Today we were in Abbotsford, enjoying the spring tulips. Our visit include a night’s stay at the Clarion Hotel, so when looking for dinner, we took the 7 minute walk to Ministere of Seafood.
They are a French-Italian restaurant specializing in seafood. They have been open for a year now; and honestly, given where they are located, I wouldn’t think of coming in for seafood. However, it takes a meal, and we were persuaded otherwise through this one. They focus on seasonal offering and are preparing for spot prawn season, with halibut and crawfish to follow.
Our evening was curated by the co-owner of Ministere, who was not only friendly, but informative. We heard about he and his business partner’s previous experiences. They met working aboard on cruise ships. There, they learned about service, international cuisine, and how to elevate their own enterprise.
We would take our host’s suggestions for our meal below, and started with their complimentary focaccia bread. This was served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We would make sure to save some for the soups to follow.
Seeing as the night was chilly and I was craving something homey, I was eyeing both their chowder and bisque. Unable to decide, our host recommended both.
The Seafood chowder warmed inside and out. It had a thinner consistency, but maintain good body through its chunkiness. There were lots of ingredients to chew through: clam, mussel, carrot, potatoes, celery, and onion.
The Lobster bisque was the thicker and creamier of the two. Loaded with the scent and flavour of lobster. The bread offered a nice base to allow the soup to soak into.
However, if you are to only get one appetizer, according to our host, it should be the Escargot à la Bourguignonne. This is snails and mushrooms prepared in a red wine demi-glacé sauce, topped with a fresh baked puff pastry shell. Apparently no other restaurant in the the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley is offering this authentic French classic. I appreciated that the dish wasn’t overly snaily, the mollusks were prepared tender and blended in well texturally with the chopped mushrooms. Although, as is in the jus, the flavours were a little too rich and gamey and the pastry is needed as a neutralizing base. However, there isn’t enough to ration per bite. Therefore I would have liked double the amount of pastry or more bread to have with this.
To get a good tell of the quality of their seafood we had the Ultimate Feast. This is essentially a seafood platter that includes half a lobster, half a pound of snow crab legs, prawns, and scallops. All served with your choice of side between French fries, mixed green salad, or mashed potatoes. We got the latter and it was definitely my favourite part of the dish. It served as the starchy base needed to complete the plate and make things more substantial. It was also loaded with butter for a deliciously sumptuous bite to follow lighter nibbles of seafood.
The crab legs were a journey in patience, as you needed to crack, peel, and pry your way through to the flesh. But luckily we had all the accoutrements needed to get the job done. The lobster was much easier, we were able to effortlessly pull claw and tail from shell. Both were flavoured with a dip into melted butter. There were no issues peel the shrimp, and the scallops were effortless and perfectly grilled. This was a seafood lover’s dream.
Our host highly recommended the Ministere Classic Paella, stating that at other places they use brown rice, and here they use the traditional Arborio rice for authenticity. It is seasoned in saffron with mussels, clams, prawns, chorizo, olives, and bell peppers. I expected the rice crispy and on the drier side for a crunch. However, this was soft and paste-like, more closely resembling risotto instead. I also found the dish overly salty. Although this might be in comparison to how light our other seafood entree beside it was. I did appreciate the larger variety of toppings for added eating interest.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and can recommend them for seafood in Abbotsford.
Ministere of Seafood
1900 N Parallel Rd #124, Abbotsford, BC V3G 2C6
(236) 483-0163
ministereofseafood.ca
