The Best of Island Seafood
Written by Danielle Steiner, Photos by Danika McDowell
The Comox Valley is a seafood lover’s dream destination, and there is no excuse for missing out!
Did you know that the Comox Valley produces 51% of British Columbia’s shellfish and is Canada’s largest producer of oysters (source: Invest Comox Valley). Not only is the Valley a culinary hotspot for a variety of cuisine, it’s also the perfect place to savour the freshest seafood possible!
Despite being an oceanside community, however, the Valley has not always offered easy access to fresh seafood, especially for local restaurants. Commercial fishing boats were previously required to send all seafood to a federally registered processing facility. The seafood was then sold to restaurants through distribution channels, making “fresh local seafood” not quite what customers were expecting.
Over the past several years, regulation changes have made it possible for markets and restaurants to access fresh local fish, and the number of seafood shops available have increased as a result. From buying to cooking to dining out, the variety of seafood available makes it the ideal place to get a true taste of the West Coast.
Buying Fresh Seafood
Buying seafood from your local grocer is convenient, but heading to the docks at Fisherman’s Wharf in downtown Comox to buy directly from the commercial boats is a “not-to-be-missed” experience. Depending upon the day and the season, you may find local salmon, albacore tuna, shrimp, cod, halibut, lingcod or prawns. And if you sign up for the Comox Valley Harbour Authority’s “Daily Catch” email, you’ll get updates about the type of seafood coming in, when it’s available to purchase and which boats to look for.
Of course, heading to the docks isn’t always an option. Fortunately, we also have many shops that stock local seafood. Grocery stores and markets on Vancouver Island prioritize local seafood products, so popping into Thrifty Foods, for example, will provide you with an abundance of local products.
Speciality seafood stores are also a great option. Salish Sea Foods in Comox offers a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish as well as frozen seafood. You can purchase live crab, oysters and mussels from their tank. They also receive daily deliveries directly from their independent seafood processing company in Comox, providing their customers with sustainably sourced, high-quality products.
A little south of Comox, you’ll find Fanny Bay Oyster’s Seafood Shop at the Buckley Bay ferry terminal. They carry their farm-fresh shellfish products (clams, mussels, oysters, and live crab) alongside locally caught fish. They also make their own sushi, candied salmon, salmon pepperoni (which is amazing), salad rolls and other fresh snacks. The staff are extremely knowledgeable, not only about how to prepare your seafood, but also about where it is caught and the sustainable practices used. Be sure to pop into Weinberg’s Good Food next door while you’re there for some fresh produce and fun products to round out your feast!
Cooking Your Catch
There are a number of local cookbooks that are great resources for cooking seafood. Island Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes From Vancouver Island, by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari, features recipes from chefs across the island, including many delicious seafood recipes. Cedar & Salt, by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolous, is divided into four sections: forest, field, farm and sea, so you can easily flip to the “sea” section and create a seafood dish filled with island ingredients. Off the Hook, by DL Acken and Aurelia Lovet, is full of fresh and delicious recipes, perfect for the West Coast fish and seafood lover. And British Columbia from Scratch, by Denise Marchassault and Caroline West, includes detailed recipes for halibut, salmon, oysters, mussels, clams and spot prawns.
If you’re not sure where to begin, try starting with this delicious Seafood Chowder recipe from Locals Restaurant. It features fresh seafood in a rich cream base—and you can easily swap in different seafood options based on your own preferences.
Dining Out
Sometimes, you just don’t feel like cooking, especially if you’re on vacation! That’s where the Comox Valley’s myriad of restaurants, bistros, cafes and more come in — offering menus that reflect the bounty of the sea.
During the warm Island summers, you’ll see a line-up of customers looking for fresh seafood at both Rove Food Truck and Surfside Fish & Chips near the Comox docks—Surfside’s Fish Tacos and Fanny Bay oysters are known to draw crowds. And this is a great family-friendly option, where you can enjoy your lunch in the park with a view of the marina, as the kids play in the splash park.
And you needn’t look much further than the ocean-forward names of many Valley restaurants to know they will be serving up local seafood dishes: Blackfin Pub in Comox overlooks the harbour and has a perfect patio to enjoy the sea breeze alongside a dish of Banana Coconut Cod or Wild Szechuan Salmon. High Tide Public House in Courtenay features a seafood-centric menu perfectly accompanied by handcrafted cocktails. And at the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa, their Ocean7 Restaurant and AQUA Bistro & Wine Bar both focus on West Coast seafood to perfectly complement the ocean views and cozy atmosphere.
Along the river bank where the Courtenay River flows into the Pacific Ocean, you will find the above-mentioned Locals Restaurant. Owners Chef Ronald and Tricia St. Pierre have spent years forming strong connections with local producers to support their beliefs in local environmental sustainability. They offer a variety of seafood dishes, from Cortes Island Gem Oysters to West Coast Mussels, Manila Clams and more.
Seafood Tower at Ocean7 Restaurant
Atlas Cafe in Courtenay is well known for their for tuna belly tacos, and offers local seafood on their weekly “fresh sheet”. While in Comox, Avenue Bistro is the perfect spot for a plate of seafood tagliatelle, and just a short walk from Fisherman’s Wharf, Martine’s Bistro creates feature dishes with fresh local halibut, which they complement with fresh herbs from their own garden in the summer.
Put quite simply, the Comox Valley is a seafood lover’s dream, and there is no excuse for missing out!