Category Archives: Food

Your guide to some of the best and inviting food establishments.

06.29.16
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[Vancouver, BC] Cartems Donuterie’s Sweet Rise!

IMG_9214534 W Pender St.
Vancouver, BC 
(778) 708-0996

E: The next time James and I seek out a breakfast style place (or hunt for a quick bite), I’m recommending that we return to Cartems Donuterie. After feeling well-travelled to taste the donuts of the Pacific Northwest region (I’ve visited Top Pot in Seattle and Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland) I feel Cartems can put Top Pot to shame once word gets out. At home in Victoria, Empire Doughnuts is getting plenty of love in the nerd and downtown core community.

This Vancouver operation may not get as crazy as what Voodoo Doughnuts can offer, but I say it’s at a good start by offering a whiskey bacon doughnut to wet my appetite.

J: Better known as the bee sting, I was fearful of bees as I ate this doughnut. I’m sure I would give off a scent to attract the local population or one very hungry Pooh Bear. The entire shop has a rustic theme going on. I guess they want their customers to think of down home back country made doughnuts. And as long as there is no racoon scavenging through their garbage I am good with that image.

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06.22.16
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[Vancouver, BC] Being Kissed at Aki Japanese Restaurant

IMG_3780Aki Japanese Restaurant
1368 W Pender St
Vancouver, BC
(604) 682-4032

J: If there is one thing Victoria as a city lack, that is an authentic Japanese restaurant. Ed and I had to cross the water just to sample some delicacies after I did some research and found this place. Ed listened to me dribble with excitement over our impending meal on the ferry ride over, and I don’t think this time you will hear Ed complain.

E: I doubt eating crab is considered part of an everyday meal. This trendy restaurant kicks a lot of concepts in what is considered Japanese style high dining up to sinfully pleasurable levels. I’d say this establishment is deserving of at least two Michelin stars! I’m glad that we popped into this city for a prolonged trip just to reacquaint ourselves with what we’re missing from big city living. Not since going to Whistler or Seattle (combined) have I found a comparable restaurant. At Aki, Spring has truly arrived and the waitresses are cute too. Technically, Aki means Autumn, and I was prepared to try to impress the ladies with the limited Japanese I knew.

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06.15.16
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[Vancouver, BC] Tasting the Old World of Japan at The Sandbar

Sandbar Img_1229 The Sandbar
#102 – 1535 Johnston St.
Granville Island
Vancouver, BC
(604) 669-9030

J: Ed’s a picky person when it comes to sushi and there aren’t many places I can lead him to when it involves food that he is so well versed in. But for The Sandbar, all I needed to mention was that the sushi chef was properly trained and from Japan. After that it didn’t matter that Omni channel did a documentary that involved The Sandbar and our sushi chef in question, Ed was already sold on the word “Japan.”

All I knew is that this was as close as I’ve ever had to sample the sushi one might find in Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

E: And with irony, that’s the only sushi chef James will ever know of. I had to wonder how he’d fare if we didn’t go to the Victoria Foodie Festival’s premiere show some years back. They’re now known as Feast, Food & Film, and I wonder if more Japanese chefs will be spotlighted?

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06.04.16
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Head over to Cook Street Village to Experience “The Next” in Modern Japanese Cuisine

IMG_20160331_140821882

The Next
#104-240 Cook St
Victoria, BC
(778) 433-4490

I often wonder if Japanese food can be elevated to new heights. Fusion-style sushi rolls are the nouveau thing where ingredients typical from another region (or for particular tastes) are blended. I just can not get used to cream cheese in rolls because I’ve found chefs use too much, and maybe one day I’ll find the person who knows how to use it sparingly to bring out the taste of the other ingredients.

But just how far can innovation go? What about other common street food? One of the staples of this ethnic nation is about how much folks love their ramen. There’s a quintessence needed to make the noodle special. Without the proper delicate balance between the four basic ingredients used, the noodle can fall apart. There won’t be a firmness that’s savoured and unless it is done right, I can’t quite be willing to return to an operation in the quest for eating more.

Sure, James swears by one operation, Kuma. I give him props for sticking to what he likes but I’ll keep teasing him because he’s faithful to this operation as much as how he’s dedicated to Sushi Plus. He lives in a small world. I’m always broadening my world in my search to find that one special place that recreates what I adored from decades ago. A Japanese operation used to occupy Yates where they made the most colourfully presented ramen that I enjoyed. The Next comes close. Their portion sliced BBQ pork in the dish I had was huge. Missing was the wakame, but in what’s used in their place, some pickled radish, crispy kale and thinly sliced carrot made up for what I call ramen with a West Coast twist. The soy broth was delicate and I did not want to come up for air because I really enjoyed the mix of textures offered. I can easily start to love this western style twist to a traditional staple.

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06.01.16
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There’s a La Tana between Fan Tan Alley and Market Square

la tana IMG_20151017_133023409La Tana Italian Bakery
101-3 Fan-Tan Alley
Chinatown
Victoria, BC
(250) 920-6213

La Tana is a bakery located a few doors away from Fan Tan Alley‘s south side entrance and when I was crossing the street from Market Square to head to Triple Spiral, I was detoured away by the luxurious smells that emerged out of here. The lunch time crowd was fairly sizable, and when the sandwiches are made out of fresh ciabatta bread, I can understand why this place is popular.

Not only is the owner raised on traditional values when he was growing up in Italy but also he gave up a more brilliant career (he was to be a computer programmer) to focus on his love for bread. I can see why with the scents that drew me in like a mouse to cheese, and with plenty of baked snacks lining the displays, I was tempted to get more than just a sandwich on this visit. Each day presents a different variety of baked sweets and I thought about grabbing some Lingues and Pizza Blancas.

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06.01.16
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2016 Feast: Food & Film Begins June 17, 2016!

June 17 & 18, and June 24 & 25.

Feast-2016-Facebook_PULPFICTION_event2-03.jpgLocations:
Vic Theatre
808 Douglas St
Victoria, BC

Victoria Distillers
9891 Seaport Pl
Sidney, BC

Phillips Backyard
2010 Government St
Victoria, BC

The Victoria Film Festival’s Foodie Food Festival is now known as FEAST: Food & Film and it’s back for a fourth year, offering a new course in its evolution. Much like a restaurant and dining experience, you can’t have the same meals over and over again. The visit has to be different over time. Once held at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, the venue will also change too. This event will be running for over two weekends in June, beginning mid-month. I’m unsure of which films I want to truly hit (my budget is being saved for an upcoming Summer convention and unfortunately I have to be scaling back), but it’s a safe bet Pulp Fiction will be first and foremost!

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