Congee Pop-Up With The Chefs and The Fishmonger

Fresh Ideas Start Here (FISH), Top Chef Canada’s Dez Lo, and Friends Host Congee Bar

Congee lovers rejoice! Fresh Ideas Start Here (FISH), BC’s sustainable seafood purveyor, and Top Chef Canada season 10 runner-up Dez Lo are bringing back their congee pop-up, The Chefs and The Fishmonger, on Monday, January 27, 2025, at The Pleasant (2434 Main Street). Joined by chefs Welbert Choi and Bo Li, and featuring seafood such as West Coast wild scallops, halibut, geoduck, and artisanal sauce brand Holy Duck Chili oil, tickets are available now online.

“We had such an amazing reception during our first congee pop-up and customers have been asking when we’d bring it back,” says Jenice Yu, CEO and owner of Fresh Ideas Start Here. “We’re thrilled to team up with Chef Dez again to make it happen, alongside some great partners, including Chef Bo from Fishman and our very own Chef Welbert. I’ve tried all of our seafood congees, and we can’t wait for guests to try them too and experience The Chefs and The Fishmonger.”

The Chefs and The Fishmonger is a one-day only congee pop-up. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., tickets are available online at www.eatfish.ca. Each ticket comes with welcoming snacks, such as Taiwanese-style pickled cabbages, sweet soy marinated with akame, and chili lime pickled cucumbers. Congees start from $22. The exclusive pop-up menu features:

CONGEE FLAVOURS
All congees come with sweet soy glaze & chopped scallions

Old-Gee 年年有餘
The OG fish congee
wild BC halibut, lingcod, salmon, octopus. jumbo prawns, crispy shallots

Clam-Gee大吉大利
wild BC geoduck, swimming scallops, manila clams, ginger, garlic & scallions, typhoon sheltered seasoned crunch

Fun-Gee 英俊潇洒 (vegan)
XO mushroom sauce (made with Holy Duck’s Zero Duck vegan chili oil), pickled hon shimeji mushrooms, 63-degree egg, furikake

Add-on options include wild BC ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin), Chinese donut, and 63-degree eggs.

“Congee is ‘jook’ in Cantonese, which symbolizes abundance, making it a delicious dish to enjoy before the upcoming Lunar New Year,” adds Yu. “Seafood truly takes the beloved congee to the next level with rich flavours and premium, sustainable ingredients. It’s a comforting way to celebrate the winter season and share a meal with family and friends.”

For more information, please visit eatfish.ca.

About Fresh Ideas Start Here
Jenice Yu opened Fresh Ideas Start Here in 2008 with the goal of educating people about the bounty of fresh fish and seafood available in our local waters. and directly sourced from local fishermen. FISH’s South Burnaby location carries local and sustainable seafood along with their exclusive house smoked products and gourmet ready-to-eat seafood items. FISH recently launched an online store and also proudly supplies seafood to some of British Columbia’s top restaurants.