SüLT Pierogi Bar, Downtown Victoria

SüLT. I keep reading it as Slut.  An unfortunate name, if you ask me.  Or maybe a good name as it has at least stuck in my head. The name in Danish means hunger, while in Estonian, its "head cheese". Norwegian it can also mean famine. In Hungarian, it means 'baked'. I have no idea where it comes from (Polish doesn't have a word that matches).

But what it means in Victoria is a long under construction eatery, offering a "pierogi focused restaurant serving new Canadian cuisine".   It seems likes there's been something being built in the Lower Yates Street location for a long time. Formally the home of a dark and foreboding internet café, it's not a big open loft-style space.  The ubiquitous polished wood that's modern interior design.  There's exposed ducting and lighting wires, a long table in one corner and a full-length bar seating in front of the kitchen window. The kitchen looks huge and takes up much of the back of the building.

We went in for brunch today, to check out what they had to offer overall.  The menu sells triplets of pierogies, fresh made and in a few different flavours: chicken, pork, kale, clam and bacon, traditional. With fancy names like 'cluck', 'oink' and 'green'.  Three doesn't seem much, but for $4 or so, that's not too bad, and all serving can be topped off with sauerkraut and cream, or a pile of poutine, or a bunch of other combos.

I ordered the breakfast special, five 'squeak' pierogies with two poached eggs, some pork belly and a dollop of Hollandaise.  The dumplings are big, fat and well stuffed.  Six would be a good solid meal, especially coupled with the trimmings.  It was a big solid breakfast.  They are soft on the inside, with a punch of cheese and garlic savoury goodness.  The outside had been crisped up after the cooking process to add a bit of a crisp texture, but just slightly.

The eggs were poached very runny, and the yolks were a pale yellow, and slightly watery.  To me, at least, not a sign of a great egg, and there wasn't the richness of flavour from the eggs you can get from some local hens.  Still, they were cooked perfectly well. The pork belly was a little over cooked. It was an inch or so cubed, with layers of crisp pork fat and flavourful meat.  As it was just on the wrong side of done, the meat had dried out a bit.

I got mine with a big fat coffee, which was dark and smooth.  The sort of coffee I want for breakfast., Not burnt, Not too, too strong or fancy.  But sitting up in the cup, and giving you a wake-up pinch at least.  The staff were more than attentive to bring around refills, as well as refills of water.

I really did enjoy the pierogies, as will have to try the other styles.. especially the kale ones for Andrea's quest for the kale dishes in Victoria.  The rest of the breakfast was average. I really liked the environment and the staff, so definitely one to revisit... and I reckon it will feed a good niche being able to get a smaller meal for under $10, if that's what suits you.