10.01.10
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Foraging for Hedgehogs

Cakes Etc.
2821 Quesnel Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 360-2390

Dare I say it? Well, the day after, what lays before me in a secretive box is not a furry or spiny beast that I trapped from Cakes Etc. It’s what I’m going to discover in a chocolate treat that’s said to be hand dipped in chocolate, rolled in oat crumble and lightly drizzled in white icing and chocolate lace.

Better known as a Hedgehog ($1.50 per), what I dug my fork into was tough to break into. It’s not easy to simply jab the rotund cake to life. It’s hard exterior is equally matched with a meaty interior, meaning it’s a thicker product to consume.

I’m a fan of lighter deserts than something heavy, because after one forkful, I’m ready to fall over like a log. It’ll take me time to enjoy this dessert in its entirety, and I could very easily nibble on it all day than to let it go.

Okay, I’m sadistic. Given the amount of sweets I’ve been having lately, tis better to have small amounts than to eat it in one go. At least I’ll be able to burn off the calories faster.

3½ Blokes out of 5

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09.30.10
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Cakes Etc.

2821 Quesnel Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 360-2390

This week has been nothing but a series of good things. Another year rolled around for me, I received a glow-in-the-dark Ghostbusters T-shirt, and Ocean FM’s VIP Platinum Club sent me an automated email with a gift certificate of $5 to try out Cakes Etc.

Now no birthday is ever complete without cake, and the next day, I charged out of the classroom, down Hillside, and to what’s basically a bakery in the oddest of all areas—an industrial section of town. I was expecting something more eat-in than take-out; there wasn’t enough space for me to surreptitiously grab pics.

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09.28.10
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Fine dining over at Foo

Foo Asian Street Food
769 Yates Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 383-3111

Put me on a zip line, and I’ll be making one super fast trip to Foo Foods whenever I’m downtown. They have an octopus salad that’s out of the ordinary.

This fusion style diner is making a name for itself. It opened Sept of last year and it has been getting a lot of attention. The place is still going on strong, and after a year, I’m still liking this place.

When I first visited, I tried their beef and prawn combo.

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09.21.10
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Dining for the Undead

Fan Tan Cafe
549 Fisgard Street
Chinatown District
Victoria, BC
(250) 383-1611

J: It was dinner and a movie day. Ed and I were to be used as extras in a local indie zombie film. But before we reached the set, a little stop over in Chinatown was in order. Becoming the undead is hungry work and what better to serve two overweight zombies than brains in a bowl of broth.

E: Well, you were the sound man, and I was the hungry zombie. And, y’know… those dumplings that are found in won ton noodle soup are like little brains. They’re juicy, delectable and plump. And the best part, no humans were harmed in the making of this review. Well, maybe some pigs and sea life.

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09.20.10
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Two Little Tykes

Editor’s Note: This establishment is no longer located at the address below.

Pizza Zone
2571 Quadra St.
Victoria, BC

E: It’s just ice-cream James … really, it is. C’mon now, Island Farms?

Well, okay, I admit we needed something different after going to Young’s Restaurant but just to see a bloke turn into a tyke was amusing enough when we stopped in at Pizza Zone across the block.

They had a section offering soft ice cream that started at $2.50 for a cone. But what set James off were the bottles of cola. They were tiny. They were the old-style coke bottles from the 80’s.

J: They weren’t tiny. Tiny is Coke’s recent 6-pack of glass bottles. Now that’s tiny. These were my fond memories as a kid. These were the original bottles.

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09.20.10
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Those ol’ Stomping Grounds

Young’s Restaurant
2638 Quadra St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 384-0234

J: Unlike Ed, Young’s Restaurant holds many happy memories. In the late 70’s it was home to Babbling Books, the shop where I bought my first comic. In around 1986 or 87′ my then best friend Terri Lizotte, tried to open my eyes to many new things.

And one of these was my first taste of won ton. Young’s had no qualms about letting two kids take up space and share a bowl. It’s been 21 years since I last stepped foot into this little restaurant and the memories long tucked away in the back of my mind resurfaced.

Very little has changed. The wonton is just as tasty as I remember.

E: I’ve had better. There’s nothing like the taste of home-made and the taste of pork and shrimp. They can be blended together or the shrimp tucked on one side to give the little ball of meat that extra flavour. That’s my all time favourite and nothing has yet to beat that.

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