My recent birthday celebration lead me to Blue Water Cafe, one of the top seafood restaurants in Vancouver. Blue Water Cafe is a member of the Toptable Group, which features fresh seafood, ingredients and a wide selection of dishes on the menu. This includes raw oysters, sashimi, hot plates, and the famous seafood tower. Customers are encouraged to share all the dishes in order to taste the full range of flavour offerings.
Raw Oysters
Blue Water Cafe offers a large selection of raw oysters from British Columbia, Washington, and the East Coast. Customers can order one or two oysters as an appetizer to start the meal. Kusshi and Beach Angel is highly recommended. They are both local oysters with a strong flavour of sea water and a smooth texture.
Aburi Sablefish Battera
This dish is pressed sablefish sushi that is torched. Though each piece is bite-sized and rather fragile. The sushi is well-seasoned with white miso and kabayaki sauce, which is a sweet reduced soy sauce that is normally used to accompany cooked eel. The addition of a shiso leaf creates a pungent and grassy flavour, which slightly overpowered the sablefish and the sauce. By increasing the portion of sablefish, the overall flavour will then feature more of a rich and buttery flavour.
Seafood Tasting for Two
Customers can try multiple signature appetizers from the menu for $20 per person. It includes scallop ceviche, Dungeness crab and baby shrimps, Albacore tuna tartare, and smoked sockeye salmon terrine.
The chef recommends starting from the refreshing and light appetizer – scallop ceviche. A generous amount of fresh scallops is served with red onion and bell peppers. The acidity of the dish is on point, and the red onion covers the scallop’s freshness.
Dungeness crab and baby shrimps are a delightful surprise in this tasting. A thin slice of cucumber adds a crunch to the delicate and fresh seafood. With no complicated seasoning, it allows the seafood shine.
Albacore tuna tartare is served on deep fried dried seaweed which adds crisp to the dish. On the other hand, the tuna tartare is seasoned heavily with soy sauce. This causes the dish to lack an original flavour.
The sockeye salmon terrine is a beauty. With a buttery texture and smoky flavour. The golden caviar is marinated in sake and green onion crème fraîche that enriches the sockeye salmon. Crumbled pumpernickel and toasted hazelnut finally give the dish a light and smooth finish.
Out of the Water Sablefish
Sablefish was highly recommended by the server for the main course. The dish is heavenly! The sablefish is cooked to perfection with a touch of miso sake glaze. Rich, buttery, and velvety texture instantly melts in one’s mouth. The chef serves this delicate fish with a light broth and simple toppings. Baby bok choy, edamame, quinoa, yuzu dashi, and shiitake mushrooms are the perfect garnish for this dish.
Some of the dishes may not be as delightful as others, yet all dishes are plated beautifully with care. Service is also excellent and allows customers to truthfully provide feedback for each dish. Located in the vibrant Yaletown neighbourhood, Blue Water Cafe is definitely an extraordinary and unforgettable restaurant that is worth the visit for tourists and locals.
