One of the more unique Dine Out Vancouver experiences this year is the Vancouver Aquarium’s Oceanwise popup dinner. For the first time, the Vancouver Aquarium hosted a pop-up restaurant where the café was transformed into a bustling bistro, featuring an exquisite menu from executive chef Ned Bell. The pop up dinner happens every day of the festival and ends this Sunday, Feburary 5. Last week, I was invited to attend the popup dinner for a media tasting.
Stingray Visit
The evening started off with a visit to stingray exhibit where guests were able to get up-close and personal with the rays. You can even touch the stingrays by sticking two fingers into the water and letting them come to you. It was certainly exciting to be able to feel their slimy armours!
Cafe Transformation
After a tour with the stingrays, we proceeded to the cafe which was transformed into an elegant dinner setting. The dim, purple-toned ambient lighting set the mood for a cozy and intimate atmosphere.
Amuse Bouche
We started off with an amuse bouche which was mussels in seaweed salad and chilled sockeye on wonton. I very much enjoyed the wonton which was wonderfully crispy and went well with the sockeye.
First Course
We sampled the Haida Wild Razor Clam Soup which came with seaweed biscuits and maple butter. The soup was very creamy, rich, and flavourful. The seaweed biscuits was savoury and certainly evoked a taste of the sea.
The Organic Ocean Side Stripe Shrimp Roll was definitely a tasty starter. It had cocktail shrimp on a warm, buttered brioche. I found the shrimp roll to go quite well with the Haida Wild Razor Clam Soup.
Ned’s Famous Dungeness Crab Tacos is an upgrade item (+$10) and definitely worth considering. The taco is a crispy wonton shell loaded with Ocean Wise Dungeness crab and garnished with radish slices and sprouts. The dressing has lemon, miso paste, mustard, honey, and oil. That avocado mixture on the plate was just heavenly. A beautiful and extremely tasty creation indeed.
Second Course
One of the entrees is the Brown Butter & Honey Glazed Skipper Otto Ling Cod with oyster mushrooms, parsnip foam and pickled pears. This was my favourite entree as the ling cod was lusciously moist and tender. I loved the sweet-sour flavours of the pickled pears.
For those who might want a more seafood variety, there is the tri-mix of scallops, wild salmon and sablefish. The scallops were medium, juicy and tender; the wild salmon moist and perfectly cooked; and the sablefish was wonderfully buttery. This dish is served with fingerling potatoes, onion crema, celery root, and black truffle.
For someone interested in an non-seafood entree, the Duo of Black Pig with tenderloin and braised pork cheeks is an option. It’s a very meat-centric plate which will leave you very full with the portions.
Third Course
To finish off a fantastic meal, there are choice of two desserts: the Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake or the Lime Custard Tart. I was quite impressed with the cheesecake which was thick, creamy, smooth and just melt-in-your mouth delicious.
Overall Impression
With great portions and nicely executed dishes, I certainly very felt full and satisfied from the Oceanwise popup dinner. My ideal three course meal would be the Organic Ocean Side Stripe Shrimp Roll, Brown Butter & Honey Glazed Skipper Otto Ling Cod, and Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake.