TASTE OF THE THE SEA || Boulevard YVR
This is where you go when you are craving a taste of the sea.
When asked for the best seafood restaurants in Vancouver, Boulevard consistently ranks amongst the top options on the list, with its tasty seafood towers brimming with wild shrimp, fresh local oysters, snow crab legs and more.
On a sunny summer day, one can enjoy beautiful B.C. wines and fresh oysters on the patio. The interior of the restaurant provides a sophisticated refuge perfect for an elegant gathering including birthdays, business meetings and other special occasions.
Plush white leather booths line the walls to create intimate dining spaces. Artistic lighting fixtures highlight the various dining areas. A bar underlit with ambient warm lighting and black leather barstools lines one side of the restaurant, where patrons are enjoying delicious cocktails midday. The raw bar lines the back of the restaurant, where chefs are busy preparing for evening dinner service.
On the menu for the day was the renowned seafood tower, spot prawns, and an indulgent Seafood Linguini. These seafood dishes paired wonderfully with the 2017 BLVD Viognier, a white wine produced by Blind Creek Vineyard in Similkameen Valley, BC. The custom wine is a collaboration between Road 13 and Boulevard, produced specially for Boulevard.
When we visited it was just at the tail end of spot prawn season, and we were fortunate to catch the last of this tasty creation. As this menu item is seasonal, we will just have to patiently wait for next spring to savour its freshness.
The Seafood Linguini is made fresh daily in house, using the cooking liquid from the mussels and clams as a foundation for the sauce. To create the unique taste that the Japanese refer to as ‘Umami’, the chefs use Calabrian chilli and anchovy to boost the flavours. As the pasta is a heavier dish, fresh grated lemon zest and juice adds freshness and balances out the heavier ingredients. We also loved the breadcrumb topping, which is house made focaccia toasted with Calabrian chili for texture and adds a bit of heat to the dish.
After this culinary experience, it was clear to us why the locals favor Boulevard one of the top seafood restaurants in the city. Though there are mainstays such as the various fresh seafood dishes, the culinary team is constantly improving their menu, earning the team multiple accolades since it opened four years ago (including Vancouver Magazine’s Best Upscale Restaurant and Chef of the Year). The culinary team now has Chef Roger Ma as their lead, and we can't wait to see what other surprises Chef Ma has for lucky Vancouver diners.
