May 26, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Dining
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NOTE: I realize I pronounced ‘Tapenade’ wrong a few times in the video. Please thank my superior linguistic skills. =/
Right now is a special time of the year in the lower mainland. It’s none other than Spot Prawn Season!!! When I heard about these little guys, I had to go check them out for myself. They are just all the rage right now and for good reason. They are DELICIOUS! I headed down to Steveston today to see for myself….
What is a spot prawn anyway? They are large shrimp that are fished along the British Columbia coastline and are considered sweeter and tastier than regular shrimps. Just another shrimp? No. Spot prawns are easily identifiable by the two little white dots on their bodies and are special because they are only available for one month of the entire year. (Usually May) This makes them a coveted prize and special treat that is extremely limited!
I headed down to Tapenade Bistro in Steveston to meet up with execute chef Alex Tung to try my own spot prawns. When I arrived he was literally taking the spot prawns out of the back of his car- they were in the water only an hour earlier. After a quick explanation of the prawns, he began preparing two delicious dishes that we sat down to. The first dish was raw spot prawns, and the second was a traditional spot prawn boil with glazed potatoes, chorizo, peas, and fresh garden herbs. Both were absolutely delicious, though I preferred the cooked spot prawns of the two. The prawns are mouth watering, clean, and very fresh to eat. The dishes were beautifully prepared, aesthetically pleasing, and the food was excellent.
I was happy I got to try spot prawns. They are a really tasty and unique treat that you need to go check out before the season ends! (which is very soon!) Head down to Steveston and pick up some on the docks, or check out one of the many restaurants that offer them. I recommend Tapenade Bistro- they have a great patio, friendly staff and the food is excellent. Enjoy them while they last!
May 18, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Whale Watching
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What a day!!! Today was easily one of the most fun days I’ve had in Richmond in a long time! I spent the day hanging out with a cool company named ‘Vancouver Whale Watch.’ As the name suggests, we got to see whales… and oh, so much more! By the time the day was over I had seen killer whales, eagles, sea lions, harbor seals, and a ton of stunning B.C. scenery! What more do you need for a great day in Richmond?
I’ve lived in Steveston my whole life and have always seen whale watching signs posted throughout the harbour, but never actually bothered to go. I’ve gone a couple times elsewhere in the world, and my experience was always just awesome! So when an opportunity came around to film the whale watching out of Steveston, I was all over it.
My friend Yuriy (the photographer) and I headed out for what we had originally thought was a two hour excursion— as it turned out it was a six hour day! Wow! The most awesome thing though? We never felt tired or bored; there was just too much see and enjoy. Our guide Joan (from Vancouver Whale Watch) was a fantastic and wonderful host, as was our friendly captain John.
The whole experience was well planned and executed and best of all, the whales were spectacular! We got the privilege of seeing a pod of eight killer whales, including a baby! They never did that Free Willy jump like in the movie, but it was still an amazing experience to see them.
On this trip something extremely rare and awesome happened. By law, you cannot get within 100 metres of the whales unless you are a researcher. (like the white boat in the video) They want you to keep your distance, which is totally understandable and what we did. However, as we were idling out in the Straights of Juan De Fuca, (off Vancouver Island) the entire pod surfaced almost right next to our boat! This was totally unexpected as they had dove several minutes ago and no body knew where they were. They had been quite far away in the distance, and suddenly were almost right underneath us! The footage and stills speak for themselves! It was the closest I’ve ever been to wild whales in my life. What an amazing stroke of luck!!
If you want a killer day (no pun intended) out in Richmond, head down to Steveston and check out the spectacular whale watching. There are two main companies that service the area: Vancouver Whale Watch and Richmond Seabreeze.
I spent the day with Vancouver Whale Watch and they rocked! It’s worth your time and makes a great day out in Steveston! Check it out!