The Fish Man — Restaurant in Richmond

Absolutely incredible. My son Max requested the prawns. We were amazed at the heaping plate of spicy deliciousness. My daughter Anastasia and I tried to peel them before we gave up and popped them in our mouths, shells and all, leaving only the tails and hot peppers behind. “This is all I could ask for of shrimp,” Max said simply.

Anastasia ordered the seafood fried rice. I’ve grown accustomed to okay fried rice. This one nearly brought me to my knees. Every bite, I thought, Could it get any better? AND IT DID. Each grain of rice felt like love. The buttery crab. The clam that practically fell out of its shell before my kids played castanet with the shells. This shrimp was peeled and therefore slightly tougher, but who cares. I asked my children not to waste a single grain of rice because that would be a sin. It was so good that Anastasia asked for a second order and took a picture herself to remember it. My picture has a spoon because Max refused to stop serving himself long enough to get a picture. “This is the best fried rice of my life. And I’ve had a lot of fried rice,” I said. “This may be the best food of my life,” said Max.

For the lingcod, we had to order three flavours for it. I didn’t fully understand that. The fish turned out yummy and tender, but beware of small bones. My kids were wary, so I ended up eating nearly the entire fish by myself and did end up stuffed.

We returned at the end of our vacation for another meal. Our purple-haired server welcomed us back and said it was nice to see us again. Another server came over because I was staring, but I was just admiring them taking the king crab out of the tank for another table. Therefore full marks for attentive service. We never had to wait for a table at lunch time.

The lobster sticky rice was good, but we still loved the seafood fried rice even more. Turns out Anastasia doesn’t like lobster. However, I did enjoy eating leftover lobster at the YVR airport on our way out. A new experience.

I see a lot of meeping in the reviews. Some might feel upset that the paper towel dispenser was broken or that the prawns were slightly salty the second time around. I would ignore that. For myself and my two foodies, this was an experience of unparalleled culinary genius.

We ate at many restaurants in Vancouver, but the Fish Man was the alpha and omega of our vacation because it was as close to perfection as it gets. Fresh, surprising, and wonderful.

With thanks to the Chinese Restaurant Awards for the tip that this is the Vancouver restaurant of the year. 100% agree. No other restaurant even came...

I came here when they first opened and also very recently again.

The first time was great - their dishes were fresh, spicy, innovative and service was decent. At the time, I recall the clientele being mostly those who are native Mandarin speakers, so as someone who is not, it was still a pleasant but authentic experience.

The most recent visit in comparison just didn't meet my expectations and past experience. First off, service was way too curt - as if the servers were constantly in a rush. Tables were placed so close it was to the point where it was uncomfortable, whether it is for personal space or pandemic safety. Dishes were also not as generous as before. I do not agree with comments from others that there is a good amount of seafood for the price paid.

Let me rate the dishes:

(1) HK style lobster - 2 lb - first they did not ask us how much lobster we want for TWO people. We ordered the dish but the whole thing once made was just brought out to the table, STILL the servers not letting us know how much they made until we specifically called them back to ask. The oil they make it is old, because of the color of the breaded batter is a dirty yellow. The crumble with the lobster also has such a stale and burnt taste at the same time. We actually wanted either sticky rice or rice rolls underneath the lobster; they never even offered these options to us (which baffles me because they would make more money).

(2) Geoduck platter - bland tasting at best. The geoduck is not that fresh, no other way to put it. The green onion sauce and garnishes were way more flavourful than the geoduck itself. Overall a disappointing dish for $38. The dish overall was also tricky - larger than an appetizer but then not a main even for two people.

(3) Spicy mussels - this is probably the best dish of 3. Sauce was flavourful (though on the saltier side).

I'm not sure I will return because they really aren't that good compared to what they are capable of. Perhaps they will take this feedback to heart because there are other restaurants especially on Alexandria Road that are...

We came here for Father’s Day dinner, and while the food was decent, the overall experience left much to be desired. Several menu items were unavailable, which was disappointing for a special occasion. The food itself was mediocre — not bad, but certainly nothing special — especially considering the pricing, which is far from the cheapest.

The biggest issue was the attitude and conduct of the hostess. I had dined here earlier in the week and returned with a reservation for Father’s Day, only to be seated at a makeshift table placed in the hallway leading to the restrooms. It was an extremely uncomfortable location — constant foot traffic, servers brushing past, and absolutely no atmosphere.

When I politely asked why we were given this table despite having a reservation, the hostess responded rudely and dismissively. She said, in a condescending tone, “everyone has a reservation” and that if we didn’t like the table, we could wait outside. No effort was made to accommodate us or even speak respectfully. Instead, she continued with sarcastic remarks that only escalated the situation. I had to ask her to stop speaking entirely, as she was only making things worse.

I even had to fix the wobbly table myself. When I went to the restroom, I passed the same hostess — we shared an uncomfortable stare. A few minutes later, she came back and offered us a better table, which we accepted, but the experience had already been ruined by that point.

Service overall was not great, aside from our server, who was excellent — friendly, professional, and attentive. She was the one bright spot in an otherwise frustrating evening.

The dining environment was loud and not particularly comfortable. Between the mediocre food, high prices, and poor service experience, I cannot recommend this restaurant to others. There are far better options for the same or better quality, with a much more respectful and...