Murchie’s Tea & Coffee
1110 Government Street
Victoria, B.C.
(250) 383-3112

E: On our stroll down Government Street on a chilly December, two words jumped at me—Ginger and Chocolate—and James and I soon found ourselves inside Murchie’s. I thought the candy goodness could be found at the deli side of the operation, hopefully available for sampling. Sadly, they were not at the time.

While that did not deter me, the growl in my stomach did. Lunch here is pricier since this block near the Inner Harbour caters more for the tourists. Fortunately, the meal was not all that disappointing.

J: Can I say how much I love Murchie’s? Tourists or not, it’s a great place to sit down and have a quick bite in a beautiful part of old Government Street. True, the stores attempt to attract tourists, but the shops along here tend to attract Victorians who are not into the box store scene. But when it comes to recommendations, I always drop Murchie’s name to tea aficionados. You’d be surprised at how many people who don’t know they exist, even after 118 years.

E: Yeah, I can see James’ ghost residing here. His happy squeals of drinking his peppermint hot chocolate resounded within earshot, and perhaps to all the passers by.

I was happily sipping my ginger-scented London Fog style drink. I was disappointed. Most of the flavour was on the bottom of the cup than nicely swirled in. At least my meal was better. It was a ‘roti sandwich’ that was certainly fresh. I loved the crisp cucumbers that was used on top of the salami. The mix of freshness and tangy taste was sadly overcome by the cold tomato and olive ciabatta style bun. It was soft, but I wondered why it wasn’t toasted.

J: You could’ve always asked, Ed. You don’t get what you want unless you ask for it.

E: And they didn’t offer. The crowds were thick. Maybe the servers were feeling a bit stressed and forgetful during the mad lunch rush. I can forgive them, but shouldn’t every server ask do you want your sandwich cold or toasted? At Subway’s, they always ask.

J: And in this case I got what I asked for, the peppermint hot chocolate looked to be made with syrup and not with powder. But the large cup was much too sweet for my liking. But I must say it was very foamy and smooth.

Changing to a small cup would’ve been perfect on such a winter’s day.

E: At least my sweet tooth was sated with the pistachio dacquoise. The nuts were crunchy and the tenderness just right. The only other problem I found was that James wanted to linger around, while I was ready to visit the next store on our route through the downtown core.

By the time we reached Roberta’s Hats, that’s where I found Oscar the Grouch.

3½ Blokes out of 5