COQUILLE FINE SEAFOOD || A Scrumptious Seafood Lunch
Once you visit Coquille Restaurant in Gastown, you will view the idea of having seafood platters for lunch as a must, and the most perfect way to treat yourself no matter what day of the week it is.
We stopped by Coquille Restaurant on a crisp fall day, breathing in the cool air as we walked up to the entrance. Step inside and every decor detail fits snugly into the overall seafood theme.
The floor tiles are gray fish scales, and the plush pink velvet booths provide intimate dining spaces no matter what time of day you stop by. The dining booths are backed with black, reflective scales and the bar lined with dark, emerald green velvet bar stools, taking you deep into the colours of the ocean.
We settled into one of the dining booths and soon our table was filled with delicious seafood appetizers.
The Smoked Yellowtail Tuna Crude was refreshing with its thinly-sliced cucumbers on top. The Qualicum Scallop Crude combined with the sweetness of grape and the fruity yet bitter olive oil brings out the freshness of the scallops.
We also enjoyed the roasted scallops, for those who prefer a richer flavour with sage brown butter. Of the three small plates, we unanimously chose the Qualicum Scallop Crude for its unparalleled freshness.
Smoked Yellowfin Tuna Crude: tamarind, black pepper, corn chips.
Qualicum Scallop Crude: Grapes, fennel, olive oil.
Roasted Scallops: squash gnocchi, apple, sage browned butter.
If you are craving a hot soup to warm up your stomach then the chowder is a great choice, with its crispy shredded potato slices piled high.
Shellfish & Celery Root Chowder: with shredded potato.
Next up was the main feature, the Sailor Platter, a scrumptious arrangement of oysters and mussels along with snow crab legs and mackerel crude. Our top picks from the platter would be the snow crab legs and the mackerel crude; whereas some shy away from the oily texture of mackerel, these tiny bites are supremely satisfying and well-balanced.
Sailor Platter: Clams from New zealand, Conway pearls oysters from PEI, Mackerel crude, snow crab legs.
To provide a tailored refreshment to complement their seafood menu, Coquille Restaurant carries a branded red and white wine made just for the restaurant. The white wine was our favourite with its light and sweet flavour, an optimal pairing for all of the seafood dishes we were enjoying.
If you still have room after enjoying the seafood platter, satisfy your sweet tooth with the decadent dessert options on the menu. The banana cream pie has a light, fluffy texture and is sandwiched between the crunchy graham cracker crumbs and pie shell, a delicious combination of textures to cap off your meal. The other classic on the menu is the strawberry soft serve sundae, perfect for those who looking for a more indulgent alternative.
Soft Serve Sundae: strawberry and vanilla swirl with strawberries and jasmine shortbread.
Banana Cream Pie: graham crumbs, tonka caramel.
After our visit to Coquille Restaurant, we concluded that those who work or live in Gastown are extremely lucky, to have a unique seafood lunch option right at their doorstep. Located at the corner of Carrall and Water Street, Coquille Restaurant is easily accessible by any form of transportation. We highly recommend heading over to there to enjoy a seafood platter for lunch - it changed our perspective on our lunch options, and will definitely change yours too.
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181 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC
(604) 559-6009
