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Vancouver’s best seafood dining, Blue Water Cafe!

August 26, 2014 by Lynn 2 Comments

Blue Water Cafe

Vancouver, the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia, is most definitely a city for foodies. From street food to fine dining, there is something delicious, and often local or at least from the “Pacific Northwest”, to meet most everyone’s taste and budget.

Our dinner at Blue Water Cafe located in Vancouver’s historic Yaletown was perhaps the best seafood dining experience we’ve ever had, even better than the best bouillabaise we’ve eaten in Marseilles or Villefranche-sur-Mer, or the best fish we’ve had in the coastal European cities we’ve visited where cooking fresh fish is an art passed down from generation to generation.

The restaurant’s impressive cookbook, authored by its Executive Chef Frank Pabst, defines Blue Water Cafe’s mission as “multi-dimensional … a celebration of seafood representing both East and West in a historic and vibrant environment”. A perfect definition for a restaurant which clearly strives for perfection. But after tenures in a variety of Michelin-starred restaurants in both France and Germany, one would expect no less from either Chef Frank Pabst, nor his Restaurant Director Stephane Cachard who, himself, is an alumnus of Michelin-starred restaurants in France and England.

Award winning Executive Chef Frank Pabst - Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

Award-winning Executive Chef Frank Pabst – Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

 

The attention to detail, all details including ambience, staff levels, teamwork, service, and efficiency as well as utmost quality of purveyors, with a focus on freshness and sustainability of their products, are hallmarks of Blue Water Cafe. Another equally important dimension of the restaurant is its vibrant Raw Bar under the direction of Yoshi Tabo, an iconic figure in Vancouver who brings his 30+ years of experience in the art of traditional Japanese Cooking to this restaurant which strives for “the best”.

Our memorable menu from the evening …

Chef's Creek, Komo Gway, Kusshi and Read Island Oysters - Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

Chef’s Creek, Komo Gway, Kusshi and Read Island Oysters – Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

 

Denis preferred the “plump and meaty” Read Island oysters while I especially loved the lovely sweetness of the Chef’s Creek. We next shared the following two main courses and and the following two desserts.

House-baked Bread by Pastry Chef Jean-Pierre Sanchez - Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

House-baked Bread by Pastry Chef Jean-Pierre Sanchez – Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

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Arctic Char with braised leeks, wakame seaweed, Dungeness crab, trout caviar and pearl couscous - Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

Arctic Char with braised leeks, wakame seaweed, Dungeness crab, trout caviar and pearl couscous – Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

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Sablefish with miso sake glaze, baby bok choy, edamame, quinoa, shitake mushrooms and yuzu - Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

Sablefish with miso sake glaze, baby bok choy, edamame, quinoa, shitake mushrooms, and yuzu – Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

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Warm dark Cuban Chocolate with brandy truffle center, vanilla bean ice cream and Lemon Cream Bar with poppy seed almond biscuit, roadted strawberries and strawberry sorbet - Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

Warm dark Cuban Chocolate with brandy truffle center, vanilla bean ice cream and Lemon Cream Bar with poppy seed almond biscuit, roasted strawberries and strawberry sorbet – Blue Water Cafe, Vancouver

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If you go to Vancouver and you enjoy seafood, make sure to reserve at Blue Water Cafe for what will be, for my money, your best souvenir possible … the memories of an utterly superb dining experience with, in Chef Pabst’s words, “the stomach and the heart satisfied”. And for the ultimate dining experience, ask Wine Director Andrea Vescovi to select the perfect wine pairings for your meal.

Stay tuned to BonVoyageurs.com for more Countries of the World as we share our joie de vivre from around the world.  Luxury escapes and city breaks to Quebec City, New York, Washington, Buenos Aires. In Europe, places like Paris France, Nice France, Provence and the Cote d’Azur (French Riviera), Tuscany and Florence in Italy, Rome, Napoli and the Amalfi Coast. In Asia, countries like China, India, Nepal and so much more!

Filed Under: Alaska Cruise, Canada, Cruises, Culinary Delights, N. America, Uncategorized Tagged With: around the world, blue water cafe, Canada, city breaks, Food, Joie de vivre, luxury escapes, Quebec City, Seafood, Travel, Vancouver

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Comments

  1. Victor Johnson says

    November 7, 2014 at 1:56 am

    Every bit of this looks fabulously delicious to me. Thanks for sharing these pictures, even the pastry looks incredible.

    Reply
  2. Maya says

    March 24, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    Vancouver is quite possibly the best city in the world. What I would give to afford a house there!

    Reply

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TOP 10 travel experts and influencers on social media and rated as one of the most influential travel bloggers in the world, Denis and Lynn Gagnon have been circling the globe for more than 45 years. Former international business travelers, they know how to travel - with class, comfort, and style. Members of the National Press Club, PTBA , NATJA and SATW. Wish to connect? Email them at BonVoyageurs@gmail.com.

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