2018 Coastal Culinary Experience

September 4, 2017
LOCATION
The Clubhouse
EVENT DATE
August 12, 2018
-
August 16, 2018
Aug 12, 2018
-
Aug 16, 2018
INQUIRE ONLINE

Enjoy A Modern Seafood Adventure on the Beaches of Haida Gwaii

Want to add something really wild to your next fishing trip?

Consider taking part in our Coastal Culinary Experience, where you will combine the world’s best salmon fishing with a dining experience far beyond anything you could ever imagine, all courtesy of Mother Nature and Canada’s Top 100 chefs.

The stage for the Coastal Culinary Experience on remote Beresford Bay.

Seafood lovers, come discover the rich, untouched beaches of Haida Gwaii with one of Canada’s most innovative and distinguished chefs. The West Coast Fishing Club has invited John Horne, executive chef of Toronto’s Canoe restaurant to delight our guests with his creative culinary artistry at this year’s event.  Renowned as a pioneer of modern Canadian cuisine, Canoe crafts inspired dishes reflective of Canada’s diverse landscape, history and culture and is ranked among the top 10 restaurants in the country.

During this extraordinary trip, you will be whisked away by helicopter over jaw-dropping seascapes to a remote white-sand beach culinary experience. There, outside in the rugged wilderness, Chef Horne will handcraft spectacular dishes highlighting local B.C. seafood inspired by the majestic beauty of Haida Gwaii. Don’t miss this trip that will take you far beyond anything you could ever imagine.

Yellow pickerel with button chanterelles, wild rice spätzle + Saskatoon berry gastrique by Chef John Horne

The WCFC team preparing for a beach lunch unlike any other.

After your ultimate beach picnic, comb a beach that bears no footprint, search for glass Japanese fishing floats that frequently wash up on these shores or explore the edge of the ancient rainforest where few have walked before. Get close to some of the planet’s most wondrous creatures, and discover first-hand why this remote kingdom of nature is called “Galapagos of the North.”

* Glass ball that one of our lucky guests found.

Glass ball that one of our lucky guests found.

The white sand beaches and turquoise waters of Beresford Bay.

At day’s end, retreat to the luxurious confines of The Clubhouse where your gastronomic journey continues in the inimitable manner of The West Coast Fishing Club, and then awaken to more of the world’s best salmon fishing.

Chef John Horne
Executive Chef, Canoe

Since being appointed Chef of Canoe in 2010, John Horne has incorporated his passion for refined flavours, seasonal ingredients and explosive presentation with his love of Canadian cuisine.

After graduating from the Niagara College Culinary Management program, Chef John worked at Almeida in London, England under the tutelage of Chef Ian Wood for two years.

With experience at Michelin-starred restaurants such as L’Escargot, The Square and the Orrery under his belt, John honed his classic French techniques for seven years as the Senior Sous Chef of Auberge du Pommier, one of Toronto’s most celebrated French restaurants. With his love of learning always in gear, Chef John returned to Europe to work at Crillon le Brave.

Respected for his dedication to Canadian cuisine, he has collaborated with those who share his philosophy – Martin Picard (Au Pied de Cochon), Jeremy Charles (Raymonds) and Société-Orignal (foraging specialist). In 2011, John was named the Nine of Dine winner at the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo. In 2012, he was the only chef from outside of Montréal asked to participate in the international Omnivore World Tour to represent Canadian “Young Cuisine” for the first event held in Canada.

Chef John proved his culinary prowess, taking home the gold award at the prestigious 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition after going head-to-head with nine of Toronto’s finest culinary masters at the prestigious culinary event.

At Canoe, Chef John was able to take his cooking to the next level as he is constantly inspired by quality Canadian ingredients, a revelation that came as a result of his travels abroad.

In 2015, Chef John was appointed District Executive Chef of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants. In this role, he oversees the culinary direction at Canoe, Auberge du Pommier, Jump, and the newly opened Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery.

COASTAL CULINARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Beachside culinary dining on the remote shores of Haida Gwaii
  • Executive chef from Canoe, one of Canada’s Top 10 restaurants
  • Chef Horne cooking demonstration
  • Delicate seafood dishes throughout the trip
Reserve Your Spots Today!

Call us at 1-888-432-6666 or click here to make an inquiry online.

2017 Coastal Culinary Experience

Event Recap: The Coastal Culinary Experience Brought the Ocean to the Table – the Dinner Table, that is.

By Patricia Wu, Marketing Director, The West Coast Fishing Club

The remote deserted beach of Beresford Bay was the perfect setting to dine el fresco for last year’s inaugural Coastal Culinary Experience. Luckily, last year the weather was perfect – sunny and warm –so this year, we crossed our fingers in hopes that weather permitting, we could repeat this unforgettable lunch for our 2nd annual Coastal Culinary Experience with our friend and returning guest Chef Charles-Antoine Crete.  Chef Charles, the former right-hand chef to renowned Chef Normand Laprise and now Chef and Owner of critically acclaimed Quebec restaurant Montreal Plaza, was recently named “Most Innovative Chef” and No. 11 on the list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants according to Canada’s 100 Best.

Chef Charles-Antoine Crete.

Of course, any angler knows that Mother Nature can often have her own ideas.  We checked the weather report daily but weather in Haida Gwaii can be unpredictable.  Our Wednesday plan of having a lunchtime helicopter-ride and picnic was not in the cards. No time to be disappointed! It quickly was decided:

A delicious, intimate 8-course family style dinner will be served in the comfort of our dining room instead.  It turned out nicely that with the promise of an exceptional dinner experience and the fishing heating up through the week, our guests gladly took advantage of the extra time to hit the water.

Coastal Culinary Experience featured dinner menu.

“When you can’t bring the guests to the beach, you bring the sea to them,” Chef Charles expressed.

Not only did the menu showcase dishes from the east coast like in-season Blue Fin Tuna from Eastern Canada, but he made sure to highlight the beautiful local product of B.C: beautifully tender Halibut with fresh vegetables and peaches and even creatively utilized seaweed as serving vessels. “Whenever I go to events, it’s fun to bring a part of Montreal and incorporate food from where I am visiting,” described Chef Charles as he spoke to guests.

The Clubhouse guests were treated to a memorable gastronomic odyssey.

Many were spotted taking second helpings of this beautifully prepared, family-style dinner.

Raw Vegetables as Fast Food

Our first appetizer was surprisingly unexpected: a takeout salad served in his compostable containers.  Of course, this was not just any salad, this was his Foodchain Salad.  Foodchain is Chef Charles’ fast food restaurant concept, recently opened in Montreal, of slicing a myriad of fruits and vegetables using industrial strength food processors.  For us, our Foodchain Salad highlighted vegetables and herbs from his father-in-law’s garden – three different kinds of basil, onion, kohlrabi, beets and apples.  Fresh, crisp and bright, the refreshing salad was many of my table mates favourite.

Cucumber, melon and duck.

One day at Montreal Plaza, Chef Charles accidentally forgot a duck leg in the oven and left it frying on its own. It tasted so good he made a dish around this concept for the restaurant.  Adding in melon and cucumber, the dish was finished with a dusting of arctic char smoked roe and simmered with a Japanese marinade.

Blue fin Tuna & tostada.

Before he left Montreal, Chef Charles, cut down a whole 250-pound Tuna. Seasoned with white garlic vinegar and served with brown rice tostada, Chef Charles used fresh sea kelp which he poached and used as serving vessels.

Whelk and miso.

Sea snails from Quebec served with chanterelle mushrooms with bread and miso butter.

Yakitori and eel sauce.

Perfectly grilled skewered chicken with eel sauce served on sea kelp.

Halibut head.

Chef Charles prepared Halibut heads and marinated them overnight and broiled them in the oven with his own kimchi sauce.  Paired refreshingly with peaches, onions, peas and beets.

Cherry lamb.

A shoulder lamb confit paired with B.C. cherries and raspberry sauce with smoked duck fat.

Bringing Our Ocean to Table Culture to Life.

This year’s Coastal Culinary Experience was one of the most innovative culinary journeys our guests have had the privilege of enjoying. Merci to Chef Charles, his Sous Chef Simon Roy and our entire culinary team at The Clubhouse for delivering a truly incredible evening.

In addition to the phenomenal dinner hosted by the guest chefs, guests set out for the waters surrounding Langara Island in search of Tyees. A couple of our youngest anglers managed to not only catch and release a 37 lb Tyee, but boated a few Chinook in the 20’s to take home with them.

Russell Kirkpatrick & Owen Drysdale with a nice take home 29 lb Chinook.

Coastal Culinary guests with a couple of nice Chinook.

Cotter Friess and guide Owen Drysdale releasing a 37 lb Tyee!

We look forward to welcoming guests next year for another Far Beyond gastronomic journey.

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