Until we went in one day for brunch, I realized it was a bit more high end, based in a pretty good hotel (the Coast, Victoria).
So, when my Mum wanted a good Halibut dish for her birthday, it was between here and Pescatores. And Pescatores didn't promise Halibut. So, I booked over the phone for us, my best friend and the Brunette of my Acquaintance. I would have used Open Table, but for some reason, it couldn't find a table for five, while they could over the phone. We ended up being just four in the end anyways, but was odd that the magic of the internet didn't work.
We got there perfectly on time and were seated a little away from the one of the big windows, but raised up above the diners closer to the view. We still could see the harbour and all the activity, but the perfect window able got taken by four ladies who sadly seemed to find the view on their mobile phones more entertaining than a working docks at dusk. The large picture windows allow lots of natural light in, and open up the space. It's otherwise decorated in a muted set of earth and wood tones. Without the harbour, it'd be a kind of dull utilitarian place.
Service was quick, smart and efficient, with a chalk board list of specials brought to our table on a big stand. No excuse for missing the chef's creation. I went for the house chowder with steak and prawn special for the main course. And a pint of IPA to keep the taste buds working. The chowder was a little bland for my taste. There was not much to it, with the clams and bacon being muted, and the soup base not having a rich mouth feel that makes a great chowder. Beautifully presented though, in a deep white bowl.
Two orders of the crab cakes also came to the table. These are a house speciality. And I got to steal a forkful. These are good, with a rich crab taste, a slight sweetness of the sea, and crispness of the covering. Served on a long thing white plate, these looked good as well. For comparison, Mum tried the crab cakes at the Keg a few days later. Nothing like as good.
For the main course, my steak was done to a lovely medium rare. Pink under the grilled exterior with a little red liquid. The vegetables were cooked in a rich a cream sauce, which went perfectly well with the steak. The full cooked prawns tasted fresh and clean. This surf and turf combo worked. The Halibut was a big chunk of white meat, sitting on a pea risotto. Cooked just long enough to get to the flaky stage, but not long enough to dry out, or lose that slightly quivering consistency. The small piece I tried had a nice little crust on it as well which mingled well with the earthy taste of the risotto.
The conversation continued on into the desserts. Here, I filled up with a croissant pudding (bread pudding, but with the flaky, buttery taste of a croissant) and kept my self awake with a big cup of coffee. Not the world's best coffee, but a decent mug full to finish the meal with. I also tried a small piece of the crème Brulee, which was vanilla'd just before the point of over kill.
Service was fast, attentive and efficient. Started of a little standoffish, but our server seemed to relax (or get less busy) as the meal went on, and made a little small talk with us as we left. Every one left happy and Mum got a good birthday meal. So, not a blue collar diner, but well worth visiting for a high end meal out.
It's a shame the hotel uses Blue Bird for the taxi service. I'm strange that I like my driver to see amber lights as a chance to stop, not a challenge to race them before they go red (he lost that race twice, but happily no-one started off too quickly in the other direction).
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