Tuesday morning, March 8th, on my Pacific Palate program, I’ll be talking about Go Fish, the dockside restaurant right beside the Granville Island Fisherman’s Wharf in Vancouver. 
I’ll also relate some of my conversations with the fishers on the wharf as they struggle to make it a vibrant tourist destination, just as the docks are in Steveston.
The idea is that you buy your seafood directly from the people who caught it, or in the case of mussels and oysters, the people who grew it. I’ve purchased there before, mostly frozen fish, but have been very satisfied with both the price and the quality.
Where is your favourite place to buy seafood in the Greater Vancouver area? I’d like to compile a list to post to my website for Tuesday morning, so feel free to click on ‘Comments’ and post where and more importantly, WHY.
Thanks for participating in this informal survey….oh, and please see my previous post, Odds and Ends, for news on podcasting and a new venue for my writing.
Hi Don, I think the best place to buy seafood is Thrifty Foods in Tsawwassen.
Fresh, interesting entrees ready to go, and always helpful staff.
1)Longliner at Granville Market
Dave & Scott Moorehead and the crew go out of their way to get the best fresh fish and provide outstanding service for your every seafood need.
2)Sakanaya at 8435 Granville (near 69th)
Good Japanese approach with sushi grade fish
My favourite place to buy seafood is Seven Seas on 4th Avenue in Kitsilano. They have great salmon, tuna, scallops and prawns, but they also make the best crab cakes in town – I’ver tried the rest, and these are the winners!!
If I actually need to buy fish for a menu I have planned I go to Long liner at Granville Island. Their fish is fresh and the prices the best in the market for the quality. I also like the Lobster Man for oysters. The best seafood buys I get though is at the Public Fish Docks just west of Granville Island. If you go by at the end of the day, say after work, the fisherman are still there cleaning their boats and sell off what they have at bargain prices. I have bought the BEST prawns I have ever had off those boats, at about a quarter the price. Last time I was there I bought a couple of pounds, used 1/2 for dinner that night and froze the other half. Of course this only works if you are willing to be spur of the moment, as you can’t count on anything being left over. Just remember to take your wallet with you on your walk.
PS I haven’t tried it but my freinds on the North Shore swear by a fish market on Marine Drive.
I’ll second the comment about Seven Seas on 4th. I also haunt T&T Foods on Keefer. Right now, you’ll find big, fat razor clams, sea urchins, sea snails, live snakehead fish, and the lowest prices on Dungeness and Alaska king crabs in years.
When planning fish – don’t go with a preconceived idea – take what looks best! Seven Seas on 4th, and the Granville Island Circuit (including Lobsterman) – don’t be afraid of places like Angel Seafood and Fujiya – both north of 1st on Clark – Japanese retail is a great place to get loins.
I tend to share the wealth in my neighbourhood, moving from the lively lot at South Park Royal to the fish shop in Ambleside. Whatever I buy, it’s always bright and shiny.
The best place I find to buy seafood in Vanouver is at the Nat Bailey and Trout Lake Farmers Market–Directly from the Fishboat-The Iron Maiden of Sooke-They are at the markets every two to three weeks and deliver in winter-every month to six weeks directly to Lower Mainland-This ordered by E-Mail or Phone. Very good fish–Flash frozen at sea.
The best place to buy seafood – whole fish and prawns (fresh) is the Steveston docks followed by Fishermen’s Wharf, west of Granville Island, the Lobster Man on Granville Island for shellfish.
Thank you Don, you’re a great person to listen to on Rick Cluff’s CBC Morning Edition.
I buy a lot of fish, and I am absolutely convinced that the best place west of main is Posidon’s on 10th and Sasamat, just east of the VPL branch. It is substantially better than Seven Seas or anywhere on Granville Island. They always have a pretty small selection out, but everything they have is properley fresh. The guys at Posidon’s are ex-commerical fisherman and know what they’re doing. I urge you all to try it.
My main beef (HA) with most fish shops is they leave too much dubious stuff out, particularly whitefish. Salmon is realitvely robust and freezes well, and there seems to be plenty of good whole salmon out there, but it there is a lot of really sketchy looking Halibut, Sole, and shellfish.
FUJIYA on Venables and Clarke! Eaten raw, of course; with Golda’s Skoogk (if you can find it)
We’ve been buying all our seafood from “GiGi the fish lady” at the Trout Lake Market. Her family fishes around the Queen Charlottes, and all her seafood is flash frozen at sea. I know, you’re thinking “frozen seafood?” But this stuff is amazingly fresh when you thaw it out. Very affordable prices too. We’ve been buying wild coho salmon steaks and TUNA!!! Bonus – in the winter months you can order cases from her and she’ll deliver!
I just want one crab. I don’t choose to pay $40/lb. Any suggestions.