Foodies with a taste for philanthropy flocked to the Four Seasons Yorkville for the 2024 Chefs’ Circle gala for Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Curated by Toronto businessman, philanthropist and Sunnybrook board member William Cheng, collaborators for the posh Oct. 5 gala included chefs from his restaurants and around the world: Chef Christian Le Squer of Le Cinq; Chef Masaki Saito of Sushi Masaki Saito; Chef Oliver Glowig of Level Nine; Chef Jackie Lin of Shoushin; and Chef Didier Leroy of LSL.
“In our culture, and in my family, we believe that if you have the capability to help others find happiness, then you should,” Cheng told the Sunnybrook Foundation. “I hope everyone leaves Chefs’ Circle feeling happier for the experience and the knowledge that they’ve helped someone. If that happens, then I’ve done my job.”
MC’s Leslie Yip and Joseph Tsang emceed the event, at which Toronto Maple Leaf William Nylander’s jersey was auctioned. Partygoers included Sunnybrook President and CEO Andy Smith Fiona Cheung, creative director of Congee Queen; Ralph Del Luca, president and COO of Chestnut Hill Developments; Debbie Cosic, CEO of Inzition Realty; Mark Campbell, CEO of VMG Cinematic; Susan Streeter, CEO of Cormark Securities; and Allen and Era Lau of Two Small Fish Ventures.
The menu opened with an amuse bouche of scallop with ponzu jello and aubergine caviar, followed by leek soup, Japanese tomato caviar, lemon risotto and an entree of Peking duck. The menu closed with coconut panna cotta for dessert.
The event has raised more than $1-million for innovative, life-saving research at Sunnybrook since the inaugural gala in early 2020.
From left, chefs Jackie Lin, Masaki Saito, Christian Le Squer, Oliver Glowig and Didier Leroy prepared dishes for the 2024 Chefs’ Circle dinner gala.Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
A chef puts the finishing touches on Japanese tomato caviar.Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Japanese tomato caviarPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Lemon risottoPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
A performer at the Chefs’ Circle Dinner Gala 2024 held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto on Oct. 5, 2024.Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
A server at the Chefs’ Circle Dinner Gala 2024Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre president and CEO Dr. Andy Smith and Chefs’ Circle founder William ChengPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Joseph Tsang and Leslie Yip, emcees of the Chefs’ Circle Dinner Gala 2024Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
David Simmonds, Canada Life, and Brynn Lackie, Chestnut Park Real EstatePhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
James Sanders, Oyster Group, and Jamie SandersPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Rola Dagher and Armughan AhmadPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Laura Rocca and Pavlo Palamara, president, Diamante Development Corp.Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Saverio Vetri, TD Wealth, and Rossella FazioPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Aaron Brown, right, CEO, Norstar Group, and Michelle BrownPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Brad Meiers, PortfolioHiWay, and Jacqueline Meiers, Canso Investment CounselPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Allen and Era Lau, Two Small Fish VenturesPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Kim and Neil Wainwright, CEO, Circa AppsPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
From left, Royal LePage’s Jonathan Mansour,Marija Tasevska, Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, and Julian Lombardo, v-p Forbes Andersen TechnologyPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Fiona Cheung, creative director, Congee Queen, and Sam Yeung, v-p Homelife New World RealtyPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
From left, Caroline Chan, Virginia Chan, Andy Chan, Miller Thomson, Kevin Zive, general counsel Apotex, and Ella ZivePhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
From left, Dr. Sharan Golini, Ralph Del Luca, president and COO of Chestnut Hill Developments, and Debbie Cosic, CEO, Inzition RealtyPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Retired TDSB teacher Andrea Shuman and Janet Rabovsky, chief investment officer, Fairwater CapitalPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Nephrologist Aliereza Zahirieu, left, and Ana Konvalinka, transplant nephrologist and a clinician scientist for University Health Network (UHN)Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Allison Farley, LawPro, and Mark Campbell, CEO, VMG CinematicPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Meicheng Lou and Agness Lee of Louis VuittonPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
Susan Streeter, CEO, Cormark Securities. and Peter Brown, NewPoint Capital PartnersPhoto by Peter J. Thompson/National Post
