SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Several Bay Area chefs teamed up to host a dinner benefit Tuesday in San Francisco's Japantown to raise money to help refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The event, dubbed "SF Chefs for Ukraine" was held at Nari inside Hotel Kabuki Tuesday night, and featured an eleven-course tasting menu for $750 a person. All the proceeds will go to celebrity chef Jose Andres's World Central Kitchen, which is stationed along the border of Poland and Ukraine. The group is feeding thousands of hungry refugees, many of whom have scrambled to escape escalating violence in the weeks since Russia has invaded Ukraine.

The effort was led by Healdsburg Chef Andrew Hori of Single Thread Farms, who described the fundraiser as a full-circle moment. Hori took a lecture course from Andres in college and later interned for World Central kitchen as the organization was barely getting off the ground.

"I wanted to do more of the on the groundwork would involve a lot of cooking, and I ended up working at one of (Andres') restaurants," Hori said. "And then eight years later I came out to cook (in the Bay Area)."

Guests were served donated wine and enjoyed a curated tasting menu with a higher purpose in mind.

Albert Huntington said he attended because he wanted to feel like he was doing something to help struggling Ukrainians.

"You feel so unable to help because it's so far away," said Huntington. "It's (about) having a connection; being able to do something that you believe in."

It's a cause near and dear to chefs from Ukraine, like Ana Voloshyna who was horrified to see atrocities against Ukrainian civilians.

"I thought we as a humanity, we are doomed. Like, for a second I thought, like, this is it for us," said Voloshyna. "But then I see so many people were helping who are volunteering their time, who are giving away their money and who are helping and supporting - and it gives me so much hope."