Fishmongery: a dying art?

Credit: Michael Robertson

Stuffed whole fish with quinoa, baby carrots, and fennel

Will I get a list of fish shops with my citizenship?

Don’t take this the wrong way Vancouver but I’m a little disappointed. For a coastal city — one famed for its sushi, and whose restuarants have menus consistently laden with salmon and albacore tuna dishes — there seems to be a dearth of fishmongers around the city.

Recently, I noticed this little shop (on Broadway just east of Kingsway; pictured right). It’s only open in the afternoons and the signage directs you to search for them on google (it took me a while to work out that they are caller Lobsters Only Seafood Inc). Fantastic if I have a craving for crustacean, but what about fish?

Beyond Granville Island fishmongers

Most people I’ve asked cite Granville Island as the place to go, and with four fishmongers it certainly fits the bill. But there must be more out there. I can’t believe that a million of us all trudge down there.

Is it that the majority of us are content to trust the supermarkets’ fish departments? A recent CBC exposé reported that 22 percent of fish at supermarkets are mislabelled.

Mislabelling aside, I’d also like to buy fish without a polystyrene tray.

So I’m asking you, Vancouver, where do you go for your fresh fish?