Sunnys Chinese launches summer barbecue collaboration series

Chef David Schwartz is teaming up with four other top Toronto chefs for a series of ticketed barbecue lunches at Sunnys Chinese, running from June through September. Each event channels the energy of Cold Tea's legendary patio parties — high-energy vibes, family-style spreads of proteins and vegetables cooked over an open flame, bold regional Chinese flavours meeting each guest chef's signature style.

"Each lunch will be a little different depending on the chef and the menu," Schwartz says. Given Sunny's reputation for punchy plates, expect creative applications of Chinese cuisine to the different barbecue traditions and ingredients each visiting chef brings.

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

The June 28 inaugural event pairs Schwartz with Golden Horseshoe Barbecue's Andrew Golden and Kris Hansen, reimagining regional Chinese cooking through the lens of Texas barbecue: Sichuan sausage, Xi'an-style smoked lamb, char siu pork belly ribs, mapo beans with beef tallow, and cornbread pudding with oolong tea.

July 19 brings Top Chef Canada champion Coulson Armstrong, who'll harmonize Ontario's peak summer produce with Chinese flavours, techniques, and sauces. Later dates include Prime Seafood Palace's chef in August and another collaboration in September — full lineups are being announced.

"We get to cook with familiar faces, meet new ones and hang out while doing the thing we all do best," Schwartz says. It's a chance for Torontonians to discover the city's top chefs while the chefs themselves get to collaborate with peers.