Terrific fish and chips, delicious crab cakes but ‘slaw needs work
Mark Laba
Province
It’s definitely fresh. Finest at Sea’s Ian Angus (left) with a rougheye and Bruno Born with a halibut. Photograph by : Nick Procaylo, The Province
FINEST AT SEA SEAFOOD BOUTIQUE & BISTRO
Where: 4675 Arbutus St., Vancouver
Payment/reservations: Major credit cards, 604-266-1904
Drinks: Soft drinks, juice, coffee and tea
Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-8pm, Sun. & Mon. until 6 p.m.
– – –
There was nothing I loved more as a kid than tuning into the Red Fisher Show on Saturday afternoon. Something about Red and his buddies pulling smallmouth bass out of Lake Nipigon and then sitting around Scuttlebutt Lodge and watching grainy footage of the event struck a chord in my daydreaming brain.
So imagine my surprise when I stumbled into this place and saw the large flat-screen TV broadcasting fishing.
“Look,” I pointed out to my son, Small Fry Eli. “Those men are catching huge ocean fish.”
“When do they turn them into sticks?” he asked, eyes glazing at the sight of a huge flopping halibut.
“Good point. I don’t know. Let’s watch and see.”
The Law went to the counter to order for us while we zoned out on big-sea adventure. This is really a fish shop with a small dine-in area and sizable kitchen off to the side with tables of hewn timber that look like Paul Bunyon was the decorator. The display case is brimming with wild sea life caught by one of the eight boats owned by FAS (Frozen at Sea), a company started by Victoria fisherman Bob Fraumeni and now partnered with experienced restaurateur Bruno Born, who runs this bistro/fish shop. FAS prides itself on the finest and freshest of fish, ethically caught and delivered to the doorstep of some of Vancouver and Victoria’s best restaurants, and now yours to experience at this landlocked strip-mall location.
“Ahoy there, matey,” I cried to the battered ling cod The Law delivered to the table. Small Fry Eli, even though only three and change, was embarrassed in public by my dumbass exclamations and quickly scooted into his grandmother’s lap to put some distance between me and him. The Japanese couple at the next table looked at me sadly.
The fish was very tasty, the batter a perfect texture and thickness, crispy and adding a nice deep-fryer barrier without burying the fish in breading. The Law thought the fish was a bit overcooked in spots but I disagreed, though I wouldn’t voice that to her.
The tartar sauce was excellent and Small Fry Eli was pleased with the crunchy fries but the coleslaw, like in every other place in this city, was no great shakes. I don’t know why Vancouver restaurants can’t stop this shredded cabbage madness and create a tangy version with vinegar the way ‘slaw was meant to be. Nevertheless, the fish and chips are very good and available with cod, salmon, halibut or sablefish ($7-$14 depending on size ordered).
Also sampled the great Dungeness crab cakes ($11), moist, tender and ready to crumble at the touch of the fork tines with actual chunks of crustacean meat rather than the pulverized versions I’ve tried in other places. With a sweet chili mayo this was a standout.
Between bites I ladled spoonfuls of creamy Westcoast Chowder ($5) into my mouth. There’s also a tempting house-smoked steamed sablefish with homemade relish, a polenta-crusted halibut filet (both $14) and a white spring-salmon Caesar salad calling to me like sirens of the sea for a return journey. It ain’t no Scuttlebutt Lodge but, then again, Red Fisher didn’t have a big-screen TV like this.
THE BOTTOM LINE: An aquatic centre of edible pleasure.
Grade: Food: B+; Service: B; Atmosphere: B
© The Vancouver Province 2007