On a recent trip to Vancouver I met Steve and Frank, hardcore grass-root fishermen. I went on their spot prawn boat and listened to them talk about sustainably harvested seafoods, and stories of sea lice on our coasts and dead wastelands in Asia as a result of shrimp farming. It’s exciting to have the capacity to make impactful choices. It’s very exciting to be able to have access to their products. Having that direct contact with a fisherman or a farmer is so important, the most important! —
New on the menu in 2010 What’s hot? What’s not? Chefs weigh in, Ron Eade, The Ottawa Citizen
Steve was instrumental in helping with my dream, and in collaboration with the Chefs’ Table Society of B.C., successfully launched our annual spot prawn festival. Now, also a spot prawn fisherman, Steve and his buddy Frank supply Vancouver with super fresh spot prawns with our first truly day boat fishery that is available for retail down on Fisherman’s Wharf. —
Executive Chef Robert Clark, C Restaurant
Look at the size and quality of the live prawns from the Asian markets compared to the prawns available from Steve at Fisherman’s Wharf. At the Asian markets, the prawns are considerably smaller and represent the crap that’s left once the higher quality prawns are picked out for export to Japan. After doing my own comparison of spot prawns available around Vancouver, I would gladly pay $12 a pound for the giant beauties caught by Steve and Frank. There’s a reason why all the top local restaurants only use Organic Ocean as their spot prawn supplier. — Foodbuzz: 24, 24, 24: Vancouver Spot Prawn Festival 2009, Phyllis Knipe, mehungry-phyllis.blogspot.com
But the showstopper is another simple plate: a single steamed spot prawn. Caught locally, spot prawns are the darlings of the gourmet seafood circuit. This one is as firm as lobster and tastes nearly as sweet. I ask Tojo what his secret is. "I get them from Steve at the Fisherman's Wharf," he says. "They come fresh every day." The next day, still full from a meal at Tojo's that went on for several more courses, I visit Steve. The Fisherman's Wharf is another piece of the Vancouver sushi puzzle. Improbably situated in the heart of the city, on an inlet in the shadow of downtown skyscrapers, the wharf is the first stop for mom-and-pop fishing boats loaded with the day's catch of scallops, prawns, tuna and salmon. I find Steve -- whose full name is Steve Johansen and who runs Organic Ocean, a small fleet dedicated to sustainable fishing -- at the wharf, reclining in a beach chair. A nearby sign for spot prawns reads "Sold out."— Rolling Through Vancouver’s Olympic-Size Sushi Scene, Remy Scalza, The Washington Post
While my recording device was out at the fishing docks in Vancouver, I heard the air horn on Steve Johansen’s fishing boat Organic Ocean #1 go off as he rounded the corner or whatever they call a corner on water. Steve was bringing in the latest catch of Spot Prawns, fresh from the waters. At the sound of the horn, a line-up formed and those smart people bought all the prawns they had for sale. The rest went to a growing list of restaurants who support what Steve is doing. A quick conversation with Steve Johansen of Organic Ocean. There’s a reason why they were named Producer/Supplier of the Year by the Chefs Table Society. —
Terry David Mulligan, The Tasting Room
I’m freakin’ hyper-excited about going out on the boat tomorrow and trapping spot prawns from 6am on. I’ll be joining Rob Clark from “C” Restaurant and Steve Johansen & Crew from Organic Ocean, and seven hours later we’ll moor at False Creek Fisherman’s Wharf next to Granville Island Market with thousands of our sweet and juicy, hopefully not so little buddies. Steve and company will haul ‘em up for sale and for Vancouver’s top chefs to prep and pass around to the gathered keeners. It’s gonna be a fine day. Sunny and 18 degrees. In the unlikely event that you’ve never heard of spot prawns, I wrote them up last year in Vancouver magazine when they were given the nod for Ingredient of the Year. —
Spot Prawn Fest at False Creek Fisherman’s Wharf Tomorrow!, Andrew Morrison, Scout
In Vancouver, we buy our spot prawns from a fisherman my chefs introduced to me as "scallop Steve" - so now you know what he does outside of prawn season. His real name is Steve Johansen, and he's been fishing spot prawns for the last five years from his boat the Organic Ocean 1, mostly off of the sea shelf of the Sunshine coast. The season runs from about May to June, and in just about eight weeks of fishing Steve can haul in enough spot pawns to supply the city for the year. The prawns have a delicate sweetness, so much so that Chef Dale Mackay at Lumière calls them Canadian langoustines. You can broil, poach, grill or pan fry them, but mostly you want to respect their flavour and not overwhelm them with too many ingredients on the plate. — Fresh prawns make salad a summertime main course, Daniel Boulud, The Vancouver Sun
And the sweet little spot prawns at C restaurant were just a tiny bit better than its shimmering False Creek views. Organic Ocean’s Steve Johansen – the guy who caught the prawns – was sitting right next to me at dinner. “Want my bait?” he asked while forking over a surprisingly luxurious marinated sardine. —
My Vancouver, Amy Rosen, enRoute
Chauvel and Johansen are partners in Organic Ocean, a small group of B.C. fishermen who sell “ocean-friendly and responsibly harvested” seafood: salmon, ling cod, halibut, albacore tuna and spot prawns. Ocean-friendly in this case mostly means line-caught fish and trap-caught prawns. Neither fishery drags the ocean bottom as trawler nets do, and they have minimal bycatch. “With hook and line, and selective terminal net-fisheries, you can be very specific,” says Chauvel. “It just depends on where you fish, when and what you use for bait.” —
Canada’s DFO: Managed to Fail, Tyee Bridge, B.C. Business
Guide the seas…
Underneath hook and line wild salmon troller, Steve Johansen, and his crew as they fish for the finest seafood for the best restaurants. For his Organic Ocean Seafood company doth follow the first commandment of Gremolata – local is best. A perfect example of the “New Breed of Fishermen”, Steve and his partner Frank provide Oceanwise certified Pacific Bayne Sound Scallops, wild spring salmon and delicious spot prawns to all of Vancouver and soon, the rest of Canada. Lord, watch over his boat (The Black Heart) and allow everyone to enjoy his catch of the day, especially every Friday. —
James Geneau, Gremolata.com
Last year on a trip to Vancouver, Mr. Inniss shared his concerns with Robert Clark, chef-owner of C Restaurant and B.C.’s poster boy for sustainable seafood menus. Mr. Clark immediately marched Mr. Inniss down to a dock where dayboat fisherman Steve Johansen was selling spot prawns caught only hours earlier. “He handed me a live one and told me to eat it,” recalls Mr. Inniss, who quickly got over his squeamishness when he tasted the sweet, fresh prawn meat. — Toronto chefs are wild for the sweet taste of B.C. spot prawns, Sasha Chapman, The Globe and Mail
“We take B.C. seriously, but we also take our guests seriously,” he says. “When we first opened in Vancouver, we were hassled a little for this, but it’s not that we don’t appreciate the products. B.C. has the best salmon in the world, hands down. Our West Coast halibut is better than East Coast halibut. But sometimes we have to outsource.” (Should you want to shop while dining at Go Fish, the fish-and-chips shop on False Creek, MacKay’s oyster and scallop purveyor, Organic Ocean Seafood, is nearby.) —
Vancouver vs. Vancouver, Alan Richman, Bon Appetit
In 2007, Scaramouche was recognized by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and awarded the status of Seafood Watch Ambassador for making environmentally friendly seafood choices. The award was unexpected, but nice. And, in turn, it helped us make contact with other like-minded suppliers across the country, one of whom is Steve Johansen. Steve is part of a small group of independent West Coast fishermen who stand firmly behind the concept of sustainable practices. Through the group, Scaramouche and a few other Toronto restaurants have been receiving seasonal treats this year, including B.C. spot prawns so fresh that many of them were still alive when they reached our kitchens. As well, Steve is our source for Fanny Bay oysters, ling cod, albacore tuna and, most notably, Qualicum Bay sea scallops. —
In the Kitchen: Chef Keith Frogget, Tim Fraser, The Globe and Mail
Organic Ocean fisherman Steve Johansen’s sustainably harvested scallops were so tender I was able to cut them with my biodegradable plastic spoon! —
On the Town November 30, Michael Schratter, 24 HOURS
It’s great working with purveyors of integrity! —
Chef Lisa Henderson, Latitude
If you head to the fish dock only a thousand or so feet west of Granville Island on the sea wall, you can get that fresh caught fish, Organic Ocean http://www.organicocean.com/ has some of the best quality sustainable seafood available in the city. The scallops are fantastic, but I have to suggest the spot prawns, the season ended last week but they have them flash frozen, the best prawns I have ever had. You will not want to eat those gross black thai prawns after eating a pound of these babies. —
Post on A Food-Lover’s Guide To Vancouver
Slow confit crispy garlic butter over prawn crudo...amazing feedback from clientele... tell Steve, he’ll understand...love you guys and I’ve invited my buddy Frank to come out for the spot prawn harvest next spring.... he’s stoked!!!!!!!! me too! —
Executive Chef Matthew Carmichael, Restaurant Eighteen
