cannabis in edible form can hit much differently than when it is smoked or vaped, so it is important that each person consume only as much as they know they can handle. In order to better understand each person’s tolerance, Chef Kwin came around to talk to each guest and write down their preferred dosage for the meal. Once this information made its way back to the kitchen, the chefs would then dose each meal as per each guest’s requirements, for the ultimate enjoyable experience.
The dishes began to come out, along with the beautifully prepared mocktails, and guests loved all of it! The plating, colours and flavours were all extremely pleasing, and a glance around the room showed people tucking into their meals with delight, laughing, talking and enjoying the atmosphere. Throughout the evening, a few raffle prizes were given out – each guest received a raffle ticket upon entry – and there was a lot of excitement around the prizes received!
Overall, the night was a huge success. We are grateful for the experience in working with Chef Kwin and his team, and to our staff for their hard work in preparing and serving the delicious mocktails throughout the night. We had an amazing time, and can’t wait to do it again!
