Growing Chefs! & Miku Restaurant Partnership

We are proud to announce our partnership with Growing Chefs!, a local non-profit organization that sends chef volunteers into elementary schools—where they grow vegetables, cook with kids, and get kids excited about eating healthy food. Beginning December 1st, some of the proceeds from our Vivreau still or sparkling water sales will go towards this organization that strives to create a forum for chefs to share their knowledge with the greater community and aims to inspire children with the idea they can grow food anywhere, even in the city.

Miku Restaurant loves what Growing Chef! does for the kids in our community, and most importantly, we wanted to support an initiative that is making an impact both environmentally and socially. To celebrate this partnership, we have decorated our Christmas tree to represent this collaboration. So next time you come and dine at Miku, please consider ordering Vivreau , because every bottle goes towards educating children about making healthier and more sustainable lifestyle choices.

Toast to the Coast 2011 – Ocean Wise Month

November is Ocean Wise month, and to support the conservation initiatives of the Vancouver Aquarium, Miku’s head chef, Takuya Motohashi, chef Kazuya Matsuoka and media and community relations, Erica Pang and Lisa Nakamura attended the 5th annual Toast to the Coast fundraising event.

It was a sold out event, with 500 foodies indulging in the abundance of food provided by the city’s Ocean Wise restaurants, and sipping on B.C. vino – one hundred per cent of the event proceeds support the Aquarium’s waterways and aquatic wildlife conservation initiatives.

Miku Restaurant has been a participating member of the Ocean Wise program since 2009  - the first Japanese restaurant in downtown Vancouver to partner with this conservation program. To learn more about the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, click here.

Miku’s Ocean Wise Top 3:

1. Aburi Salmon Oshi Sushi 2. Aburi Tuna 3. Bincho Goma Ae

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

Written by Erica Pang

On Sunday, September 25th, Abbey Pires (Project Manager), Lisa Nakamura (Communications Specialist) and myself, Erica Pang (Media and Community Relations) were at Beaver Lake, Stanley Park for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.  As residents of Downtown Vancouver, we chose this specific area for our cleanup to support the community we live in.  For me, Stanley Park is an evergreen sanctuary in the downtown core.  The majestic trees, the beloved seawall, the spirit of the totem poles, the crisp air, the wildlife — it truly holds a special place in my heart.

The annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is organized by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and the Vancouver Aquarium, and aims to engage the Canadian public in keeping all Canadian shorelines litter free.

The initiative began in 1994 by a small group of volunteers in Vancouver. Today, with the support of sponsors, partners and donations, it has flourished to over 45,000 registered volunteers nationwide, dedicated to cleaning up hundreds of beaches and coast lines across Canada.  Our particular group was in conjunction with the Stanley Park Ecology Society, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting urban ecological conservation and stewardship through research, education and action.

 
After being equipped with rubber gloves, tongs and garbage bags, Greg Ferguson (team lead) guided us down Beaver Creek to begin our garbage-picking journey.  As we trekked, he enlightened us with the fact that Beaver Creek is one of Vancouver’s few remaining free-flowing streams and salmon spawning grounds.  Within the first few minutes of our walk, we were all surprised at how much garbage we were already picking up.  A cigarette butt here, a candy wrapper there, a beer can thrown in the bushes, it all began to accumulate very quickly. It was astonishing, once emmersed in the act, how much garbage you actually notice.  By the end of our two hour walk, we collected one garbage bag full of miscellanous trash, and another packed with recyclables.  Some odd things we came across included a vintage belt, a Christmas light, skate guards and an “adult toy” (which we won’t go into further detail…ahem). Throughout the walk, Greg collected data and tallied up each item we came across.  Whenever we picked something up we would call out the item by name.  In short time, it was clear cigarette butts and random plastics were in the lead.  We became so tired of saying ‘cigarette butt, cigarette butt, cigarette butt,’ we abbreviated it to ‘c-b’. At the end of our day, we all felt a sense of accomplishment.  I felt our efforts helped play a role in something much bigger.  It validated my belief that one person can make a difference, just like how one less cigarette butt in the ecosystem can do the same.

Thank you Greg for sharing your knowledge.  Thank you Stanley Park Ecology Society for your commitment and respect to the natural world.  Thank you Vancouver Aquarium and WWF for such an admirable movement and inspiring so many people.  Most importantly, thank you volunteers for taking part in such a great initiative, we were so proud to be apart of it.

Participating in this event is just the beginning of Miku’s commitment to volunteering in our community. Once a month, we will choose an organization which aligns with our beliefs and give our time and heart to the cause. If you know of a worthy-cause you believe would be a good fit for us, or if you are part of an organization let us know through Twitter, Facebook or email. We would love to hear from you!