Want to unlock a secret tasting menu that packs terrific value at a Vancouver seafood restaurant? If you head to Kitsilano's Oddfish, you just have to tell your server "feed me," and the adventure begins.
For $75 per person, Oddfish does a multi-course tasting menu designed to showcase the restaurant's greatest hits and seasonal flavours.
While "course" typically means "dish" for most tasting menus, at Oddfish this translates to one to three dishes at a time. It's your call if you get three courses plus dessert, or four savoury courses.
In any case, Oddfish specializes in seafood and vegetables, and the "Feed Me" option - which isn't printed on the regular menu - is packed with a nice balance of both.
At a recent visit to the restaurant, I said the magic words "feed me" and wound up feasting on some fantastic approachable fare.
Our all-savoury tasting menu kicked off with an opening course of a fresh salad of cold roasted beets with tart and creamy sheep's feta, avocado, and pistachios and Oddfish's popular ceviche with housemade sweet potato chips. The ceviche in particular was a standout, featuring plump, rosy shrimp and snapper with creamy avocado and sweet potato in a leche de tigre - a slightly spicy marinade.
The next round was thick slices of toasty sourdough with creamy burrata with pistachios and honey; this was delicious but also very filling, and something I personally would have swapped for something else, though I can easily see how it's a crowd-pleaser dish that is fun to share as a starter.
Oddfish happens to be a one-off sibling to Nook, which has four locations (Kitsilano, Olympic Village, West End, Shipyards) and a fifth in progress. It should come as no surprise that Oddfish dabbles in a little pasta, and proudly features its buttery, garlicky Spaghetti Vongole (clams) on the tasting menu. This is a rich and slurp-worthy bowl of noodles showered with tangy chives with a welcome kick of red pepper heat.
Thinking perhaps we were reaching the end of our "feed me" journey, I turned to Oddfish's daily fresh sheet and ordered an add-on: torched mackerel with ponzu. The dish landed swiftly and was a hit, though with mackerel it does help to enjoy this kind of funky, oily fish (it's a personal favourite).
To my surprise, though, we had another round to go, which led off with a bowl of thick, crispy, golden fries hitting the table, followed in quick succession by a platter of Sole Piccata and a side of broccolini dotted with tender chunks of lemon and a generous mountain of snowy parm shavings.
The sole is an absolute star, beautifully cooked and flaky, managing to hold its delicate flavour against the big lashes of lemony, garlicky butter of the sauce and the briny capers. The broccolini was the perfect side, and the fries fat, fluffy (inside), and crispy (outside) - though, to be fair, after a few hot-off-the-pass bites, this course made its way to my fridge in to-go boxes.
In addition to landing on the high-value delight of experiencing Oddfish's "Feed Me" tasting me, I also happened to up the experience just by booking the "chef's counter," which are seats that give you a first-hand view of the kitchen, and a bonus little snack to start (in our case, housemade chips with an edamame hummus).
Video: What happens when you say "feed me" at this Vancouver seafood restaurant
@forkingawesomevia When you say “Feed Me” at this Vancouver seafood restaurant…they don’t mess around. Have you been to Oddfish? #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #seafoodlover ♬ Diamonds - Projecttexass
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