Fish and chips with views of downtown Vancouver at Go Fish

I first found out about Go Fish Ocean Emporium when Andrew Zimmern visited Vancouver, Canada on his show Bizarre Foods America.

It was a rainy day in Vancouver, but that was not going to keep me from making the journey to the restaurant not far from Granville Island Public market. When I say restaurant, I mean more of a charming seafood shack with outdoor seating and stunning views of the harbor. This is why I came to Go Fish. This is why I came to Vancouver.

As you might have noticed already, there was no indoor seating. There was limited covered outdoor seating and additional uncovered tables. In the warmer months, you should have no problems eating outside but in the winter months, you might have to sit close to the propane heaters. Even on my visit on a rainy day, Go Fish was busy with walk up customers and those doing orders to go.

Rain or shine, the views from Go Fish of False Creek, Granville Island, downtown Vancouver, and all the docked and passing by boats are amazing. Even if you don’t eat here, you should walk along the path that borders the creek. It’s truly spectacular.

The Go Fish menu is quite simple but uses only the freshest ingredients and seafood purchased by the chef at Granville Island Public Market. On the menu, you will find sandwiches, fish and chips, char-grilled fish, tacones, and sides.

In addition, Go Fish also offers daily specials depending what is in season. Be sure to check the daily specials on your visit.

Cod Fish and Chips

It was a tough decision between cod, salmon and halibut, but I decided to go with the classic Cod Fish and Chips ($8 CAD) served with classic pommes frites and Pacific Rim coleslaw. With the fish and chips, you have the option of ordering one piece of fish or for an extra charge, two or more pieces. For a discount, you can also order a piece of fish without fries or coleslaw.

I loved how the fish and chips were served in a bamboo dumpling steamer, the ones found at many Asian restaurants. Visually, the plate was presented well and colorful.

If you are a fan of fish and chips, then you obviously know that the batter and crust can make or break the dish. Go Fish hits it right on the nail. The Homemade Ganville Island beer batter surrounding the generous portion of cod was puffy, hot, and crispy. Each crunchy bite was seasoned well, slightly salty, slightly sweet, and tasted even better with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

What I loved about the “Pacific Rim” coleslaw was that it was unique and different than other restaurants. It was fresh, the cabbage was crunchy, and it wasn’t drenched in mayonnaise but lightly coated in sesame oil.

Underneath the fish and coleslaw was a generous amount of chips, or classic pommes frites, or what I just call fries. Not much to say about the fries except that they were handcut, hot, crunchy, and seasoned well. They reminded me somewhat of the french fries found at the popular fast food chain, In-N-Out Burger.

Don’t forget to dunk your fish and chips into the delicious and thick tartar sauce which had flavors of lemon and herbs. I forgot to ask, but I believe the tartar sauce was homemade.

Seared Tuna Tacones

As I am always hungry, I had to order more. From the specials menu, I decided to order one Seared Tuna Tacones ($5.5/1 or $10/2). Go Fish tacones are a play on fish tacos with seared fish, cilantro spiked salsa, chipotle crema, and coleslaw wrapped into a white flour tortilla.

On the day I visited, the daily special was seared tuna tacones. There was also the option of a salmon tacones on the main menu.

The seared tuna tacones reminded me of a simple seafood burrito or kebab, but the flavors surprised me. The seared ahi inside was perfectly cooked and juicy. The crunchy and fresh coleslaw had the same Asian flavors as the fish and chips. Bringing everything together was a sweet and smoky sauce that mixed well with the salty fish, crunchy coleslaw, creamy chipotle crema, and fresh salsa.

I would come back to Go Fish just for their tacones. I have plans to make my own at home

Service

At Go Fish, you order your food at the counter and then pick it up when it’s ready, so the interaction with workers was limited. The workers though were extremely friendly and gave me recommendations on what to order.

Conclusion

Fresh seafood, awesome views, outdoor seating, friendly workers, and great prices? Do I have to say more?

Go Fish is a must eat in Vancouver.

Pros

• Fresh seafood
• Stunning views of downtown Vancouver and Granville Island
• Many homemade items made to order
• Locally sourced ingredients purchased at nearby Granville Island Public Market

Cons

• No indoor seating
• Can get busy on weekends

Hours

Summer and spring
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 11:30AM-7:00PM
Saturday-Sunday: 12:00PM-7:00PM

Fall and winter
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 11:30AM-6:00PM
Saturday-Sunday: 12:00PM-6:00PM

Address

1505 W 1st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6J 1E8
Canada

GPS Coordinates: 49.271229,-123.1394596

Map