Red Fish Blue Fish

You've heard the phrase, "location, location, location" and how it can make or break a business.  For me, I think location can be super important for specific restaurants.  I didn't say this as an absolute because there are outliers and also special cases.  Now when it comes to a seafood restaurant, being located right next to the water seems to suddenly give it credibility despite it not meaning a thing.  Now when you combine location and legitimacy, you have not only a formula for success, but it just completes the overall theme.  This would be the case for Red Fish Blue Fish right located right on the water in Victoria Harbour.

We stopped by for lunch during their busy hours and proceeded to wait over 45 minutes for our food.  Yes, they are successful.  Right after ordering, we did get our bowl of Chowder consisting of chipotle coconut and sweet corn with Pacific white fish confit.  This was lit as the advertised flavours came on strong with hits of aromatic coconut spiked with a lingering heat.  The sweet pops of corn provided a nice compliment to the spice while the ample amount of fish made the chowder robust and hearty.  Next up was a small order of Crispy Fried Oysters atop cilantro slaw served with tartar sauce.  This was also very good with only a thin layer of tempura batter.  The oysters were barely cooked through meaning they were plump, buttery and creamy.

Onto the fish & chips, we had a 2 piece order of the Pacific Cod & Chips.  This sported 2 large fillets of ling cod that were prepared properly where they were flaky and moist.  On the outside, the light tempura batter was crunchy and stayed adhered to each piece until the last bite.  The accompanying tartar sauce was creamy while spiked with dill and only a mild amount of tang.  Crispy and light, the Kennebec twice-cooked fries were on point and the perfect partner to the fish.  To get some variety, we also had one piece of Wild Salmon and BC Halibut & Chips.  Predictably, the halibut was more firm and dense due to the it being a leaner fish.  As for the salmon, it was actually quite moist despite being Chum.

Lastly, I added 2 Tacones including the Albacore Tuna and the Tempura Cod. Personally, I preferred the cod more as it was light and crispy.  It was accompanied by cilantro slaw, pea shoots, lemon-pickled onions, million-island dressing and sweet smoked chili adobo.  Hence there was enough acidity, crunch and creaminess.  Also, the slight amount of spice was welcomed too.  The tuna was rare, but a little dense for some reason.  It was also accompanied by the same veggies, yet with a different sauce being spicy spot prawn mayo.  This meant it was sweet and slightly briny.  As you can see, we tried almost everything on the menu and most of it was very good.  Sure, RFBF has got the touristy by-the-water vibe, but that doesn't take away from it being a good place for F&C.

The Good:
- Waterfront location
- Solid F&C
- Fair portions

The Bad:
- Can run out of seating quick
- Often long lineups (45 min+) during peak Summer season