Fig Deli, Mount Tolmie

Fig is a purveyor of Mediterranean food, tied in with a café .  You can get a bout a dozen types of olives, cans of lentils, egg pasta's of brands I've never heard of, a 1001 tinned fish and a whole long wall of fresh from the deli salads, cheeses and meats.

Their café section is a little odd.  A bit like eating in the aisles of Thrifty's, diners are surrounded by piles of bread and cans of tomatoes.  The seating arrangements are small little tables, and all around you people are shopping for groceries or deciding on which baklava they want from the display.

So, when myself and the lovely Brunette visited last week, we didn't eat in.  Instead, we ordered a couple of manoushi to go, with a pair of small side salads.  Under $20 for a fresh, and big meal for two is a deal.  Manoushi is Syrian flat-bread topped with spices and cheeses and (may be) meats.  It's not unlike a pizza, but the dough is golden, softer and thicker.  The toppings are drier, complimenting the fresh baked, fluffy dough.  We had one topped with a pesto and sumac mix.  This was aromatic, slightly spice and full of flavour.  The other was topped with parmesan cheese and a mix of herbs.  This made for a slightly crisper top that cracked and broke in your mouth to release the savoury, salty flavours.

We also got a bright green tabbouleh salad and some fattoush. The former had a pungency to herbs, cut with the richness of the tomatoes and green onions.  The fattoush is a mix of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, roasted pita bread and olive oil dressing.  The oil is cut with mint, and soaks into the pita bread, to combine up some deep flavours, balancing the lightness of the greens.

Very impressed with this combination, and am thinking it might be something I try again when working from home.  A short work over to Fig will get the legs working, and let the brain rest for a bit.  I just have to try and avoid buying too much of the fantastic breads on offer as well.

The place is family run, having moved from a smaller location.  The owner, Yasser Youssef, has been in this trade for at least a long time, and knows how to source interesting and different food that you can't get on the shelves of Thrifty's or Save On.  And his son is taking on the family business too, as we chatted to him as paid up to leave.


Fig Delicatessen, 1551 Cedar Hill Cross Rd Victoria, BC V8P 2P3