Oddfish, a seafood
restaurant in
Kitsilano.
TRAVELANDLEISURE.COM 95
V
ANCOUVER’S DINING LANDSCAPE,
like its art scene, is more diverse and
unpretentious than you might expect. Restaurants
tend toward the unstuffy, a reflection of the city’s
proudly independent spirit. We found that spirit
in evidence at Oddfish Restaurant, where we ate
after our usual visit to nearby Kitsilano Beach, one
of the city’s most popular, where we stripped to
our swimsuits and immersed ourselves in the
freezing-cold bay. After the weak northern sun
dried us off, we trooped into Oddfish in our
beachcomber gear, the crunch of salt in our hair,
and immediately felt at home in its breezy, arty
environs. The fuss-free menu included the
irresistibly named “seafood hot mess”—lobster
and shellfish and who-knows-what-all cooked
a la plancha and dressed with a fresh salsa verde.
Easing back on the green velvet banquette, a
flower-bedecked cocktail in her hand, my
daughter observed approvingly: “It’s like a
restaurant that you’d see in a twee indie movie.
It almost doesn’t seem real.”
On another night, not far from Oddfish, we
found Their There, in a chic, narrow space that
advertises its owner’s fondness for streetwear—
sneakers are displayed like high art. Though theancou erorancou erShipyard DistrictChinatownGastown
Downtown EastsideDowntownYaletownMount PleasantKitsilanoSTANLEY PARK
BURRARD INLET
ENGLISH BAY
VANCOUVER HARBOUR
FALSE CREEK
From there, we went downtown to the Bill
Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. Canada is
far ahead of the United States in publicly
acknowledging the complex history of its
indigenous population. At the gallery, themed
shows dealing with native life are part of the
focus, along with the work of Reid, a master
Haida carver whose work balances traditional
imagery with dramatic sculptural technique.
The Museum of Anthropology at the
University of British Columbia, across town, is a
prime example of the organic style of Brutalism
practiced by its designer, native son Arthur
Erickson. It’s set on a spectacular piece of land
first used by the Musqueam people as a lookout
point. The architecture is monolithic, airy, and
somehow utopian, evoking the spirit of a
communal hall. The museum displays its
holdings from native cultures around the world
as well as rotating shows of new work. “There’s
been an indigenous resurgence within
Vancouver at the same time that the city is
becoming more and more international,”
Fredericksen said. “The museum has done
powerful work making their collections not just
speak to the past.”