May 2018 - West Coast Food

Seafood May 30, 2018

Innovative Seafood Hotspots and Hidden Gems in Vancouver

By Brittany Tiplady Although it’s available year-round, spring and summer just feels like the right time to enjoy all of the fresh seafood that BC has to offer. Sure, you can grab a bowl of mussels or a platter of oysters just about anywhere, but where in Metro Vancouver can one go to try BC seafood prepared and served with innovation and uniqueness in mind? We sat down with Jenice Yu, proprietor of Fresh Ideas Start Here, seafood expert, foodie and fish purveyor to get the inside scoop. Let’s eat! Coquille 181 Carrall Street, Vancouver Coquille is the brand-new kid on the block, that’s already making quite the impression. When ordering, check out the spaghetti with clams, basil and uni butter, and the roasted lingcod or the extravagant seafood platter. “Coquille has a different approach to West Coast seafood. They are very innovative; Coquille uses a lingcod collar, which actually…

Craft Beer May 28, 2018

Refreshing Local BC Cider is at Vancouver Craft Beer Week Festival

By Catherine Dunwoody Vancouver Craft Beer Week is the annual summer beer festival. Now in its 9th year, (VCBW) Festival returns to the PNE Fairgrounds on June 2 and 3. Not a beer lover? Gotta drink gluten-free? Keep reading. The BC Farm Crafted Cider Association has created a brand new “cider row”, and you don’t want to miss out. Some to check out: Merridale Cidery & Distillery from Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island is pouring house craft cider, their Mexican-inspired Jalisco, Lime, Merri Berri and a juicy Mo’ Moro Dry Hopped Blood Orange. Vancouver’s own 33 Acres Brewery is proud to pour their 33 Acres Of Cid3r house cider, which is their interpretation of an old English scrumpy. Howling Moon Craft Cider is serving up their refreshing Cucumber Mint Maker’s Series, made with cucumber and lime, and both their semi-dry and dry craft ciders from the Okanagan Valley. Also from the Okanagan…

Recipes May 25, 2018

Recipe: Poached Halibut with Escarole and Oyster Buerre Blanc

By Jack Chen, Chef and Co-Owner, Coquille Fine Seafood Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 1 filet of Halibut (approximately 1 lb.) Curing Salt Coarse sea salt (1 cup) Granulated sugar (1 cup) Zest of 1 lemon Zest of 1 lime Zest of 1 orange Combine all ingredients and let it sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours. Poaching liquid Fish stock (any flavoured stock will work) (2 L) Butter (1 cup) 1 sprig tarragon 3 bay leaves 1 lemon peel Pinch salt Combine and set aside for later use. Oyster Beurre Blanc Butter, diced into 1 cm cubes (1 lb) White wine (1 cup) Heavy cream (2 cups) 3 shallots, thinly sliced 1 bay leaf Lemon juice (1/4 cup) Oysters, chopped (1 cup) Pinch salt Parsley Chives Chervil Tarragon DIRECTIONS Beurre Blanc Reduce white wine with shallots and bay leaf until you have a syrup-like liquid. Add cream and reduce…

Craft Beer May 22, 2018

Community Spirit on Show at Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2018

By Kristi Alexandra & Mary Ann Bell With indie breweries becoming almost as ubiquitous as Starbucks’ in Vancouver, you’d have to be wearing blinders to miss a brewpub or tasting room on any given block between Boundary Road and Kits Beach. But Vancouver’s not the only city under the influence, as the craft brewing boom has reached through Burnaby to the Valley, taking root in the communities in between. This year, brews from outlying towns are making a splash at the ninth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week, running from May 25 to June 5. Once again this year, it seems communities outside the big city are unofficially on show. The week-long fete’s feature collaboration beer is a shared effort between three breweries found along the spectacular Sea to Sky Highway: North Vancouver’s Beere Brewing, Backcountry Brewing in Squamish and Whistler’s Coast Mountain Brewing. In keeping with craft beer trends, this year’s VCBW…

Chef Stories May 22, 2018

Family Fishmonger and Sustainable Seafood Powerhouse Jenice Yu Keeps it Fresh

By Brittany Tiplady Jenice Yu is a force. You may have seen her live on a CTV or CBC segment, or maybe you’ve followed one of her delightful seasonal recipes on BC Living, MONTECRISTO Magazine, or Western Living. Or, maybe, you’ve stopped into one of her fish shops, Fresh Ideas Start Here (f.i.s.h.), for some fresh seafood and a poke bowl to-go. Yu is a savvy business woman, an Ocean Wise advocate, seafood expert, a recipe developer and one of the most beloved entrepreneurs in Metro Vancouver. Her accolades are many. She’s been lauded as ‘Supplier of the Year’ by Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, just a few years after opening her first f.i.s.h. location, and is recognized province-wide for her knowledge and passion for sustainable seafood. At a young age, Yu and her family immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong. The fish processing business became a family business, paving the…

Where to Eat May 15, 2018

Fill Up with These Rich Meaty Poutines in Metro Vancouver

By Kristi Alexandra Meaty, cheesy, messy, mouthwatering. Depending on who you ask, the most savoury junk food treat to come out of French Canada–maudite poutine–roughly translates to “a damn mess” or “a fine mess.” The hodge-podge of ingredients–meat, gravy and fresh cheese curds atop fries–has been around since the 50s. In its younger days, poutine’s appeal was questionable, but twists on this classic comfort dish have been picking up steam on this side of Canada of late. It’s a damn fine mess that we don’t mind translating to our tastebuds, and here’s a few places you can find it. Big Red’s Poutine Traveling food truck Go meat or go home! That’s the way Big Red likes it. This roaming poutine-only food truck serves up 14 meat-based poutines, from “the original” all the way to the spring roll poutine, packed with vegetable spring rolls cut into pieces in a homemade beef…

Recipes May 10, 2018

Recipe: Lavender Crème Brulée

By Thomas Haas Patisserie – Chocolate Café Makes about 4 six ounce glass terrines. INGREDIENTS Cream (1 ¾ cups) Milk (¼ cup) Dried lavender (1 tsp) Egg yolks (7 yolks) Granulated sugar (¼ cup) Vanilla bean, split and beans scraped (½ bean) DIRECTIONS In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine cream, milk, vanilla bean, dried lavender and bring to a scald. Tightly cover and steep for 30 minutes (or longer for a stronger flavor). Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Slowly incorporate the hot milk-cream mixture into the egg yolk-sugar mixture while continuously whisking Strain the crème mixture and refrigerate overnight The next day, pre-heat oven to 210°F Arrange the vessels into a baking pan that is about 2 inches deep Pour the crème brulée mix into the dishes to almost full Pour boiling water into the baking pan allowing the pan to be filled halfway with water Carefully transfer to…

Where to Eat May 8, 2018

Add Live Music to your Dinner with These Lively Spots in White Rock

By Brittany Tiplady Hello, spring, goodbye winter hibernation! If you’re planning your next night out with a date, a loved one, or a group of friends, consider heading to a local haunt that offers live music in-house. There’s something exciting about a meal or drinks paired with the live performance of a band; it feels somewhat nostalgic, interactive, and like a true night out on the town. Stay over in relaxed, beach-side White Rock for a late night out and then a rejuvenating morning stroll by the water. Here are some of our suggestions in White Rock: West Beach Bar & Grill 1101 Elm St. White Rock Known as White Rock’s number one live music venue, West Beach is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Live music is scheduled five night per week, including jams on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. With everything from pub food to share to…

Middle Eastern May 3, 2018

Head to Burnaby for a Little Lebanon at Lougheed

By Sheliza Mitha If you believe that it takes a passport and a trip to the other side of the world to get yourself an authentic chicken shawarma or any handful of Lebanese mezze (starters), you’d be happily wrong. A little bit of Lebanon can be easily found at the Golden Pita, a quick SkyTrain ride away from Vancouver in the Lougheed Mall neighbourhood. With a menu that overflows with authentic Lebanese fare, you won’t know where to start or where to stop. In full disclosure, I am what you would call kind of a regular here. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that I think about my next Golden Pita meal almost as soon as I’ve finished my last bite. Then I diligently pour over my calendar, questioning when I can get my next fix. An addiction? Kind of. Originally opened in 1996, this 22-seat eatery celebrates 22…

Recipes May 1, 2018

Recipe: Ahi Tuna Poke on Shrimp Cracker & Kaiware Sprouts

By Chef Daryle Nagata, Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant Richmond’s own Chopped Canada champion, Chef Daryle Nagata is of Japanese and Scottish heritage, and developed his skills in some of the finest hotels in the world. He is a strong proponent of fresh and local and was a grass roots trailblazer in sourcing his ingredients from local farmers, markets, foragers and fishermen. Makes 8 portions. INGREDIENTS Diced Ahi Tuna (16 oz) Sake (3 oz) Light miso paste (2 oz) Sesame oil (1 oz) Rice wine vinegar (1 oz) Ponzu soya sauce – Japanese (1 oz) Water (1 oz) Chopped pickled ginger (1 oz) Togarashi spice (1 tsp) Chopped chives (1 tbsp) Chopped kaiware (daikon radish sprouts) (20 pcs) Bonito flakes (1 oz) Flying fish roe (tobiko) (1 oz) Shrimp crackers (8 pcs) DIRECTIONS Dice Salmon in ½ inch cubes. Toss diced salmon in 3 oz of sake. Reserve covered & refrigerated…