2008 November : Tiny Bites

A tour of Barnston Island Herbs

Leave a Comment Karen HamiltonNovember 26, 2008

Did you have more than a passing interest in the parents of the people you grew up with? Not I. What my friends’ parents did for a living was outside the periphery; like my the goings-on of my own family’s elders, such details did not figure largely in the adolescent cosmos of puppy love and schoolyard drama.

But you grow up, start your career, and realize that some of the adults in your circle have led very interesting lives and pursued professions that now converge with your own interests. This is the case with Mr. and Mrs. Hoffmann: parents to my good friend Dave and grandparents to my cute-as-a-button godson*. To those outside of my set of childhood friends, Peter and Jennifer Hoffmann are better known as the owners of local purveyor Barnston Island Herbs.

The Hoffmanns are two people that I had long wanted to feature on Tiny Bites for their committment to growing local, pesticide-free greens for the Lower Mainland’s food and hospitality industries. My husband and I had the privilege of spending a day with the Hoffmann family on their farm on Barnston Island, and managed to sneak in a tour of the greenhouses while Dave got dinner ready for us all.

Jennifer kicked off the tour inside the farm’s main warehouse, where Barnston Island’s live culinary herbs are packaged in their soil trays to their final destinations. Live herbs are not their only specialty: over the years, the in-house product line has expanded to include fresh cut herbs, baby vegetables, baby lettuces, specialty fruits and mushrooms, and edible flowers. What Barnston Island doesn’t grow is imported from near and far (I spotted tomatoes from Origin Organic, for which Barnston Island acts as supplementary distributor).

We strolled past the labelling station into a small room filled with galoshes and rugged gardening wear. This gear was carefully squared away into cubbyholes pertaining to specific greenhouses. By having staff switch to clothing especially designated for certain growing zones, the farm mitigates the risk of contaminating crops with seeds or insects that are helpful for some plants and harmful for others.

The same room housed their stock of biological controls: beneficial insects used in place of chemical alternatives. The entire farm is kept free of pesticides, and staff rely instead on ladybugs, mites, and tried-and-true flypaper to cull fungi and pests that threaten the crops. We saw these helpers in action as we began our walkthrough of the holding houses that were safe for visitors to enter.

Video Aside: Tamara Taggart featured Barnston Island Herbs in her Taste of Home series about eating local. Watch Tamara help Peter release a new batch of ladybugs onto one of their crops.

Taste of Home featuring Barnston Island Herbs (May 26, 2008)

Because none of the leaves were sprayed with chemicals, Jennifer encouraged us to sample the greens that we came across. We happily snacked on the angular New Zealand spinach, the frondy French lavender, the peppery nasturtiums, and a host of other herbs and micro greens. The array of edible flowers were too pretty for me to despoil, though my husband did make the mistake of eating the not-for-consumption leaves of a scented geranium.

Once we had our fill (literally) of the holding houses, we returned to the Hoffmann residence to help Dave with dinner preparations. He had gone ahead of the tour group to grab basil, rosemary, chili pepper, garlic, purple potatoes, and cippolini onions from their sizeable pantry, and was even kind enough to have them arranged photogenically for my camera’s return.

There’s nothing quite like a meal made with the freshest of ingredients. Dave prepared figs, frisée, pea shoots, and more into a light salad that I could not stop shovelling into my mouth.

My husband grilled up rosemary and chili lamb chops, prawn skewers dusted with garlic and basil, and kept an eye on the potatoes and onions that were sauteeing on the side.

We dined with the Hoffmanns in their cheery kitchen and whiled away the rest of the evening with hockey, banter, and much fawning over of my godson.

* I am godmother by proxy…close enough!

Categories: Food, Food Purveyors, Going Green

Sustainable Sushi PodMob targets Sushi Bento Express

6 Comments Karen HamiltonNovember 21, 2008

Vancouver often feels like a small place despite its standing as the third largest city in Canada. While it’s easier than expected to run into someone you haven’t seen in years, such encounters don’t tend to happen in the midst of a mob. But that’s exactly how I’ve crossed paths (twice!) with elementary school pal Johnny Flores who, along with brothers Allan and Jonathan Flores, runs the small but vibrant Sushi Bento Express along the Robson Street corridor.

The first mob-induced run-in with Johnny occurred as Canucks fans flooded Robson after a particularly satisfying playoff win. There was only enough time to register surprise and share a celebratory “woo!” before the crowd swept us apart. When I relayed the incident to my brother, who still kept in touch with the Flores brothers, he shared news of their restoration of the former Sushi World Bento Express. I had always intended to check it out but never did manage to stop in for a bite.

Fast forward one year to this week. Buzz was building in the local Twitter sphere about a pseudo-flash mob event to encourage “sustainable sushi”—an outcome long wished for by myself and apparently a growing number of residents in the downtown core. I took note of the venue for November 20th: Sushi Bento Express. The name tugged at the cobwebs of my memory but I didn’t put two and two together until I headed over for dinner that evening.

Behind the open counter were the Flores men, churning out sushi for the steady stream of visitors that flowed in for the start of the dinner rush. My husband and I grabbed a table none too soon; nearly all the seats were occupied within minutes of placing our order.

Since the signs plastered throughout the restaurant were fiercely promoting the sustainable sushi concept, I felt compelled to choose my meal from the 3 items that were featured as sustainable choices. I went with the assorted sashimi: 2 pieces each of salmon, hamachi, red tuna, and toro for $14.

Each slice was popping with freshness and colour. Presentation elicited aahs from myself and my husband, and I immediately reached for the red tuna that was begging me to try it first. I was not disappointed—not with the red tuna nor with the other specimens on my plate. The visuals, texture, and taste of the sashimi were a cut above the seafood I am accustomed to having at smaller sushi houses, and rivaled those of upscale establishments that charge significantly more for their fare.

My husband, who lunches on chicken teriyaki with high frequency, found Sushi Bento’s rendition to be similarly above par. He attacked his donburi with fervour and protested the loss of food that I stole for my taste test. Even better was the price point: $5.95 for the regular size we ordered, with small and large portions at $4.95 and $6.95, respectively.

We quickly released our table to the throng that was waiting to dine in. On the way out, I took a few minutes to say hello to my old schoolmate and inquire about Sushi Bento’s commitment to sustainable dining. Johnny and his brothers described that the majority of the seafood they already source is harvested in a sustainable manner. The tuna they serve is locally caught and wild salmon is their choice (as opposed to the farmed variety). Takeout containers pose the toughest challenge on their road to sustainable operation; the relative cost of biodegradable or compostable options are difficult to swallow. Thankfully, Sushi Bento’s efforts to be more environmentally conscious will be assisted by the financial contributions of the PodMob, a donated one-year membership to the Green Table Network, and interaction with sustainability groups like Ocean Wise (who had reps drop in for a peek).

I also had the chance to glean some PodMob background from Emily Jubenvill, senior editor at 3rd Whale and PodMob organizer, as she and other supporters welcomed guests at the entrance of Sushi Bento.

Emily told me how she canvassed sushi establishments in Vancouver’s West End, auctioning off publicity and the collective dollars of PodMob diners to the restaurant that pledged the largest percentage of one day’s revenue to greening initiatives. As you can see, Sushi Bento Express topped the list with their bid of 31%, and I’m so glad that they won. It gave me a reason to sample one of my brother’s recommended sushi joints for the first time, contribute to a worthy cause, and reconnect with a friend from yesteryear.

Quick Links

Emily raised awareness for PodMob through her blog, YouTube updates, social media, and coverage from CBC News and other Vancouver dailies. Below were the resources that helped me to learn more about sustainable seafood, the PodMob initiative, and the first such gathering at Sushi Bento Express.

I hope to see you at the next PodMob—wherever and whenever that may be.

Emily Jubenvill’s PodMob posts on 3rdWhale.com
Event Promotes Sustainable Sushi – November 20, 2008 (Westender.com)
CBC News broadcast featuring Jonathan Flores and Emily Jubenvill – November 17, 2008 (on YouTube)
Enviro group lures restaurants towards ‘sustainable sushi’ – November 11, 2008 (CBC.ca)
What makes a seafood item Ocean Wise? (Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise website)

Sushi Bento Express
1258 Robson Street | Vancouver
(604) 681-1150

Categories: Blogging for Social Change, Downtown, Events, Food, Going Green, Restaurants, West End

Coffee Discovery Series: A Ritual Coffee Experience

Leave a Comment Karen HamiltonNovember 20, 2008

This week marks the publication of my second article on CoffeeGeek.com. Topic is the October free tasting: samples and prize giveaways were from San Francisco roaster Ritual Coffee, and basic/advanced operation of a French press was demonstrated and discussed.

Run over to CoffeeGeek for the full text; abstract and full photo gallery below.

The October CoffeeGeek tasting at Vancouver’s Bump n’ Grind Café couldn’t have been more perfectly timed for yours truly. The night before was a vigorous celebration of my 29th birthday, and the promise of quality coffee to sooth my aching liver certainly spurred me out of the house with a burst of energy that I shouldn’t have been capable of at the time.

With the one tasting event under my belt and additional education gleaned from regular visits to the new Italian-style espresso bar on my block, I also felt more confident in my ability to assess the roasts that would be sampled on this day, care of San Francisco’s Ritual Coffee.

Unlike the September tasting, which consisted of a vertical flight of 3 Ethiopian Sidamos, the October event would provide a free sampling of roasts from two different parts of the world.

The first hails from the Matalapa region of El Salvador, grown on a farm called La Libertad; these farmers garnered a prestigious Cup of Excellence finals standing for this particular bean in 2008. The second was a Kenyan – from Muburi, Kirinyaga to be precise – grown 1700 metres above sea level in volcanic loam.

Another new item on the agenda was the inclusion of a French press how-to. Prince has already authored a number of popular tutorials on this topic on CoffeeGeek.com and Imbibe Magazine. During the day’s session, copies of this article from Imbibe were distributed to participants and were referenced throughout the in-person demonstration.

As a special treat, two additional espresso roasts were available for a nominal charge following the tasting and tutorial, pulled at the Synesso by [Sammy] Piccolo, who also happens to be a 4-time Canadian Barista Champion and fresh from his 2008 win in Montreal.