Goldfish Pacific Kitchen

So after my hour work-​out with my friend Andrea P. at Barre, which is a 2 min walk away. We decided to treat ourselves to happy hour. Have to replenish those calories we just lost — makes sense!
We started off with from oyster shooters — they were slightly small but still fresh and delicious with no sand. It came with a lovely, sweet seafood sauce and lemond. Slurp-​burp goodness. Next we had the cheeseburger springrolls. It’s as mouth-​watering as you think — crispy springroll with warm, cheesy beef goodness in the middle, topped with green onions was a fresh touch. Next we tried the salmon sashimi, which was a disappointment because it was such a small platter — the sashimi was small and tasted common. To top off our happy hour we split a Hello Kitty cocktail — very subtle alcohol taste, fruity and lovely with a piece of lychee at the bottom of the glass.
The service was pretty good, our waitress was kind and attentive when needed. Overall, they put the happy in that hour for my stomach. A return to happy hour will occur.

My first and last review of Goldfish Kitchen as they are apparently closing this Sunday (Feb 5).
We had the classic Salt Spring Mussels which were tasty. Next, we had the handmade ravioli along with fish and chips. The ravioli was delicious with a nice soft texture. I actually liked the fries in the fish and chips because they weren’t very salty and were crispy.
The service is very good; the servers are friendly and chatty. The décor is modern and chic. There were lots of people inside the restaurant when we were there at 10 pm on a Monday night! In the past, every time I walk by this restaurant, it has been pretty happenin’ inside!

I feel like I have reviewed Goldfish before but it seems to have disappeared. I used to come here a lot when they first opened years ago when Yaletown was becoming Yaletown.
Its changed tenfold since then. I noticed my last time there that the menu has completely gone from Goldfish Kitchen Asian inspired to pure continental boringness Goldfish Seafood and Chops. Seems they’ve been taken over by Joe Fortes, or maybe they’ve always been owned by Joes and they decided Asian wasn’t their thing,
Best things about it, bar/​afternoon appetizer menu and afternoon bites. End of the bin wine prices. This is the best best thing, their appetizers are delicious. Prawns short ribs, carpaccio is my favourite, and scallops.
Dinner menu is OK. I don’t recommend it, head to Flying Pig instead but come to Goldfish for pre dinner drinks and some appies.
Kind of a cool space but its getting dated now.
You know, I don’t have enough to say,. Go for drinks and bites, nothing more.

My friend and I went to Vancouver over Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend. Our hotel recommended Goldfish so we went on our last night there.
We were very happy we went. The atmosphere was very nice, the staff was excellent and the food was delicious.
We ordered a bottle of what seemed like never ending wine, appetizers, dinner and dessert! Everything that came out to our table was perfect. The fish just melted in your mouth. Seafood being my favorite food, I had nothing but positive things to say about my meal. The portion size was perfect and I left the restaurant very full.
Everyone at the restaurant was very warm and friendly from the hostess to our waiter to the manager who was walking around talking to everyone. I will be back here to eat every time I get up to Vancouver.

What kind of over priced mediocre food bullshit is this??? The party planner chick is not only rude but caused unnecessary stress to the birthday girl by telling her they will charge $ 20 for each person not there by exactly 9pm.
The salads looked like they were the pre bagged kind from save on foods. The spare rib meat jumbo macaroni dish was basically meatless. The 16oz rib eye steak that I ordered had SO much More fat than meat on it. Also the waiters and waitresses never once smiled and when we wanted to order drinks for the birthday girl one of the waiters said «we have some really good cheap drinks.» bitch we can afford expensive drinks! Not only that they rushed us asking when they can bring the cake out at least 6 different times WHILE we were having appetizers.
Definitely NOT coming back here ever. EVER.
Staff are rude, food is mediocre and overpriced.

The two star rating is what I give Goldfish for their Taste of Yaletown menu. 1 star is for their Calamari, and Short Rib. 2^nd star for the ambience of the entire restaurant.
I came here with a lot of friends, and we ordered everything there is to serve on the menu. And here is my review on their 3 course:
— Appies: Salad was a salad, fair enough. Clam Chowder: very bland, almost a watered down creamy stew, with almost no clams. Calamari was actuall decent, but it did not come out piping hot nor cripsy. Was luke warm, but was still uniquely delicious. Almost like they defried it in McDonalds deep frier.
— Entrees: Their Pasta was a Bouillabaisse. I don’t think the wide noodles went very well with the seafood stew. Taste was also very bland. It was like eating pasta with flavorless soup. Only perk is that they had quite a bit of seafood in it, but they didn’t filter out for dead clams. Friend had quite a bit of dead closed clams. SOo much, that he wanted to try one. so forcingly opened a dead clam, and have a whole bunch of sand poured into his dish. The only flavorful entrée was the short rib and mash. Tender and tasty, but downside that it wasn’t the best cut. Full of tendons? or bits of too gammy muscle that was unchewable.
–Dessert: Cremebrulee was nothing notably different or delicous. The lava cake, was mostly lava goey liquid with no cake… or more like chocolate syrup. Apple tart was not too shabby, but I’ve had better elsewhere.
Atmosphere: Beautiful! Love the lightings, seating and planteries. Definitely a more classier joint in the heart of yaletown.
Service: Friendly
Ice Tea: Is not refillable? Had to pay almost $ 4 for each glass.
Would come back to try other things that aren’t on the taste of yaletown. And definitely won’t be ordering more Iced Tea. I definitely hope that their taste of yaletown menu, is NOT their cover of what Goldfish can truly dish. I expect better.

Excellent service and wonderful food!
Had the pleasure of dining at Goldfish with a group of my co-​workers last week. We had a large party (22) and the folks at Goldfish did a great job taking care of us. The service was impeccable and the food overall was excellent.
I had the steak and prawn special which was very good. The only miss was was the Tuna Poke which was a little soggy. The crème brûlée for desert was wonderful.
Definitely would recommend Goldfish and will try again when I am back in Vancouver.

Buck A Shuck! How can one say no to that. Let’s cut to the chase:
I tried:
Oysters — pretty darn amazing! briny, fresh n delicious. Didn’t care much for the mignonette tho~
Dim Sum — meh… pretty pedestrian
Salmon Sashimi — delicious!
Lobster flat bread — amazing! large chunks of succulent lobster, avocado on a crispy flat bread. yummm…
Tuna Poke — not good. bland with soggy taro chips
Ribs — There is no grill flavour on the ribs at all. It was more like braised short ribs with soft tender fall-​off-​the-​bone meat. Very good
Service was disappointing. There were a lot of servers & busboys working but I felt like we were constantly searching for someone to help us. It took forever for someone to grab our orders, even longer to bring our drinks. When we needed more drinks, it takes another 10 minutes for someone to get to us eventhough we got the usual «Be right with you».
I guess with enough oysters and alcohol, most could ignore the crap service…

We started off our night with happy hour at Goldfish after the tweetup there. We ate a lot of buck-​a-​shuck oysters. From there, we wandered to random places, events, and parties (relatively sobre) for a fun, random night on the town. Relive it here told entirely from photos taken and posted to Twitter throughout the evening.
The usuals were there, Dennis, May, Colene, Linzi, and I. We dined on appetizers and various treats. The garlic fries were surprisingly good.
Colene was hankering for a ton of oysters. I had a few, saving myself for the cooked treats.
The prawns, spring rolls, and so were all good. The deep fried calamari was kind of tasteless and lacking. We had to send back our first order after its simultaneously salty and bland taste.
The lobster and avocado flatbread is superb. We had three. It’s definitely a must try.

This was my second time at Goldfish in the span of a month, and I’m a fan of this place. They’ve recently re-​branded their restaurant, and they have happy hour from 4−7pm.
I went there with a group and made reservations through Open Table. Just about an hour before we were to show up, they phoned me and asked if we would like to be seated in the lounge area or patio. I was impressed by their level of service already.
Being that we were there for happy hour, we ordered 4 dozen oysters to start between the 5 of us. We ordered a glass of pinot grigio each to accompany the oysters. They let us know that they’ll need to bring them out in batches because the staff need time to shuck them. It was reassuring to know that they don’t pre-​shuck them.
We then ordered a few more items on their happy hour menu: fries, jumbo prawns, salmon sashimi, and lobster flatbread. The fries were fresh, and the prawns were mega-​sized. The salmon sashimi was okay, but the lobster flatbread was amazing! There were actual lobster chunks, with pieces of roasted cherry tomatoes and avocado pieces. It was so delicious we ordered another!
This is a great place to visit if you’re looking for good seafood during happy hour.

4 dozen oysters, please.
And so began happy hour at Goldfish Kitchen. If I know anything, it’s happy hours. Pour me a cocktail and let’s get this done. But for food? Good thing I had power-​eaters Colene, Rick, May and Dennis to guide me. Happy Hour at Goldfish is just an incredible deal, because, damn, that place is pricey. But buck a shuck and $ 5 glasses of wine and you are living it large, my friends.
I’m a relatively novice oyster eater so I held back. But when the lobster flatbreads, fries, jumbo prawns and calamari arrived, I was in food heaven. The combination of ingredients and sophistication of the food is nothing spectacular, these are just appies, after all. However, they are delicious and I would love a handsome man* to take me there to sample the full menu. I wasn’t blown away by the oysters, I think we have had better toppings at Rodneys**. And Colene sent back the calamari after we deemed it too salty, really it tasted like chipper fish and chips. At $ 18 I do not want to be tasting something I could get down Brighton seaside for a fiver.
The staff were gracious, prompt and treated us very well the whole time we were there. It’s a classy place and it shows. More, please.
* Handsome men who love seafood, wine and outrageously funny dining companions, just call me. I’m available.
**Oh Rodneys, stop flirting with me, you saucy minx.

I have loved Goldfish years ago, and I still love going to this place.
Came here for a b-​day dinner party. The tables were spacious and super comfy. Lots of room so you don’t seem pack or hear anyone else’s conversation. Everyone is dressed up.
The appetizer that arrived is not bread but ahi tuna. All the dishes were elegantly presented as works of art. I had the sablefish which was done to perfection and my friends had the cod, and ahi tuna. The cheescake and lava dessert were light but yummmy. They offer a variety of wines and cocktails. I liked the sparkling cocktail Hello Kitty and the passionfruit mojito. Price ranges from $ 31 to $ 51.

It was a warm Saturday night and my sister, Ainsley D and I went for a evening walk in Yaletown. We were dressed in our most casual of duds (anything short of heels and chic clothes feels out of place here) when Ainsley decided that we needed a drink. He needed a Guinness and he needed it now!
Well since my dear friend rarely craves Guinness so we decided we should get on this, expecting that he’d want to go to the brewpub or the like. Instead, he insisted that we go to Goldfish. Whoa. At first we protested, I mean I love it there, but I’d prefer to go when I don’t look like a contestant on What Not To Wear. He insisted (huge fan) so we sheepishly obliged.
Upon entering, I truly expected to get some kind of strange look from the hosts for looking so… you know… under-​dressed.
They greeted us warmly as if we were royalty.
I felt confused, I mean, the restaurant was packed – and I do mean packed – with sexy people dressed to the nines. We three ghetto superstars (minus the stardom) rolled up to the bar and enjoyed a drink. Though we were bringing down the cool-​factor by 800% they treated us like any other valued guest. I was impressed.
Yaletown, sometimes you make me feel like you’re not just for the yuppies… and I dig that. Thank you for letting this little East Van girl feel at home :)

Delicious food & wine, knowledgeable staff, awesome service, super urban chic modern… Fabulous lounge at night on the weekends.

Your typical Yaletown hotspot where you can always expect exceptional service, yuppies, a decent meal and a fine glass of BC wine.
Taste of Yaletown is on right now until Oct 31^st — 3 courses for $ 35. Last night was my first time here for dinner. They have a great selection of seafood. I tried the Tuna Poke, King Crab Tempura (recommended), Lois Lake Steelhead Salmon with a white BC Pinot Gris, and Chocolate Lava Cake.
I was with a friend with lactose allergies. Our server was knowledgeable and made helpful recommendations to my friend.
As always, a great experience with a satisfying meal.

Came here with my ladies from work for Dine Out Vancouver because we all wanted to try Goldfish. At the $ 38 price point, the menu looked good enough and I was willing to give this place a shot.
When we walked in at 5pm, the place was pretty empty, but we were super early. The décor was nice. There are large booths on the side with very cool wall /​ceiling fixtures. You can easily mistaken where the front door is and walk into their private dining room which is next door.
Their drink menu is extensive, with lots of creative names and ingredients. The server was patient while I made up my mind and provided his expertise on what was good and what to avoid.
The one thing that I didn’t like about the menu was that there were no vegetarian options. I’m not a vegetarian, but if any of my friends were, or if I wanted a more veggie dish, it was not available and no substitutions were allowed.
I got the shortrib as the starter, sablefish for the main, and the «apple» cake for dessert.
The shortrib was absolutely delicious — 5 stars right off the bat. The meat was so tender and juicy and I wish I was eating it for my main dish. The dishes, however, seemed inconsistent as my friend’s dish had a bone, while mine didn’t — I wouldn’t have wanted hers. she would’ve gotten less meat! I heard the dumplings were over friend and not recommended.
The sable fish for the main course was very tasty… cooked different that I’ve had before as I felt that the skin was a little crispy. not a bad thing at all. just different. I liked the shortrib just a little more. It came with two small strands of what seemed to be a chinese vegetable, and a small speckle of black bean.
For dessert. i was so excited about my apple dessert with vanilla gelato… i had high high hopes… and then the plate comes… the cake looks like a lump of coal. no joke. I am looking at it in confusion… so are my ladies… finally I took a bite… something tasted awfully odd. it tasted like CHOCOLATE… oh that is why the cake was brown! I thought it was the lighting of the restaurant that made it look so dark.
. but I didn’t order Chocolate cake with apples, which by the way didn’t seem to exist. I might have gotten a tiny piece. but no where did the menu state that the cake contained chocolate. the gelato was delish, but the cake, i’m sorry was not good. I would have opted for the crème brûlée knowing this fact.
so halfway through the dinner, the owner /​manager was clearly en route to walk out of the restaurant. for whatever reason. But while doing so. he sees our table and changes his mind (kind of)… He pauses quickly and asks if anything was good. His manner was rude and did not seem to care because as soon we answered, he kept walking. He had not planned to stop and did so out of convenience. If we had said something was wrong, he would not have even noticed. I would have much rather him not have stopped because it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Maybe I got my hopes up, but I had expected more of this place. Maybe I’ll stop in for happy hour, but don’t think I’ll be dropping by any time soon. This was the first restaurant I wanted to try two years ago when I first moved to Vancouver. wish it was something else.

A cool concept that is now taken over by other places with cooler concepts. I remember when we first came here in Summer of 2008, when it was freshly opened. Everything was so new back then-​a modern interior, and large bar, and a large patio in the back, that has well designed furniture.
Within a couple of years, other restaurants caught on, and there are more of these ‘hip’ Yaletown hangouts. I did use to come here quite often, and then I started to resort to other places too.
Had some special dinners here-​NYE, mom’s birthday, and they were both great. We have always gotten great service.
Highlights of this place:
Their patio is really sweet. Comfy lounge chairs, within a little garden. Their bar looks amazing! A large slab of marble serves as the backdrop, and I am in awe every time.
Food is consistent, and their menu has a blend of Asian inspiration.
Recommendations:
1)WOK TOSSED TEMPURA SQUID crispy garlic, fresh scallions, thai bird chiles
2)HOISIN SAKE GLAZED SABLEFISH caramelized onion & black bean tapanade, coconut jus
3)BACON FRIED RICE scallions, garlic, organic quail eggs-​this is a side dish, but add it! It’s delicious!
4)LEMONGRASS BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS hoisin glaze, 5-​spice roasted peanuts. A nice hint of the lemongrass makes this dish unique.
5)For dessert, try the Warm Banana Spring Rolls– cashew butter, caramel sauce, and lychee mint salad. I like banana in any dessert!
They also have lots of different drinks. «Refreshments» are non alcoholic iced drinks. My favourite is the ginger lemonade. Cocktail list is also great, and of course, my favourite is the Hello Kitty drink-​lychee & strawberry liqueurs, champagne!

Came here for the post-​gold men’s Olympic hockey celebration and it was one of the few places I could get a reservation at the last minute for a group of 8. Great décor and vibe.
However, the food was BLAND. That was really what killed it for me… I had one of the salads to start — romaine was nice and crisp, but the dressing lacked in flavor and they used the most odd tasting bacon I’ve had in awhile.
I also sampled the calamari which was so-​so. I then tried the duck spring rolls… sounded great in theory, but again, NO taste! How is that even possible when you use duck?
My main was the wasabi pea crusted seared albacore tuna — this is normally one of my favorite dishes, but the tuna lacked in texture and considering the supposed crusting of wasabi peas, it was tasteless. On the plus side, the server did ask what I thought of it and said he would pass it onto the chef.
Hubby had the tenderloin stir-​fry — generally quite tasty, but I think they were cheaping out on the meat cuts/didn’t cut it well as there was a few pieces with gristle :(.
Sides were average but hubby really enjoyed the fries.
The service was quite good — we had some issues with our wine service and as a result, the manager offered the group of us a complimentary dessert platter — lychees, white chocolate crème brule, chocolate/​coffee cheesecake and deep fried bananas. Overall quite a tasty dessert platter.
Unfortunately, the quality of the food is what matters to me… prices as a whole are average here for Yaletown ($ 10 – 15 appys, $ 25-​$ 35 mains, $ 10 sides) but definitely NOT worth the money… LOL, maybe that’s why I could get a table on short notice since my usual faves were booked up!
This is a weak spot of the Glowbal family — I definitely wouldn’t take a foodie here!

I came here as a client for a post-​olympic hockey game and was thoroughly impressed! We had a very attentive wait staff and were frequently entertained by conga lines of the Netherlands and Holland teams. Sure the prices are mid-​high, but this is Yaletown and should be expected.
We had the gyozas, duck spring rolls, and fried tofu to start and all were delicious! The gyozas had the perfect amount of ginger and I could have eaten the fried tofu all night. There wasn’t very much duck in the spring rolls but overall they were very good, especially after wrapped in a lettuce leaf with a piece of mint.
For dinner, I had the halibut cheeks and salmon. The curry sauce was fabulous and both pieces of fish were perfectly cooked. The orange fennel salad gave both texture and a bit of relief from the slight heat of the curry. I had the green beans as a side and there were nicely still crisp and the sauce was very good.
For dessert, I had the raspberry and peach cobbler and it was not a delicious end to the meal. The topping was like cake batter and it was extremely undercooked. The side of passion fruit sorbet was the best part of the plate.

The service is great here. The wait staff is always able to help with recommendations or offer great descriptions when I tell them I can’t choose between two items. I’ve never been disappointed.
My water glass is constantly refilled, in a discrete quick manner. You know how sometimes you go to a restaurant and the water refill causes the whole conversation to stop? You hand them your glass, you wait, you thank them. Here it just happens, and I barely notice. The staff has always been observant and they move quickly to make you happy.
For meals I’ve had a stir fried beef plate before and maple chicken. Both were wonderful, and I had enough to bring some home.