Sizzling Tandoor, Downtown, Victoria

Christmas shopping is hard work.  Or so it seems.  In reality, the ability to wander around many shops stocked with things that have been shipped from around the world, made from materials that didn't exist a few decades ago is a pretty amazing thing to be able to do.  The logistics, technology and engineering that allows it all to happen is the hard work.  Spending a five hours muscling through crowds to find a gift isn't hard work.  It's just a chore you do for the people you like, so you have the bright sparkle in their eyes (you hope) on Christmas morning when they open your gift.

And, there is often a place to sit down and get some energy again.  I have a good life.

So, as it was, myself and Brunette of my Acquaintance doing the last bits of shopping, and we decided to grab some food after completing the tasks.  We walked into an empty curry house, the lunch buffet having been cleared, but the early evening dinner crowd had yet to arrive.

So we had sanctuary and quiet.  Our server brought water and a beer for the Brunette, along with menus.  The space had used to house an older tandoori buffet that range from adequate to down right disgusting, but since the Sizzling Tandoor took the space over, they have refurbished.  The carpets are clean now, and the walls have large murals of various Indian themed images.  It seats about 40, on tables of four, covered in glass above the clean white table cloths.  Makes it easier to keep clean, which is needed judging by the mess I made.

Because I enjoyed it.  I order the Chicken Biryani, cooked medium-hot.  This was fantastic.  There was heat, but lots of aromatic spices as well, with tender chicken and al dente rice.  I love biryani's at a curry house, they are my go-to dish if I don't fancy anything in the vegetarian section.  This was among the best I have ever had.  It was served with a cucumber raita, whereas I am used to the biryani sauce being a small portion of mild vegetable curry.

The Brunette order the Prawn Saagwala.  This was a thick pureed spinach sauce, spiced with ginger housing plump juicy prawns.  This wouldn't be my choice to eat again, mainly as I am not a huge fan of unadulterated spinach, the vegetal flavour not being my favourite in curry.  That said, it was well cooked and well spiced.  The Brunette tells me she had dreams of this dish the night after, and I've seen this far away, wistful look in her eyes when I mentioned I was writing about the restaurant.

We also got a couple of naan breads.  The rosemary naan was a little dry, but had plenty of aromatic herb flavour and smell.  The paneer naan, a bread sprinkled on the inside with crumbly curds was softer, and very savoury.  Not masses of cheese that the 'stuffed' description would suggest, but a very good accompaniment.  For two very hungry shoppers.

Loaded up on the good food, we paid the cheery server who was attentive, chatty and knew the dishes well.  Good service, but given we were the only two people eating, it's what you expect.

Definitely the best curry I have had in Victoria, especially in the style of the British Curry Houses I knew and loved back home.  There's becoming decent competition in town, as Masala Bites is also good.  No longer the barren wasteland when it comes to Indian cuisine here in Victoria.

Post Script : So I have managed 52 weekly posts on food and going out in Victoria and the surrounds.  Very happy with completing it, and thanks to Andrea, the gorgeous Brunette of my Acquainttance, my best friend and the rest of the breakfast club for going out to eat with me at a variety of good, great and not-so-good places.

I hope this series will continue on into 2015... I do want to get my number ranking on Urbanspoon....

Lin Heung, Mount Tolmie, Victoria

Solo dining isn't as exciting as dining with friends.  But after a drive back from Nanaimo in the pouring rain, I wanted to eat fast and not cook.  So I turned into the Shelbourne Plaza and headed into Lin Heung.

It's a basic Chinese restaurant, Formica tables, bright lights and plastic covered menus.  No frills, no frippery.  The whiteboard (so I guess there's been a renovation in there at some point in the last dozen years) shows the lunch specials, but as it was evening, there seemed to be nothing up.

No matter, as I ordered the set meal for one... tea, spring roll, broccoli and beef, pork balls and pork chop suey.

The spring roll was pretty good, a little greasy, but then it's rare not to have a deep fried roll swimming in fat.  This one was crispy at least and filled with a mixture of bamboo shoots and mushrooms and carrots.

The main course was one big plate, with a half dozen pork balls, a ladle of the beef and broccoli and a veritable mountain of chop-suey in the middle.

The beef was tender, not chewy and well cooked in the dark, soy-based sauced, with bright green florets giving a nice crunch.  The balls were covered in that sweet orange sauce that reminds me of British Chinese fast food.  Not very authentic, but in my mind it says 'Chinese' food (as opposed to Cantonese, Szechuan, etc).  The pork balls were crispy, with a good chunk of tender meat.  I would have eaten ore of this too.

The chop-suey was a little disappointing.  Made with brown noodles, I was expecting this earthy, savoury flavour from them.  They had a little flavour, but nothing quite as I love from this style of cooking. There was lots of strands of char-sui pork mixed in there, pink edges from the glaze, and brown strips.  It filled me up, but I probably wouldn't order it on it's own.

All-in-all, for $12, I got a fast meal with some good flavours.  It's what I wanted and needed at the time, and I'd visit again... or order take out, they deliver free in the area.

Six Mile Pub, View Royal

On the way out to a nice muddy trail race around Thetis Lake, Andrea decided that a new reality show is required, called 'Drive-thrus, Dumps and Trail Races'.  I think this was highly amusing to everybody inside the car (Population2).I won't be ousting Guy Fieri any time soon from the Food Network.  Or be the new Tom Green.  However, it is very true that I do love chicken sandwiches, fried chicken, roast chicken and any other variation on chicken that doesn't involved it pulverised into pink slime (Chicken Nuggets).  So perhaps the idea of reviewing every chicken fast food, drive-thru in the Vancouver Island area would make great television.

I will send the idea to Chek News.

Otherwise, lets stick with some semblance of reality.   I ran around a muddy forest, up to my calves in cold water and mud for an hour and fifteen minutes, on purpose.  After you've run through ice cold stream, you realized as long as you keep moving, your feet warm up again.  And the next one doesn't need to be gingerly stepped through... jump in, and get through it, and up the other side to the next hill or bend.

This is all great until you get back to the car, realize you don't have dry trainers, and hence have to walk into the Six Mile in just your socks.  I didn't see a sign saying 'no shoes, no service', but to avoid anyone spotting my lack of foot wear sat behind a bench table in the corner and hid my feet.

The rest of the runners from the trail run were heading down for a free snack and glass of Fat Tug, but I needed a proper feed.  I run, partly as I do get the elusive runner's high at times, but also so I can justify eating a lot of high calorie food.  Like fried chicken.

Naturally, after all the talk of chicken, I ordered the New York steak sandwich, with a fried egg on top.  My favourite post run meal... steak and eggs. Unless there's chicken and waffles. I pretend the protein attack helps my muscles recover fast, and the fat replaces some of the energy stores I have used up.  I could do with losing some of those 'stores' around my belly, but then this blog would be describing a lot of green salads.

And you don't make friends with salad.

The Six Mile back room is lovely wide open space, over looking a small kitchen garden and the end of the Mill Stream as it widens and flows into Esquimalt Harbour.  It's a nice bright space, compared to the more traditional nooks of the main bar area.  Our server, Faye, came over once we got settled and brought us coffee quickly.  She was lively, and really interested in the run we'd just completed.  Top marks for her service, and for the staff behind the bar who got us pointed in the right direction when we arrived.

The food was good, the eggs done over easy so I can dribble the yolk over my medium-rare steak.  The steak was tender and cooked a bit over towards medium, but it's a thin New York cut, so no problems there, as once seared it's going to be close to cooked in the middle too.  The fries were fine, nothing special.  I suspect a pile of greens here would have been a better choice...

Andrea got the all day breakfast, with all the meat options being replaced by bacon.  A huge pile of crispy pork goodness, and a large croquette potato to go with the eggs, tomato and toast.  The bacon was good. Both plates looked good and filled us up.  As ever, take a pinch of salt with any review after a long run.  Hunger covers up flaws.  But I have been in hear before for a lunch time sandwich, and been happy with that too.

The place filled up rapidly with tired and happy runners just after we got our meals.  Our server was rushed of her feet bringing out drinks and orders to people, but she seemed to not miss a beat, and was pretty awesome throughout the time there.  Always keeping our coffee mugs filled up, and checking on our progress.

All in, a good retreat after a trail run.  And the Liquor Store sells cold and flu remedy (Dewars Honey whisky... mix with hot water and lemon, cures most of what ails you).

Sunnyside Cafe, Esquimalt

Saturday was my third running of the Salvation Army Santa Shuffle.  Which went very well, Andrea paced me to push me hard, and I finished in a personal best for the course.  And it was a -fun- run, not a race.  I had fun, the people dressed as elves had fun, the Sally Army raised some money.  So who cares what my time actually was, just that it was more good exercise (I was happy I ran a fast time, so I guess I cared after all)

And afterwards, we headed to the Sunnyside Cafe in Esquimalt. I'd seen it at the top of many brunch lists, and as we were near-ish by, invited the normal brunch crew along to join in, and they came out for food and a catch up.  It is situated almost at the Navy Base, underneath Action Motorbikes.  The space is small, a long narrow frontage with a couple of tables outside and about seating for 20 inside.  It's counter service for the orders, but there was a server double fisting coffee and cream once we got seated.

The menu is pretty extensive, with about eight different Benny's, half a dozen lunch items and the standards of eggs, bacon, sausage and bread. The huevos have been mentioned as being really good. There's a also a build your own sandwich option, where you can get scrambled egg in a bun or wrap with two extras, like bacon, mushrooms or cheese.

I ordered the scrambled egg wrap with bacon and sausage.  There was an option of turkey, normal pork and sage or chorizo.  I went for the spicy sausage, with a side of potatoes and a big coffee.  The Brunette joined us a bit later and order a half portion of the vegetable Eggs Benedict.

The wrap was good.  The sausage was cooked well, spiced well and tasty, the juices flowing into the eggs and bacon.  The potatoes were sliced and quarter pieces of vegetable, partly fried I think and mostly boiled. And covered in a red powder that might have had some cayenne in.  The filled me up, but not so that I'd get excited about them.  Like I can get excited about good hash browns.

The Lovely Brunette of My Acquaintance has just raved about the Benny.  The half portion was a perfect size for her, and the hollandaise had some basil or herbs in it to make it really flavourful.  It was served with a couple of big slices of tomato, which had been warmed, not fried in the pan. This completed the meal, rather than carbing it up with potatoes.

The coffee was a good solid brew, setting the energy levels off again, but not so dark and potent that I would be vibrating for the next two hours.  I appreciated the constant top ups, and the service all around was fast and happy.  The whole experience was a good one, partly helped I am sure by the venue being just busy enough that we didn't have to wait, but there was people and liveliness about the place.  It's a good local place, and I'll be back next time I'm in the area for brunch... which given normal service will be for next year's Santa Shuffle.

10 Acres Bistro, Downtown Victoria

I was heading down to Las Vegas a couple of weeks back and the lovely Brunette of my Acquaintance deserved a fine meal for letting me go down solo.  The idea of farm-to-plate is appealing.  Knowing where the food comes from means that the chef can build menus that suit the food, get it in fresh and roll with the seasons.  Then again, I've always been told not to visit an abattoir, so maybe I don't want to know too much about where my food comes from.

At least my meat.  There's is nothing too bad about cuting down some Kale and Chard, or digging up potatoes.  Unless you are allergic to mud and grime under your fingernails.  But fresh veg that you've grown does seem to taste better.

Can 10 Acres capture that?

The location has been a few different places since I've been here. One memory of it was back when I first moved to Victoria. Some poor guy dressed in chef whites holding out menus for tourists at the lower end of Government street.  He looked desperate and tired. Tourist didn't want to be bother, however passionate he seemed. I have no idea if the food was any good, but I did feel sorry for him trying to drum up trade.

10 Acres doesn't seem to need this tactic to get them in.  When I got there at 4pm to book a table it was quiet.  When I got back two hours later, it was full, with guests being turned away, much to the chagrin of one local. He seemed to think that it was a terrible shame he couldn't get a seat, being local and all, and that was more important that tourists.  The bar area was full up at all the corners; the patio heaters were keeping the semi-outdoors space warm; and the warren of narrow rooms down into the back of the restaurant were all full.  Though parking the poor lady on crutches down two sets of stairs seemed a little unreasonable

We got a high, bench table near the bar. A highly enthusiastic server set us up with some drinks.  She made up a ginger beer and bitters combination for me, which sharpened up the taste buds.  The sharp, bittered ginger drink was fantastic and matched well with my meal.  Good move to cater to the driver well with something interesting but teetotal. The Brunette got a fancy Negroni cocktail, as I recall.  She liked it, and the wine with the meal got a big thumbs up too.

For my meal, I ordered the half-chicken from the rotisserie.  Mostly because I am a sucker for good roasted chicken, but partly because with an early flight the next day, I didn't want anything too heavy (fish and chips; or a creamy Tagliatelle were both consider).  I didn't want steak-frites, as I was expecting to eat steak on vacation (I didn't get any the end, but never mind).  And I didn't want to have the risk of a seafood stew with a clam gone rogue.

I ignored that risk though to try one of the Brunette's mussels on her big bowl of Salt Spring island bi-valves.  There were just done... like -just-.  Ten second less in the pot and they'd have been a warm mess.  But cooked to this point, they weren't tough, or beginning to mush up.  They quivered there in the white wine sauce, garlic filtering through the meat of the mussel.  Well worth it.

We also ordered a side of the seasonal vegetables, all from the farm.  A whole mix of veg, all roasted long enough so they were on first name terms with each other, but not yet overly friendly.  Carrots, parsnip, strings of green veg.  Tasted great, with that fresh picked flavour I've had from my own vegetables.

My chicken was juicy and moist with a rich glaze of sauce. The skin had got crispy in all the right places, while the interior was cooked through perfectly. The fresh roasted potatoes had that combination of a crisp skins and battered, soft insides.  The kale coleslaw was also fresh, and had a crisp bite to it.

It was a little -too- fresh though, and I had to send it back to the kitchen after over turning one leaf to find something that shouldn't have been there.  The server grabbed it straight away, apologized and whisked it off.  She offered us a free dessert after depositing the plate in the kitchen. A cook came out a few minutes later with a fresh dish, and profuse apologies for the problem.  They handled this very professionally.  I'd prefer not to have my farm fresh food that farm-like, but things happen.  They dealt with it... though I did toss over the coleslaw a lot on the second run, and probably should have asked for it without.  Just because it stuck in my head that I might get a repeat.

As an aside, I was a little unsure if I should relay the problem. I liked the food there. The Brunette loved it.  I like the locally sourced and cooked simply menu.  It is home-cooked kitchen table food. It's not fancy.  It's not pushing any bar into the exotic, or technical gastronomy.  But executing the simple concept itself is a challenge, to keep it simple and unfussy.  I was a big fan of the place up until that point.  And three minutes after getting my replacement dish, a big fan again. My goal is not the cheer-lead for restaurants in Victoria and write bland, happy reviews.  My goal is to write about what I thought, tasted and saw.  If it is an unfair reflection, I'm happy to discuss it.

So, they sorted us out a free dessert, with no problems... a rich chocolate zuccini brownie.  Moist, flavoursome and finished up a good meal.  We wandered out after settling the bill with happy stomachs and a wrapped up portion of chicken that, I'm told, went down a treat cold in sandwiches the next day.

The restaurant would suit a small group looking for a casual meal, or a couple looking for a relaxed meal out.  There's a good range of beers and wines, though the bar service was rather slow, as the Brunette pointed out as well.  But the food was a hit overall.  The space has a great feel.  Would visit again.

Four Mile House, View Royal

Pubs that do a good brunch.... trying to think of a top five on Vancouver Island list.  There's lots of places open early for the sports fans, or for lazy Sunday mornings before the real trade starts around noon, but I'm drawing a blank right now on great ones.

The Four Mile House does a Sunday brunch.  A small menu, that covers the breakfast basics to get things under way, especially for the poor unfortunates working Sunday.  Or the hungry runners coming in from the cold, damp November morning.

Our party of four contained both workers and runners. We convinced the server to get the fire lit, so that warmth flowed out into the open main bar room.  The idea of sitting under out door heat lamps was given to us, but that seems like a waste of energy, and also not a good way to keep the elements out.  It was a day for indoors, feeling cocooned up in our own bubbles.

It is also a day for brevity in reviews.

I ordered a hash skillet, which was plenty of potato, meat and eggs covered Hollandaise sauce.  Parts of the skillet were only luke-warm, possibly as it was served in a china dish, not a big metal skillet.  The hollandaise was just hollandaise, and nothing special,  The eggs were cooked about right.  The coffee was warm and plentiful.

Two others ordered the Four Mile stack: A ham slice topped with a waffle, topped with bacon, topped with a waffle, topped with sausage, topped with a waffle, topped with eggs.  With fruit, syrup and whipped cream on the side.  This was 'a lot of meat' (quothed Andrea). It took some deconstruction to be edible, unless you have an unhinge-able jaw you need to split this down. Good waffles, while the meat was typical breakfast protein... I snagged a sausage, and it was an average sage-spiced pork tube.

Good value for a monster breakfast, but not exceptional such that I urge you to drive out to View Royal.

I feel much the same about the Four Mile as the beer they brew.... I love the design of the labels on their beer, but the contents is just average.  I love the feel of the pub and the way it is laid out, but the food and service is just average.  You can do better in other places around town, so unless living near by, why bother going here?

EDIT : Two of the people I was with seemed to think this review was harsh and unfair.  They noted the staff were really friendly, getting the fire turned on.  And how often our coffee mugs were refilled.  They also reported the bacon was -almost- as good as the bacon at 'Relish'.  Which is very high praise.

I didn't want to come across as harsh, just trying to communicate it was an average experience... some good points, a couple of negative ones, but over all... it was there, we ate there, it'll still be there and no reason for it not to be there, or for anyone to avoid it.  Just no reason to drive across three municipalities to get there.  But if nearby, why not?

La Taquisa, Downtown Victoria

Burritos and Tacos and Tex-Mex were a holiday treat for my Dad.  He never loved the pseudo-Mexican you could get in London, but whenever he came over to the US, he'd always try and get one meal in based around spicy beef, beans and tortilla.

I liked a big burrito, stuffed full of protein, beans, cheese and good dollop of sour cream.  The best, fast burrito I've had is about 3 minutes walk from where I am right now, Qdoba in Seattle airport.  He said name dropping to prove his jet setting ways.  For airport food, especially, they make a great tasting, rolled right in front of your face, hot burrito.  The meat is spiced, but not hot. The tortilla is steamed and looks like it could be placed over your face as a refreshing hot towel.  But it tastes nothing like a hot towel, being doughy and flexible, keeping in the contents all in place.

I like to grab a burrito there on lay over between Victoria and Seattle, filling my stomach up before a long distance flight; or refuelling after a long flight in.  Much better than anything high salt and high fat they serve on planes.  I recommend it, while sitting at a table watching the planes taking off.



In Vancouver, I have fond memories of eating at Red Burrito on Robson Street near my friends apartment.  Coming back in after a evening playing poker or watching a BC Lions game, we'd grab a burrito, wrapped in a red tortilla and dripping in bean juice.  The meat was not up to much, but the filler always seemed fresh and, well, filling.  But it need a plate, you couldn't transport this and eat in one handed.

Looking at Urbanspoon, it seems it has gone now.  It always looked like someone had put it up in a hurry, with a simple wooden counter and daubed on paint work, cheap Formica tables and plastic chairs.  You weren't encouraged to stay around, really. Get in, get food, get out to wherever the night was taking you next.

So, as this becomes a column of burritos I have known and loved, we go back to Victoria and La Taquisa.  They started in a small shop in Cook Street village, and have now grown to two outlets, one down town and one out in the West Side Village.  They are going for fast and authentic, with certified meat from BC producers.  You can choose your meal, meat and salsa to build up your own burrito or tacos.

The first time I went, I ordered the Chicken Mole burrito with a medium mild salsa.  It was not for me.  The chicken tasted too bland and gritty, and the mole really didn't compliment anything else in the burrito. There was nothing wrong with it, I just didn't care for it.

But I went back again, and got the Cowichan Chicken Tinga El Gordo.  Shredded chicken cooked in a chipotle stew, and then wrapped with grated cheese and beans.  And extra beans for the El Gordo (big sized) wrap.  The tortillas are fresh and you can see the staff making them in the kitchen as you wait.  The meat complimented the rest of the filling, and the fresh, spicy flavour came through to make a package that worked together. Filled me right up, and no complaints.

I sat at the bar table talking through the world and it's worries with a good friend.  There's space to sit and relax over your food. They've made a bright, open space, with a few bench tables.  And decent sized too so you can spread out.  The only odd corner is the drinks and utensils alley way that has the recycling centre.  It seems like a dingy little space where I'm dumping my waste, but also getting a fresh glass of water.  I don't know, but those two things seem like they shouldn't go together.

I am not sure if La Taquisa will somewhere I remember in years to come, but for now, it's good spot.

Hernande'z, Downtown Victoria

I used to love Hernande'z when I worked down town or I had cause to be downtown for a fast and fresh lunch.  The mixture of a lightly spiced burritos and fresh local food was a delight.  As I've moved out to the sticks to work, I'm not there as often, and have tended to eat at the Interactivity Board Game Cafe before or during my weekly evening gaming sessions.

But I had noticed a regular weekend brunch with my very favourite meal : 'Huevos Rancheros' taking centre place in the menu.  I prepared with a  fifteen km run with Andrea, then met with the lovely Brunette of my Acquaintance and two of my best-est friends.

We got seated in the walk through mall that Hernande'z lives in, on a little table opposite the closed coffee shop. We ordered in shop water and my friends got in a small basket of nachos to warm up with.  The server was young and had the slight confusion of a teenager in her first job, but with plenty of enthusiasm, so no real problem there. One of the chefs did mention they wished there was coffee available when they opened on a Sunday, and it is one miss on the menu for brunch.  I wonder if there is a quick and easy, but authentic coffee substitute they could offer?

I ordered the standard Huevos, served on thin corn flour tortillas, while the Brunette went for the Huaraches Rancheros.  These are much the same but with one big, thicker corn tortilla that looks a bit like a sandal (and where the name comes from), made from a maize dough and lightly fried.  Both dishes were served with fresh eggs, fresh made beans, fresh salsa and a small heap of a potatoes.

There has been talk that the quality at Hernande'z has gone down hill in the last few years.  This is not apparent in the brunch.  The eggs and beans were as fresh as promised, and tasted wonderful.  The beans had that mushy, grainy feel with a savoury and, well, beany flavour. The salsa was  lively and tangy but not hot, just a bite from the tomatoes.  And those breakfast potatoes were parboiled, fried up a bit and served hot, and kept the new potato taste in there - slightly waxy, slightly earthy.

The tortilla was fresh, soft and you could taste the corn flour, the gritty, savoury dough warm and just a bit of a resistance to the bite. The huarache as more of the same but thicker with a slight crumble to the texture.  Both meals were plenty for one hungry person, and my friends shared a plate between them and were well satisfied.

A great brunch pick up for fresh and fast food.

EDIT : Quote from the Brunette 'Probably the best Huevos I have ever had'.

Heart of Asia and Noodlebox, Mount Tolmie, Victoria

After watching Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in 'The Trip to Italy', the lovely Brunette of my Acquaintance and I were hungry.  The film (watched at Cinecenta at UVic) has the pair eating at a bunch of gorgeous Italian restaurants and goofing off about famous people, their careers, being middle-aged and active comedians.  Both the original 'The Trip' and this are well worth watching if you like British Comedy and food.  Or food comedy and the British.

So, watching them gorge on pasta and well cooked food, we were hungry and fancied eating more than a small plates meal at Little Jumbo, and decided to try the Heart of Asia.  Previously, the venue was Jojo Jajangmyeon, but that has closed down, and has been replaced by the Heart of Asia. They've had at least two days with a 'Grand Opening' sign outside, so they've been up and running for a couple of weeks or more now.

We went in and got seated.  The decor hasn't changed much, a few small rooms for private eating and nice wooden tables with open lattice dividers in the main room.  We were handed two tatty looking menus and a nicely printed drinks menu.  Except, they only had bottled beers to serve. No cesars or highballs.  Slightly odd.  And bottles of Canadian were $5.25.  A 12oz bottle.

We got into the menu.  I think I should have checked the menu through before hand, and the rest of the rest of this review is possibly a collision of my expectations with reality.  The menu included Griddled Bull frog, Spicy sheep's intestines, Vegetables and Tripe, and Beef brains.  The Chicken Wings were 6 for $13, though they promised that the fat was well rendered for a crispy texture.  $2 a wing is a bit steep...

Throughout the menu, items were crossed off, in different coloured bits of sticky tape.  The whole thing had been scotched taped together from what looked like two halves, with staples hanging out of one side.  From a restaurant a month old?  Items were in Chinese first and English second, with many items having no price in dollars. I assume the Hanzi next to the items said something equivalent to 'market price'.

We asked about the noodles, and these were off the menu. The hot and sour soup was not vegetarian (no reason why it should be), but we were then informed it could be made that way. At $11, I assumed it was a massive bowl.  But wanting a vegetarian dish, there was nothing that appetizing.  As was pointed out afterwards, Asian food is not very often vegetarian.

So, we decided this was not for us tonight and Noodlebox was going to serve us better.  I was thinking I'd come back solo sometime and try the spicy intestines, just to see what it was like. But tonight, the Brunette and I wanted something simpler and with meat from known sources.  Again, I understand my expectations for the restaurant were wrong.

We told our server we decided we didn't want to eat tonight and to get the bill.  She looked confused and left to find the host.  The host, dressed in a baseball cap (a very different look from the well dressed waitresses) told us that we could have the soup, as it was vegetarian.  We said we didn't want soup, sorry, we'd be leaving.  We were then informed there was a minimum $20 charge.  We'd had two beers and been there for 10 minutes.  There wasn't a queue and it wasn't busy.  Nothing on the menu said about a minimum spend, so I refused to pay this minimum.  The host walked off obviously annoyed with us.  I got up to the cashier, paid the $13 for the two beers, slightly miffed, and the host explained that it was a 'temporary menu' so it wasn't all there yet with the words for the base charge, and not all the dishes were ready yet. Kind of hard to play guess what you actually have.  But still, I'm thinking at this point, maybe I'll come back and try something.  Clearly the cuisine is different from my usual expectations of Chinese food.

But the killer blow for me was when they took my twenty dollar bill, handed back five to me and stuck a toonie in the tip jar.  Without asking, without offering me the chance to tip. I'm done with them now, and I head out rapidly, fuming, with the Brunette just behind and trying to get me to calm down.

As I said, on reflection, I should have checked the menu.  We walked back by later, and the place was pretty full, and they seem to be doing a good trade.  I'm guessing they serve much more authentic Szechuan than this Brit expected, and this mismatch led to the poor experience I got, and the expectation of a full menu and more regular 'chinese' food.

But I also don't expect to have tips forced off me, minimum spends imposed, an open restaurant to have a barely there menu (literally and figuratively), and a bar to not be able to do simple mixed drinks.




So we walked over to Noodlebox, and got fed a good Pad Thai.  Rice noodles, lots of peanuts, a decent fire in the medium-hot chicken and a full belly.  I agree with another poster on Urbanspoon that the sauce is a little watery, but the food there always fills me up, has a good combination of spice, flavour and texture.  Asian food for the western palate, I guess. We got fed and served to our expectations, so all was right with the world.

Il Covo Trattoria, James Bay, Victoria

The Superior Cafe  served up some excellent food, for both brunch and evening meals.  Apart from its questionable live music choices, it was one the best lesser known eateries in Victoria.  Sadly, there was ownership changes of the building, and the chef and restaurateur moved on, and it became a supper club.   And then nothing...

Until this summer, when Il Covo opened.  I'd vaguely heard about a new place opening, but hadn't really enquired much, with a list of other places I wanted to try for evening dining, and a limited set of opportunities.  Then I had a Wednesday evening booked with the gorgeous Brunette of my Acquaintance, and I'd seen a re-tweet of a BC Hydro candle-lit evening offer.  With the Il Covo on the list, and after looking it up, I decided this was the place to try out.

We arrived early, and had to wait outside while they prepared the candle.  The Superior used to have a cluttered feel, with a lot of art, odd tables scattered around and an awkwardly placed stage.  This has been considerably cleaned up, with a more formal lay out of the seating. The stage has gone, opening up the room with a large picture window at one end.  The high ceilings, lit by a huge chandelier (dim electric bulbs, not candles even for this event) made for a much more open, easy feel.

The place was dark and intimate for this BC Hydro special: being green by dining out by candle light.  Even if candles are probably more expensive in terms of energy to produce than the hydro-electric powered bulbs.  But also a little more romantic.  And it made us realise how dark it must have been living in candle-powered houses in the 1700's.  It also made the menus a lot harder to read, though I noticed one expert diner had their own pocket flashlight.

We settled in with a cocktail.  The Brunette opted for a Negroni, made specially with an Artichoke based Vermouth, which she had loved at Be Love.  The bartender went and found it in their back bar when asked, which was good of them to make a substitution. I went for a saffron infused martini.  Which was a little dry for my tastes, so they sweetened it up.  This made it perfect to sip along with my meal, keeping the taste buds alive and interested.  The Negroni got a full thumbs up too.

For starter, we shared a platter of 'Antipasto mistto della casa', a mix of vegetables and meat.  The pickled and roasted peppers were fantastically sweet.  The pesto and mozzarella piles with a juicy tomato had all the flavours that you expected in Italian food.  The fatty mouth feel of the cheese, the basil and olive oil richness and the tart sharpness of tomato. The other parts were almost as good, but these two items stood out. We were also served two bowls of bread, with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping mix.  I made the school boy error of eating far too much of it before my pasta arrived.  But it was so good.  Light and crumbly with a just crusty enough crust.

Still, I had just room left for my 'Pesto alla Genovese'.  A pile of linguine, covered in a rich pesto sauce and mingled in with new potatoes and green beans.  The potatoes were waxy and had a rich, earthy flavour, set off with the pesto sauce. I could have eaten a pile of these without the pasta. The pasta was al dente, cooked just right to carry and cradle the sauce. And the green beans didn't disappoint.  Blanched beans are one of my favourite foods as they work well so many cuisines, and give a firm bite to food but with a tender, almost sweet flavour.

The Brunette went for the seared yellow fin tuna.  I've often had over-cooked and tough tuna steak, or worse still, its seared to a mush on the outside, but a cold purple on the inside, with neither part having any flavour.  Il Covo turned my views on tuna steak around.  This was juicy and flavourful.  There was a touch of the brine in the steak, setting of the meaty, umami flavour of the flesh.  The vegetables included more of the roasted peppers, with a zesty sauce on top.

The meal was finished with a small morsel of chocolate truffles.  We got those to go, stuffed to the gunnels with the bread, entrées and antipasti.  Our server boxed them up nicely, though the cream and strawberry topping had gotten all a little smushed around the tin foil tray.  After a spot of digestion back at the VicInPerson ranch, we ate them with a cup of tea, and they were much appreciated.

The downside to the romantic candles was the inability to see the food.  I think it would have looked as great as it tasted, but we just don't know... until we go back.

Bon Sushi, Royal Oak, Victoria

It's been a long week, made longer by a Saturday morning in the office testing some code because this is not my full time job.  I say that with the conceit that most people reading this don't know me in real life, when I realize that my regular readers are friends and family (hi Mum!), with a scattering of people linked in from Urbanspoon and Google searches.

So for those people, on with the review.  I pulled off into the Royal Oak plaza for something to eat, and recalled there was a Sushi place there.  Perfect to keep me going for the day.  I duck in through the rear entrance, and am guided from the pick up area to a small table next to the cashier desk, handed a menu and left alone to decide.

My normal sushi choices at a place I haven't been before is BC Roll and Katsu Don.  No BC roll here, and no close equivalent that doesn't involve cream cheese.  Instead I order two pieces of Salmon Nigiri and two pieces of Tuna Nigiri, with their Katsu Don.

The nigiri is a large slice of fish, draped over a small block of rice arranged so it almost hides the white grains.  It's a long thin diamond shape, not too thick and the cut runs across the muscle, which makes sushi feel interesting in the mouth, as well as given more taste.   The cuts were fresh, and worked well with the light soy sauce provided.  The rice was was cooked just right, not too sticky, not too hard.  Very good indeed.

The Katsu Don was not served how I expected it.  I am used to a large bowl of rice, with some breaded pork cutlet, an egg and a few bits of fried onion.  Maybe a little bit of steak sauce dumped on top, or a teriyaki sauce squirted in lines over the sliced cutlet.

Here it was plated up, with a smaller pile of rice on one half of the plate, just enough to hide under the cutlet, which was a good sized piece of meat.  On the other side of the plate was a heap of greens and three yellowy slices of pickled something (beets, perhaps?), and a little ramekin of a gingery, thick vinaigrette.  The cutlet was topped with a good amount of the light brown steak sauce common to Japanese restaurants.  And it was good.  Cooked so it was still moist and tender on the inside, but with plenty of crunch on the outside, I was disappointed when I finished the last bite, even though I was satiated.  The salad made a nice counter point to the rich, savoury meat, with a crisp bite, added to by the dressing and the crunchy, acid of the pickles.

I was at first disappointed that I was given a knife and fork, but you know what?  It made it far easier for me to eat, and enjoy, and not make a mess everywhere.  With a bowl, one can lift it to your mouth and scoop in the rice.  Not so easy with a plate.

I also liked a couple of nice little touches here.  The green tea was softer and less harsh than some genmaicha (roasted rice and green leaf) teas I have had.  Refreshing and gentle.  I also liked the chopstick rest, which made it easier to manage your cutlery while chewing over the Nigiri.

Service was fair, they seemed to have forgotten about me at one point, despite there being four tables and two servers.  But once they recalled the guy hiding behind the plants next to the cashier desk, all was well.   Certainly would go back again for a longer meal.  Pleasantly surprised.

The Half Marathon

My second running of the Victoria Half Marathon happened this weekend.  So not much time to write long reviews of places I ate, or to describe in shocking detail the difference between hash browns and country potatoes.

Saturday was a day with the Brunette, and a nice cup of tea in the Bengal Lounge at the Empress.  Very nice tea, very nice service.  Must go back for the curry sometime.  This was followed up by shopping for running shoes (sales! discounts) and a quick Bento Box at Shiki Sushi.  Rice with steak sauce and little bits of Katsu Chicken.  Tasty stuff.  Filled a need.  Price is good.  Then home, lazy evenings and sleep.

I got up early my body clock decided 5am in the morning was a reasonable time to wake up, even if I did need my rest before the run.  Drank a lot of water, had a banana and jumped in the car.  Then jumped out as I discovered I was missing my race number.  Then back in the car.  And then back put again as I try to find my headphones.  And then finally off, down town, park up and walk to start line.  And the huge queue for the port-a-potties. Thanks to th guy who pointed out the men's standing, open air pillars.  Though it is weird to urinate with hundreds of people behind you....

And then we ran.  I was pacing myself and a friend to finish in two and half hours.  So we started near the back of the pack, to let the faster runners have free space.  Sadly, many people aren't that thoughtful and we spent the first kilometre dodging around walkers.  Annoys me no end.  If you are gonna be walking the course, just hang back.  The extra 3 minutes to cross the line doesn't matter, but lets everyone settle down earlier.

But apart from that, I had a fine old time.  The run down around Beacon Hill Park to Dallas Road fills me with joy and a light footed feeling.  The elusive runner's high and a state of sub-concious happiness that makes you forget you are exerting yourself.  The we saw the Brunette on the turn around at 13 km, provisioned with a banana and fresh electrolyte water it was a nice easy feeling back to Dallas Road.  The last two to three kilometres were harder, but my friend did a grand job sticking to the pace, and we cruised home about ninety seconds under our target time.

Water and a quick change in the View Street Parkade (sorry to the truck owner who had to see that) and met everyone (The Brunette, with her daughter; Andrea who run great despite some water issues, my co-runner and her man) at The Guild for a big fry up.  Lashings of coffee, sunny-side eggs and chunky sausage and a meatloaf sized slice of black pudding.  Thank you, The Guild.  Just what I needed.

A quick medicinal chai at Be Love and a dissection of the race with Andrea and I headed home, for a rest.  Now for Turkey dinner!

Purple Garden Chinese Restaurant, Mount Tolmie

The Brunette of my Acquaintance and myself had had a hard days doing things.  You know weekend things, like shopping, cleaning, delivering tickets for the Day of Boardgamers (plus one for cross promotion), generally Getting Things Done.  We were hungry, and had planned to go to the Heart of Asia on Cedar Hill Cross.  Except it was Opening Soon.  Which meant not open yet.  Despite there being a 'Grand Opening' banner up on Friday, and today.  I am sure it'll all be open and serve me soon.  But Saturday was not that day.

So instead we headed into the Purple Garden buffet.  A place that I had heard of from old students of UVic as being okay.  As I'd been past it about two thousand times, I figured it was time to actually go in the place.

Entry is through a parking garage and down some steps into bowels of the earth.  A faint damp smell came to my nose, and the paint work and carpet felt like it was possibly new around the mid 90's.  That certain air of ageing, rather than aged.  That aura of having been once a shiny pebble, but not having been kept up.  Still, it wasn't dirty, or fetid, or scruffy.  It was well lit, and tables were large and the seats comfortable (and far step up from the old school chairs I'd once sat in for a strange cafe curry in Sheffield, UK).  There was a large buffet selection, and the server brought us tea to the table straight away.

So we dropped our bags and headed to the food line.  There's about 40 dishes, ranging from your standard spring rolls and yam balls to green lipped muscles and fish curry.  Plus green, red and blue jello, and a side table with BBQ pork lettuce wraps.  I dug in with a little bit of everything that took my fancy.

The highlights were the ginger beef (is this made from red cows, we wondered), very gingery, crispy and a not over sweet thick dark sauce on top.  The black pepper steak had plenty of bite, with good thick slices of beef, just cooked to tender, not to tough.  The vegetables in it were fresh and crisp.  And the fat, flat noodles were delicious.  The salt and pepper shrimp was particularly spicey, and the bit sizes had a squeaky tender snap to them.

On the other side, the chicken balls were doughy and dry.  The muscles were over done and dry.  Or so the Brunette reported.  I avoid shell fish in a buffet situation.  I didn't need to find out if they were bad by sitting on the toilet for the rest of the evening.  The pork rice was really mediocre too.  A sort of blandness, punctuated with savoury undertones of over cooked pork.  The shanghai noodles weren't for me either.

The spring rolls were decent enough, and duck was not too fatty but also not with that gamey, meaty taste I love from the aquatic fowl.  The dessert chocolate peanut cake felt like it had been made for a kids party that had just been cancelled, by the birthday boy himself, on account of not getting the red bike he wanted from mother and father.  As they let me top it up with a big scoop of ice cream from the freezer, it finished things off well enough, and I figured it was his loss not to have his sweet course.

We paid up ($15/head, cheaper for kids of certain ages) and left.  With full bellies, and no repercussions.  If I went back, I'd hit up the beef and noodle stations for sure.  But can't think I'd rush back, as there's other places with better Chinese fair in town.

Catalano Restaurant & Cicchetti Bar, Downtown Victoria

Not to be confused with the Catalina Wine Mixer, the Catalano Restaurant & Cicchetti Bar is in the space formerly occupied by Prime Steak House and before that the sit down eatery part of Hugo's.  It also had a temporary chef running it for a 50 days as a 'pop restaurant' a couple of years back, and may have had a couple of other incarnations in the years I've been in Victoria.

Now it's a partnership between Tim Ferris (of Ferris's Oyster Bar), Dave Craggs (of the Ferris's as well) and Aaron Lawrence, formerly of the Canoe Club.  I read this afterwards, but the big clue to the Ferris link is the 'Weekend Crossword' on the brunch menu. Or the advert on your Ferris bill if you've been there.  Our server Kim was only too happy to tell us about the link, and how the Crossword is a signature dish of the head chef.

Catalano has been open over a year, and made waves in the Huffington Post as one of the top 20 places to eat in BC. Then again that list has Willies bakery at number 20, praising its brunch menu.  Which pretty underwhelming.  And they were writing about the Ciccihetti (basically Italian Tapas) and we were headed in for breakfast.  So different strokes for different times of the day.

We were seated right at the back of the place, on the third of the three split levels, with on side of our table seated along a very comfy bench seat, at a trim and smart brown dining table.  Views saw us looking out across the Union Club and peaking through the streets to the Ledge and the Empress.  There's an array of booths and semi-private tables, with space for you and a half dozen friends to eat.

We got coffee, and the decaf double shot Americano was reviewed by Andrea as 'not the worst coffee she had ever had'.  I think this was praise.  And now I have fulfilled my contractual obligation to quote her this week.  I had the standard pot coffee and it was warm and roasty.  Not super dark, but good to kick start my braincells again after this mornings run along Dallas Road.

The brunch menu lifts from Ferris's with the aforementioned Weekend Crossword.  This is poached eggs, creamed leeks, English muffin and crispy prosciutto lightly topped with Hollandaise. I ordered this, not sure what else I really wanted.  It was damn tasty, with a good scattering of fried cubed potatoes.  The poached eggs were about as good as you can make them, just oozing the yolk over my food, while the white was cooked to a quiver.  If that's not the correct term, it should be...

I did pass on the breakfast tagine.  Not feeling overly adventurous, but I am going to try and convince folks for a second visit to try it now I know the food is well done here.  Other people tried the corn pancakes, which got demolished on both plates, and Andrea ate the Gina Lola.  This was a very light omelette with vegetables, onions and goats cheese.  With a side (topping?) of greens and toasted bread.  The cheese was held back for Andrea and she did seem to be apprehensive when it arrived.  Even though Kim, the server, claimed it was her go to.  A few minutes later and I think Andrea said something like 'You should quote me more in this weeks blog'.  And a few minutes after that 'That wasn't bad at all, I wasn't sure, but I kinda liked it after all'.

My fee for mentions of Andrea is quite high, by the way.  She'll be getting an invoice.

Meanwhile, another friend who doesn't want to be quoted (I think) ordered the flight of bacon with his meal.  This came put as a long narrow plate with six types of bacon, all labelled.  Double smoked bacon, back bacon and lamb bacon were among the samples.  Kim recommended he try the lamb bacon last.  All the bacon was eaten apart from the back bacon, as this appeared to be twice the thickness of a normal slice, and a little fatty rather than a nice medallion of porky joy. The other five types were viewed a success. A flight of bacon!  A taster of bacon!  Why this hasn't been more commonly mentioned, I don't know. It's almost as awesome as the glass of bacon you can order at The Guild.

Overall, everyone emptied as much of their plates as they wanted (rather than leaving some because it wasn't good).  We got the bills, and I was charged for Kim twice.  Apparently she's only worth $0 though, and just there to track the orders.  I'd say a little more than that to their bottom line, as she was chatty, engaging and informative.  She also encouraged us to try out the happy hour, with half price Cicchetti between 4 and 6pm or after 9pm.  If the beer menu is any good (looks okay to me), I'll try and encourage it to happen with the Brunette of my Acquaintance.  Well done on her cross selling us as well, and in a way that worked rather than feeling like a push.

Overall, a place I'll add to my list of place to go and recommend to others.

Stone's Throw, Downtown Victoria

Sometimes, I go to a place and have very little to say about it.

The Stone's Throw is something like that.  It's just a place to get breakfast.  It has triangle buns for it burgers.  Apart from that, there's nothing unique about the place that I could discern. Located in down town Victoria in the Best Western, it once was a De Dutch crepe house.  Now it's a locally owned and operated place serving food all day.

The space is large, functional and nondescript.  I have nothing interesting to say about it.  Our server was bright and smiling. I have nothing more interesting to say about her. Our menu was short and had a half dozen breakfast options and four Eggs Benny options.  I have nothing more interesting to say about it.

I settled for the two egg breakfast, and lashings of coffee.  The coffee was hot and coffee flavoured. The eggs were scrambled and pretty tasty, and the best part of the meal.  The toast was dry, but pre-buttered, and the potatoes were crunchy. Not in a bad way.  Just crispy.  The sausages were a good example of a breakfast sausage.  Lightly herbed but on the small side.  The Brunette of my Acquaintance reported enjoying her bean burrito.  One eggs benedict was eaten, and I think half it came home with the eater. I hope he ordered his eggs hard.  If he didn't, they missed.  Other people had other food.  They may have said something about it, but if they did, it was lost in the general conversation.  As I had a pleasant conversation, and could hear everyone, that's a big plus point.

I also ordered a side of pancakes.  Now, these were big, fluffy and soaked up the butter and syrup well.  I'd order these again with bacon and eggs.  If I ended up in the Stone's Throw again.  Which is unlikely. Not because it was bad.  It's just average.  I wouldn't recommend it and expect huge congratulations for a good choice.  But I would go there if passing early one morning with a half a dozen people and we wanted feeding.  No queue, okay faire, decent price.

But you know, even then, I might think about walking down to the Sour Pickle.

The Rathskeller Schnitzel House, Downtown Victoria

Oddly,  have not yet written a review of this German style restaurant.  I thought I had, with a long and fulsome praise of the amounts of meat I had eaten, cooked in different ways and from different animals.  I haven't, it seems.  Possibly, because the food coma I had afterwards took too long to recover from, and by the point I came around, it was yesterdays news, and hazy in my mind.

So, that introduction has given most of the game away.  If you are vegetarian and don't want to eat four types of potato and sauerkraut, don't come here.  Move along.  It's not for you.  If you don't like piles of meat of unknown provenance, don't come here. If you insist each pigyou eat comes with it's own biography, don't eat here. If the cows you grill have to have signed a waiver that they really are happy to be eaten, and would you like to try the specially massaged flank steak (*), don't eat here.

I'm not intending to cast aspersions about the meat quality.  I have no doubts about it.  It's just not a west coast, organic granola hippie place.  It's a German-style Tavern.  The food is plentiful, the tables are your gran's old oak affairs, the décor not changed since opening day, and the staff are dressed in dirndls.  I like to think out back the chef has on a full lederhosen, but maybe that doesn't pass BC Health regulations.  But on the right night, you can be serenaded by a proper Om-pah-pah band or a guy on accordion, bringing back memories of the Fatherland, hiking in the Alps and wining multiple World Cups.  Yes, as Englishman, I am a little jealous of their continued footballing glory.

The Germans didn't boil the hell out of everything they came across, turning it into grey mash.  They breaded, bashed, fried and grilled it.  They pickled the cabbage before serving, and didn't leave it on the stove for 22 hours, just in case.  They also made great beer.  The English do as well, so we can call that one a tie.

What we had at the Rathskeller was the family style meal.  Twelve of us gathered at a big long table, and ordered the sit down, plate sharing meal.  For $20 (plus tips, taxes and beers), they will bring out plates of all the good stuff.  Bowls of sauerkraut, red cabbage and Spätzle to fill out the corners of the plate are then followed by Vienna/Weiner Schnitzel, Jager Schiztel, Cordon Blue Schnitzel, Bratwurst, Rahm Schitzel (not to be confused with Ramstein) and potato pancakes.  Oh, and some cubed potatoes too.  There's also apple sauce, sour cream and the VERY important jugs of gravy.  Pro-tip Number 1... order extra gravy.

The meat is all delicious.  It's not lovingly spiced or delicately flavoured.  It's meat.  Cooked well, greased up with fat to make your taste buds happy.  The cordon blue schnitzel has gooey cheese insides, and look like huge fangs.  The (#) Jager Schniztel is pounded flat and served with mushrooms.  The Weiner Schitzel is that breaded, flat veal type that I associate mostly with Schnitzel. I could eat about 20 of these.  Not at once, but maybe in a week. The Rahm Schnitzel is just Weiner Schnitzel with extra sour cream. 'Just' being a word that fails to cover the awesomeness of adding those two things together.

The good news about the family style meal... you ask for more, they will bring it, as long as you don't look like you are wasting food.  What more bratwurst, but have some Wiener Schitzel left over... you aren't getting any more, until you finish what's on your plate. Like a good Bavarian should. But if you do polish off the heaps you've been served, the kitchen will bring out more.  It's easy to think this will be rounds and rounds of food, but after you've tried a little of everything, and little bit more of the things you really liked, you will be stuffed.  Meat takes up room.  It makes you feel full and satiated.  The Rathskeller will do that for you.  And with this style, the conversation flows, even if it's asking John to pass over the gravy boat, please.

The beers are also good.  You can get decent Oktoberfest there at the moment.  Malty, just a shade darker than a pilsner with a heaping of extra flavour.  I tend to order it in the straight glass, but the Pro-tip Number two is to order the Boot..  A beer in a glass shaped like a boot. And that is all I can say about the boots of beer without ever being ostracised from my friends.

If after a beer or two, and plate (or three) you are still hungry, they serve dessert. I have never been hungry enough to eat dessert.  It might be the world's best apple strudel. I have no idea.  I suspect I will never find out.  You can also get a shot of schnapps, for sipping on,  If it's your birthday,  you HAVE to get an after dinner schnapps.  It's required under the Reinheitsgebot (**).  

In short, a great place for family style eating. Provided you like meat.  And whatever family you are eating with, be it blood family, adopted family, or the awesome extended friends I have in Victoria that are a bit like distant cousins I like hanging out with, so I do so, not because there's any real kin relationship, but because they are fine people.



(*) Thank you, Douglas Adams and the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
(**) Obviously, it isn't.
(***) Pro-tip Number Three - always choose the black toilet.
(#) Jon Mason has pointed out to me the factual errors in that I have made in this section and now corrected.

The Malahat Chalet, South Vancouver Island

The Malahat Drive sweeps up the island, keeping the folks of Duncan and Nanaimo less bothered by the likes of me living down here in Victoria.  A narrow winding road, with a steep drop into the Saanich inlet on one side, and big forested slopes on the others.  Traffic can come to a stop at the drop of a suitcase from a roof rack, and it's been said that traffic problems here have stopped Vancouver reaching the number one ranked livable city in the world.  Which is much like blaming the Paris Metro for the failings of London Underground.

The peak of the Malahat is home to the Malahat Chalet and Moon Over Water Lodge.  This has had a variety of names and owners in the past, but new ownership has tried to add a little flair to the two buildings.  I headed up this past week to meet a good friend from out of town for a meal and catch up.  And to enjoy the much promoted view.

The view is excellent.  One side of the restaurant is windows overlooking a large patio and excellent vista right down the inlet up towards the bulk of Saltspring Island.  You can look down towards Brentwood Bay as well, and see much of the Saanich Peninsula. Views.. stunning.. check.

Inside, there's a slightly sparse feeling, though I think most of the seating during the summer is set up outside.  There just feels like the space is a bit empty.  On the other side of the entrance area, two large totem poles, from the original, burned down chalet, flank the wooden varnished bar.  These nicely set of the bar area.  One side of the main area is taken up with a chill display cabinet and line up areas for take out food.  There's a small sofa/lounge section, and then a few more tables.

I got seated with my friends who were in full flow already, and checked the menu.  Four decent drafts from Victoria, including Hoyne's Dark Matter were on offer.  I was driving so took the diet coke with refills with my meal.  There was a decent range of single malts too.  Maybe I should check the room prices if I go next time.

The food was good.  Not world class, but good, though prices were a little higher than I'd expect for what was served.  We got some of the Bannock dipping bread to start.  Served with a very savoury goat cheese and sharp jam, this went down well to kick things off between us all.  For the main course, I ordered the 10 oz rib eye with roast potatoes and veg.  There's a choice of potato, mashed, roasted, fries or dirty fries.  The latter are fries dusted with garlic and pepper.  Everyone who had them seemed to like them.

The rib eye was pounded or bashed, making it a thinner than I expected cut.  However, it was cooked nicely to a medium-rare turn, and had a smattering of onions and mushroom on top.  These were cooked to complement the beef, and worked well. Normally I like my steak unadorned and unfussed with.  This worked in it's simplicity.  The roasted potatoes were scattered underneath the steak, making it look a little bigger than it was. But ten ounces is enough meat for me.  With the medley of vegetables (including some weird tufty strands of something tasting close to aniseed... which I assume was fennel stalks) it was a decent meal.

The two strips of halibut in the fish and chips were huge curly pieces and filled up the eaters, and the chicken cordon bleu filled our friend up that he cried of any of the desert.  I tried a little of the seafood grill, and the fish was well cooked... possibly a little too far cooked for white fish.

We completed the meal with a slice of pecan pie a la mode.  Share between about four.  The pasty was short, crumbly and more-ish, and the topping a decent goopy mess of sugar and nuts.  Stopping by for a slice of pie on the way up island isn't a bad plan.

That's the one problem with the location. The view is excellent, but it's a good 30 minute drive on a good day from Victoria proper.  But not far enough to be a roadside stop on the way north if on a long journey.  Being a place to travel too, alcohol sales will be reduced, which will make turning a profit slightly harder.  The food is good.  No complaints, though I'd have expected to pay 2-4 dollars less for my meal.  It's worth the trip out for the view and somewhere a little unusual to eat.  They also serve a breakfast, so an early morning run north could be stopped by a meal here once on the way.

The Pickle Pub Crawl, After Action Report

Today, we went pub crawling. The Victoria Harbour ferries run a crawl in association with eight of the local pubs.  You pay $15 for a day pass for the ferry and for every four people buying drinks at these partners, you get a plate of appys.  It's a self organized, casual type of thing.  You tour around all day, heading where ever you fancy, calling into the Harbour ferry from each pier when you want a pick up.  Get 10 or so friends together and see what happens.

We started in the Canoe club.  I continue to dislike the beer there, but love the patio and the food is reasonable.  I had the eggs diablo, a baked egg and chorizo sausage dish.  Not exactly filling, but very tasty and a good start for the day. The IPA was terrible, and I should have passed on drinking here.  But with fine weather and even finer company, the mood was set in for the day for me. The shared appy here was some just about passable calamari and a mushy, sour tasting white bean dip.  

We then took a hop over to the Lido.  A small cafe and patio bar right next to the Hyack air terminal.  I've had a great coffee there before one trip to Seattle.  The beer menu is short, but good. Two jugs of Driftwood's White Beer were shared, and the conversation was set for the day.  The very attractive Brunette of my Acquaintance enjoyed her Pimms cup, served properly with cucumber and a basket full of raspberries.  The G&T drinker declared the mixed drink to be fantastic.  I love the space here, and for summer drinking, it's well worth it.  The appy was perfect drunk food, a cheesy garlic thin crust pizza.  No sauce, just cheese, bacon and garlic.  Served with a 'special' white sauce (sweet, thin and terrible) and a thick oregano paste (really good).

A real ferry ride took us to Spinnakers.  Not part of the official Pickle Pub Crawl, but one of my favourite places in Victoria.  Sadly we sat inside, so the day seemed to slip away and the energy lowered with the lack of sun light.  Still, I drank a fantastic saison from Gigantic Brewing. 8.5%, in a 13oz snifter.  Dry, slight fizzy, slightly spicy and crisp.  Too many would have made me slip into a happy coma.

Fresh air, and we left the Brunette behind for errands, while nine of us continued on to the Steamship Bar and Grill.  Their beer menu is super short.  Four beers, two pretty dull premium lagers and a really nice dark wee scotch ale.  Everyone else got stuck into the big fruity drinks.  The sangria was voted as worth a second drink.  And second were had.

The free appy here was more calamari.  Tender pieces, lightly breaded and served with also breaded and fried pieces of lemon and jalepeno pepper.  Really good, one of the better calamaris I have had in town.  The view here is great, the patio over looking the harbour gives you plenty to watch the world go by, and the service was super friendly outside.  Inside, the big high ceiling space looks a bit sterile, and I'm not sure I'd go for dinner... it feels more like a tourist bar than a local place.

Finally, we took the ferry over to Lure at the Delta Pointe.  We were reduced to six by this point, but this fine and hardy bunch took in the patio there.  Or we would have, but it was being maintained and the builders were in.  Odd, as I think it's just been opened, so maybe it was made from sketchy concrete.  We sat inside on a big long table. Really comfortable chairs, but that's about the best I can say about the venue.  The service was rushed, and they seemed to have much debate about a missing cucumber for the Hendricks and gin.  We saw the cucumber, but were told it was still missing.  I have no idea why...  Maybe I was just beginning to really feel the glow of the beers by that point, and cucumbers gained to much importance.

No matter, we finished off and headed back to the Canoe to wander home.  Or to friend's houses to write blog posts about pub crawls before going to fringe shows. 

Drake Eatery, Downtown Victoria

Apparently the name Drake has a lot of good connotations out east.  I'd only ever heard of the sub-prime rapper and Toronto Raptors super fan, but there's also an iconic hotel in TO as well.  So my friends told me, and it's a brave name to put on a new place, being loaded with expectations.

Or they may just have liked the name 'Drake'.  Or the owners like ducks.  Or... who knows.  There's not much information out there about any mission, vision or back story.

That's fine, there's no need to create a America's Got Talent back story about every new place.  But for the first week of their soft opening, even finding opening times was tough.  There's now info up on Twitter and Facebook.  But it's pretty low key.

All you really need to know though is to go down and you'll probably find space for a drink and some food.  The drink is pretty much a choice of twenty-five plus Northwest beers, on tap.  A few ciders and wines, no hard liquor.  No fancy tea or coffee.  This is a place for beer lovers, with craft beer front and centre.

Drinks come in 16oz and 13oz glasses.  The smaller glasses are for the stronger, bigger beers from places like Gigantic down in Oregon.  I did ask them about the glass sizes, as the 13oz looked kinda small to me.  It is the glass size, not the pour, and I can confirm via experiment it's just over 13 fluid ounces. And with the right beer, that's a fine amount to have.  They are charging between $5 and $6 a beer, but this is not a place to be slamming as many Molson's as you can. Not if there exists such a place in Victoria now that Soprano's has closed.

I am a big fan of the Lagunitas NightTime Ale.  A really dark beer, lots of pleasant hops and a nice dry, but malty taste.  It sits well over a course of a conversation and a bite to eat.  They also have beers in from the local breweries, Tofino, Vancouver, Deschutes and other big names from the brewing scene.  There's plenty to sample and get stuck into a few different styles and varieties, and in calmer surroundings than the Garrick's. The Brunnette and I on our first visit really enjoyed trying some new breweries out, and different flavours from old favourites.

Service is British style.  Sort of.  You come in, and one of the servers on the door will let you know it's order at the bar, but they will bring out your food.  You then find yourself a spot. Maybe at the bar, or the high tables in the back or in the more relaxed lounge section with deep over stuffed chairs.  There's a old-time feel to the place with bare brick walls, varnished wood fittings and lettering styles.  It's relaxed, but smart casual relaxed, not Big Bad John's sawdust relaxed.

You peruse a menu, then go up and give your order.  You can run a tab under your name, or pay as you go.  The bar staff will serve you there and then and you get to carry your glass of goodness back to your table yourself.  Ah, it's just like being back home.  Any spillage is your fault.  Food is brought direct to the table.  There can be a bit of a line for drinks at times, but I've seen nothing excessive.  My Miss Manners question is, does one tip 15-20% still for bar service?

Food options are short, but cover the bases of appy/snack food. But not the normal culprits.  There are awesome lentil sliders.  The lovely Brunette of my Acquaintance ordered them, and made fantastic choice.  Full of flavour and topped with a bit of mustard and cheese.  The roasted cauliflower 'Buffalo Flowers' are a vegetarian take on chicken wings.  Coated in hot sauce with a mild blue cheese dip, these are were my personal favourite.  The sauce picks up the more vegetal flavour of the cauliflower and then adds some pep.

The chicken bunwich sub I had was less impressive.  Chicken, with peppers and spicy mayo, cheese and a run under the grill.  It's bits of chicken rather than deli meat, so there was nice chunks of meat in there, but it felt rather uninspired and a bit dull really.   At $11, it's not good value to me.  It's not big enough to be filling, but also not flavoured enough to complement the other things on the menu.  The sliders go in the right direction.  This, just didn't.

The one last oddity is the toilets.  They are tiny.  Like aeroplane tiny.  So small, that the wash basin is outside the toilets in a little alcove that's in full view of the bar.  The handicapped toilet on one side is much bigger, and if you want a bit of privacy to reapply your make up, go in there.

Over all, I cautiously like it.  I'm not sold on the value for money yet, but I like the atmosphere.  I like the range of beers, and the menu is worth exploring further.  I don't mind the lack of table service, it allows you to drink and talk at your own pace.  It feels like a good place to grab a drink a bite, rather than a full on long night out.

Sura Korean, Downtown Victoria

Almost five years ago, I wrote about Sura. Eventually, I guess, you have to repeat yourself... I can't always be going to new, interesting or terrible places just to write reviews.  And in this case, I was invited along to a small gathering of my best friend's friends and family for her birthday.

After visiting there before and ordering the BBQ meal for two, and almost dying from meat ingestion, our party of eight wisely choose to share the five person meal with a little extra, including the seafood pancake, and some beef glass noodles.

We had a great spot at the back of the restaurant, in a quiet booth.  A lot of the space is open dining tables and there's not much privacy.  Which is not a real problem, this isn't intimate hot date dining, but a place for friends and family to eat, chat and be happy. Some tables have an inbuilt for the BBQ, or they use portable grills.  These can be run by the diners, or the servers will run past and keep an eye on things to make sure your beef ribs aren't charred.  And to keep things moving along.

I don't recall we were asked for a drink order at all, which was mildly annoying.  As was not being checked on for water... we got through the first two jugs they had left on the table relatively fast. On the flip side the servers were busy, and the restaurant was full.  Fuller than normal for a Tuesday night, as my friends who go regularly told me.

Food...  it was a conveyor belt of goodies piling up around us.  Little plates of pickles and kimchi led into fresh cooked vegetable tempura and pots of steaming sticky rice, and tiny bowls of dumpling soup - one dumpling and a lot of clear broth. With the glass noodles and the seafood pancake, we were warmed up.  The pancake is fantastic, full of all sorts of crustaceans and bivalves.  I'd probably be happy with just one of those and some rice.  The noodles were fresh, but nothing overly exciting.  The kimchi was spicy and flavourful, but not rocket grade hot.

The meat started to come of the grill.  First up, some beef ribs.  Followed by strips of beef steak.  The nice fatty marbling gave these a good, meaty flavour, especially from the grilling.  The chicken was okay, nothing special in the teriyaki sauce.  The pulled beef was the point some of my friends started to meat fade.  To me, it was the best flavour on the grill.  Savoury, juicy and great with the sticky rice.  The mouth feel and the umami taste all combined into a simple dish.

We then got some mushrooms, some pork and the remains of the yams from the grill.  I don't recall much about this 'course'.  I was wanting more water to wash down the overload of salt I felt like I was consuming in all this meat.  The finale, the seafood was happily accepted by the non-beef eater.  The green lipped mussels were good, but the rest did little for me, and the clams were tough and slighty sour to me.  I was happily stuffed though, and the rest of the table were all full to the gunnels.

We split the meal, and at $22 with the tip and taxes, that's a good price for a meal out with great friends.

The Parsonage Cafe, Fernwood, Victoria

So, on a quick whim, I suggested the Parsonage Cafe for breakfast with my friends this Sunday. Immediately a debate started as to if the coffee sucked (Andrea was on the yes side, others on the no or unknown).  This obviously meant it was worth a visit so we can find out for sure.

The venue is just of Cook Street, near Logan's and had an eclectic bunch of people outside drinking coffee, chatting and petting their dogs.  One wolfhound, one pug, one bull terrier and a mongrel of inter-determinate parentage were all hanging around outside... with their owners.  This was not a cafe protected by a pack of wolves, ensuring the hipsters, homeless and hippies behaved.

Inside, there's a lot of varnished plywood.  A lot.  Everything is made from plywood, it seems.  The tables, the chairs, the cash register and the coffee machine.  It's a small space, crowded in with a line almost to the door surrounded by three booths, a snug area, a window bar and two tables.  The tables are constantly loomed over by the queue of patrons waiting for coffee and snacks.

I started out with an Americano.  They use Fernwood coffee,  which is not surprising, as Fernwood Coffee own the place and are housed just next door. It was good. Smooth, dark and just roasted enough for me.  No complaints from me, though Andrea's London Fog was a little odd tasting.  Not the worst fog ever but had a weird bitterness to it.  Better than a mouth full of razors blades, she told me.  A low bar for a cup of hot beverage to cross, but it sailed over.

My best friend and her partner (who is also among my top all time people in BC, just so he doesn't feel left out) then turned up, looking for some respite from the sun.  They went up to order while we chatted and then swapped over to order.  Bit awkward of a shuffle, but this place is tiny and doesn't really need a server.  I went for the Breakfast Sandwich and a round of toast. My stomach was groaning from running off the excesses of the week around Oak Bay. But that, and a another Americano was still under $12 with a tip.  Bargain.

The toast was a huge pair of doorsteps, with marmalade containing chunks of rind from three different citrus fruit. Good wholesome brown bread, toasted and buttered so you have that soft buttery taste rocking out with the crisp brown edges.  Mmmm.

The sandwich was bagel with a good slice of thick bacon and a egg done omelette style and a dose of mayonnaise. That might be a turn off to some, but I loved the creamy mouth feel with the bacon.  It added a little tang to the meal.  The cheese was melty on top, getting into the pores of the bagel.  You can get it with creamed spinach and tomato if you want, but that was far too much vegetables in my breakfast.  A solid breakfast.

Andrea devoured the lox bagel she ordered, so I assume it was good.  I haven't had text messages from her complaining of stomach cramps, or cursing my name for choosing such a stupid venue.  I class that as a success.  The huge veggies sandwich ordered was only half eaten. On account of it being huge, I think.  And the frothy coffee was served with a fancy fernwood leaf design on it. So that was good too.

Overall, it's good and cheap.  It's not the most comfortable place in the world, and in this hot weather was feeling a bit like a sweat box sauna by the time we left. However, as you can get it all to go, you can even solve that problem yourself.

Random Thoughts Week.

The Lefsetz Letter, a highly readable blog about the music industry, often covers a variety of topics in one post.  The ephemera of ideas and thoughts that don't make one single post.  This week, it's one of those for me.  No new place to write about, but just some thoughts on eating, drinking and going out...

1) Your steak may look over done in this light. Our server told us this in the Keg in Yaletown, Vancouver.  I've never heard this before, but she was telling me to check the taste before sending any steak back.  The evening light made everything look darker.  The steak, a medium rare, Chicago-style New York steak tasted great.  I didn't notice it not looking pink enough in the middle.  Though the warning made sense, it also worried me that I was about to get a bad slice of meat.  I didn't, as ever the keg delivered its consistent level of good food.  Good but not stunning.

2) Outdoor tomatoes taste better.  Eating outside in the sun makes things taste different.  It might be the air, or the wind, or the smell of the woods and sea, but somehow, a juicy tomato on a picnic bench in Sidney is far better experience than one eaten at my dining room table.  Even if I have all the windows open.  Maybe it is the juice dribbling down my chin, or the paper napkins. Rather than the metallic knife and fork, and the clean china plate.  But the simplest foods taste better outside.

3) Open Markets everywhere.  This Canada Day in Victoria seemed to be dominated by the markets.  Celebrate the anniversary of the country by spending money of maple smoked salt, printed t-shirts and sugar-lollipops.  The mix of what feels like mass-produced "hand crafts" and expensive real originals looks identical across the island.  In Salts Spring Saturday market, Moss Street or Duncan, it's the same. Not the same vendors, but the same over all whole.

There is not that certain original feel to these venues.  Here's the hippy selling bunches of Kale, there's the home mixed spices and over in that corner is the pottery mugs... that might have been made in china before being hand stencilled in a barn just of the Pat Bay highway.  Thing is, wandering around one is enjoyable, as you might find something you like, or pick up a restock of something you got before, or find the perfect curry paste. But when you've seen four in five days you realize the formula is the same, and is is not necessary to go to a fifth tomorrow.

4) Making a good restaurant. I have no idea of all the formula to make a great place to eat or drink out.  But I think part of it is that the experience counts as much as the food.  The way the staff treat you, the seats, the decor, the sounds.  And this has to come from the management, or the experience you got one week will be different the next.  And that can lead to disappointment.  Which leads to telling your friends about how it was -quite- as good this time.

You want an experience you can share with friends and family.  One's who were there at the same time... and people who weren't.  Telling people about a great night out is satisfying.  People want to share new experiences, and hopefully get validation back from them that they too had a great time when they went there.  Getting the thanks for recommending a spot adds to the general good feelings about a place, reliving the original experience, which pays of for repeat visits.  You want to recapture that night, that meal, that joke.  Sometimes you do, sometimes it's even better, or just as good but different.

Those places stay in your mind and keep paying back after the credit card bill is paid. That makes a good restaurant or bar or just place.  That's what sells to me.  Until it fades and a new shiny bauble comes along to entertain us.

But the new and the old can run along side each other. Keep looking, and keep coming back.

The Churchill, Downtown Victoria

The Garrick's Head empire has expanded.  Or at least mutated.  The Ledge, an upstairs bar and eatery above the Bedford Regency has closed, and it's liquor licence been moved into the space once occupied by a coffee shop next to the hotel reception.

The bar looks good, using the long narrow space effectively, filling one side with a gorgeous long wooden bar.  The other side is a series of small booths, with a couple of larger tables at the back.  Above the back wall is the chalk board of beers, though this due to be replaced with an electronic list above the bar soon.  The bar features about fifty taps and a lot of decent brand label liquors.  And Fireball, which is a bit odd, given it seems to be going for a more traditional cocktail/beer bar than a trendy bro-bar serving Coors and Shooters.

But, none the less, the fifty taps are impressive, and have a rich variety of interest kegs and local standards.  The down side to the chalk board is it only has the breweries on it right now, and not the beers themselves.  Our server was quizzed and questioned on what was on offer, and passed that test.  As there's going to be some high turn over, and it's only been open 2 weeks, quite impressive.  Also impressed she knew enough of the beers to make recommendations when asked.

Any bar playing the Pixies is going to get an extra mark, and I'll double it because though I could recognize the tracks being played, I could also talk to my friends sitting next to me without screaming like Black Francis.  I hope they keep the volume just as it is.

There are 4 huge high definition TVs above the bar, each showing the same feed from 'armchair tourist', a channel dedicated to showing serene pictures from around the world. By around the world, I mean Salts Spring Island, Victoria and parts of Scotland. The bar has them playing in black and white, which gives a nice relaxed vibe, and they aren't too distracting.  Unless you are me, who insists on looking up every clip on the website to find out where the highland cows being shown are actually from.  The Scottish Highlands, of course.

So, beer. And whisky.  I've been twice, and had a great variety of beer.  They've had the Driftwood Gose-uh, a speciality wheat beer, slightly soured and very refreshing. I also enjoyed the Green Flash palate wrecker, a hugely hoppy, strong beer. Bittered to just before the point of stupidity.  The server recommended the Tofino 'Reign in Blonde', and this went down a treat.  Tofino Brewing is building a fine selection of session-able, tasty brews.

On the whisky front, there's not a huge selection, but they've covered the selection well, with a mix of peaty drams and lighter, spicier ones.  The Aberlour 12 is good value for a Speyside single malt, and much enjoyed by my friend, who came back again for my second trip of the week, just to get a double to relax over.  I had to get the Laphroaig Quarter cask.  Big woody, peaty flavour that gets in your face, and then massages itself into your skull as you drink it over and relax into the chat with your friends. They serve it how you want, with ice on the side, neat or any other way.

The cocktails, I'm told, weren't bad.  Nothing exceptional, but served right, and fast.  I don't think it'll beat out Clive's any time soon, but it's not trying to.  It is a little more relaxed, but counter points the Garrick's by going for a more refined approach to the décor and beer lists.  A bar you go to to meet your friends, and not new people.  For two's and four's to sit in a booth and chat, or at the bar for a sharpener. Not for ten's and twelve's at a long table.  We did get seven in one of the booth tables, but that was a squeeze.

My friends also ordered some sharing platters.  The calamari was excellent.  Al dente, retaining it's bite and flavour, but with a crispy coating that was not oily or over powering.  The five layer dip looked expensive, but was served with a whole packet of toasted pita breads.  I was surprised (though I shouldn't have been thinking about the logistics) that it all came from the Garrick's kitchen, given that I've not thought the food that side was worth the time.  Maybe it was the plating, a good day for the chef or just what was ordered.

So, all-in-all, I've had two relaxed bar nights in there, and been very happy with it.  It's moved to the top of my list of places to meet and drink.  I even whispered in hushed tones that it might even be as good as the best days of Solomon's for range and atmosphere. But with faster service.  I think I need a few more trips to decide...