It’s been well over a decade since chef Frank Pabst launched the first Unsung Heroes menu at Yaletown’s Blue Water Cafe. The idea was – and still is – to bring awareness to local and unique seafood, and avoid species that are over-fished or harvested in ways that damage ocean beds and surrounding life. It was a laudable if slightly revolutionary goal at the time, but was perfectly apropos for a chef who helms the kitchen of one of the founding members of Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program.
Pabst is celebrating the 13th anniversary of Unsung Heroes this month, and the partnership with Ocean Wise is still going strong; in fact, the restaurant donates 10 per cent of the proceeds from its Unsung Heroes menu to the initiative’s ocean-conservation efforts every year. Thanks to the various species Pabst has championed over the years, items like Humboldt squid, octopus and sardines are now commonly found on menus all over town. More recent menus have introduced Vancouverites to the joys of previously obscure ingredients such as red sea urchin, periwinkles and gooseneck barnacles.
This year’s menu is no different. Ever heard of a slipper limpet? You have now. It’s a sea snail that is native to eastern Atlantic waters, but was accidentally introduced into Pacific coastal waters and is now considered an invasive species. Its habit of attaching itself to oysters makes it damaging to local oyster beds and a prime candidate for gluttonous feasting. Pabst serves the limpets in a bowl of hot-and-sour broth loaded with hand-pulled noodles, wood ear mushrooms, tofu, bok choy and Chinese parsley. It’s a warm, comforting bowl of slightly salty and rather earthy goodness that banishes the bone-deep chill that’s been haunting me since early December.
Sturgeon liver is given a foie-like facelift, served as a silky-smooth mousse that spreads over toasted slices of baguette with ease. Even when more dishes arrive on the table, we can’t let the remains go, nibbling away throughout the evening until the last dollop is licked clean.
Herring is back this year, served in cool slices with beets, fingerling potato and pistachio crumbs, and drizzled with some housemade buttermilk ranch dressing. Smoked mackerel (one of my great loves) is layered with a horseradish mousse that has only a light bite, perfectly picking up the pickle in the quail egg.
Each dish has a suggested wine pairing chosen by Blue Water wine director, William Mulholland. The excellent taramosalata – made from carp roe and served with squid ink-tapioca crackers – is paired beautifully with a glass of brut cava from Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, while jellyfish salad is matched to Sea Star Vineyards’ Stella Maris, a white blend heavy on Gewürtztraminer and Pinot Noir.
Most of the dishes hover around $9-$12, with a couple topping out at $13-$14, so it’s a menu that’s both wallet- and ocean-friendly. The wine – or cider, in one case – pairings range from $7.50 to $17.50, with most between $10-$13. It’s a fantastic deal, and the plates are ideal for sharing. With almost a dozen dishes, you could share the entire menu between two to four people and leave comfortably full and not noticeably poorer. Singing the sustainability song has never been so easy.
The Unsung Heroes menu is available through Feb. 28. BlueWaterCafe.net
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
