Though the menu is largely West Coast, Executive Chef William Tse has stirred it up a bit by spinning out a few signatures with some Asian touches. Some of the dishes are unusual and well-executed, like the delicious wild BC salmon sashimi ($14.00) in a galangal crust with a gingery sauce.

Seafood dishes are excellent, if you choose wisely. Seared scallops ($15.00), a familiar Pan Asian dish mixing sizzling scallops with mango salsa, is flawless. Straightforward dishes like a mess of grilled short ribs ($16.00) - soft and full of intense chili oil with roasted peanut flavours – have their moments.

Still, Goldfish rises and falls on its more expressive mains such as the smoky, buttery beef tenderloin ($37.00) blended with cabernet sauce and sautéed pea leaf - a delicious combination. A steamed sablefish ($23.00) is terrifically sweet and sumptuous, with good hits of ginger and lemongrass. The rib-eye ($35.00), a thick and buttery rich peppercorn steak, tastes as babied as the hand-cut potato chips. Bold and playful shuffling of ingredients make the side dishes - like the ginger brussel sprouts with Asian bacon and lemongrass broken rice are – fun and are recommended.

Desserts include clever modern tweaks, such as adding chocolate to an already excellent almond financier. Occasional inconsistencies in the food are a problem, and service can be surprisingly amateurish in an otherwise professional operation. However, the quality of cuisine purveyed at this Pacific seafood outpost could easily please the pickiest West Coast palates.
-R.L.