Popina

I think of Granville Island as one of the great places to visit in Vancouver, but being limited to weekend jaunts (I live and work in the Valley) means a slow crawl with the multitudes of others who also love the place. And while the variety of available good quality fruits, vegetables, meats and fish is amazing, prices are not overly impressive and so there is no reason for it to be on my weekly grocery list. The result is that we don't go very often.

One thing that has sprung up since our last visit is Popina! I knew it was there because it has been exploding on Instagram. This also means that I know that we are the last ones to try the place. Better late than never.

Our first choice was the Fried Chicken Sandwich (possibly the most Instagrammed) with which we ordered a side of Shoestring Fries.

It is fortunate that I am able to unhinge my jaw like an anaconda or I never would have gotten a bite of this thing! It was wonderfully crisp and yet so tender and juicy. Perfectly fried chicken and quite a lot of it. While the outside was perfect, as time passed and we got to the centre, the toppings had rendered the chicken less crispy but still tender and tasty.

We had a less spectacular experience with the fish and chips. Maybe a touch undercooked (not a terrible thing with fish), the coating while crisp for the most part was a bit mushy in places. We were less than thrilled with this and assume that the fish could have used a little more time in the oil. The fries were of the smaller sort and nicely crisp. The coleslaw that accompanied the fish was vinegar based and very good.

A nice little dining area is adjacent to the kitchen and has the wonderful view that we come to enjoy on the island. From pictures, I was under the impression that this was more or less a big tent but it is truly semi-permanent and pretty comfortable. Folks are friendly here and you place your order at the outside counter and pick it up inside.

For what its worth, we give Popina 3 1/2 out of 5.