Food News

Is it Odd to Eat Seafood Chowder to Support the Aquarium?

No! It's awesome and dozens of our top chefs agree.

By Neal McLennan /

This week has seen a big push of restaurants slowly (and some not so slowly) moving towards reopening under new protocols that will make dining out a very unique experience. But one spot that remains closed? The Vancouver Aquarium, the champion of Ocean Wise seafood and formerly a respite for stressed out parents everywhere.

So a cross-section of our top chefs, supported by a similar cross-section of our top suppliers (so much crossing going on), have banded together to craft a series of signature chowders for sale. Sales will run $20 for a litre, of which at least $15 will go to support the Aquarium. Here’s just a few of the hot shots making hot pots:

Chef Ned Bell and Chef Stacy Johnson (The Naramata Inn)  are making Ned and Stacy’s Naramata Inn Smoked Seafood Chowder

Chef Rob Clark – Fish Counter Chowders. Available at The Fish Counter

Chef Alex Chen – BLVD Signature Clam Chowder with Maple Cured and Smoked Sablefish. Available at Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Chef Hamid Salimian: Granville Island Summer Clam Chowder. Available at Popina Canteen

Chef Amanda Cheng and Chef Makoto Ono: Mak N Ming Kitsilano Beachside Sake Kasu Rasor Clam Chowder. Available at Mak N Ming

Chef Welbert Choi: Hand-shredded BBQ Duck and BC Scallop Chowder. Available at Forage

Paul Zhang: Heritage Seafood Coconut Curry. Available at Heritage Asian Eatery

Chef Chris Andraza – Fanny Bay West Coast Smoked Oyster Chowder. Available at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

Chef Poyan Danesh (Ocean Mama Seafood) – Ocean Mama Ocean Wise Shrimp Chowder. Available at Windsor Meats

Chef Mark Amos: Spicy Coconut Corn and Seafood Chowder. Available at Edge Catering

Chef Mark Greenfield: Seaside Provisions Style New England Clam Chowder. Available at Seaside Provisions

Chef Paul Benallick – Hollyburn Ocean Wise Seafood Chowder. Available to members at Hollyburn Country Club

Full disclosure—this is a new initiative so I haven’t tried any of them, save for the version of Alex Chen’s (see below) chowder which I ordered a few weeks back (it was aces). And a huge shout out to the suppliers—including Ocean Mama, Freshline, Organic Ocean, Gindara Sablefish, Nextjen, Intercity Packers, Deluxe Seafood and Sysco—who are donating the raw materials.

The full details from the Aquarium: chowders will be available for purchase starting Friday, May 22 at each chef’s restaurant, location, or a partner location. Most chefs will sell their chowder fresh or frozen in 1 litre sustainably sourced take-away containers for $20 (with a minimum of $15 going to Vancouver Aquarium). Some chefs will serve their chowder in smaller portions as part of their menu (with a minimum of 75% of proceeds to Vancouver Aquarium, although many chefs are being more generous).