As far as wild versus farm salmon, I'm definitely for team #wild. The usual inhibitor is cost as wild salmon is pricier. I was geniunely interested when I heard the Chef's Table Society of BC was hosting a Wild Salmon Celebration, so I committed faster than the pacing of season 7 of Game of Thrones.
Disclosure: I was given a complimentary ticket for this event and all opinions are my own.
Features:
Star-studded restaurants teamed up and prepared the following items:
- Salmon Poke Bowl and Salmon Terrine by The Vancouver Fish Company and Scout Canning
- Poached Salmon Pasta Salad by North Arm Farm and Outer Shores Expeditions
- Cured Salmon Risotto Ball by Cinara and Zambri's
- Soy Cured Salmon by The Fish Counter and Chase Hospitality Group
- Grilled Salmon Skewer by L'Abbatoir
- Smoked Salmon Johnny Cake by Campagnolo Roma and Home of the Brave
These were accompanied by the following wineries:
- Covert Farms 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
- Sage Hills Vineyard 2014 Single Wineyard Pinot Gris
- Culmina Family Estate Winery 2016 R&D Rosé Blend
- Haywire 2015 Switchback Pinot Gris
- Tinhorn Creek 2015 Oldfield Series 2bench White
First up was the salmon poke bowl and salmon terrine. A double header, this featured some fresh greens in addition to fresh poke. I'm used to all the farm salmon poke in the city so this was a cool twist. The salmon terrine was also quite creative and something you don't see on too many menus.
Salmon Poke Bowl
Salmon Terrine
Next up was the poached salmon pasta salad. This was a work of art featuring an elegant gradient on the poached salmon. Check out those colours! The greens were a little too rough for my liking but it was certainly an earthy dish.
Poached Salmon Pasta Salad
The cured salmon risotto ball was sadly a miss for me. There just a smidgen of wild salmon as most of this was a somewhat dry risotto ball. The pickled ingredients on top added some zap but my serving was a bit of a mush.
Cured Salmon Risotto Ball
The soy cured salmon was a super creative take on seafood with many flavours mixing together. The toasted nori added a satisfying crunch but the best part was fitting the entire bite into my mouth and chomping down.
Soy Cured Salmon
The grilled salmon skewer was one of my favourites of the night. Coming out of a large cylindrical grill, these skewers were plump yet fully dressed and wrapped in a handheld lettuce shell.
Grilled Salmon Skewer
The absolute favourite of the night was the smoked salmon johnny cake. Certainly the homiest of the items tonight, who knew adding wild smoked salmon was the perfect accompaniment for a pancake drizzled with honey? I hope to see this item on some menu soon because I'd order it in a heartbeat.
Smoked Salmon Johnny Cake
Overall, while I didn't love every single food item, most were tasty, creative, and represented a wide spectrum of different ways to prepare salmon.
Preparation
On the side of wines, I most enjoyed the Culmina R&D Rosé Blend. As the only rosé offered this night, I was instantly smitten. Though it did not contain as many bubbles as my favourite rosés, the vibrant finish of this sample would have encouraged me to get another if I wasn't meaning to sample all the wines.
Culmina R&D Rosé Blend
Overall, I thought this was a pretty slick event. For $50, you got access to unlimited samples of your favourite ways to poach salmon, enough wine samples to cover about 2 servings in a restaurant, music by the Don Hardy Blues' Quartet, and an al fresco waterfront view. I left feeling completely full and enjoyed tasting salmoon from so many marquee restaurants.
Al Fresco Dining
Don Hardy Blues' Quartet Trumpet Solo
Final Thoughts:
One-liner: Tasty salmon served every which way and deserving of a second year so more Vancouverites can taste a bit of their national backyard staples
Highlight: Smoked Salmon Johnny Cake
Price per person: $50
Would I go back? Yes.
For more information on the Chef's Table Society of BC and their upcoming events, check out http://chefstablesociety.com.