Foods from The Whalesbone Kent
Comments
2013 Mar 13
Did the brown bag lunch of a large catch of the day Pacific Cod sandwich. Lightly seasoned so the taste of the cod came through and it was tasty and went down fairly quickly.
Other options would have been smoked fish sammie with steelhead trout or fish and chips. The free chowder was very good too.
Other options would have been smoked fish sammie with steelhead trout or fish and chips. The free chowder was very good too.
2013 Jan 4
Picked up 2 dozen oysters on New Years Eve - Good to see how busy they were! (always means a quick turnover of product - especially important with seafood)
I've previously tried Oysters from a box from the groery store, various types from Lapointe's and Pelican.
I knew those from Whalesbone would be good, but was worried that they may not someohow live up to the freshness when purchased at the restaurant. BOY WAS I WRONG!
Fresh, Plump, Juicy - The best in the city, hands down. When purchased, they separated the different types into boxes, which was a nice touch so you could keep track of each region.
$22/dozen was on par with their competitors, but their kind service and knowledge puts them above the rest.
I've previously tried Oysters from a box from the groery store, various types from Lapointe's and Pelican.
I knew those from Whalesbone would be good, but was worried that they may not someohow live up to the freshness when purchased at the restaurant. BOY WAS I WRONG!
Fresh, Plump, Juicy - The best in the city, hands down. When purchased, they separated the different types into boxes, which was a nice touch so you could keep track of each region.
$22/dozen was on par with their competitors, but their kind service and knowledge puts them above the rest.
2012 Oct 11
Tried lunch here for the first time today - it was awesome!!
The specials all looked good, but I got the fish and chips (1 piece). One of the best I've had. The chips are fresh-cut potato wedges, fried to a deep golden brown. The fish was fresh, flaky, and not overcooked. The batter was just thick enough, with a crisp but soft bready texture. Flavour was fantastic.
The tartar sauce is so good! Creamy with a nice acidity.
I was unable to finish the fries (much to the delight of colleagues). I definitely could not finish 2 pieces of fish.
The guys are really nice. They happily accommodated a co-worker with gluten sensitivity, and the food comes quickly.
We will return!
The specials all looked good, but I got the fish and chips (1 piece). One of the best I've had. The chips are fresh-cut potato wedges, fried to a deep golden brown. The fish was fresh, flaky, and not overcooked. The batter was just thick enough, with a crisp but soft bready texture. Flavour was fantastic.
The tartar sauce is so good! Creamy with a nice acidity.
I was unable to finish the fries (much to the delight of colleagues). I definitely could not finish 2 pieces of fish.
The guys are really nice. They happily accommodated a co-worker with gluten sensitivity, and the food comes quickly.
We will return!
2012 Jun 22
I was dropping off my laptop to our service / support company for repairs since it has been overheating. Took a slight detour and stopped by Whalesbone sustainable Oyster and Fish Supply for a brown bag lunch.
I wanted the oyster poboy but they were out of oysters, likely stacking up for the oyster fest this weekend. Other option was fish and chips but a bit hot so went for the fish sandwich with catch of the day - Cod. It has a square bun, caramelized onion, a nice piece of cod covered in island spices. It was a bit overseasoned for my taste since the Cod is a delicate tasting fish and there was too much seasoning so it tasted too salty. There was also a little bit of ailoi and slaw if I remember correctly. Very tasty.
Being chowder Tuesday, I upgraded to the large sandwich and got a cup of chowder. Lots of good sized pieces of Cod and clams with chunky potatoes and a cream chowder base. Went down well despite the hot day. Only wish might be the addition of a little bit of the smoked fish to add an extra depth of flavour.
The sandwich was $10 and it was a nice change for a takeout lunch.
I wanted the oyster poboy but they were out of oysters, likely stacking up for the oyster fest this weekend. Other option was fish and chips but a bit hot so went for the fish sandwich with catch of the day - Cod. It has a square bun, caramelized onion, a nice piece of cod covered in island spices. It was a bit overseasoned for my taste since the Cod is a delicate tasting fish and there was too much seasoning so it tasted too salty. There was also a little bit of ailoi and slaw if I remember correctly. Very tasty.
Being chowder Tuesday, I upgraded to the large sandwich and got a cup of chowder. Lots of good sized pieces of Cod and clams with chunky potatoes and a cream chowder base. Went down well despite the hot day. Only wish might be the addition of a little bit of the smoked fish to add an extra depth of flavour.
The sandwich was $10 and it was a nice change for a takeout lunch.
2012 Mar 28
Dropped by for lunch today. They do fish and chips now! I think it's $12.99 for 2 pieces (1 piece option also available). It's really good. The chips are wedges, I guess, but they're really great wedges. If they weren't handcut, then I don't know what they were.
The fish is whatever the catch of the day is (or at least that's how I understood it). Today was cod. Nice thick pieces in a nice batter served with tartar sauce and lemon. Almost perfectly cooked, although on the ends there were a couple pieces of slighlty undercooked batter and I don't care. Fish was fresh and it was nice to get some hearty chunks rather than the skimpy servings you get at some other places in town. Tartar sauce was tasty, but I'm no connoisseur.
Friendly folks working there too. Sandwiches and chowder available still as well. For the quality, I'd say it's well worth the money; I'm not normally this full after fish and chips.
The fish is whatever the catch of the day is (or at least that's how I understood it). Today was cod. Nice thick pieces in a nice batter served with tartar sauce and lemon. Almost perfectly cooked, although on the ends there were a couple pieces of slighlty undercooked batter and I don't care. Fish was fresh and it was nice to get some hearty chunks rather than the skimpy servings you get at some other places in town. Tartar sauce was tasty, but I'm no connoisseur.
Friendly folks working there too. Sandwiches and chowder available still as well. For the quality, I'd say it's well worth the money; I'm not normally this full after fish and chips.
2011 Jun 15
I trekked out to the Whalesbone Oyster Supply to pick up a bagged lunch today. I must say, I was blown away by today’s sandwich and salad. I ordered a regular sized smoked tuna sandwich and a ‘potato salad’. The tuna sandwich - which was topped with Whalebone regulars: caramelized onions, lettuce, jalapeño mayo, garlic aioli, and capers - was phenomenal. They were really generous today with the fish. They gave me a huge piece of beautiful smoked tuna – and this was the regular sized sandwich. The fish had a wonderful but mild smoky flavor, which was complimented perfectly by the toppings. My only suggestion would be to add a slice or two of tomato. I also think the bread is fantastic - no augmentation necessary.
I really did not need to buy a salad, but I’m glad I did. The potato salad, really wasn’t ‘potato salad’, I would describe it as a ‘salad with potatoes.’ The salad was not mayonnaise based, nor did it have egg in it. It had chunks of carrot, corn kernels, red onion, potatoes, cilantro and it had a slightly sweet taste. Yum!
Just a note, if you are ordering the tuna sandwich, there is really no reason to order a large, the regular size is big enough. Also, be careful when chewing, as there were a few bones left in the fish.
Another delicious experience with the Whalesbone.
I really did not need to buy a salad, but I’m glad I did. The potato salad, really wasn’t ‘potato salad’, I would describe it as a ‘salad with potatoes.’ The salad was not mayonnaise based, nor did it have egg in it. It had chunks of carrot, corn kernels, red onion, potatoes, cilantro and it had a slightly sweet taste. Yum!
Just a note, if you are ordering the tuna sandwich, there is really no reason to order a large, the regular size is big enough. Also, be careful when chewing, as there were a few bones left in the fish.
Another delicious experience with the Whalesbone.
Older
2009 Aug 29
When you walk in to this shop, the first thing you notice is that there is no fish on display! Not even a price list.
To buy fish, you have to enter a walk-in fridge and look at beautiful piles of fishy products. Most have a hand-written paper sign indicating their price. The employees are more than willing to provide excellent advice, including how best to prepare any of the items.
I asked about the Black Cod and was told that they usually sell out by the end of Friday (I was there on Saturday). It arrives at the store on Wednesday, but they aren't open to the public until Friday.
[EDIT: They now seem to be open to the public Tuesday through Saturday.]
To buy fish, you have to enter a walk-in fridge and look at beautiful piles of fishy products. Most have a hand-written paper sign indicating their price. The employees are more than willing to provide excellent advice, including how best to prepare any of the items.
I asked about the Black Cod and was told that they usually sell out by the end of Friday (I was there on Saturday). It arrives at the store on Wednesday, but they aren't open to the public until Friday.
[EDIT: They now seem to be open to the public Tuesday through Saturday.]
2009 Jun 27
They almost always have wild salmon, sablefish (black cod, butterfish), pickerel (walleye), and halibut these days. All of it is amazingly fresh and delicious. Had some of their smoked tuna today - mindblowing. It's so melt in your mouth good, got a good portion of it for under $10. The guys here are very helpful & nice, can't recommend them enough!
2009 Nov 11
I tried this place a few fridays ago and ordered the hogie (spelling???) which was deep fried oysters on a bun, and the fish chowder soup. TO be honest I didn't love either. I guess I am comparing the sandwich to a similar one I had in PEI. In contrast this was quite greasy and probably should not have had a creamy dressing (mayo?). It was really heavy, and I think if they tried a different bread like art-is-in it would definitely lift this to a new dimension. To top it off the chowder was overwhelmingly rich. Though I don't have a lot of experience with chowder I found this one was really creamy with a thin layer of grease on top and the fish didn't stand out very much, as well I tried but couldn't taste any herbs :(
I'm going to try again because I love what they are doing (I.e sustainable farming) and the people behind the counter were above and beyond friendly. great customer service!
I'm going to try again because I love what they are doing (I.e sustainable farming) and the people behind the counter were above and beyond friendly. great customer service!
2009 Aug 29
This halibut sandwich was very nice indeed. At a little over $7 it aint cheap compared to somewhere like Dirienzo Foods but it's much better value than Subway or Quiznos. And of course, it's made with sustainable seafood!
My quibbles: they used iceberg lettuce which doesn't add much of anything to the experience, and I found the spicy mayo to be an overpowering choice to accompany a fairly delicate fish. I was glad I didn't pick up a sandwich for my kids because they would have found it too spicy.
My quibbles: they used iceberg lettuce which doesn't add much of anything to the experience, and I found the spicy mayo to be an overpowering choice to accompany a fairly delicate fish. I was glad I didn't pick up a sandwich for my kids because they would have found it too spicy.
2013 Mar 14
Was more focused on the rest of the birthday dinner (Lobster a l'Americaine, wild mushroom ancient grain risotto) so went simple for the Mesclun Salad with optional sliced smoked Octopus.
My vegetarian sister was unimpressed ;) I loved it and my Mom and brother liked the smoked octopus but the jury is still out with Dad but he is pretty conservative.
My vegetarian sister was unimpressed ;) I loved it and my Mom and brother liked the smoked octopus but the jury is still out with Dad but he is pretty conservative.
2013 Mar 13
OSM,
What did you add to the smoked Octopus for the ceviche?
Only had Octopus salad at restaurants and boiled Octopus at tapas bars in Spain where the owner / chef hacked off a tentacles from the Octopus sitting on / behind the counter and boiled it in water before slicing it. The Octopus is then sprinkled with olive oil and paprika and paired with a boiled potatoes.
What did you add to the smoked Octopus for the ceviche?
Only had Octopus salad at restaurants and boiled Octopus at tapas bars in Spain where the owner / chef hacked off a tentacles from the Octopus sitting on / behind the counter and boiled it in water before slicing it. The Octopus is then sprinkled with olive oil and paprika and paired with a boiled potatoes.
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