The Cultural Collaboration at Bas Rouge

2024 James Beard Award Winner Chef Harley Peet of Bas Rouge restaurant in Easton, Maryland, will welcome fellow five-time semi-finalist/2024 Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Finalist Kevin Tien and 2024/25 James Beard Finalist, Pastry Chef Susan Bae, of Washington D.C.’s noteworthy, Moon Rabbit, to be the first of the series – “The Cultural Collaboration” – dinner on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. This inaugural event launches Bas Rouge and Peet’s year-long commitment to honor fellow finalists through innovative culinary partnerships that celebrate the diverse voices shaping Mid-Atlantic cuisine.

“This collaboration represents everything I believe about our industry’s future,” explains Peet. “Rather than see competition as division, I want to celebrate what made each of us worthy of recognition. When we share our most meaningful ingredients with each other, we’re sharing the stories that shaped us as cooks and as people.”

The refreshingly distinctive Five-Course Dinner [$185++ per person] reimagines collaboration through an inspired ingredient exchange. Each chef has curated ingredients that define their culinary identity—spanning proteins, vegetables, fruits, spices, dairy products, herbs, and grains. The creative challenge lies in each chef selecting items from their counterpart’s list to craft their portion of the menu, encouraging both to honor each other’s cultural heritage. Featured dishes include:

• Banh Khoai Mo | Forbidden Rice Amazake | Taro Milk Bread – Cilantro Garlic Butter, Lemon, Olive Oil
• Ga Ran Pate | Chicken Presse & Pâté | Panko Chicken Presse, Lemongrass Pâté
• Bo Luc Lac | Black Pepper Beef Tartlet | Wagyu Beef, Black Pepper Sauce, Herbs, Tomato Powder
• Con So Lau Thai | Scallop Crudo | Scallop Sashimi, Coconut, Perilla Tom Kha Broth, Ginger
• Nem Tiet Canh | Boudin Noir | Viet Cajun Blood Sausage, Octopus, Golden Raisin, Mustard
• Caphe Va Cam Quyt | Coffee & Citrus | Vietnamese Coffee Mousse, Olive Oil, Summer Citrus, Fennel, Dill

Interestingly, despite their distinct cultural approaches, both chefs regularly feature cabbage, blue crab, and black truffle on their menus—unexpected common ground that makes their ingredient exchange even more intriguing and authentic.

Executive Chef and Partner Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit has built his reputation on innovative Vietnamese cuisine that reflects his first-generation Asian American experience. He has earned Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” recognition and co-founded Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate. Chef Harley Peet, the first Eastern Shore chef to claim the James Beard Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic title, has garnered acclaim for his contemporary cuisine that marries Transcontinental and Chesapeake Bay ingredients with European culinary traditions, particularly focusing on German and Austrian cultures. Committed to responsible sourcing of ingredients and sustainable practices, Peet makes ecological stewardship a priority in business and in the community.

“The Cultural Collaboration” Five-course dinner by Chef Kevin Tien and Pastry Chef Susan Bae will be served alongside the Bas Rouge menu on July 9, 2025. Reservations are essential for this limited-seating, inaugural event. Please reserve your table on Opentable.com

The Cultural Collaboration Featured Talent

Harley Peet

Executive chef at Bas Rouge

Kevin Tien

Executive Chef at Moon Rabbit

Susan Bae

Executive pastry chef at Moon Robbit

To make a reservation, click here.