When I told my colleagues about this idea, I could see that they were trying hard to control their facial expressions to not show any hint of grimace. The fact that shellfish was served in a plastic bag probably grossed out the general masses. But it was supposed to be a unique experience anyway!

Regardless of what others think, I've been wanting to try this type of seafood boil for a while. It's been widely popular in the States for a long time. And seeing how rapid this cuisine had expanded in Canada over the past year told me there was something worth visiting. The hubs booked Good Catch Boil House on the Friday night for me to celebrate with my closed ones. This restaurant was still at its soft opening stage but the reviews online had been pretty good so far and better than its competitor, Captain’s Boil.



The space was open and inviting, with large TV screens everywhere broadcasting sports. I especially appreciate all the little details that they put into their branding and décor. It was really thoughtful (as a designer, I noticed these kind of things ha-ha). We were seated near the large aquarium tanks where we could see their Dungeness crabs and lobsters floating around, waiting to be eaten. There wasn’t a huge seafood selection on the menu, but enough to please. My brother was not a fan of seafood…at all. But, good thing that the restaurant also offered a bit of other non-seafood choices, like sliders, wings and chicken tenders. Even though those weren’t enough to fill up a grown man like him.





So, this is how this place works: you pick the kind of shellfish from their menu and then choose a flavour to go with it. You could also customize the level of spiciness to suit your taste. Then, your shellfish is boiled in a Cajun-style spice blend and tossed in the flavour you selected.

While you're waiting for your food, you could get ready by wearing their plastic bibs and gloves. Because the eating scene could get a little messy. They served their seafood in clear plastic bags. At first glance, it might look like one of your organic wastes. But once you get your hands (gloves) dirty, you cannot stop! I love their Good Catch Blend sauce! It was so flavourful and garlicky. I wished I didn’t have my gloves on so I could lick all the sauce off my fingers! We also had their Cajun sauce and Garlic Butter. Both of these sauces were tasty and complement well with the seafood. To add in the mix, we also ordered some soft shell crab basket and Cajun fries.





It was a satisfying dinner. Every one of us enjoyed it, except probably my brother. Ha-ha! He could choose where he wants to go comes his birthday! I didn't understand why others would be disgusted by this type of cuisine. I felt that this is the most natural and authentic way of experiencing good food!

So, seafood lovers? Eat like no one’s watching!