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Choux Choux in Victoria


shelora

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An enterprising young couple are opening a French charcuterie, Choux Choux, breathing new life into the area of Fort St. known as antique row.

Owners Luke Young and Paige Symonds have many years experience in the restaurant industry - most notably Raincity Grill, Sooke Harbour House and Aqua Riva. Luke brings his sausage making experience from Meat on Tenth in Vancouver and Paige in fresh from spending a year on a goat farm in the South of France, where she learned first hand how to make goat cheese.

The small shop will offer the new Victorians - people tired of mediocre and we ain't supporting any more! - on-site sausage making, pate, confit, rillettes and over 40 different kinds of cheese. Once they get settled in Luke promises housemade sauscisson sec and salumi. In the meantime, their selection will be rounded out by offerings from Oyama on Granville Island.

With all the city bylaw hoop jumping involved, the couple should be open in two weeks.

Come out and support this long needed venture.

Choux Choux, 830 Fort St.

Edited by shelora (log)
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What a great addition to the Victoria dining scene Shelora.

Too bad that it will not be open next Friday nite when we arrive as otherwise it sounds like the perfect stop to stock up for a picnic.

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Hope you will be checking out the other new food offerings though, The Lure, The Rosemead and

Queen Mother Waterside Cafe.

s

Definitely Lure as we are staying at Ocean Pointe after visiting with Chris aka Tofino at the Wick.

Saturday, it's Brasserie L'ecole to renew acquaintances with Marc and co.

Rosemeade we'll keep for our return trip in the Fall.

Where is the Queen Mother Waterside Cafe?

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Windows still papered up as of yesterday. A little peek-hole reveals that much activity is taking place. The elves seem to be making lots of sausages and the shelves and coolers are brimming with goodies.

Patience, my sweet.

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It’s exciting that as NEW store is opening in Victoria. It will be kind of nice to see something along that strip on Fort Street; it’s been a vacant for a while.

However, I don’t find the Victoria specialty shops to be mediocre.

Part of the fun of shopping for things like fresh veggies, unique olive oils, pates, sausages, and all those other goodies we can’t live without is that they are unique and each delicatessen has their own wealth of good food products. Some may have tons of cheese, fois gras, winter truffles and other hard to find items like the deli on Foul Bay Road (Charelli’s), while others may have special Italian pasta like the one on Quadra (Italian Bakery).

Victoria already has a lot to offer in terms of specialty items. You just have to take the time to look around.

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CharlieR,

I would like to point out that nowhere in my post did I say that Victoria specialty shops are mediocre.

What I was referring to was the overwhelming amount of mediocre that pervades Victoria, on so many levels.

Choux choux will be a shining example and welcome addition to the businesses that do take the time and effort to provide exceptional service and products.

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What I was referring to was the overwhelming amount of mediocre that pervades Victoria, on so many levels.

Choux choux will be a shining example and welcome addition to the businesses that do take the time and effort to provide exceptional service and products.

I went by yesterday afternoon - and the windows were still papered up! Any day now - I hope.

I agree with you, Shelora - on the mediocrity level. Next time you're at Thrifty's - watch what those Fairfield/Oak Bay customers are buying. It's frightening. Predominantly pre-packaged, processed snackeronies, etc.

I am, however, confident that the local food scene and selection will continue to improve. With that, will come (hopefully) an increased standard and awareness in the general public - for freshness, quality/integrity in their food, whether they be shopping or dining out.

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

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

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I actually think Thrifty's makes an effort to offer local quality ingredients, and that over time the public will covert to the good side. However, trying to get an Oak Bay resident to buy anything that is not what they used to get in the Olde Country is folly, by jove.

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I overheard at Ottavio's this weekend that Choux Choux has opened their doors as of Friday. Has any one been?

I passed through town on Saturday morning and noticed - voila - that the paper is off the windows. Choux Choux is open!

Snapped this photo - and went in for the briefest visit. The shop - and their product - looks great. They're making almost everything in-house. Doing their own duck confit and rabbit confit, sausages, etc - etc - etc. Everything they produce is marked "Choux Choux" on the price stake (which is pretty much everything).

As I say, I didn't have time to stop - so will return for a shopping visit. Meantime... I hope someone from Victoria has bought their product and has something they can report.

PIC0081.JPG

Edited by Memo (log)

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

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

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Choux Choux is everything I expected and much more.

I couldn't hold back and decided to try as many things as I thought my tongue could handle in a lunch sitting.

In the pan are three kinds of sausage. An herb sausage, a chicken, cilantro, and chili sausage, and a totally unbelievable black truffle sausage. Run down as soon as you can and get some before they're all gone. I never thought sausages could be so divine.

On the plate was some duck and orange salami that is very different and really tasty. Some foie gras mousse with black truffles (it's even better than it sounds) and the smoked beef with some Sbrinz cheese that was outrageously inexpensive.

All of it, except for the cheese of course, was made in-house, and I know I'll be making weekly pilgrimages there at the very minimum.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Two additional sausages I tried this week - definitely worth getting again (and again):

Chicken-Tarragon (non-timid use of tarragon)

Moroccan Lamb w/ Apricot (decent spicing)

Both were excellent bbq-grilled.

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

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

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just went down to Victoria from Nanaimo and went to Choux Choux.

We bought pheasant and cranberry pate and pork and pistachio pate. I am currently enjoying them on herb toasts that they also sell (I'm also drinking a good Beaujolais!). The pheasant is delicious - spicy - allspice I think? and studded with cranberries - it reminds me of Christmas. The pork is garlicky and unctuous.

Like Hugh and Memo, we also bought a variety of sausages to try. I'll let you know what I think of them tommorow.

Everything in the shop looked good, and it smelled great! Anyone else been there?

If not - go!

Edited by Brenda (log)
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Had three (!) kinds of sausages last night - the lamb sausages with apricots and spices were my favourite. I iiked the Italian ones- orange and fennel - too good to put in tomato sauce.

The chicken with cilantro and chili were very mild - good to have on hand for people who don't like red meat.

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Two more to try:

- Molded foie gras mousse with black truffles

- Jellied pork cheeks

Fridays seem to be specialty days.

This Friday, I hear, the Choux-Chouxs will be releasing cornmeal-crusted pigs ears - ready for pan frying a la nibble.

Last Friday, sweatbread terrine swelled my thymus. :biggrin:

Memo

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

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

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hmmm we are bringing the cooler with us....anyone know what the current border crossing rules are as far as bringing meat back in the U.S.?!?!

malarkey, who has a habit of bringing back dangerous and suspect food items in her cooler... man those border guards do NOT have a sense of humor!

Born Free, Now Expensive

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malarkey, who has a habit of bringing back dangerous and suspect food items in her cooler... man those border guards do NOT have a sense of humor!

You ain't just whistling Dixey! HERE is the link to the US Customs & Border Protection web site, and the answer to Malarkey's question. Here's a partial quote:

Currently NO RUMINANT PRODUCTS FROM CANADA MAY ENTER THE U.S. without a permit. This includes frozen, cooked, canned or otherwise processed beef, lamb, and veal. Hunter harvested game is admissible from Canada for the traveler's personal use if accompanied with a permit. For more information on hunter harvested game visit the USDA website. Poultry, pork, milk, butter and cured cheeses (Cheddar, etc.) and eggs are permitted entry. However, all such products must be in packages clearly marked with Canada (or the U.S.) as the country of origin. If there is any question as to the country of origin, the product will be denied entry. Pet food with meat by-products is not admissible as traveler's baggage

So as long as it's not beef sausage, sounds like you're good. (you may want to print out that web page just in case :hmmm: )

Have a great trip!

A.

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We paid a visit to this wonderful little establishment while in Victoria this past weekend. How divine it is! We sampled various delicacies: a savory bread pudding with cheese, tarragon and sausage; a dried chorizo type sausage, some of the brioche crostini, the porcini pâté, the rabbit dijon pâté, I tasted the Lyoner sausage and the truffled sausage, :wub: oh my.

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How I wish wish wish I could have brought back some of these fresh sausages. But, alas, timing wasn't with us. :sad:

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confit!!! :wub:

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What a gem you all have here!! I'm envious!

Born Free, Now Expensive

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  • 1 month later...

Just picked up the latest issue of Northwest Palate.

There's a great photo (and short article) on Choux Choux by Shelora.

Memo

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

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

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