Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine-Around

Event: Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine-Around
Date of event: January 23, 2010

The 1^st Ocean Wise event I attended was the Seafood Chowder ChowDown last November. That was a great event, and this one was even better! This time I was invited to attend the Ocean Wise Turns 5 Media Dine-Around. It was a fully-hosted evening of culinary adventure and yes, I was quite jealous of myself!

First, I want to congratulate the success of Ocean Wise and wish them a happy 5^th birthday.

Ocean Wise is Canada’s leading sustainable seafood program. In 2009 Ocean Wise welcomed over 120 partners and in April they brought the program national. Most likely you have seen the Ocean Wise symbol on your menu at one point or another. I could go on listing facts about the organization, but I won’t…that’s the point of having my media source being a blog…I have the freedom to write ;) (Yes, I know I have a little blog, but I like to think I have a bigger voice :D)

No, I’m not going to bash Ocean Wise because I do support what they’re doing. I respect that they don’t solicit restaurants to participate in their program. Instead they allow restaurants to approach Ocean Wise willingly. I think this is the way to advocate social change, give clients the freedom of choice. That being said, the other side of the argument is: is it fair when a restaurant only offers Ocean Wise to their diners and thus the diners are ‘forced’ to pay the extra dollars? Don’t the diners have a choice since they’re the ones that are paying?

Again, I do support Ocean Wise, but I just want to stir up some discussion. A reason why I support it is because Ocean Wise is promoting positive social change. In my definition “inappropriate fishing” shouldn’t even exist. Bottom line: if the method isn’t sustainable – change it. Ocean Wise is the long term solution and when all the fish is gone from over fishing everyone will really be paying more than the extra couple dollars.

Personally I think a lot lies in education. I think diners should want to choose Ocean Wise and not have to choose it because it’s the only option. Therefore I think there needs to be more initiatives on educating the public about the harms of overfishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction. Buying Ocean Wise is one thing, and knowing why you’re buying it is another.

Anyways, I am Follow Me Foodie, so let’s get back to the event and the food.

The event was a fully hosted evening that kicked off with a champagne reception at the Aquarium. From there we made a toast to 5^th year anniversary for Ocean Wise and many of their achievements in 2009. This includes being the winner of the 2009 Pinnacle Award for Supplier of the Year!

We were all separated into groups and taken on a bus provided complimentary from Landsea Tours (sustainable transportation). The two restaurants we were going to be surprised with were 2 of Vancouver’s newest Ocean Wise restaurant partners. Can’t you feel my excitement?! The following list is Vancouver’s newest Ocean Wise Restaurant partners. The ones in bold were the restaurants I got to visit.

MEDIA DINE-AROUND Restaurants:

Aria Restaurant and Lounge - Westin Downtown, Vancouver BC

Burrard Bridge Marine Bar and Grill, Vancouver BC

The District, North Vancouver BC

The Edge Bistro, North Vancouver BC

Fraiche , West Vancouver BC

Griffins – The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver BC

Revel Room, Vancouver BC

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, North Vancouver BC

Tapenade Bistro, Steveston BC

Zen Japanese Restaurant, West Vancouver BC

After my dinner at The District and The Revel room we ended the night at C Restaurant. C Restaurant is the founding partner of Ocean Wise so it was the perfect spot to end the evening.

On the table:

The following is just a teaser, please keep checking back for reviews and details of the food.

Restaurant 1 – THE DISTRICT

Location: 13 Lonsdale Ave North Vancouver, BC

Chef: Executive Chef Paul Mon-Kau

Smoked Salmon Caesar

• Wine pairing: Pentage Pinot Gris or Van Westen Viognier
• Ocean Wise salmon: Wild BC/AK salmon – Chinook or sockeye (as per our Seasonal Wild Pacific Salmon Recommendations)

  

  

The District Mussels

• Wine pairing: Triple Karmeliet Ale or Road 13 Honest John's Red
• Ocean Wise Mussels: Mussels (sustainably farmed; off-bottom culture – minimal to no habitat damage; no feed necessary; no pollution from farm)

Red Wine Cassis & Cardamom Poached Pears with Vanilla Gelato

Restaurant 2 – REVEL ROOM

Location: 238 Abbott Street

Chef: Executive chef Tyrell Brandvold & Chef Joel Silva

Pecan Crusted Pacific Sablefish

• Braised kale, bacon, and charred tomato vinaigrette
• Sablefish (Sustainably caught: Alaskan by bottom longlines, BC by traps; minimal bycatch & habitat damage; strong management; resilient species & abundant)

West Coast Jambalaya

• Salt Spring Island mussels, Manila clams, spot prawns, chorizo, rice
• Mussels (sustainably farmed; off-bottom culture – minimal to no habitat damage; no feed necessary; no pollution from farm)
• Manila clams (sustainably farmed; on-bottom culture with hand harvest; minimal habitat damage; no feed necessary; no pollution from farm)
• BC spot prawns (sustainably fished with traps; minimal bycatch & habitat damage; strong management; resilient species & abundant)

Restaurant 3 – C RESTAURANT

Location: 2-1600 Howe Street

Smoked Baynes Sound Scallop

• Denman island herring “escabeche”, peashoots in multiple textures, compressed cucumbers, shallot vinaigrette

Selback-Oster, Riesling, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr

• Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Gemany (Sustainable) 1998

Salt Spring Island Goat Cheese and Vanilla Mousse

• Sapo bravo stone fruits, spiced liquid marshmallow

Forbidden Fruit Winery

• Iced Apple Dessert Wine
• Similkameen Valley, BC (Sustainable) 2007

  

Vista d’oro Winery

• Fortified port style wine with Walnut brandy
• Langley, BC (Sustainable) 2007

Additional note: Due to the fact that this was an event exclusive to media, everything from transportation to food was complimentary. However there are no expectations from Ocean Wise or the restaurants and everything written is 100% of my personal thoughts and experience.

Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca – Desserts

Restaurant: Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca – Dessert Review

Cuisine: Italian/Pacific Northwest/Casual fine dining
Last visited: January 16, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Yaletown/Downtown)
869 Hamilton Street
Price Range: $20-30 (for entrée)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5 Dessert: 4
Service: 5

Ambiance: 4

Overall: 4

Additional comments:

• Located in historical Victorian house
• Executive chef Julio Gonzalez Perini
• Italian chef
• Specializes in Italian
• Italian with West Coast influence
• Extensive wine list
• Casual fine dining
• Clean menu, nice selection
• Home made desserts
• Great presentation on the whole
• Very friendly service
• Cozy, intimate atmosphere
• Great for parties, private rooms available
• Dinner from 5pm
• 5-6:15pm 3 course set menus $28/$38 available

**Recommendation: Braised Beef Short Ribs, Lamb Ossobucco, Panettone Bread Pudding, Tiramisu

I came to Lupo Restaurant + Vinoteca for dinner and obviously I had to order dessert. I rarely skip dessert – it’s too important to my daily diet.

This review focuses just on the dessert; I posted the dinner review here. The dessert was either really good or really not so good. Everything was made in house and the presentation was really nice. They have seasonal dessert specials, but I know the tiramisu is permanent. The only dessert I didn’t try was the crème brulee.

On the table:

**Tiramisu 4.5/6

• About $7
• This is a pretty good tiramisu, but also not the best I’ve had. I think I need to do a hunt for the best Tiramisu in Vancouver one day.
• Anyways the mascarpone cream was right on. Not too sweet, rich, creamy, and I could taste the mascarpone without it being overpowering.
• The “cake” layer was lady fingers and they were soaked perfectly. They still kept their sponge cake like texture and I tasted more espresso than Rum flavour.
• The top layer of mascarpone was fine, but the bottom layer of mascarpone was looking a bit thin. It started to taste a bit dry because it was more cake than cream.
• Overall it was a quality Tiramisu, and even though it was very good, I also don’t think I will remember it in a week.
  
• I wanted more cocoa powder on top too.

**Panettone Bread Pudding 6/6

• About $7
• The best of the 3 desserts. This was very creative and smart. An Italian style bread pudding.
• Very moist and baked perfectly. It was a dome of Panettone bread pudding and it was soft in texture. The raisins were plump and plentiful and the dried fruits like candied orange and lemon and they weren’t too hard or fake tasting.
• The ice cream was very rich and ultra creamy…it almost tasted like a quadruple whipped cream ice cream. Very decadent. I think they should serve it with a mascarpone ice cream, which would be over the top good with the Panettone!
• Don’t let that wafer curl fool you. When you break it it’s very crispy, but then you bite it and it’s not crispy. It’s almost stale and chewy – I would much rather have a crispy wafer and it was quite deceiving. It tastes almost like a soft thin fortune cookie wafer, with a slight almond taste.

Toasted Pound Cake with Pears 1.5/6

• About $7
• This was not impressive and way too simple. It was a very small slice of regular pound cake that was toasted – it wasn’t dry, but the edges were crispy. I’m not sure how they did that actually. But the taste still wasn’t impressive although I’m curious about the method.
• The pears were very hard and not tender at all. I think they may have been poached in red wine, but the crunchiness was so distracting I couldn’t tell. They definitely were not caramelized enough.
• The ice cream was the best part – it was very tangy and light and I think it could have been a sour cream or crème fraiche gelato or sorbet.
• I didn't get a picture of the chocolate souffle, but it's the one in the back behind the Panettone bread pudding.

Chocolate Souffle 1.5/6

• About $7
• Soufflé is French not Italian.
• The soufflé should have been served in a soufflé dish and not on a plate and not with hazelnut gelato either. It was too heavy for a soufflé and they needed something like a cream l’anglaise. I love ice cream too, so for me to say this…it’s a big deal.
• They compared it to a molten lava cake, but I wouldn’t. It’s not a rich dense brownie that’s half cooked with a melted chocolate centre.
• It’s a soufflé, but it came across as an undercooked sponge cake. The problem with this one was that it was very soggy and a bit mushy and the chocolate taste was very light.

baru Latino Restaurante

Ceviche Trio

Restaurant: baru Latino Restaurante
Cuisine: South American/Latin/Contemporary
Last visited: October 18, 09

Area: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)
2535 Alma Street (Alma & West Broadway)
Price Range: $20-30

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 3.5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 3.5
Additional comments:

• Specializes in South American cuisine
• Home made flatbread
  
• Traditional South American items with West coast/fusion flare
• Creative ideas, nice plating, but everything is a bit bland
  
• Casual fine dining/hip/trendy
  
• Mix of restaurant/lounge...then there's a tv playing sports?
  
• Open kitchen
• Dark lighting, can't see what you're eating
• Attracts 30-40
• Full wine bar
• Free underground parking in the back
• Everyday dinner at 5pm - 12:30am
  

**Recommendation: Baru Ceviche...I would need to try more stuff.

The food is quite typical of Latin America, however the flavours are a bit altered/watered down to suit the taste buds of locals. It's not quite authentic even though some of the items offered are traditional. It's more Latin fusion and most of it sounded better on the menu than it tasted. Nothing was quite as flavourful as it should have been so the flavours were all one dimensional and lacking. Nothing tasted bad, but nothing was really great either. The portions were good though and so was the selection, but the end result fell short for what was expected.

On the table:

• Ceviche Trio 3/6 -$30
  
• It came with 3 bowls of each ceviche, a plantain chip, and 4 homemade pattacones.
  
• The most annoying part was it was so dark I couldn't see what I was eating so it was hard to get some of everything and I had to guess all the flavours.
• Ecuadorian Red Ceviche 3.5/6
• Scallops, shrimp and octopus in smokey Ecuadorian marinade.
• There were a lot of textures which I liked - the scallops were tender, the shrimp meatier and the octopus jelly-like. It was marinated with red pepper and maybe some sun-dried tomatoes, but it was a bit bland. I don't feel like the ingredients absorbed the flavours of the marinade as well as it should have. It was a bit smokey in flavour and a little citrusy but still bland. It just needed more flavour and it would have been there.
  
• $13 separately
• Hondurian Coconut Ceviche 2/6
  
• Fresh tuna marinated in chillies, ginger, fresh lemon juice and coconut.
• I liked this one the least. It was a bit sweet and too creamy and I thought it masked the tuna. However the quality of the tuna wasn't that high. I expect citrusy flavours when I'm eating a ceviche, and this one was just too sweet.
• It wasn't lightly coated in coconut milk so it was too rich for a ceviche. There was little flavour besides the coconut milk.
  
• $13 separately
• Baru Ceviche 4.5/6
  
• Shrimp, halibut, avocado, fresh lemon juice, tomatoes, onion, cilantro.
• This was the best one and had the most flavour. It was the most traditional and most citrusy. You could really taste the fresh lemon juice. There was cooked baby shrimp and a little bit of mustard seed, however this flavour didn't stand out. I was able to see the seeds when I put my cellphone light up to it. It was refreshing and the avocado was a a great addition.
  
• $13 separately
• Patacones 2/6
  
• It's a twice fried plantain - which is a type of banana that's firmer, very starchy, and low in sugar.
  
• There homemade here, which they have to be, but they weren't served hot. I think they just made a batch and kept them under a heater. They came to us kind of warm, but not hot and fresh. They weren't crispy and you could tell they had been sitting there.

• Chepen Duck 3.5/6
  
• Marinated seared duck breast with passion fruit mojo, fresh pear, cilantro rice, and cassavafrits.
• The duck itself was actually pretty well marinated and tender. It was juicy and melted in your mouth and had this buttery texture. There were a lot of pieces, but my complaint is that the skin wasn't crispy. Duck as a fatty layer of skin and it needs to be crispy when you serve it - it's almost a waste if it's not. It was soggy, and tasted like soggy bacon.
  
• The cilantro rice just had lots of cilantro in it, but no other flavours. It was kind of bland again.
• The passion fruit mojo sauce was tangy and a little sweet. You could taste a light passion fruit flavour, but barely. It was a passion fruit syrup and it needed to be bolder to match the flavour of the duck. It needed to be more reduced and thick because I felt like it was more of a pan jus instead of a sauce.
• The pear was an Anjou pear and it was really ripe, but I'm not sure what the purpose served besides being decorative. It didn't really add to the dish because it was just slices of fresh pear. They also cut into the core of the pear so that was not good at all.
• Cassavafrits were roasted and could have been good except they didn't season them at all. It was almost like a potato, but startchier and more fiberous.
• Overall the dish had a lovely presentation, but it sounds and looks better than it tastes. The star of the dish was the duck, I just wish everything else had come up to the standards of it.
  
• $23
• 

Photo borrowed from - www.imonlyhereforthefood.com

• Pescado Rojo 2.5/6
  
• Mussels, prawns, scallops, white fish in roasted pepper and tomato broth.
• There were about 2 mussels, 2 scallops and 2 shrimps. The mussels were nice and big and very juicy and the scallops were nice and meaty, but the shrimps were pretty small and shriveled probably from being overcooked.
• My problem with the soup was that everything was cooked separately and then thrown into the soup last minute. The soup was one dimensional with no infusion of flavours and it tasted like a tomato vegetable stock. It was spicy from the chillies, but that's it - just spicy. There was also some cilantro in it, but it didn't do much.
  
• I also think it should have came with flatbread or some kind of side.
  
• $9
  

The Foundation Lounge

Sesamum Satay Salad

Restaurant: The Foundation Lounge
Cuisine: Vegetarian/Vegan/Healthy
Last visited: Sept. 16, 09
Area: Vancouver - Main Street
2301 Main Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 2...it looks like a dive, but it suits the image, so it's ok!
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Vegetarian/Vegan/Organic/Fresh/Healthy
  
• Famous for their nachos (Small $8) its huge!! - only served for dinner
• Flavourful vegetarian food, nice and hearty
• Crowded, line-ups
• Open late
• Attracts 20-30 age group
• Hipster/Hippie/Skater
• Retro feel, funky, laid back, liberal revolutionary quotes on the walls

** Recommendation: Nachos, Sesame Society, Sesamum Satay Salad

The Foundation has been around forever! I've been here a few times with non-vegetarians, and we have all gone back on our own to try new things. So that's a good thing! It serves all vegetarian food in a casual atmosphere, and most of it is really good! It's filling too because the portions are quite large and the flavours are bold. However they repeat a lot of their ingredients and sauces, so everything kind of tastes the same. It's kind of a variation of the same ingredients - I found things distinctly sweet or distinctly savoury - I'd prefer more of a balance. If it's sweet its mango/papaya based and if its savoury its sesame/peanut based. I'm not a vegetarian, but I do enjoy vegetarian food and The Foundation is still a great place to check out. Nothing fancy or gourmet, it is what it is - what it looks like on the outside is what it is in the inside.

On the table:

The infamous nachos - this is only a small, they're huge!

• **Nachos 5/6
  
• The small is big enough for 3-4 people! Its huge, and that's part of the hype.
• Huge plate, hot from the oven with tortilla chips covered in melted cheddar cheese black beans, and corn. Forget all the other toppings, these nachos are simple - yet delicious. To add guacamole is $2, but it's worth it because they give you a lot, but I bet it's from a container. You get a generous amount of sour cream, salsa, and guacamole - you'll have left over.
• The picture, doesn't really show how big it is. (Side note: The size of the condiments are inconsistent because the condiment dishes are all random - so it's kind of luck of the draw) But either way you'll always have enough. What's also great about these nachos is that the chips are well spread out in a nice layer, so each chip is covered with cheese. They don't just mound the tortilla chips so that the bottom layers don't have any toppings. They only serve them during dinner - so don't miss out!

• 

• Sweet Basil Curry Soup 1/6
• Really disappointing, but it looked and smelled so good!!! It had so much potential. It was hearty with potatoes and full of veggies....but not good at all. It was served luke warm from this crock pot set up in the front. It was bland and not flavourful at all. I actually sent it back, and I rarely ever do that.
  

• Mingling Yams 3/6
  
• This is a fluffy yam dip - a yam puree. Again you get a lot! It comes with warm pita which they call "horizontal bread" - it's like a flatbread. It also comes with tortilla chips. The dip is savoury and sweet at the same time - I found it more sweet though, but then again its made up of yams. It was enjoyable, but not a must or something I would crave.

• **Sesamum Salad 6/6
  
• This is a warm sesame satay veggie salad. It's greens topped with sauteed veggies like big chunks of broccoli, firm brown and sticky tofu, and chick peas. You definitely get your needed protein. It's hearty and filling and just tasty. I love the sesame sauce! The cold salad with the warm veggies makes for a perfect meal.
  
• Upper East Side 4/6
• Black beans and mangoes served on rice.
• It's .75 cents to change the rice to quinoa, and I think its worth it. The mangoes are from a can, but its ok because its only $7 with taxes. Again, its on the sweeter side, so I would order it with something savoury to break it up, or the flavour gets a little boring. The mangoes create a natural sauce, and the beans are a great thickening agent so its not runny and your rice or quinoa won't taste dry.
• Molton Tofu 5/6
  
• Broccoli and tofu served on rice.
• They say it's spicy, but I didn't think it was. They kind of showcase it in the appetizer section - but I found it more of an entree. You can order is as part of their appetizer platter - which is weird, because its not finger food. Again it was big and filling. Big pieces of broccoli and they use the firm brown tofu - which makes this dish hearty. I enjoyed this more than the Upper East Side. The sauce is a sesame-like sauce so the flavours and textures are nice and bold.
• Tight Spin 2.5/6
  
• Grain fed spinach, pear, sheep's cheese, sunflower seeds and a lime & mango dressing.
• This salad was ok. I wish they had used a pear that wasn't as ripe. It made the salad a bit mushy, and the crunchiness you want in a salad was lost. The sheep's cheese was also really strong, but went well with the pear. The dressing is a thicker dressing - not a vinaigrette. The dressing is heavy on the mango flavour - I think they puree canned mangoes to make it - so again the salad was a bit sweet for me. The pears have a natural sweetness so I think they could have gone more tart on the dressing to break up the flavours.

  

• Mango Forte 2/6
  
• Broccoli, zucchini, mango, and jalapenos in coco sauce tossed with round pasta aka rotini.
• Again not spicy, more sweet. The mangoes make the sauce again, so you don't taste the coconut very much. It almost tasted like a sweeter version of the mango-lime dressing from the salad. They don't skimp on the ingredients though, but again I needed some savoury to break up the flavours. Texture is there, but it needs something savoury.
• **Sesame Society 5/6
  
• Broccoli, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, firm brown tofu, and maple tahini sauce. Served on quinoa and spinach.
• This had the balance of sweet and salty that I was looking for! It's because it had a maple tahini sauce - this was one of my favs. A great variety of vegetables, and big pieces too, so they don't overcook and get mushy. The spinach kind of wilts underneath the layer of hot veggies and this comes with quinoa so it's a great deal at $9.75. I would go back for this!

Desserts:

• My Sugar Pie 1/6
  
• The say it's their best dessert - originates from Quebec. They offer a vegan version as well.
• This was WAY too sweet - and I have a major sweet tooth!! I need dessert after a meal and this was uber sweet. I'm sure it's how it's supposed to be, but I just didn't enjoy it. A couple bites and your sweet tooth is satisfied...and hurting.