SHOW OF HEART: The Lookout Emergency Aid Society is a non-profit organization that has been working hard to meet the needs of the homeless since 1971. Through 25 locations in Metro Vancouver, the charity has been providing warm beds, meals and services to 2,500 men and women daily. The organization recently hosted its seventh annual H’Arts for the Homeless Gala at the Imperial in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Through circus acts, music and art, the gala highlighted the relief and hope a safe home provides. A group of local artists created works of art throughout the evening, with the finished paintings auctioned off by comedian David C. Jones. Proceeds — reported to be upwards of $30,000 — will support low cost medical and dental services in Surrey.
HOME SWEET HOME: A record crowd converged for Chor Leoni’s major gala At Home, chaired by society mavens Carol Henriquez and Lesley Stowe. Usually held at a stately home on Vancouver’s waterfront or at a heritage estate in Shaughnessy, this year’s staging was equally jaw dropping. The historic mansion Casa Mia on Southwest Marine Drive, one of the most storied homes in the city, provided the backdrop for Vancouver’s singing lions. Members of the 60-voice choir played charming hosts, entertainers and servers at the $200-a-ticket affair, which yours truly hosted. Attendees enjoyed a gourmet stand-up meal complete with select wines and sweet music. Between courses, gala-goers emptied their wallets at the silent auction table and sale of local works of art. Before the last note was sung, nearly $70,000 was raised to support the musical talents of B.C’s top vocal ensemble, led by artistic director Erick Lichte.
COMFORT FOOD: Hakka cuisine is the cooking style of the Hakka people, a group of Chinese gypsies and nomads in China that eventually settled in Guangdong (Canton). There is an estimated 75 million Hakka living in Asia — approximately 50,000 people of Hakka descent in the Lower Mainland. For fans of Hakka cuisine, generally more rustic cooking — Chinese foodies would say peasant — Hakkasan is the place to get your fill of delicious Hakka food. Bernice Lau and Chef Yang front this culinary gem that has been serving award-wining comfort dishes since 2007. It’s unassumingly nestled in an industrial area of Richmond, far from the bright neon lights of other eateries. Popular specialties such as salt baked chicken, sauteed pork cheeks and pickled cabbage, and braised pork hock have kept fans coming back for more.
