Pink Peppercorn Seafood House — Restaurant in Vancouver

Good food gives me mussels…

I used to take some of my friends here a half dozen of times a year. It’s a nice and cozy little place with good food and service, well at least as far as i remembered. (This used to be the Cannery Restaurant way back in the days?!?)

Anyways, first time back here since post pandemic because I am hungry for some surf and turf that my tummy recalled as decently good?!? (Fingers crossed)

This place is located right across the street from White Spot on Kingsway closed to Knight street in Vancouver. There is parking at the back or pay street parking right outside. The layout and interior vibe is that of the 90s; a mixed of fine dining with a casual atmosphere.

Here were the food I ordered this time around;

Dinner bread with lobster oil (complimentary). Nice little snacker and I believe they are famous for their lobster oil? Virgin chi chi. It was okay, pretty basic. Lobster bisque. It was hot, rich and creamy. However just a tad on the sweet side. Manila Clam chowder (New England style). It was hot with a nice portion of clam meats but once again a tad on the sweet side. (The chef had a sweet tooth?!? San Francisco style mussels. Literally delicious! Loved it! The mussels were meaty, fresh, juicy and plump! Finally not those little dried up raisin like mussels a lot of places serve! (Thank the Food God) Seafood platter ($29.95/ person minimum 2 people). Everything was tasty and nicely done BUT why only 1 oyster and 1 scallop?!? lol value wise it’s a yes and a no, depending on how you look at it especially other dishes are generous in portions. Aged Alberta tenderloin. It was juicy and tender as it should be. Nice sauce! And a generous portion of sautéed vegetables and mashed potatoes. 10 oz New York Steak. Nice and tasty, very nicely done. Loved the creamy, buttery mashed potato! However the peppercorn sauce was a bit on the sweet side? (I am beginning to think the chef really has a sweet tooth!).

This is a nice little place to really enjoy some surf and turf with some good company or by yourself like me sometimes (no I am not a loner or need to hire a friend!). Casual atmosphere with good vibes.

The service here during this visit was very good considering the fact that there was only one server taking care of everyone. AND he managed it so well and efficiently! (Kid you not, an employee every company wants, sadly they don’t make such employee nowadays)

As for the food, everything was quite good and tasty, just the sauces were a bit on the sweeter side. I really tried my best but had to pack most of my steak home, I think I really over ordered this time around. Instead of good food, more like a lot of food gives me mussels (ummm yeah sounds...

We came on a Tuesday night after making reservations.

Once we were seated and ordered we were given bread with lobster oil. The bread with lobster oil is really delicious but it makes you full easily which becomes an issue for later. The lobster oil is delicious.

We got 4 starters and 2 mains and 1 dessert. We definitely over estimated ourselves. This was for 4 people and we were struggling to finish.

The warm spinach prawn & papaya salad with cilantro, chilli garlic dressing is a MUST order. The crunchy papaya is refreshing and the prawns are crunchy as well. The garlic dressing is so delicious. I would eat any salad with that dressing on it. It's a bit spicy so be warned if you don't eat spicy.

The calamari with tzatziki was another show stopper. The portion was pretty big and it was fried perfectly. The calamari wasn't overly chewy and the batter on the outside was light. Would definitely order this again

Trio of tartare was one of the more disappointing dishes. Nothing special about this dish. Very fresh and basic. Wouldn't order this again so I can save space for other food

Seafood platter - comes with oyster, mussels, prawns, scallops, candied salmon, crab claws, baby shrimp and vegetables. Everything on this platter was super fresh. Definitely more than enough for 2 people if you are thinking of coming here.

For main we got the salmon Wellington and the west coast boullabaise. The Salmon Wellington was not dry at a. Perfectly cooked and the outside puff pastry was flaky. The baby shrimp mushroom duxelles paired so well with the salmon. The sauce is also a must to add that extra sauce.

The West coast boullabaise was disappointing next to the other dishes. It tasted really fresh and I could definitely taste the fennel. They are very generous with the seafood. There was so much we had to pack it to bring home. I've had better boullabaise elsewhere. Would not order this next time.

For dessert we had the tiramisu. I felt like the tiramisu was missing a bit more marscapone flavour. It wasn't overly sweet but it was just missing some depth to it.

Overall: the service was wonderful. There was only one server the whole night and he did his best to serve everyone with a smile and as fast as he could. I enjoyed most of the items we ordered and I can't wait to come back next time. The food is well priced and it's definitely somewhere I would take seafood lovers or people from out of time. Next time I want to try their mussels. Would order the calamari, spinach papaya salad, salmon...

What a gem of a place! We are obsessed now. The food and service are stars here. You can tell dishes have been thoughtfully developed and put together by a master, forwarding quality and taste. Yes, the portions are huge, which is surprising given the ingredients. And the flavours! Was expecting the linguine to be watery and mediocre (like at Joe Fortes), but the sauce was fresh, garlicky, rich, perfectly reduced, and delectable. The mashed potatoes are dangerously addictive. We were all very happy with what we ordered.

The gentleman who served us is a true professional. It was such a treat to experience his service. Humorous and gracious, he took extra care without a blink splitting a main and preparing our dad’s birthday cake for us. Because we all drove, we opted not to order drinks. Most staff at restaurants at this price point would be annoyed by this and it would show. But not here.

The tableware and linens were clean. The decor is dark and vintage, but adds a cozy feel. The bathrooms are humble, but also clean. The room is medium sized and the music is not too loud or trying to force a mood. We went at 5:30 and stayed til about 7/7:30 and it was very pleasant, attentive, and calm throughout.

This place is simply about good food and unpretentious service that still makes you feel special and cared for. Makes you reevaluate the quality and service you receive at other restaurants that prioritize form over substance. Here it is very much about substance. Delicious substance over form.

Thank you and congratulations to the team. We...