Eugene weekly., August 01, 2024, Page 13, Image 13

Chow!
E U G E N E W E E K LY ’ S G U I D E T O F O O D A N D D I N I N G
“It’s fun to surprise people with a wine cocktail,” Dona-
hoe says. “People are sometimes a little scared, intimi-
dated by saké, but we like finding ways to incorporate it.”
In addition to the chicken liver mousse, this dinner
consisted of amazing cold-smoked mezcal oysters, fried
chicken with yuzu kosho (a paste of chili peppers, yuzu
peel and salt) potato salad and tom yum tartare sauce,
grilled lettuce with kimchi vinaigrette, lap cheong Chinese
sausage, fried rice with duck fat harissa and koji cured
wagyu New York strip steak, all polished off with banana
ice cream with a butterscotch fish sauce honeycomb.
A self-described big meat and potatoes guy, Provencio
says steak was essential to the menu.
He also spent four and a half years in Beijing working
in restaurants, which he notes was an inspiration for him.
“Chinese food in America is nothing like Chinese food
in China,” Provencio says. “So just being able to learn
from different cultures, I think it’s so fun.”
Most of all, says his cooking experience with Ngo
was a driving influence for collaborating on the pop-up.
In 2018 the two paired up to cook in an iron chef
competition in Eugene. Ngo was set to cook with another
friend of his, but at the last second had to ask Provencio
to fill in after his friend had to bail on the event. The two
didn’t make it out of the first round but became good
friends after.
Provencio won the following year after filling in again
for a friend of former Marché head Trevor Rivera.
“He is a closer,” Donahoe jokes.
Both Provencio and Ngo say that they were excited to
be given the challenge to work on something creatively
together again, this time in the form of a pop-up.
“Although we may love working together, you know, we
don’t get the opportunity very often, so events like this
are really special because we’re able to work with other
like-minded individuals who, you know, want to go after
and make it happen,” Ngo says.
The pop-up with Same Same had a sticker price of $150
per ticket, and Thirst Club and the chefs emphasize the
quality and quantity at the best price they can provide.
“This wasn’t a cheap dinner, but you should feel like
you’re getting your money’s worth, right?” Donahoe says.
“You should not be going home empty-stomached.”
Personally, between the seven courses and seven
glasses of wine, diners didn’t go home empty handed,
either — leaving with a box for all of the food they couldn’t
finish and a bottle of sparkling wine to take home and
share with friends.
“The best part about a fixed menu meal is that we’ve
figured out everything for you,” Meyer says.
“All you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself,”
Provencio adds.
Learn more about when the next Thirst Club pop-up is by going to
Instagram.com/thirst_club.
COLD-SMOKED OYSTERS WITH MEZCAL LIME GEL, YUZU GRANITA AND PICKLED SHALLOTS Photo by Todd Cooper
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE WITH DUCK FAT BRIOCHE AND UMEBOSHI PRESERVES Photo by Todd Cooper
support.eugeneweekly.com
A WINE COCKTAIL OF MAISON ANTECH EXTRA BRUT AND A SPLASH UMESHU SAKÉ
WAS AMONG THE BEVERAGES SERVED AT THIRST CLUB’S POP-UP Photo by Todd Cooper
August 1, 2024
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