The 91st Academy Awards are this Sunday, and while many will be watching, one of the night’s biggest events won’t be on TV: the Governors Ball.
It’s the official afterparty for the Oscars, which Wolfgang Puck has been catering for 25 consecutive years. The celebrity master chef has built an international empire stretching from Michelin-starred restaurants like Spago , to grab-and-go meals at airports. And after a four-hour awards ceremony, red carpeters will receive Puck’s pampering.
We visited Wolfgang Puck Catering Kitchen in Hollywood, right across from the Dolby Theater, to get a sneak preview of the delicious menu:
Returning favorites include Oscar-shaped smoked salmon on matzo with caviar, and black truffle chicken pot pie.
Vegan options will include a Vietnamese-inspired apple summer roll with cucumber, shiso and pomegranate pearl.
Two dishes will feature the famed Miyazaki Wagyu: beef tartare on tapioca crisp with togarashi, and miniature burgers with sharp cheddar and remoulade.
Dessert: lollipops, bonbons, cookies and so much more -- including a wall of ombre-dipped strawberries that guests can pluck off and enjoy...
...and of course the iconic 24 karat gold-dusted chocolate Oscars that come in several sizes and fillings. Chef Puck loves the 80 percent dark.
Some of the newest menu items to showcase will be a famously hand-carved jamón ibérico from Spain with burrata and wild arugula, and Nashville hot-fried quail on red velvet waffle with spicy honey. Puck’s team of 200 chefs and 600 servers will be feeding 1,500 hungry guests plus an additional 850 in event staff.
Onions caramelizing in Chef Wolfgang Puck's pizza oven at the Wolfgang Catering Kitchen in Hollywood.
For more information about the menu contact: kasey.potts@wolfgangpuck.com
This story was made possible by KCRW’s Independent Producer Project.
--Written by Jacklyn Kim
--Photos by Amy Ta