I’m just back from two weeks travelling in Canada which I absolutely loved – a beautiful country, laid back people and so much to see and do. We started out in Vancouver – gorgeous, green and on a human scale, seeming to merit all its plaudits as the world’s most liveable city. I ate some of the best seafood I’ve ever had there – the eat local movement has really taken hold and the quality of the raw materials is absurdly good. Only a chef could possibly mess things up…
Tojo’s – Japanese in Fairview
The atmosphere at Tojo’s was fairly staid, pretty much as the reviews had said, although enlivened at increasingly frequent intervals by a lone drunken birthday reveller singing his own congratulations. The design of the place isn’t bad and neither was the food, but it certainly wasn’t stellar in terms of either the quality of the fish or the inventiveness of the menu. A perfectly decent Japanese meal but not one I’d seek out as being particularly special to Vancouver. We did have fun ordering from the beamingly endearing but largely non-English-speaking staff.
Eat: Tojo’s salmon, Great Pacific rolls
Verdict: Unexciting
Go Fish Ocean Emporium – fish and chips on False Creek
Go Fish was one of those “blogosphere phenomena” that grabbed me before even setting foot in Vancouver (should that have been a warning?). I liked the idea of a little fish and chips shack on the water that had set up shop and quietly attracted a buzz of locals and tourists for its top notch quality. The reality was a little different – a 45 minute wait standing in line just to order followed by another 15 minutes or so to get our food, a view of the water (pictured) but from seating in a well-used parking lot and food that was fine but not really close to that mouth-watering fried heaven that makes you want to trade up two pants sizes just so you can start all over again as soon as possible. And the chips were over-fried.
Eat: Two halibut and one chips
Verdict: Not worth the wait
Blue Water Café – seafood in Yaletown
The Blue Water Café, on the other hand, was a revelation. We had steeled ourselves to ignore the interior decor, which was the standard cruise ship nautical (note to seafood restaurants of the world – ropes, wood panelling and architectural odes to portholes do not, repeat not, make your fish taste any better). But the food was unequivocally brilliant with the local seafood set off by uncheffy, delicious flavours and charming, efficient service. Wine by the glass was also very good.
Eat: Kusshi oysters, Dungeness crab rolls
Verdict: Order everything, regret nothing
More reviews to come from restaurants in Whistler, Jasper, Banff, Calgary and Toronto, but two observations: I don’t think we ever managed to spend more than 80 or 90 loonies a head for food, even in the best restaurants, ordering oysters, seafood, prime steaks… London dwellers, that works out to about fifty quid per person, which these days gets you about as far as Pizza Express in terms of quality. In addition, if you eat at even a vaguely European hour (8pm onwards) you will have no problems getting reservations on the day as the Canucks eat preposterously early. Oh, Canada indeed.
Where we stayed: Hyatt Regency Downtown. Great location, ridiculous lack of sound proofing, toiletries smell of pee.
We read: Vanmag for restaurant reviews
