When Poutine Meets the Pacific: Seafood Chowder Fries in Vancouver
“You are stepping into the ridiculous zone,” Guy Fieri declared as he watched cascading seafood chowder pour over a mountain of french fries. And he wasn’t wrong. This Vancouver food truck took the beloved Canadian classic poutine and gave it a Pacific Northwest makeover that left Guy calling it “dynamite.”
A Restaurant on Wheels
Parked on the corner of Ferrand and West Hastings in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, chef and owner Josh Wolf runs what he refuses to call a mere street truck. “I call it a restaurant—just happens to have wheels on it,” he told Guy. The permanent fixture serves the business crowd looking for a quick lunch, but what sets it apart is the philosophy: fresh, local, and wild.
When Guy asked about the classic poutine—french fries, beef gravy, and cheese curds—Josh made it clear they weren’t going the traditional route. Instead of brown gravy, they build a seafood gravy that transforms this Canadian staple into something entirely different.
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Building the Seafood Chowder From Scratch
The process starts with butter and a little canola oil, then Josh lays down what he calls the “base flavor layer”—shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery, sweating them until they release their aromatics. In go the clams, followed by white wine to create steam and liquid. The aromatics continue with white pepper, coriander seed, and fresh thyme.
Josh’s technique had Guy commenting on all his animated moves, joking that “somebody has got to take all of his moves and put this to some disco music.” The chef seals everything to steam the shellfish, adding mussels after the clams start opening to prevent overcooking. Once done, he separates the cooking liquid—the precious shellfish liquor—from the meat and chills everything down for handling.
For the chowder base, bacon and onions melt together before Josh adds the same aromatic vegetables. He builds a roux with flour, then combines heavy cream for richness and milk for balance—similar to how chefs approach Award-Winning Smoked Chicken Wings by layering flavors methodically. The reserved shellfish liquor goes back in, concentrating maximum flavor with limited moisture.
Tips From the Truck
Don’t overcook your shellfish: Josh adds mussels after the clams start opening because they cook faster. Timing matters.
Save that liquor: The liquid from steaming shellfish becomes the flavor backbone of the entire chowder. Don’t discard it.
Balance your dairy: A nice roux means you don’t need all heavy cream. Josh uses milk for part of the liquid, keeping it rich without being overwhelming.
The Final Assembly
To serve, Josh takes a portion of the gravy, adds the picked shellfish, and brings it to a bubbly simmer. The hot chowder cascades over crispy fries, finished with butter and fresh parsley. Guy admitted it was his first time trying seafood fries and called them “incredibly well done”—high praise from someone who’s sampled creative dishes everywhere from Tacos y Birria La Unica in LA to spots serving Outstanding Lamb Korma in Music City.
Looking for more Triple D destinations? Check out our restaurant directory to find Guy-approved spots near you.