Lai Wah Heen Unveils an $8,888 Feast for Toronto’s Film Festival Season
Toronto’s film festival season is known for big premieres, but this September, one of the city’s culinary destinations is putting a different kind of premiere on the table.
Lai Wah Heen is introducing The Treasure of Fortune, a limited five-course dining experience priced at $8,888.
Created by Executive Chef Heyden Sin, the experience centers on the Supreme Eight-Treasure Gourd-Shaped Goose, a whole premium goose filled with eight rare ingredients.
The meal includes a 500-gram tin of caviar, while guests can add a bottle of 1989 Château Margaux for $3,888.
A Dish Built from Three Cantonese Traditions
The centerpiece draws from three distinct ideas in Chinese cuisine.
Chef Sin combines the dramatic soup-filled pigeon preparation from Guangdong, the techniques and symbolism of Eight-Treasure Duck, and the prized mountain-and-sea ingredients associated with Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
Instead of using duck, Sin chooses a premium whole goose, valued in Guangdong for its rich flavor, tender meat and natural juices.
“The dish combines three major ideas,” says Sin. “We took the dramatic release of soup from the pigeon preparation, the technique and symbolism of Eight-Treasure Duck, and the luxurious ingredients associated with Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”
The result is a new creation rather than a direct copy of any one traditional recipe.
Eight Treasures Hidden Inside
The goose contains eight ingredients divided into four “mountain treasures” and four “ocean treasures.”
Here’s what guests can expect from The Treasure of Fortune:
- Mountain Treasures: First-harvest Tibetan cordyceps sinensis, Italian white truffle, wild Yunnan black tiger paw mushroom, and Tianshan snow lotus seed
- Ocean Treasures: 15-head Japanese Yoshihama dried abalone, aged fish maw, wild Galapagos spiky sea cucumber, and imperial scallop with coral-grown grouper skin
- Additional Ingredients: Heritage wild gourd rice, Japanese Koshihikari rice, and long-aged chenpi
- Price: $8,888 CAD
- Includes: Five courses and a 500-gram tin of caviar
- Advance Order: Three days
- Wine Option: 1989 Château Margaux at $3,888 per bottle
- Wine Supply: Only two bottles available
Three Days of Preparation
Creating the goose begins with a demanding piece of kitchen work. Sin debones the entire bird by hand while keeping the skin intact. The bones must be removed through limited openings without tearing the exterior.
“The difficulty isn’t simply removing every bone from the goose, it’s doing it without damaging the skin or changing the natural structure of the bird,” Sin explains.
Once prepared, the goose is filled with the eight treasures and shaped into a húlú, or bottle gourd. The form carries associations with prosperity, longevity, protection, and good fortune in Chinese culture.
The number eight also plays a major role. The eight treasures, the gourd shape, and the $8,888 price all connect to the symbolism of fortune and prosperity.
The goose then goes through several stages, including master-stock steaming, maltose glazing, air-drying, and flash-frying. It is finished with a concentrated abalone reduction, creating crisp and deep-mahogany skin around its richly filled center.
A Culinary Story Passed Down
One of the most meaningful ingredients is not necessarily the most expensive.
The long-aged chenpi used in the dish comes from Chef Sin’s former mentor, Chef Fei, who continues to share part of his personal reserve with him. Sin calls it his master’s “mother” peel.
“Chef Fei still sends me his mother mandarin peel, and that means much more to me than simply having access to a rare ingredient,” says Sin. “It connects me to the chef who taught me and to the traditions I learned from him.”
That connection gives the dish another layer, linking a Toronto dining room to a culinary relationship built across generations.
The Main Course Becomes a Tableside Premiere
After three days of preparation, the gourd-shaped goose arrives whole at the table. When opened, its rich juices are released in a dramatic moment inspired by the traditional Guangdong pigeon preparation.
The goose is then carved, revealing the eight treasures inside. Italian white truffle is shaved tableside before the dish is served.
For guests seeking an additional pairing, two bottles of 1989 Château Margaux will be available at $3,888 each.
With extremely limited quantities and a three-day preparation period, Lai Wah Heen is positioning the creation as a rare seasonal experience for Toronto’s film festival crowd.
Reservations for The Treasure of Fortune can be made here. For more information, visit laiwahheen.com or follow @laiwahheen on Instagram.
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