Chow down on the chowder from these Vancouver restaurants
Chowder — whether fish, clam or seafood, cream- or tomato-based — may be an East Coast staple but Vancouver knows a thing or two about this savoury, briny stew, beloved of fishermen and landlubbers alike. Our abundant seafood and creative chefs allow for some innovative versions. Here are a few standouts.
Rodney's Oyster House
405-1228 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC V6B 6L2While you may take your chowder choices seriously — and you should — nothing is overly serious at this laidback yet bustling seafood house. Charming servers equipped with booming voices and a great sense of humour are happy to take your order into their own hands, recommending the best oysters and which hot dishes to share. But for a starter, begin with one of their four chowders — Manhattan, New England, corn or slapjack (oyster, leek, potato) complete with oyster crackers — for a hit of savoury east coast goodness.
The Fish Counter
3825 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P1As the name suggests, this very popular Main Street fishmonger is more a seafood shop than a restaurant. But don’t let that deter you from grabbing a quick lunch here. They offer a killer take-out menu (with some of the best fish and chips in town), complete with clam chowder. Theirs is a dairy-free version, with a savoury seafood broth as the backdrop for plump clams and veggies. They also sell it in Mason jars for heating up at home.
Yew Seafood + Bar
791 Georgia St W, Vancouver, BC V6C 2T4Winner of the 2014 Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown, chef Ned Bell’s signature chowder from Yew at the Four Season’s Hotel in downtown Vancouver is a classic West Coast concoction. Swimming with luscious, buttery black cod that has been smoked with maple, the creamy soup bobs with hunks of Okanagan apple, cubed potato and corn and is topped with a slick of Fraser Valley honey. It sounds sweet but it works — as four highly esteemed judges concurred. Order a bowl this weekend, though, and judge for yourself.
Go Fish Ocean Emporium
1505 1st Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6J 1E8For a twist on your traditional chowder, head to the Granville Island docks and look for the lineup snaking the seawall. By this, you’ll know you’re near Go Fish, the little seafood stand serving up some of the freshest and tastiest meals in its no-frills outdoor environment. Chowder here is Thai influenced, overflowing with fresh seafood in a hot and sour coconut broth and is often considered the best chowder in town. Purely for the authenticity of the atmosphere and the tasty bowl, we can see why.
Oyster Express
296 Keefer St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5This unassuming, barebones oyster bar tucked away at Gore and Keefer in Chinatown belies the tasty offerings inside. The small menu is focused on — what else? — oysters, but they also have a tight selection of other seafood specialties to round out the menu. Including two chowders: a fish-based New England style chowder with sole and luscious cream, and a Manhattan clam chowder bursting with clams, potatoes, carrots, corn, celery and tomato. Each is served with fresh baguette and is perfect for a blustery, raining Vancouver day.
Pink Peppercorn Seafood House
1485 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5N 2R6This restaurant now firmly rooted on Robson Street adjacent to the Listel Hotel is all about sustainability and using what’s freshest, most available and abundant. Located as we are near some of Canada’s best waters for seafood, you can bet the ocean’s catch has found its way into their seafood chowder. Their smoked sablefish and chanterelle mushroom chowder was a finalist for the 2014 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown and holds pride of place on both their scrumptious brunch menu and their full dinner menu.
Forage
1300 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1C5This restaurant now firmly rooted on Robson Street adjacent to the Listel Hotel is all about sustainability and using what’s freshest, most available and abundant. Located as we are near some of Canada’s best waters for seafood, you can bet the ocean’s catch has found its way into their seafood chowder. Their smoked sablefish and chanterelle mushroom chowder was a finalist for the 2014 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown and holds pride of place on both their scrumptious brunch menu and their full dinner menu.
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