Ocean Wise Pop-Up at the Vancouver Aquarium

It’s the most delicious time of year in the city with the return of Dine Out Vancouver, which brings with it pairing menus, tasting events, and tantalizing pop-up experiences. Back by popular demand, the Vancouver Aquarium is once again hosting the Ocean Wise Pop-Up Café during the 3 week culinary festival.

Ocean Wise Pop-Up at the Vancouver Aquarium

Photo by: Meighan Makarchuk

This year, diners can enjoy one of two seatings (6:00pm or 8:00pm) in the transformed bistro-esque Aquarium Café on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings throughout the Festival, which runs from Friday, January 19th to Sunday, February 4th.

Acclaimed Ocean Wise Executive Chef Ned Bell has crafted a three-course menu featuring dishes from his inaugural cookbook Lure and showcasing the best in sustainable, locally-sourced ingredients.

Unique to Dine Out Vancouver, guests at the Ocean Wise Pop-Up Café can explore the Aquarium’s many galleries, either following the early seating or before the late seating. Guests can chill out in Canada’s Arctic, transport themselves to a west coast fishing village at Steller’s Bay, and enjoy an exotic-albeit-brief staycation in the Tropic Zone while witnessing the nocturnal habits of the more than 50,000 animals that call Vancouver Aquarium home. For some guests, this may be the last chance to get hands on with cownose and southern stingrays as the Discover Rays Gallery closes spring 2018.

Ocean Wise Pop-Up Café Menu

First Course
Torched Albacore Tuna Tataki Salad
honey, lemon, sesame, radishes
or
Fanny Bay Clam Chowder
Chilliwack corn foam, maple brown butter
Upgrade your small plate with Chef Ned’s Famous Dungeness Crab Tacos for $15

Main Course
Icy Waters Arctic Char
laird lentils, parsnips two ways, vanilla, hazelnuts
or
Organic Ocean Northern Coho Wild BC Salmon
cauliflower, cashews, cranberries, black pepper vinaigrette
or
Two Rivers Rossdown Farms Chicken
celery root, caramelized cabbage, watercress, B.C. birch syrup dressing
Enhance your entrée with Selva Shrimp for $10

Dessert
Sea ‘Weed’ Brownies
kelp, almond praline
or
Roasted Apple Tart
whipped cream, caramel

Dinner service will take place at the Ocean Wise Pop-Up Café at Vancouver Aquarium on January 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 as well as February 2, 3, and 4. There are two seatings per night at 6:00pm. and 8:00pm. Each seating lasts 1.5 hours.

Tickets (available online now) are limited and cost $62.35 per person (inclusive of tax and service charges). For guests wishing to dive further into Chef Ned’s epicurean experience, wine pairings will be available for an additional cost. Copies of Lure will also be available for purchase.

Ocean Wise® is a not-for-profit organization whose vision is a world in which oceans are healthy and flourishing.