Sunnys Chinese is launching a summer barbecue series

From June to September, chefs David Schwartz and Braden Chong, and the rest of the Sunnys team, will go head-to-head with four other top Toronto chefs for a series of barbecue collaborations at Sunnys Chinese. In the spirit of Cold Tea’s legendary patio parties, the four ticketed lunches will bring high-energy vibes and family-style spreads of proteins and veggies cooked over an open flame.

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“Each lunch will be a little different depending on the chef and the menu,” says Schwartz. Given Sunny’s reputation for punchy plates, guests can expect bold and creative applications of regional Chinese flavours to the different barbecue traditions and ingredients each visiting chef will bring to the table.

Each of the four events will have two seatings, bookable on Open Table starting June 1. Tickets are between $85 and $105 per person and include all food plus a welcome cocktail crafted by Dillon’s mixologist Owen Walker, inspired by the unique flavours of each meal—think spritzy, vibrant summer sippers.

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The series is intended to be an opportunity for Torontonians to discover some of the city’s top chefs and tastemakers. “And we get to cook with familiar faces, meet new ones and hang out while doing the thing we all do best,” says Schwartz.

Here’s the lineup.

June 28: Andrew Golden and Kris Hansen of Golden Horseshoe Barbecue

The inaugural event will re-envision regional Chinese cooking through the lens of Texas barbecue. Think Sichuan sausage, Xi’an-style smoked lamb, char siu pork belly ribs, mapo beans with beef tallow and cornbread pudding with oolong tea.

“I’m excited to bring two cuisines together that share roots in wood-fired cooking but have contrasting flavours,” says Golden. “It’s something the city hasn’t really seen before, and just in time for summer. Collaborating with other passionate chefs is really what cooking is all about.”

July 19: Coulson Armstrong of Our House Hospitality

Ontario’s peak summer produce will harmonize with Chinese flavours, techniques and sauces in this high-profile matchup with Toronto heavyweight and Top Chef Canada champion Coulson Armstrong. Think crudités with something called “strange flavour sauce,” Sichuan-influenced tomatoes and a Cantonese-inspired grilled protein.

“Summer, for me, is the best time to eat in Canada,” says Armstrong. “So many amazing vegetables are available. I like to describe the summer months as their own individual seasons. By July, we’re deep into tomatoes, summer squash and eggplants at their absolute peak. Cooking vegetables inspired by Chinese culture at Sunnys feels like a really exciting way to tell a story through food.”

August 23: Barbode Soudi of Mozy’s

One of the city’s favourite new charcoal-grilled chicken shops will bring an exploration of the culinary connections between China and the Middle East through the flavours of the Silk Road, with a focus on Persian influences. Charcoal-grilled kebabs will join saffron rice pilaf with Persian and Xinjiang flavours, grilled veggies, freshly baked bread with dips, and maybe even a Sichuan-inflected kibbeh nayyeh.

“Collaborating with another chef is always a chance to learn,” says Soudi. “You get to step outside your own habits for a moment; see how someone else thinks about ingredients, technique and service; and build something together that neither of you would have made the same way on your own.”

September 27: Alyssa Figueira of Mizunara

For the final lunch of the summer series, refined Caribbean flavours and techniques will meet Chinese culinary sensibilities via chef Figueira’s heritage, a mix of Guyanese, Portuguese and Vincentian (Saint Vincent). Early menu ideas include jerk-spiced raw scallops with buttermilk dashi, tomato and melon with salt cod fritters, wok-fried corn with curry leaf and dried shrimp, Hakka-style pepper-pot beef, and brown sugar cornbread with mascarpone.

“When people think of Caribbean food, it’s easy to assume large heavy plates of rice and stewed meat,” says Figueira. “My approach is light and elegant but still packed with nostalgic flavours. I’m excited to encourage Toronto diners to try new things—and after a long winter, to have some fun in the sun with some amazing chefs and enjoy good food with good people.”