For some people, the world is their oyster. For us, the oyster is our world.

A cold, zinc-y, delicious slurp off the half shell tastes just like the ocean it lived in 16 hours before arriving at Oyster, the new financial district raw bar.

Tucked off the lobby of the former Stock Exchange building, the boutique bar features original art deco flourishes and a grand mosaic floored entrance.

But with just a handful of stools and shiny booths, a great vodka selection and buck-a-shuck evenings, we're calling this place our secret little pearl.    

Oyster, 475 Howe St., Vancouver, 604-899-0323, www.rawbar.ca

You’ve dined in the dark, drank vodka in an ice bar, and munched on deep fried crickets. Been there, ate that.

But have you supped on sustainable seafood in a plastic dining room floating on hundreds of pop bottles?

Jaded diners get ready to be wowed: the new School Of Fish Plastic Dining Room moored at the False Creek Yacht Club has the most exclusive 12 seats of the summer. 

Book it out and host the most memorable dinner party of your life (minus the cooking and cleanup). Or make it a date, and meet likeminded folks who enjoy the finer things in life.

There’s plenty to love, like the glittery chandelier and white nautical décor by The Cross, and a set 6-course menu by C Restaurant’s Robert Clark. Our Qualicum Bay scallop was alive 20 minutes before it was served, still attached to its beautiful shell and bathed in a sweet dashi broth.

Young founder Shannon Ronalds, whose School of Fish Foundation is the charity behind the project to educate young chefs, managed (with the help of C/Nu owner Harry Kambolis) to secure all of the 20 permits needed to launch the project (and is hosting every dinner for the next 60 days, when the dining room floats to future locations).

A seat at this table is most certainly the catch of the day.

To reserve ($215 per person including wine), please call Shannon Ronalds at 778-997-6977.
To learn more, visit www.schooloffishfoundation.org
To view more images of the dining room, please visit our Editors' Diary.

One too many pints at a few too many Olympic venues has us pining for a proper sit down meal.

To cleanse our palate of overpriced beers, we pulled up a bentwood café chair to a white tableclothed table at Cork & Fin. The name of the new brick-and-beam Gastown restaurant spells out its best offerings—good glasses of wine and well-priced seafood. Anticipating small portions we ordered a feast of scallop ceviche ($12), mussels in a bath of cream, bacon and white wine ($14), Dungeness crab mashed potatoes ($9) and snapper ($13) to share, and shamefully, were too stuffed to finish the generous, delectable spread.

Plenty of fish in the sea, indeed.

Cork & Fin, 221 Carrall St., Vancouver, 604-569-2215, www.corkandfin.ca

Coast Restaurant has upsized, moved uptown and taken on a roommate.

Twice the size of its former Yaletown address, the new Alberni location has plenty of cocktail hour space. A split-level room, the O Lounge features a top level of glowing columns-cum-tables patterned after an abalone shell, and a lower level of plush tangerine sofas and moody lighting, creating a scene that no doubt lends itself to amorous behavior after one too many Decked Out Caesars ($8).

A few bevvies struck up our sailor’s appetite, 
so it was on to the turquoise-toned Coast space
where a hard time was had deciding whether to
grab a seat at the 20-foot circular Oyster &
Chowder Bar or tuck into a black leather
banquette with our first mate. As for eats, sink
into the signature chilled platter ($29 per person)
or a delish catch of the day creation dreamed up
by Executive Chef Josh Wolfe.

And for dessert? You and your mariner can fight over the Lollipop Cheesecake in the Dessert Sampler ($14). Encrusted with Pop Rocks candy, it really rocks the boat.

Coast Restaurant and O Lounge, 1054 Alberni St., Vancouver, 604-685-5010, www.coastrestaurant.ca

It’s spot prawn season and the Chefs’ Table Society is showcasing some of Vancouver’s finest epicures, including former Aurora Bistro star and current Diva at the Met sous chef Jeff Van Geest. Lucky for us, Jeff walked us through a prosciutto-wrapped spot prawn and asparagus recipe guaranteed to amuse our bouche.

Ingredients

6 spot prawns
6 slices of artisanal prosciutto
olive oil to drizzle
2 lemon wedges
6 spears of asparagus, peeled and ends removed
1 Tbsp hazelnut oil
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 Tbsp hazelnuts toasted, chopped
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp chopped shallots
¼ tsp chopped fresh thyme
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

Hazelnute vinaigrette: Whisk equal parts hazelnut oil, grapeseed oil and apple cider vinegar. Add chopped thyme, shallots and toasted hazelnuts. Season to taste.
Peel spot prawns and wrap each with prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil. Blanch asparagus in boiling water (place in ice bath to avoid overcooking).Broil spot prawns for 2 minutes. Plate asparagus, pour hazenut vinaigrette, and arrange prawns on top. Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serves 2.

Get the catch of the day ($12/lb, boat arrives at 1 p.m. daily) before season’s end at False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf, 1505 W. First Ave., Vancouver. For more festival info visit www.chefstablesociety.com

Paella parties and bouillabaisse bashes are trending right now, and it’s the only time our ears perk up when we hear “pot luck.”

Here’s how it works: Get friends to bring different seafood and you make the base, provide plenty of crusty bread and gallons of cold Prosecco.

And now you can pick up ingredients (including fish, prawns, spices and paella rice) at the brand new location of Finest at Sea on Granville Island beside The Lobster Man.

Set a round table, load up on napkins, and let the festivities begin.

Finest at Sea, 1805 Mast Tower Rd., Granville Island, Vancouver, 604-684-4114, www.finestatsea.com

Ah, December. Licenseto have champagne at noon and take the afternoon off. In the interestof client relations, of course.

From December 13 throughDecember 24 only, the fabulous, waterfront C Restaurant will be openingfor lunch, so grab that sales prospect, that great new account, heck,even the FedEx guy (and the company card), and show him just how muchyou've appreciated his services this year.

Order the Ploughman'sLunch platter of Oyama charcuterie and local cheese, and insist you'redoing trend research-yes, this British pub classic will be showing upeverywhere in no time, mark our words.

And with the $29 CTaster Box of tuna tartare, side striped shrimp, smoked salmon with cucumberjelly and Dungeness crab salad you'll practically be saving the company money.

And those FedEx packagesnever got delivered so fast.

C Restaurant, 1600Howe St., 604-681-1164, www.crestaurant.com