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Go Fish

1505 West 1st Ave., Vancouver, 604-730-5040. Lunch for two with (non-alcoholic) beverage and tax, $25.

Considering the city is anchored on the edge of the ocean, Vancouver's lack of affordable seafood restaurants is a mystery.

Sure, there are cheap sushi joints on almost every street corner, and no shortage of fine-dining establishments that specialize in multitiered towers of chilled shellfish extravagance. But where is a galley wench to wander when she's in the mood for tasty fish and chips, or a simple slab of fresh grilled tuna and a green salad? The answer is Go Fish, my favourite fish destination. One bite and I bet it will be yours too.

This shoebox of an outdoor café isn't exactly a full-service restaurant. It's a corrugated steel shack plunked in the parking lot of False Creek Fisherman's Wharf, just steps from the boats that supply the kitchen with locally caught halibut, salmon, oysters, shrimp and other goodies each morning.

Tucked in the harbour and hidden from view, it's not easy to find. If you're on Granville Island, cross the bridge, hang right and walk along the seawall until you come to the public fish-sales docks.

The stand is open year-round, from noon until dusk (or whenever the stock runs out). The cute garden patio seats about 25, with a canopy for rainy days and heaters in the winter. During the sunny summer months, you can expect a long queue. But service is superquick, with food flying hot over the counter less than 10 minutes after you place an order. The fact that you can watch chefs from the city's much more expensive seafood restaurants shop from the docks as you wait only adds to the fun.

This co-operative venture, which opened in 2004, is the brainchild of Gord Martin, the imaginative rock-singer-turned-chef who introduced Vancouver to the concept of small fine-dining plates for sharing with his funky and ever-popular Bin 941 and Bin 942 tapas parlours.

Martin is known for flavours that scream as loud as his personality. So don't come looking for boring mushy peas.

Melt-in-your-mouth fish (cod, salmon or halibut) is dipped in a light tempura batter mixed with Granville Island honey lager. The portions ($7 to $13) are served in bamboo steamers with crispy fries, crunchy coleslaw tarted up with sesame oil and a lip-smacking tartar sauce whipped with generous twists of fresh dill and tarragon.

Fish and chips might be the staple, but Go Fish offers much more.

The daily grill selections vary with the seasons. Last week, it was oysters, wild salmon and albacore tuna. I went for the tuna - a huge piece, beautifully seared on the outside and rare in the middle, served with a light ponzu glaze that was alluringly tangy but not overpowering. The fish sat atop a huge bed of organic greens, tossed in a light roasted garlic and white balsamic vinaigrette. For only $10, this dish is a steal.

Tacones ($5 for one or two for $9) are too delicious to share: White flour tortillas come stuffed with grilled salmon, cilantro-spiked salsa, chipotle crema and more of that addictive Pacific Rim coleslaw.

Don't miss the sandwiches served on Portuguese-style buns (juicy po' boys with oysters from Cortes Island, $8), chargrilled salmon with side-stripe shrimp mayo ($8) or tuna with "snake bite salsa" and wasabi mayo ($9). And the daily specials, which could include anything from shrimp and scallop ceviche with diced pineapple ($5), to a chunky gazpacho soup chock full of herbs and pumpkin seeds ($5).

The only thing Go Fish lacks is a liquor licence. But with its million-dollar views, shoestring prices, zesty flavours and a fresh product that can't be beat, this unpretentious shack is a true tonic for a city curiously starved of good, cheap seafood eats.

Joanne Kates will return in September.