CheekyChicago

If you’re a singer, it’s an honor to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville. If you’re an actor, it’s a privilege to entertain on Broadway. And if you’re a chef, it’s a tribute to your talent to cook at the James Beard House in New York City. Chicago’s very own Rodelio Aglibot, the Executive Chef of Sunda, was given reign of the prestigious kitchen on November 6th for a special dinner. The theme, “Along the Silk Road,” showcased his signature New Asian cuisine. It was also a decadent feast with three different hors d’oeuvres, six courses and seven drink pairings. Indulgence doesn’t do justice to the sheer amount of plates and glassware crowding the linen-covered tables.

The Beard House is the home of a culinary foundation, created in honor of the late James Beard. The organization celebrates every conceivable aspect of food and their awards – highly coveted in the restaurant industry – are akin to the Oscars of cooking. The historical home feels like a museum where you can actually touch the art. There’s a sense of reverence when dining with the ghosts of legendary chefs, especially when a portrait of James Beard himself looks over the room from his permanent perch above the mantle.

I think even he would have been impressed by Chef Aglibot’s gourmet dinner. The passed appetizers included Bluefin tuna belly atop pan-seared sushi rice, poached shrimp in a velveteen egg sauce with pickled vegetarian maki and miniature lemongrass beef lollipops glazed in a sweet chile sauce. The hors d’oeuvres were a delicious prelude to the meal, along with flutes of Champagne and pear sake cocktails. Dinner – an exercise in overeating and loving every gluttonous minute – started with roasted duck hash on a crispy daikon cake, followed by grilled pork belly atop seared Big-Eye tuna. As a peace offering to an already stuffed stomach, the next course was a platter of sushi, each offering better than the next: miso-marinated black cod nigiri, lobster maki with Wagyu beef tataki and truffled foie gras aioli, and escolar nigiri topped with a crispy petite chip and shaved truffles. A small serving of avocado mousse topped with frozen lychee compote provided a refreshing palate cleanser before diving into another meaty course. Succulent long ribs, creamy lobster-scented rice and a glass of Domain Chandon Carneros Pinot Noir – James Beard himself would have approved. Last but certainly not least, a sweet yet savory dessert. Champorado – a Filipino sweet chocolate rice porridge – got an unexpected twist with salted pork, coconut and toasted green rice flakes. It might have looked like pudding, but it tasted infinitely better.

While each aspect of the carefully crafted meal showed Chef Aglibot’s culinary skill, it was his heartfelt speech at the end of the evening that resonated most. He thanked his staff and supporters, family and friends, saying he wouldn’t be here without their help. To a room filled with both strangers and admirers, Chef Aglibot encouraged everyone to follow their dreams, just as he followed his. And on a crisp November night, those dreams led him to a storied kitchen in New York City, where he became part of the James Beard legacy.