Why would over 200 people patiently line up outside the Vancouver Aquarium on a near freezing winter’s night? To taste chowder. That’s why. And not just any chowder but 14, truly unique, BC recipes. And all OceanWise at that.
Thursday night’s 2019 Chowder Chowdown, as usual, was an unqualified success. Fourteen leading restaurants, resorts and caterers vied for top honours. And when all was done, for the first time ever, there was a tie.
Chowder Chowdown has evolved in so many ways. For sure, it’s a significant event and fundraiser on the Aquarium calendar. And it’s a great promo for Ocean Wise. However, equally important, it’s a convincing showcase for the hotbed of BC culinary talent. If you manage to sample everything (I did, almost) it’s easy to see why. There’s an extraordinary level of creativity on display. Not to mention some serious skills in serving everyone in a timely manner. Above all, it just seems a very ‘BC’ kind of thing.
In Search of the Perfect Chowder
I’ve judged at this event a few times. Enough to appreciate just how much planning and originality goes into these recipes. It’s a fine line. One overt ingredient might impress but it could be overpowering. Too predictable and your entry won’t gain traction. And … if it’s too complex to assemble, the dish might get cold. Also, people won’t wait. Unless the word gets out they should. There were a couple of those the other night, for sure.
Winners- (L-R) Chef Chris Andraza, Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, and Chef Welbert Choi, Forage, photo Leila Kwok
Unprecedented, the professional judges’ delivered identical scores for two entries. That tie for first celebrated both an (almost) ‘oldie’ and a ‘newbie.’ Forage chef Welbert Choi and Fanny Bay Oyster Bar chef Chris Andraza shared the top honours. But there was a common theme. ..
Interestingly, both dishes included a land-raised protein. Fanny Bay’s Manila clam & corn chowder wowed with its with intense smoked pork belly—plus corn salsa. Forage played a well balanced symphony of texture and flavours, led by hand shredded BBQ duck and Berezan (Langley, land raised) shrimp chowder, with Dungeness crab and shrimp toast. It was a beautifully balanced and multi textured combo. I also got a kick out of the Fanny Bay dish. It reminded me of Forage’s former chef Chris Whittaker’s 2012 winner, that featured smoked pork rinds. (Forage also went on to win the next year…)
Chris Whittaker
Whittaker (in town from Squilax’s Quaaout Lodge) served up another contender. This time, a wild BC salmon chowder sported cured roe and crispy salmon skin with potato crunch. Other chowders that made my top list were: Arc’s saffron & fregola (mussel?) chowder and Honey Salt’s BC wild Sidestripe shrimp recipe, restrained and balanced.
Langara Lodge’s innovative chowder and razor scallop spoon
Langara Lodge‘s Haida Gwaii Chowder (People’s Choice winner) revealed a smoked salmon croquette and Bull Kelp pistou. It also ingeniously used a razor clam shell as a spoon. Torafuku’s ‘Why so Shellfish’ kicked up mussel and clam Dashi with a mild curry foam; and the home team’s Ocean Wise Wild BC Salmon Chowder matched Chilliwack corn with subtly sweet Coconut. (It was also a good beer pairing, with Fuggles & Warlock.)
Ocean Wise sous chef Stacey Johnston
It was also good to see the craft beer match-ups, as well as BC distillers on hand. Wine-wise, Lake Breeze Semillon Chardonnay went well with at least a couple of dishes—and paired nicely with lineups. ;-)
Not to be overlooked is the more serious side to this event. As the Vancouver Aquarium reminds us:
“Overfishing is a major threat to our oceans. With thousands of Ocean Wise seafood partner locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to choose sustainable seafood for the long-term health of our oceans. The Ocean Wise symbol next to a seafood item is our assurance of an ocean-friendly seafood choice.”
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