Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/810732
COURTESY WAYNE SYCH, HAMID ATTIE PHOTOGRAPHY (JOE FORTES), ALLISON KUHL (ANCORA), TVAN (FOODIE TOURS), ISTOCK 30 W H AT T O E AT, D R I N K , TA S T E F resh, local, seasonal. ose three little words pack a powerful punch in describing West Coast cuisine – a celebration of B.C.'s bounty. Chefs find fresh ways to honour ingredients like sweet Dungeness crab, plump berries, wild mushrooms and more. Fresh sheet Get your fill of West Coast food from surf to turf and farm to table Wayne Sych LOCAL INTEL e Joe Fortes executive chef shares three of his favourite local ingredients. • FRESH HALIBUT AND HALIBUT CHEEKS: The season starts in the spring; to me, it really is the start of the fresh, local bounty. The slightly sweet taste of the fish makes it a popular choice for many chefs and diners. • B.C. SPOT PRAWNS: Wild and sustainable, nothing beats fresh spot prawns. This delicacy is known around the world for its sweet, delicate flavour and firm texture. We buy our spot prawns from Organic Ocean and serve them whole, simply poached with fresh herbs, lemon and butter. • FRESH BERRIES: Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are always on Joe Fortes' menu during berry season, starting in early summer. We buy them from various farms in the Fraser Valley. 2 Take a food tour: Eat your way through or around Granville Island Public Market with Vancouver Foodie Tours. The market is brimming with fresh fish, handmade pasta, organic produce and decadent doughnuts. 1 Meet the farmers: Vancouver's seasonal farmers markets are scattered across the city, including winter markets at Hastings Park (at the PNE) and Nat Bailey Stadium. Go to Eat Local online (eatlocal.org) to find out what's cropping up. SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD: Look for the Ocean Wise label, an initiative launched by the Vancouver Aquarium in support of sustainable fishing practices and embraced by chefs like Blue Water Cafe's Frank Pabst. FEAST Three more ways to get your food fix. SURF At Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, a city institution since 1985, executive chef Wayne Sych crafts seafood classics (think oysters Rockefeller) and modern fare like his miso-marinated sablefish with sesame quinoa, mushrooms, edamame, kale and sweet soy. On the seawall at the foot of Howe St., Ancora Waterfront Dining & Patio is where you'll find executive chef Ricardo Valverde imparting Japanese and Peruvian influences into his signature seafood tower, the Ancora Glacier. Find Dungeness crab causa mingling with high-grade sashimi (prepared by star sushi chef Yoshihiro Tabo), plus local oysters.