New restaurant floats big ideas in False Creek

Credit: Courtesy of Shannon Ronalds

School of Fish Foundation’s Floating Restaurant

Short-term restaurant aims to promote long-term seafood with floating dining room

It seems that I’m not the only one in Vancouver worried about the shortage of fish, though Shannon Ronalds and Chef Robert Clark, the founders of the School of Fish Foundation, are focused on a more endemic shortage. They established the School of Fish in an effort to mandate sustainable seafood practices (à la Ocean Wise) as part of the education program for culinary school graduates. (You may think everyone is up to speed on the need for sustainability, but I’ve met people from Calgary who hadn’t even heard of the Ocean Wise program).

To raise funds (dinner is $215 per person), and awareness, for the program, School of Fish have built an impermanent 12-seater restaurant in False Creek. The restaurant, two weeks into its 60-day stretch, matches its stunning location and views with a six course set menu courtesy of Chef Robert Clark (of C Restaurant), which centres—of course—around sustainable seafood.

Dining on plastic bottles

Most publicity for the restaurant so far has centred on its gimmicky flotation. The cedar-encased restaurant derives its buoyancy from 1,700 used, plastic bottles—a nod to the vast gyres of plastic bottles that pollute the world’s waterways.

Reservations essential

Whether it stems from Vancouverites’ desire to eat in a plastic bottle restaurant, to sample more of Clark’s cuisine, or a genuine desire to support the cause is unclear, but the success of the venture is undeniable.

If you want to experience, eat and encourage the School, reservations (which are essential) can be made on 778-997-6977 or by emailing contact@schooloffishfoundation.org.  If you miss out here you can catch them in Sydney, Australia, rumoured to be the good ship’s next port of call.