Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Vancouver Island Restaurants


Recommended Posts

The hookah action doesn't commence until late night - now they are open until 6 a.m. on Saturday. Hookah is $12.95 for a bowl, extra bowl, $10.00.

Shelora - How are they getting around the no-smoking by-laws with the hookahs? There is a place in Burnaby that just went through the same thing. They were unable to convince the powers-that-be that the hookahs should be exempt for cultural/religious or whatever reasons. News article HERE.

A.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm, maybe I'll try that Sidedish place you mention earlier instead, and give the AliFood folks a little time to figure things out.

That seems like an awfully expensive rate for the use of their hookah, but I suppose it is a novelty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How are they getting around the no-smoking by-laws with the hookahs?

Smoking is conducted outside underneath an awning from the protection of the wind and rain.

Oh and this just in.

Hugh run don't walk, right now, down to Daidoco. Kaori just made mochi cake filled with whole ripe strawberries from Umi Nami Farm. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll come back for more., more , more. Unbelieveable. That place is so amazing. Everyweek there is some new jewel to behold and feast on.

Edited by shelora (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anybody been to the new Noodle Box lately?

How is it? Do they have more tables than the Chinatown location? I am thinking of coming "down island" next week.

BTW - I was posting in the fish taco thread re. Penny's Palapa in Nanaimo and thought I should mention it here - a

floating Mexican restaurant in downtown Nanaimo- good fish tacos and fresh juices. The service is a bit scattered, but I like the setting so much, I just let it go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anybody been to the new Noodle Box lately?

The space is gorgeous and very downtown. A bit more spacious, but that doesn't stop the crowds to press together at peak moments. The lunchtime I went there, there were some service disconnects and a degree of inconsistency - evident in the 'comp' book that is filling up.

IMO this should not be happening. Systems, people, systems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the end of Becher Bay Road in East Sooke Park, lies a little trailer - in fact a whole bunch of trailers. Very rustic charm down by the dock for seasonal fishing pleasure.

The little trailer beside the weigh station for your salmon is the Smokin Tuna Cafe. Only open from May to October, the gals at the Smokin Tuna serve hot or cold smoked tuna, hearty sandwiches on your choice of their homemade breads - multigrain, bagel, a stud muffin or foccaccio. Homemade soups - yesterday it was potato, roast garlic and chive top - organic salads Many themed dinners through out the season. Liquor license coming soon. Breakfast treats and fresh baking - rhubarb crumble - yum. Good value for home cookin'.

Check out the housemade kelp pickles and the chocolate treats made by Jana - who spends her winters pastry chefing in Whistler. We picked up a few of her Valhrona chocolate otters made crunchy with rice krispies and some most excellent choc-walnut caramels.

Their logo, "We at the Tuna are proud to say that we are 78.6723148% organic!"

Homemade ice tea and kick-ass coffee. Great views of the water as you sit enjoying a smoked tuna sand and dessert. Picnic lunches for a fishing afternoon or hike into the park.

Smokin' Tuna Cafe , 241 Becher Bay Road, Sooke. 250-642-3816 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Closed Tuesdays

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out the housemade kelp pickles and the chocolate treats made by Jana - who spends her winters pastry chefing in Whistler.

That's not the same Jana who sells pies in Ganges is it?

A.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to Victoria today for a few hours and hit the new Noodle Box on Douglas for lunch.

Not too many people there - perhaps because it's Saturday?

The halibut in tomato curry (the special) was delicious and the Indonesian noodles with peanut, lime, chicken, asian greens, and cocoanut were spicy and messily good - addictive.

They have beer on tap (sorry can't remember what kind - didn't have any).

The servings are large. Plates would be nice so you could share things. (I confess, I never asked).

I'll definitely be back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Allow me a moment to sing the praises of Pho Vy:

O muse of the rumbling tummy,

Great bowl of steaming noodles,

Your beefy broth's umami

inspires me to the height of delight

Wherefore hath your beef been shaved?

What field bore such crisp sprouts?

I have waited with all my money saved,

and now I sit with chopsticks poised.

To Pho Hoa the masses throng

They know not what they miss

Doubtless they have not heard my song

Nor relished this ephemeral treasure

So come fair foodies, do not be coy

Miss not this edible joy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those travelling (or cycling) between Nanaimo & Victoria & taking the back roads - the pub in Saltaire (which I think is imaginatively named the Saltaire Pub - but I may be wrong) does (or did) really good burgers - juicy, moist, not overcooked - and great fries - nary a Sysco truck in sight. They also do barbecued meat on weekends - and, like the Crow & Gate - they have a really nice patio/garden. Good little out of the way spot (again - or it used to be - it's been a couple of years) - particularly on a nice day. If you've got a designated driver, and can do the syncopated trip (syncopation being an uneven movement from bar to bar) of Vancouver Island, I'd recommend a stop here for lunch (the food's better than the Crow & Gate, and then stop at the Crow & Gate for a quick pint - or a slow one - to refresh yourself after the gruelling 20 minute drive between Saltaire & Cedar.

Edited by Viola da gamba (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shelora mentioned that the Ocean Pointe Hotel in Victoria has opened their new Inner Harbourside restaurant "Lure". Has anyone been?

I am assuming that it took over part of their bar Ricky's, perhaps the space where the Victorian used to be and maybe the Boardwalk but do not know for sure.

We are going to be in the hotel in time...we hope...for the Canada Day fireworks and would be interested in any comments.

Just a quick visit this trip. Just the two nights so were hoping that the night of our arrival we would eat there and then Saturday reacquaint ourselves with Marc, Marnie et. al. at Brasserie l'Ecole.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...and then Saturday reacquaint ourselves with Marc, Marnie et. al. at Brasserie l'Ecole.

Sadly, for Victoria, Marnie is leaving Brasserie "l'ecole". The good news, for Vancouver, is she's moving to Vancouver. I believe she'll be working at one of the "Grills" - either RainCity or HamiltonStreet?

Ríate y el mundo ríe contigo. Ronques y duermes solito.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Snore, and you sleep alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i had a drink at lure at the opr last saturday - we were told it was three days after opening. definitely some issues to resolve - it took nearly 10 minutes for someone to come over to us, even though the place was near deserted at 4pm, and my bubbly came nearly 10 minutes after my date's cocktail arrived - but i'll chalk it up to newbie jitterbugs to be worked out. a nice little cup o nibblies arrived - peanuts and the like - and the view is certainly tops. we didn't stay for sup, but i perused the menu - so many typos that i couldn't go on! i'm a writer - these things are pet peeves! beautiful menu covers and presentation - just get thee a proofreader!

prices are reasonable - and on par with like restaurants. chef mike weaver is a gem - order any of the desserts and you won't be disappointed.

i'll certainly make my way back - maybe in a few months tho :wink:

and good luck in vancouver marnie! victoria will miss you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly, for Victoria, Marnie is leaving Brasserie "l'ecole". The good news, for Vancouver, is she's moving to Vancouver. I believe she'll be working at one of the "Grills" - either RainCity or HamiltonStreet?

Memo:

Now that is a real shame! However, as you have pointed out Victoria's loss is Vancouver's gain....another reason not to avoid Vancouver and finally get to try HSG's hangar steak and pudding that you Vancouver eGulleteers have gone on about and revisit a past favourite in the Rain City.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Treve.

Hopefully most of the "newbie wrinkles" will have been worked out by the time we get there.

I know what you mean about the typos. Some can be so bad that they seem to hit you squarely between the eyes and you wonder how someone could have possibly missed them.

That having been said I have read some documents I have produced that I know I have proofread numerous times and......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Victoria remains home for my Mom and my brother’s family. N and I return every once in awhile for special occasions, but I swear the only thing that we end up doing there is either eating or catching up on sleep. This past weekend was no exception.

Saturday dim sum: Don Mee Restaurant. This place is owned by Mom and a few others, so take the disclaimer as you will, but I still think it’s the best dim sum in town. The beef rice noodle rolls were particularly good that day, but the sticky rice was also up there. They do old-school Cantonese style dim sum (carts), rather than the Hong Kong style (cards), but I think the throngs of tourists that go through there find it quainter (is this a word?). One other note about the disclaimer: the flip side is that I have been along for the ride checking out the competition many times in my life, and therefore I feel very comfortable judging dim sum. Besides, I’m an honest guy, I wouldn’t lie. :wink:

Saturday dinner: Wild Saffron. Annexed to Swan’s Pub on Store St, the setting of this bistro-style resto is warm with yellows and oranges. We were shown to our table right away, as the place was fairly empty at 6:30. Incidentally, it started to fill around 8-ish, at which point my sister (who currently lives in Tronna) and I both noted the evolution in dining times from when we’d left. Back in 1990 people were just perusing the dessert menu at 6:30 and back in bed watching Masterpiece Theatre at 8.

Anyway, most folks ordered the green salad to start; I got the 3-course set menu which featured a green salad as well, but mine ended up being significantly smaller than the others. At a $24 prix fixe, who could argue? Except that I didn’t think salad, even microgreens, were going to break the bank for the sake of aesthetics. But not a big deal. My salad was fine, fresh and was light, thought I will say that the mango vinagrette needed more, well, mango. My wife and brother ended up sharing the cheese fondue for their appy. This was clearly the thing to get – it had to be almost 2 litres of very tasty gruyere?-based fondue, accompanied by a plate full of goodies such as dried figs, dates and apricots, walnuts, apples and grapes, carrots, celery, the standard bread cubes… Wow. But waaaay more than two people should be sharing this for an appy. In fact, if you each ordered a green salad and shared the fondue for dinner, you’d probably be damned full afterwards. But that was a delicious and XXL fondue, and the figs were very cool additions.

Now I think the time taken to consume the fondue (which wasn’t even successful BTW, despite my help!) threw the kitchen off a bit, because the mains for the most part came out a little dry. The salmon and scallops apparently suffered, as did my rabbit and pork tenderloin and my brother’s ahi tuna and pork. But the lamb sirloin that my uncle got was pretty fabulous. Rare side of MR and juicy. Again, the latter was the pick of the course.

Dessert was limited to my blueberry tart w/ smoked banana ice cream, plus a matching order for my nephew. The ice cream was really tasty – very strong banana flavour, though if there was smoking going on it was wasted on my taste buds. Maybe that’s what produced the intensity of the flavour? I actually would have been happy with two scoops of ice cream and no tart, but then I like strong ice cream flavours. Actually keep the cookie/wafer thing too, that was good.

Through the meal we had a couple bottles of the Estancia pinot noir 2001 which was nice, fruity start and dry finish. Confession: I have a bottle on my rack at home, and thought this was a perfect occasion to test it out. I think I’ll give my bottle another year or so, for the fruit to mellow.

I'd give them another go; next time I'd either stick to the set $24 menu, which IMO is a steal of a deal, or go for 2 salads plus the fondue. Oh which reminds me, they also had a chocolate fondue on the dessert menu. Also "for 2". :wacko:

Sunday brunch: Fireside Grille in Royal Oak off West Saanich Rd. We’ve been to this place before, moreso for a convenience standpoint – proximity to brother’s house and Mom’s old place, ability to deal with brother’s son fairly efficiently, etc. The food has been okay in the past. This time, while I would not say that I was blown away by anything, I was definitely more impressed. We arrived early so we got the pick of the mussels and clams, roast pork, omlette station, cheese plate and dessert table. All good. Actually it was just the blue cheese that I liked, the camembert was salty as all ****. Plus the usuals of a buffet brunch like bacon, sausages, poached salmon, peel & eat shrimp, various salads, what looked like fresh baked scones and croissants… Again, nothing earth-shattering but a good spread at what was probably a very reasonable price (I didn’t catch the cost but I bet it was less than $20 pp). Plus I filled up real good so as to not require a refuel on the ferry. Also if you're visiting on a summer weekend, try to go earlier because another swarm of tourists came in behind us and ravaged the buffet like a cloud of locusts.

All in all a fairly successful trip. The only regret was that I was really hoping to make it to the Rosemeade because of Memo’s post in the 1 night in Vic thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do believe both the ownership and the chef have changed at the Fireside Grill fairly recently, which would probably explain the improvement in the food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BCinBC,

I'm impressed by your dim sum heritage! I've taken so many pictures of the Don Mee-I just love that old neon. Now I won't be left wandering around Chinatown wondering where the hell to have dim sum. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

EGullet is so great.

Zuke

"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted."

--Mae West

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Here is the report on a pilgrimage to Sooke Harbour House last weekend.

We signed up for the multi-course "gastronomic adventure" menu, but never actually saw a "menu" - it apparently changes every day. The kitchen just kept sending out course after course of creative, fresh and interesting food until we stumbled out into the night 3 hours later.

Fresh? The kitchen staff were harvesting greens and herbs for dinner from the garden outside the hotel just as we were arriving.

Almost every course included foods that I have never eaten before, or never seen prepared that way. Gooseneck barnacles in lobster broth with seaweed oil. Hemp-crusted rockfish. A terrine of morel mushrooms, figs and possibly goat cheese.

The creativity takes you back to first principles of eating. What does a sorbet made of beets on top of a white bean salad taste like? It may not work for everyone, but the inspiration and aspirations were always fascinating.

These courses kept coming, one after the other, ending with a plate of Cowichan and Salt Spring Cheeses and a strawberry mousse dessert. Our very suave server even invited us to carry off our half-finished, open bottle of wine back to the room. Stumbling down the hall of a 5-star hotel with an open bottle is class all the way. In a federline-britney kind of way.

We drank Kettle Valley King Merlot back in the room. Wasn't it once the accepted wisdom that B.C. produced nice white wine but mediocre reds? That sentiment has hopefully been filed away in a drawer along with voodoo economics and curing medical problems by swinging dead cats. This was a very good wine.

Slept in and woke up to croissants, fruit and an omelette stuffed with apples and herbs. As if this was not enough, they gave us a picnic lunch to take with us when we checked out. the total price tag, including room and incidentals, may have come close to the cost of my first car ('68 dodge dart), but we were heavily subsidized by gift certificate and the restaurant itself is not any more expensive than some of the tasting menus around Vancouver. And some things are worth more than money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just back from a 4 day jaunt to the north part of the island which doesn't get seen very often - haha. First night in Campbell River at Painters Lodge - nice rooms, unfortunately ate in the pub which brought a whole new meaning to pub food - 'chefs signature dish' of chicken pot pie was a glutinous mess of yech, combined with the fried oysters (which I typically adore), which reeked of nastiness. Anyhow I digress - next two nights up north of Port Mcneill, but stopped for lunch at the Cable House Cafe entering Sayward and had a great lunch - probably fueled by the 8km hike up Ripple Rocks Trial just north of Campbell River. Stayed at the Cluxewe Resort north of Port Mcneill - nothing fancy - just a big RV area in a beautiful setting with 7 cabins on the water, which we took #2 at $125 a night high season and had a great time. Hiked up in Cape Scott Provincial park (1 hour plus ride in on logging roads) and did the San Josef Trail which I highly recommend and dined in Port Mcneill that night at Gus' Pub - hard to believe but 100% better than the food we had at Painters Lodge. On the return stayed at the Kingfisher Lodge in Courtenay and had a great time - nice rooms, with outstanding cuisine for dinner that evening in their restaurant. A nice area to visit with food choices needing to be selected carefully!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toronto ex-pats Andre Rosenbaum, his wife, Kelly St. John and business partner David Stearn, have opened the second incarnation of the Queen Mother - a veritable institution in Toronto’s Queen St. district.

The Queen Mother Waterside Café, is located in Victoria, on Swift St. (ex- Saltaire space beside the Canoe restaurant) and has been cozied-up despite the ultra-modern steel and concrete interior.

The menu offers classic Queen Mother fare – Laotian with a Thai bent - sticky rice with peanut sauce, Laotian Phad Thai, Thai bbq chicken and will have lots of vegetarian offerings.

Price point a comforting $15 - $16 for entrees and appetizers under $8.00. Beer, wine and a promising sun-filled patio overlooking the Gorge waterway.

Thank God, no high tea. But you can always lift your pinkie while sipping an glass of bubbly.

407 Swift St., 250-598-4712

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Toronto ex-pats Andre Rosenbaum, his wife, Kelly St. John and business partner David Stearn,  have opened the second incarnation of the Queen Mother - a veritable institution in Toronto’s Queen St. district.

You just answered my earlier question Shelora.

Queen St? Toronto? I am hoping that the weather is too good to wear "black" [grin] when we visit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Checked out the lunch now being served at the Rosemead in - wait for it - Esquimalt. The Rosemeade just started serving lunch a couple of weeks back and yesterday it provided a welcome respite from downtown Victoria in the throws of three festivals with roads blocked off and wall to wall traffic on the roads into town.

The lofty dining room at the Rosemead overlooks garden spaces with giant oak trees surrounding the property. These trees provide complimentary lighting in the dining room - so crucial for a woman my age. No glaring light, never a squint or furrow needed. Ahh.

Lunch at the Rosemeade begins with a few appetizers - black pepper battered calamari with a sour orange and cilantro dip along with a hearty plate of local greens with proscutto crisps, goat cheese and tomato oil. Excellent wine pairing was provided with the Lotusland 2003 Siegrebbe and the La Frenz viognier. The kitchen also does a minestrone with chunks of fresh crabmeat and a salad nicoise with seared rare albacore tuna. These two are on the list for later this week.

The mains go the way of sandwiches, a steak, lamb burger and pink peppercorn halibut. We went with the char-grilled wild salmon sandwich, generously portioned and slathered with a green curry sour cream with a side of fried dill pickles. I dove into a grilled lamb burger, plump and juicy. The roasted garlic goat's cheese, oven dried tomatoes, watercress and tzatziki were perfect compliments. The wines paired were the Kettle Valley 2001 Adra Station Chardonnay- salmon and the lamb with the Sunset Road, 2002 Merlot from the Columbia Valley.

Lunches here are perfect for a business meeting, post-spa treat or getaway from the bursting-at-the-seams vibe of Victoria right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks shelora - i keep meaning to meander over the bridge to check them out.

another great reason to visit is general manager mark wachtin - late of nanaimo's glow restaurant, as well as new arrival stuart brown on the floor - ex manager extraordinaire of the hotel grand pacific's mark restaurant. with those two professionals on board, i have zero doubts that service levels will be top notch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...