Dine Out Vancouver is just around the corner, but I’m lucky enough to have one of those Entertainment Books, giving me two-for-one entrees at a number of Vancouver’s classiest restaurants. Last night, I took Susanne out to the Fish House in Stanley Park for a nice romantic dinner, and overall, I would say that I was pretty pleased, but there are a few things that weren’t so great and/or not so expected.

I know that Fish House is affiliated with The Cannery in East Vancouver (one of my favourite restaurants), but the ambiance is significantly different at the Stanley Park location. For starters, it is very well lit, a sharp contrast from pretty well every other upper scale joint in town. It seems more “family friendly” as well, as there is a children’s menu.

Enough chit-chat. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Fresh shucked oysters (Malpeque, Beach, Chef Creek, Golden Mantle). $2.45 each.

Sauces to accompany oysters (in addition to the cocktail sauce and horseradish): soy, soy with ginger, jalapeno something, etc.

Maple glazed salmon. $23.95.

Cedar plank trout with salmon bacon and grilled apples. $25.95.

The salmon had a slightly sweet taste to it, thanks to the maple drizzle. It was almost like eating fish pancakes, so to speak, because of the maple syrup-like sauce. The trout was ridiculously smooth and very tasty. I enjoyed the salmon bacon that accompanied it (tastes like salmon jerky), and the grilled apple was almost like a free dessert, not unlike a fresh apple pie.

The total bill — including a couple of drinks, taxes, tips, and the Entertainment coupoon — came to $66. Not bad, I’d say. Not bad at all. But I still like the Cannery better.

Fish House in Stanley Park on Urbanspoon