Let’s Chat: Chef’s table extraordinaire

By Linda Tooth on January 15, 2025.

Are you familiar with the term ‘chef’s table’? If not, let me give you a textbook definition of what it means. According to Black Box Intelligence a chef’s table is an “exclusive seating arrangement providing diners with a behind-the-scenes look at the culinary process. It often includes a personalized, multi-course menu prepared and presented by the chef.”

Friends of ours bid and won a chef table experience at the Rosewood Bistro with chef and Food Network’s Fire Master participant Sourav Saha, creating what I can only describe as an out-of-this-world culinary experience. The six of us were treated to six courses created by Chef Saha that saw us eating foods I would never have thought of putting together.

Course one began with a wine-poached shrimp Ceviche. He included Redcliff tomatoes, jalapeno, Himalayan pink salt, and various peppers. I am not a lover of jalapeno and I sneeze terribly with various black peppers, but I must say other than a slight heat to this dish it was fantastic.

Course two saw us devouring what Chef Saha refers to as the Soup of Redcliff. He utilizes red tomatoes and red peppers from Redcliff, basil and garlic croutons. I can honestly say this is the best tomato soup I have ever had and with the fact that the six of us are from Redcliff, it was a hit.

On to course three with roasted petite mahi-mahi served with grilled seasonal vegetables and pesto. This was all on top of semolina cake. The three British people I was dining with said it was the best semolina they had ever had.

As we live inland and do not experience mouth-watering seafood often, Chef Saha did an amazing job of preparing and presenting this dish. You may think we are done but you would be wrong.

On to course four where we were presented with grilled Alberta filet mignon purchased from Mike’s Meats. This was served with truffle oil potato puree, asparagus and a cognac peppercorn cream sauce. At this point, I was not sure I could eat anymore but there was dessert coming our way.

Courses five and six saw us presented with a baked cheesecake served with berry coulis. I have been known to devour my share of cheesecake wherever I go, but this one was truly mouthwatering.

Finally, the sticky toffee pudding was served. This dish was prepared with – are you ready for this – a warm chewy strawberry cobbler on the bottom with vanilla ice cream on the side. I might have to be rolled out of the restaurant.

Chef Saha helped serve these plates and made sure we were happy with what was presented to us. How could we not be? Flights of wine and beer were also available for us to sample. As I was driving, I did not indulge, but those with me said they were great accompaniments to what we were eating.

If you have not been to the Rosewood Bistro on N. Railway Street, you are missing out on a culinary experience. I will be posting pictures of these dishes on my Facebook page if you want to check them out.

Have a Meowtastic Day and keep reading!

Linda Tooth is a part-time communications instructor at Medicine Hat College

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