One of Vancouver's joys (and there are many) is its connection with the water. Its sea-side setting contributes hugely to the beauty of the city, factors prominently in the active lifestyles of its residents, and of course provides a bounty of delicious things for the seafood lover to consume.
We recently spent a Saturday touring the town on a bicycle, and just as our energy was starting to flag in the early afternoon we stumbled upon Go Fish. We had heard of the place from a colleague, but had been told it was on Granville Island, which is not accurate. We were riding on the southern False Creek Seawall (headed for Granville Island in fact) on a section that wasn't right at the water's edge. As we rounded a bend heading back towards the water we noticed some folks standing at the railing devouring take-away food. A quick head swivel and we saw that tucked behind some trees was a sidewalk leading off the bike path onto a working wharf. With the scent of French Fries in the air we decided it was time to explore!
Dismounting, we walked our bike through the opening and there it was- a bright blue shipping container with an open serving window and a half dozen folks lined up to order. As we cast our eyes a little further, we noticed a large wooden dining deck attached to the side of the container,
and a lot more people!! Mostly just standing around waiting!
Not to be dissuaded by the crowd, we got in line and placed our order for halibut and chips. Despite the array of "fancy" take-away on offer, being at the source on this singular occasion we craved the classic. (OK, we'd have to tolerate the "pacific rim" coleslaw, but after tasting it we had no quibbles.)
With a little time on our hands- estimated wait: 25 minutes- we explored our immediate environs. Down the gangway was a floating dock where there were moored a couple of fishing boats selling their fresh wares. We briefly contemplated the logistics of stuffing a salmon in our carry-on but decided we were going to have to settle for simply living in the moment, with only the memories (and this post!) as a souvenir.
We nabbed a stool at about the 15 minute mark and nursed our soda. Soon enough our name was called and we were presented with an overflowing basket of fries topped with a couple of slabs of golden battered fish, a cup of tasty slaw and the requisite tartar sauce. YUMM!! The air was cool, the skies were threatening (idly so, as it turned out), the fish was steaming hot, and we were ravenous! We were also in heaven. Heaven-by-the-Sea.
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Go Fish
1505 West 1st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6J 1E8
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