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September 14, 7:00 P.M. Dinner: Chef Timon’s Story: A Balloo Pop-Up

September 14, 2023 07:00 PM

Discover James Beard Award Semifinalist Chef Timon Balloo’s Culinary Journey

25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA

Just after being named as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South in 2020, chef Timon Balloo shuttered his hit Miami restaurant, Balloo, due to the pandemic. Since then, chef Balloo has opened and received numerous accolades for his Fort Lauderdale restaurant, The Katherine. But it is the story of Balloo that chef Timon considers the most personal expression of his Caribbean-Indian identity. At Balloo, vivid Trinidadian flavors sang with South Asian ingredients in dishes like charred calabaza with labneh, roti, and lime. Take this chance to get a taste of this celebrated restaurant during this intimate evening featuring the dishes that best convey chef Balloo’s story as a son, husband, father, and chef.

Dining Table: $150 / Inside Chef's Counter: $165 / Outside Chef's Counter: $120


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Menu

Hors d’Oeuvre

Thai-Style Tomato Salad with Coconut, Lime, and Chili–Garlic Oil

Caribbean Crab Fritter with Jerk Aïoli and Lime

Wild Mushroom Pani Puri with Truffle Fondue

Dinner

Local Fish Crudo with Nam Pla, Fried Garlic and Herbs

Caribbean Citrus-Roasted Calabaza with Black Lime and Labneh

Slow-Cooked Oxtails with Coconut Pigeon Peas and Rice

Quattro Leches with Charred Stone Fruit



About Timon Balloo:  

The culinary heart of chef Timon Balloo’s food draws from a broad range of global flavors. From his Chinese and Indian-Trinidadian heritage to his classic European training, to the diverse kitchens where he built his career, each step along the way has led Balloo to become the chef he is today.

In 2019, after years of working with iconic chefs in Miami, helming the kitchen at Sushi Samba in New York City, and earning accolades as chef/partner of SUGARCANE raw bar grill, Balloo opened his first independent concept, Balloo: Modern Home Cooking in downtown Miami, a tribute to his heritage. Balloo has garnered multiple national distinctions, from being recognized by the New York Times as one of the “16 Most Influential Black Chefs in America” to a 2020 James Beard Award semifinalist nod for Best Chef: South, to becoming the 2020 recipient of the Johnson and Wales Honorary Doctorate of Culinary Arts.

After a challenging two years of the pandemic, Balloo decided to scale down the size of his operations, closing all but one, the newly launched The Katherine in Fort Lauderdale. The Katherine was named Best New Restaurant by the Miami New Times and Balloo was named a James Beard Foundation Best Chef: South semifinalist for the third time. Balloo’s accomplishments are a testament to the passion and love he has for this industry, and he will continue a culinary story that celebrates culture, food and flavor while bringing together what inspires him at the core.

Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.

James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.

Event Policy

Alcohol Disclaimer:

James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served. Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price. 

Dietary/Food Restrictions Policy:

Events at Platform by JBF are special one-night-only menus and we do not offer a la carte menus. If you have serious food allergies, we will work with the visiting chef team to do our best to accommodate but cannot guarantee that alternate options will be available for every course.

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