New chef, new season, and renewed status as one of Vancouver's Michelin Guide-recommended restaurants: Fall is full of excitement so far for Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market.
Nicaraguan native Alex Guido joined the crew at Fanny Bay late this summer and the downtown restaurant has just rolled out his first updated menu, including a few dishes that reflect the chef's Latino heritage.
The tanks still bubble their welcome at the front of the laid-back spot at 762 Cambie St, holding an array of fresh oysters and crab, as well as specialties like geoduck, the unusual-looking clam from the Pacific Northwest that has inspired many a wink and NSFW joke. The geoduck, incidentally, gets the raw bar treatment on the Fanny Bay menu, available by weight as thinly sliced sashimi with wasabi and ponzu.
New dishes join Fanny Bay menu for fall and winter
Guido says that the timing was ideal for him to join the Fanny Bay team, and he's excited to have his new menu available for guests. Come spring, when there is another shift in the weather - and ingredients - Guido says there will be more changes on deck for the popular restaurant.
Seafood is, of course, always the focal point at Fanny Bay, which is a branch of Washington's iconic Taylor Shellfish Farms. The Ocean Wise "tide-to-table" operation is known primarily for its oysters, which are so central to Fanny Bay's identity that you'll even get one atop your Caesar cocktail, or you can choose from a lineup of Oyster Shooters for a little ocean-sourced bite in your libation.
The Fanny Bay menu is split into categories: Raw Bar, cold and hot appetizers, and main courses. You'll see Guido's influence in many refreshed dishes on the menu, like a scallop aguachile or the tuna tartare, which now has sweet, bright pops of corn and a bit of avocado puree.
Massive French seafood stew perfect for sharing
Just in time for the chillier months and "soup season," Guido has put a hearty Bouillabaisse on the Fanny Bay menu. This is a straightforward take on the iconic dish from the French port city of Marseille: a fisherman's stew loaded with fresh catch (in this case prawns, scallops, mussels, clams, snapper, and the optional add-on of crab) served in a savoury broth studded with potato and enhanced with Andouille sausage served with toasted bread and aioli for dipping, dunking, and transiting seafood mouth-ward.
The Bouillabaisse is massive; it could easily feed four, especially if you've kicked off the meal with freshly-shucked oysters (including those from Fanny Bay's own supply) or any of the other appetizers.
You may have to enact the "second stomach" rule to try one of the new seasonal desserts, like the spiced carrot cake, which is super moist and tender (thanks to the use of pear puree) and comes with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting.
The tide-to-table restaurant also doubles as a market, so you can pick up oysters (unshucked) to go, along with all sorts of tinned seafood and pantry or fridge/freezer staples.
Video: Trying some new menu items at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar restaurant in Vancouver
@forkingawesomevia One of the Michelin Guide’s recommended Vancouver restaurants is this downtown seafood spot. They do tide to table eats, including fresh shucked oysters, hot and cold dishes (like a massive Bouillabaisse to share) and have fun drinks (plus Happy Hour). 🎣🦪 #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #seafood #oysters ♬ Elegant and lively violin jazz - Cuisine, food, gourmet, cafe(1310636) - Ponetto
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