Where were you when Andre De Grasse ran the race of his life to take a bronze medal in the 100-metre dash? In a memorable moment (surreal for me to relax my usually strict prohibition on name-dropping), I was in The Abbott pub on Yonge Street with P.K. Subban and half of the other guests at a special sushi-meets-Cantonese dinner at midtown’s Shoushin.

Chef Jackie Lin had closed his elegant sushi restaurant for a special 12-course dinner that diners paid $1,000 a head to attend. It was a rare opportunity for him to collaborate with another chef — Stephen Tong, owner and head chef of Richmond Hill’s Judy Cuisine — and showcase the differences in preparation and flavour inherent in their approaches to seafood.

Lin was born in Guangzhou, China, and though he has been committed to Japan’s sushi for most of his life, he cherishes his connection to Cantonese food. In his introduction to the meal, he began the process of highlighting how much Cantonese food depends on featuring the intensified flavours of dried seafood. By comparison, Japanese chefs, especially those who make sushi, depend on minimal, careful treatment of raw or lightly cooked fresh seafood.

Olivia Tran, national brand ambassador for Louis XIII, had just finished the formal pouring presentation for her company’s cognac and that may have been the inspiration we needed to loudly cheer on De Grasse. The cooking was creative and delicious enough that we were sure to make it back without missing a course.

Remy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac was the title sponsor for the dinner. The glass on the left has the Louis XIII while the one on the right is the Rare Cask 42,6 version of the cognac. The former will be back in Ontario by Christmas and the price listed on the LCBO website is $3,100 for a 700 ml bottle. Only 738 bottles of the rare cask version were made and Shoushin is the only restaurant in Canada that serves it.

Glazed walnuts with dashi-cooked greens had a familiar combination of sweet and salty flavours.

For the Usuzukuri-style sashimi, Lin made remarkably thin slices of spotted grouper and served them with a strongly flavoured garnish. Tong would use other cuts from the same fish in a later course.

Chef Tong gave diners an elevated sense of the flavours in XO sauce, sometimes described as the "magic condiment of Chinese cuisine" by presented the elements in dried form and letting us add them to the green beans and eggplant to taste.

Lin made an exception to his usual preference for nigiri-style preparation and used this golden snapper smoked over wheat straw to make a sliced roll. He also made his sushi rice a bit softer than usual.

The two chefs took turns preparing most courses, but the abalone was an exception. Lin’s (right) was steamed in sake and tasted fresh and saline while Tong’s was soaked for five days to rehydrate it and then braised in a rich, recognisable Cantonese sauce.

Grilled unagi served with a special salt made from dried roe and freshly ground wasabi.

Pieces of genuine Kobe Wagyu beef, cut from the sirloin and grilled over bincho charcoal.

Chef Lin uses a traditional technique for his end-of-meal tea preparation and tea leaves that he says are halfway between green and red tea.

The Baccarat crystal decanter is part of the draw of Louis XIII, but, apparently, when it becomes available in Ontario it will still have the usual 20-cent bottle deposit applied to purchases.

Shoushin, 3328 Yonge St., 416-488-9400

Judy Cuisine, 550 Highway 7 E., Richmond Hill, 905-762-1888