The Whalesbone Oyster House

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You know that nervous feeling you get when you walk past someone famous? I get that around amazing chefs. They are eminent individuals to me and I have a great deal of respect for them. This is how I feel every time I walk past the open kitchen at the Whalesbone. The food magic that goes on back there has always been out of this world, and last night was no different.

I was with a group of friends celebrating a birthday and we had the best seat in the house, the giant table at the front. The air in this place is always so happy and having that table just makes it that much more fun. It also makes it easy to share dishes with everyone, so that's what we did.

We started off with a couple of oyster plates. So fresh and yummy. I could seriously spend the night just eating oysters. As I say that I'm getting a flash back to my grandfather who used to sit out back with a mound of oysters and shuck and eat them until the sun went down. That was also the first time I ever had an oyster, and I have to say, I didn't like it that first time like I do now!

Next we shared the Fruit de Mer Pizza – mornay sauce, allegretto, mussels, capers, onion, fennel crust and truffle and some fried smelts and chips (they actually weren't called smelts, it was another name that I can't for the life of me remember), I do remember that they were fantastic though, as was the pizza with it's perfectly crisp dough.

I ordered the Charred Line Caught Albacore Tuna as my appetizer, made with crème fraiche, avocado (which I omitted), caviar, mint, basil, cucumber, celery, lemon. Each mouthwatering slice of that soft, translucent tuna was to die for. And I swear, when I closed my eyes, it felt like summer. The flavours exuding from this dish took winter and washed it all away.

Last but certainly not least (yes, I was hungry), my main – Qualicum Beach Scallops with leeks, Cherokee potatoes, spinach and Nantua sauce. The delicate taste and creamy texture of these round morsels of deliciousness were made even more heavenly by the silky sauce that surrounded them.

I just wish that I could do it all over again.

As usual, the service was phenomenal. If you've never been to the Whalesbone, I've got one question for you – What the heck are you waiting for?

www.thewhalesbone.com