Even in a down economy, certain fine dining restaurants are remaining successful by staying true to their roots. Frank Pabst, executive chef at Blue Water Café and Raw Bar in Vancouver, British Columbia, says his customers still expect the best from his restaurant, which Vancouver Magazine recently named Best Seafood Restaurant in part for its commitment to sustainable seafood. The Germany native, who's been in Vancouver since 1994 and at Blue Water since 2003, says even lower-end species can effectively anchor a white-tablecloth menu.
WRIGHT: What Pacific Northwest seafood species are you most impressed by?
PABST: Certainly the Pacific halibut. I'd never seen it before; we have turbot in Europe but it's not the same. Sablefish is a beautiful product that doesn't exist over there. Sea urchins here are phenomenal, just amazing. On the Pacific coast we have the red sea urchin and the green and they are both just wonderful.
Why does Blue Water only serve dinner?
You have to change the concept of the menu for lunch and cut prices significantly. If you don't do the numbers you wish, it can get very difficult. Nighttime is much better, because of the theaters and the hockey arena - after Canucks games or concerts we have big rushes. The hockey players come in, as do movie stars because they film a lot of movies here.
What's the difference between dining out in Europe and in North America?
It's very unaffordable for the middle class to go out in Europe. If you have to pay 60 to 80 euros ($80 to $105) - for me it's hard to justify spending so much on a single meal. As much as I like food, the better restaurants are for the upper class. Here it's expensive but not to that extent.
How has your Ocean Wise affiliation aided in your sustainable seafood goals?
They are a huge help. As chefs, we couldn't really do the research ourselves about sustainability. And most of our suppliers couldn't tell us what we needed to know. Ocean Wise gave us the scientific research and provided us with information regarding sustainably harvested fish and which fishing methods are clean. I'm a strong believer in sustainability and promote seafood that is first of all local and secondly that is not endangered. In lots of cities in Europe these questions are still not asked. The West Coast is a frontrunner in this. Every February we have a program called 'Unsung Heroes' where I promote species at our doorstep like geoducks, urchins, sardines and herring - things that are known but underappreciated. I pick about 10 different species and we use smaller plates to get people to try them. I have the responsibility to offer choices on the menu. And it's fun for us in the kitchen to work with products like that.
Are your customers in tune with sustainability?
They are usually aware, and if not our waitstaff points it out. Most of the seafood we work with is Ocean Wise-approved, but not all. Lobster is a big seller, but it does not have an [eco-label]. American lobster gets a yellow rating, but it's a tough one to take off the menu; there's no real replacement. It's important to make an effort and have your heart behind it.
How are you handling these challenging economic times? We're more price-sensitive and dropped our menu prices by a certain percentage. We don't want to get away from our fine-dining menu. We don't want to make inexpensive products only to make the menu cheaper. Customers expect the best from us. But you can choose less-expensive items like lingcod.
To read the complete interview with Chef Frank Pabst, check out the One on One column in the May issue of SeaFood Business.
April 26, 2009
