Pink Peppercorn Seafood House

The Cannery version 2.0....resurrected, bigger and better!

Food:

When the local legendary 'The Cannery' restaurant closed down less than a year ago, I, like many others, immediately thought of things-to-do-before-the-Cannery-closes.  I, personally, am not that big of a fan of the place - though they do indeed have a wonderful scenic view and a pleasant ambience, I thought the food was just mediocre-tasting and a little pricey.  Needless to say, I did end up purchasing a gift certificate for some friends who love the Cannery and had one of my amigas purchase me a bottle of their ever-so-popular Lobster Oil.

Fast forward a few months later, I find that, to my surprise, the Cannery has not completely died afterall! In fact, one of the chefs from the Cannery decided to make a very wise move and opened up a restaurant of his own where he also brought along some of the Cannery's specialities (I swear, he brought the decor along with him as well!)  After reading several (quite good) reviews of the Pink Peppercorn, I was excited and eager to try it.

To start the night, I ordered their Prawn Caesar to slowly sip and enjoy.  I was expecting a cocktail prawn/shrimp but to my surprise, it was served with 2 very plump and delicious garlic-buttered sauteed prawns - neatly placed on the rim! It was darn amazing.  The Caesar was prepared well, too.  As an appetizer to start, my d.c and I both agreed on ordering the Salmon and Crab Cake.  When it arrived, we were surprised and quite elated to find that there were two crab cakes! Score! The salmon and crab cakes were nicely-battered (though I wish it was a bit crispier), quite plump and generously filled with salmon and crab.  There was also some sort of sweet, tangy, hoisin sauce (?) drizzled atop, and paired with some spring greens.  We were also served warm and toasty french bread with their (once again) famous lobster oil and balsamic vinegar :)

Complimentary French bread served with
Lobster Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

For my main, I opted for their Halibut Special which was a Herb-Crusted Pan-fried Halibut with mashed potatoes, grilled veggies and mushrooms in a creamy terragon sauce.  It was delicious!  The halibut was soft, flaky and cooked to perfection. The portion size was very generous as well.  The mashed potatoes were good as were the grilled veggies (red pepper, broccoli, asparagus).  The creamy tarragon sauce was rich and savoury.  My plate was also nicely dusted and capped off with a touch of pink peppercorn :) 

My d.c opted for the Seared Scallops and Tiger Prawns in a Garlic Butter Sauce, served with rice and grilled veggies as well.  It too, was amazing - rich garlic butter sauce, accompanied by perfectly cooked scallops and tiger prawns, generous portions...everything was quite near perfection.  We both left feeling very satisfied and was so close to ordering dessert until we realized that we seriously could not fit anything else into our system!

Service:

Very warm, friendly, polite and attentive

Value:

Very good and extremely reasonable

Ambience:

Dimly-light, romantic and quiet

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Excellent value, great service, ideal for a romantic night out

Nay: This place is very quiet - definitely not ideal for parties or large group gatherings




Posted by: J

Rodney's Oyster House

                                                                                      a 'shuck' of a good time...

Food:

On this highly-anticipated night, after more than an hour and a half wait, we were finally seated at the oyster bar - extremely excited at the thought of devouring and gorging on oysters, oysters...and more oysters.

We were so hungry (and impatient) by the time we arrived that we hardly thought about what to order (I usually like to take my time, carefully weighing my options).  We just knew we wanted oysters. And lots of them.  Luckily, the lone-oyster-dude-shucker sensed our anticipation and asked if we wanted a dozen fresh oysters.  We immediately gave him the thumbs up.

Prior to the arrival of the oyster mania.  We each had a Caesar - which was very appetizing.  I liked how they used crushed ice, as opposed to cubed ice.  It was also wonderfully garnished with a nice piece of prawn, and sprinkled with freshly-grated horseradish.  Bread was also given, though it was fresh, but nothing to praise about.

Now onto the oyster mania.  We were presented with a dozen of freshly-shucked oysters (there were 3 kinds: Kumamoto, Kuushi, and some other one I don't recall) which were the 3 personal favourites of the oyster shucker's.  I'm glad we allowed him to choose the oysters because we slurped them down in seconds. They were amaaaazingly fresh tasting.  The bonus were once again, topping the oysters with the freshly-grated horseradish and the accompanying house-made sauces!

We also had the Pan Fried Oysters which were so succulent tasting with a crispy battered coating.  They were probably my favourite of the night.  The Oysters Rockefellah were darn delicious as well - soaked and baked in butter, spinach, garlic and whatever wonderful ingredients it may have contained. We also had the Seared Scallops, which although weren't huge and plump, there was a good 6-7 scallops, accompanied with a wonderful salad (everything was devoured so quickly, I don't even remember what I ate! lol)

Pan Fried Oysters ...
(note: on the left was the Fried Halibut that was mistakenly given to us)

Service:

We didn't really have our own personal server per se; our order was taken by the shucker dude (who was situated in front of us all night long) at the oyster bar.  There was also an order mix-up between the people sitting next to us and ours (hey, more food for us!) We didn't realize it until it was too late.  Otherwise, the service was good  - friendly and chattable.

Value:

A little steep - $2.50 - 3.50 per fresh oyster

Ambience:

This place is extremely LOUD, and can therefore either make or break your experience.  It's essentially a large wooden cabin, filled with loud campers (dining patrons) with the cabin 'leaders' being the huge, muscular oyster stuckers (haha).

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Come here for freshly-shucked oysters, pan-fried oysters, oyster rockefellar, and however you like your cooked cooked (or prepared) :)

Nay: Make reservations - I say at least 3-4 days in advance. I called the day before to book a reso for 2 and they were all full with the reason being that they only reserve the upstairs (approx. 6-7 tables). As a result, upon arrival, we were told that it would be a 1 hr and 20 min. wait before a table was available for us. We then ventured to Cactus Club for a drink, came back 1 hr and 20 mins later and waited for another 15 mins. before being seated.


The noise level can be extremely overwhelming especially if you're on a date or what not.  Also, I don't think this is the most kid-friendly place.  Prices are steep as well.

*** Interesting fact: They have a location in Toronto too and from what I've read, it's equally as bustling and busy!




Posted by: J

Go Fish

Go(oooood) Fish is more like it!

Food:

Everything we ordered was so fresh and delicious! On this beautiful Saturday, my dining companion and I shared: 2 pieces of Halibut and chips, a Qualicum Bay Seared Scallop Sandwich and one Salmon Tacone.  The fish was nicely battered, meaty, huge and crispy while the 'chips' were actually pomme frites (delicious and so fresh-tasting).  It also came with a side of coleslaw, which I liked for its non-drenchiness.  It was coated in a Asian sesame-like dressing, as opposed to the usual creamy dressing.

The Scallop Sandwich arrived on a fresh Portugese-style bun, loaded with plump nicely-seared scallops (4, to be exact), caramelized onions, iceberg lettuce, mayo and sweet chili sauce.  The salmon tacone was generally filled with grilled salmon, cilantro-infused salsa, coleslaw and a chipotle sauce.  I only had a bite of this but it was enough to make my tastebuds tingle! ~

Service:

Ok, not the friendliest and not the speediest either

Value:

Pricey

Ambience:

It's located steps away from Granville Island...come here for the grub and scenery! Especially on a hot summer's day? Perfection.

Overall: 8/10

Yay:  Come for the food and scenery - no questions asked

Nay: Lineups, lineups, lineups! We came here on a Saturday afternoon at about noon-ish only to be presented with a huge line-up filled with fellow fish'n'chip grabbers alike.  We waited in line for about 25 mins, ordered our food and had to wait for another 15 mins. 

The service we witnessed wasn't the greatest either (somebody had take another person's order and the woman (manager? owner?) working there was quite rude).

It is pretty darn pricey here, too.  2 pieces of halibut & chips totalled $14.50, while the scallop sandwich was $12 :/