The Fish Shack

The We went to the fish shack before going to the symphony tonight. When we got there it was still fairly quiet. I've ordered take out from here before, but haven't had a dinner yet. This is my first time sitting down and taking a good look at the place. The decor is pretty cool and minimalistic, in a way. It's pretty much a warehouse, but with pallets on the wall providing some texture.

We ordered the Spot Crab Jalepeno poppers and two beers to start while we wait for our friends. They looked really dark, like they were fried in really old oil. I barely tasted any crab in there, it was like they threw a 1 inch cube of crab into two cups of cream cheese and somehow that qualifies as a "crab" dish. Not impressed.

Our friends ordered the small fisherman's catch. It was neat that it came with a cutting board and bibs.

Unfortunately, the bussers (not our server) who brought the dish out was not very well trained. After she took the "net" off the catch, she had to mix the butter and seasoning in. She was very clumsy and splatter butter sauce all over B and I. Luckily we had dark clothes on, but if B wore his white shirt instead of his checkered shirt, it would have been VERY obvious and not good for the night at the symphony. The mixing busser said sorry, but this other guy bringing out our dishes laughed. Very unprofessional. Otherwise, the sauce was buttery and rich.

I ordered the 1 piece snapper fish and chips- I had forgotten how big that one piece was, so it was good I just ordered one. The fish batter was really rich and made me a bit nauseous, good thing it came with a creamy horseradish coleslaw, which helped cut the fat. When Crave was still around, I found the beer batter light and crispy, not overly rich at all. Although this was light and fluffy, it just seemed that the batter absorbed a lot of oil.

B orders the blackened tuna tacos, and though it tasted alright, he was not impressed. The bottom of the tacos were soggy from the heat contacting the bottom of the dish. They should put them on some prongs like at earls.

Both dishes came with kennebec fries, but they were overfried and hard. Though I liked the seasoning, I know it's not tasty when I leave more than half my fries on the plate.

Near the end of the meal, some of the patio diners started smoking right beside the patio. That was surpremely annoying because our table was right at the entrance between the patio and the restaurant. We thought our server would tell them they had to stand at least 6 meters from the patio, but we ended up having to tell her it was bothering us before she enforced that bylaw. At least she responded to our request, I guess.

All in all, food was not that impressive and I was quite disappointed at the unprofessional actions of some of the staff. Will not recommend or return.

West Restaurant

Went to West for another friend's birthday. I had no idea it was part of the Blue Water Cafe / Araxi / Cin Cin family. Had I known I probably wouldn't have visited- but I'm glad I did.

The decor was really nice - modern and clean. We sat by the kitchen window and witnessed the kitchen staff create pieces of art dish after dish. They were beautiful.

Everyone started with a salmon amuse Bouche. It was refreshing and had a great balance of texture.

I had the seasonal dish, which was butter roasted halibut cheeks with baby gem lettuce, castelvetrano olives and a spring garlic emulsion. The halibut cheeks were perfectly cooked- tender, melts in your mouth. The emulsion was a little bitter and balanced the lettuce really well.

Another dinner mate had the Rare Seared Albacore Tuna- which I had wanted at first, but as our fabulous server suggested, going for seasonal dishes is always a good idea. The tuna was delicious, the dish really showcases the natural taste of the tuna.

The star of the night had the pre-theatre fixed dinner, with the Side Striped Prawn Ceviche, Wild BC Salmon, and Chocolate Pot de Creme. The ceviche was refreshing. The citrus perfectly balanced the creaminess of the prawn. The prawn was so fresh.

The salmon was solid. The taste of dill was really strong and went really well with the salmon.

I'm not a fan of cranberry, but the pot de creme was quite tasty. My friend finished the plate.

I ordered the Chocolate Tasting plate. It came with lime cake ganache roll with matcha cookie crumb, matcha tea layered chocolate petit gateau, and dark chocolate semi-freddo, mint ice cream. I really enjoyed the two matcha desserts, after Japan, everything and anything with Matcha is delicious. I like the crunch on the cake roll and layered cake. I'm not a fan of mint with dessert, so I didn't like the semi-freddo. I can see people like B liking it though, for those of you who like mint chocolate.

Overall a great experience. Our server was engaging and attentive. He knew his dishes and wine well. We had a great time. I'd recommend for a special occasion where you're willing to spend some money for some great food. I may return for an anniversary or another big birthday.