Bug Appetite! Bugs on the Menu Victoria Debut and Where to Eat Them!

Bugs_on_the_Menu_-_The_Vic_Poster_for_Web_2_250f94b0a36d369d5b4497e974f0aed8

The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street.
Victoria, BC

May 15, 2016, 7pm

Bugs on the Menu is a very eye-opening documentary about entomophagy, the art of eating insects. While not everyone like the-the idea of snacking on, for example, crickets, other countries around the world are already preparing it in culinary ways. In a grander sense, not every culture has the infrastructure required to raise farm animals like chickens, pigs and cattle (the big three) for feeding a civilization. When compared to the smaller environmental and ecological footprint required to cultivate these smaller creatures, the evidence of which is easier to grow is very clear.

This film began with a discussion of water conservation, and the massive droughts that some parts of the world face. Before I knew it, the discussion about how insects can be made as a new food source was in full force. It also makes a very compelling argument for changing over to a different organism to sustain a growing population, and in what I liked, just where people can go to try these insects is peppered throughout the film. When prepared right, they can add spice to any dish, including rice!

Continue reading

You Don’t Have to Be Afraid of “Bugs on the Menu” at The Vic Theatre May 13th!

Bugs_on_the_Menu_-_The_Vic_Poster_for_Web_2_250f94b0a36d369d5b4497e974f0aed8Plays at The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street.
Victoria, BC

May 13, 2016, 7pm
May 15, 2016, 7pm

Food samples will be offered before the screening of this film.

Director Ian Toews and Producer Mark Bradley will be present for a Q&A afterwards.

If you give me a home where edible bugs roam, I can easily snack on them all day like popcorn. Not everyone is keen on the concept, but I’m open to the idea of nibbling on mealworms or crickets. Some folks think of it as just a gimmick to add to the gross factor, but when the apocalypse comes and most of the traditional livestock are gone, irradiated, just what else can a person eat? It’s almost as simple as digging in one’s back yard!

Or you better know the difference between edible fungi and the poisonous ones. Eating insects should not be a shocker. I point out one famous scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Dr. René Belloq had some bug climb into his mouth and it never came out. Not even in editing did Steven Spielberg consider cutting that scene out or using a different take (who knows how many times that moment was filmed). If actor Paul Freeman was ever asked about that one scene, I’m sure he’d say it was delicious!

The documentary Bugs on the Menu looks at a new movement of cultivating sustainability in the food market that’s taking place all around the world. Instead of the traditional meats and “the harm” animal rights advocates are opining about, humanity can find a new way of sustaining itself by growing certain bugs for human consumption. People can’t randomly capture them in the wild for concerns over what kind of toxins may be in them, so they have to be raised. Documentarian Ian Toews travels to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana to learn about what’s being farmed. From Mopane caterpillars to termites, the thought of trying to eat the latter will have some folks gagging at the thought. No, I doubt Indy would have been able to eat his way out of a red soldier ant brigade, but the fourth (and lamented) film in this series did come to mind.

Continue reading

[Sidney, BC] Isn’t Far to Get a Taste of Tokyo

IMG_20160109_175113361

Taste of Tokyo
9842 Resthaven Dr.
Sidney, BC
(250) 656-6862

J: No matter how hard we try the Two Hungry Blokes can’t seem to stay away from the attractive town of Sidney-By-the-Sea. It’s either we keep coming back to browse their locally owned shops in and around Beacon Avenue or to fill our bellies from the various eateries we have yet to fully explore. This time, it was the latter. Ed was being treated to a meal for his services rendered and I was paying out of my pocket. After 4 years of talking about it, then scheduling, and rescheduling, we finally managed to visit Taste of Tokyo. It would’ve been a perfect Saturday night if the fog hadn’t rolled in.

E: With me also imitating a fog horn to indicate that we were about to hit land, I’m certainly glad where we landed was in the bay within the heart of Tokyo! Yes, I could go on about my trip from more than a decade ago, but I have fond memories. I even sailed within this bay to spot, of all things, the Statue of Liberty, see where NHK Japan’s head office is and walk along the causeway. But hunger did strike fast and hard. Out of all the Japanese style buffets offered within or near Victoria, I always find going here to be the best and I always hit their baked oyster selection first! Throughout the night, their sushi and nigiri offered are get as much as you want before the selection of fish changes for the next plate is put out!

Continue reading

Will There be Further Adventures of Ape Man and Fish Boy for Victoria, BC?

ape man and fish boyEach Adventure of Ape Man and the Fish Boy will no doubt be different and I certainly like to see them again. On May 3rd, they were billed as a duo of secret agents and on May 4th (the show I attended), they are performers going on a trip through time to undo a misfire as they took to the Intrepid Theatre Club stage to play … well, they did not even get that far in a funny way.

This act is still in development and in what I saw, I loved the camaraderie Rod Peter Jr. (Atomic Vaudeville) and Charlie Ross (One Man Star Wars) shared on stage. They’re buddies in real life and the concept they are shaping (mixing a hint of mime, pre-recorded cabaret-style music and geeky stand-up) feels like a blend of what I loved seeing from the days of the Carol Burnett Show when Harvey Korman and Tim Conway took to stage for their acts. In reality, they are working in the absurdist theatre medium, like in Monty Python. In the cinematic sense, I can see a style reminiscent of Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan’s show in Michael Winterbottom’s movie, The Trip. I could tell they’re fellow nerds (my Spidey sense kicked in) when they were riffing on recent pop culture products like Back to the Future, Batman, Doctor Who and Mad Max, to name a few. I look forward to keeping tabs on where this new comedic duo will go next. There’s a possibility of taking the show to Vancouver and Toronto according to Peter Jr. He also mentioned the thought of testing it out in the Fringe theatre circuit before going nationwide.

Continue reading

Ayo-oooga! Let’s Set Sail to Indonesian Styled Fast Food

ayo IMG_20151020_160902535_HDRAyo Eat
Market Square
Unit 140 – 560 Johnson St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-4231

If Indonesian food simply means adding prawn chips to the dish then I’m sold! Ayo operates out of a corner space in Market Square and the small space should not be a deterrent when the space downstairs is a stage to sit, snack and relax in. In any season, this hub is a nice place to visit. I miss it; I frequented this space more in my youth during the early 90’s when Island Fantasy Comic Shop occupied the lower quarters beneath this food operation. Ever since they closed their doors, I don’t frequent this space as often.

Continue reading

Is Hanks Just “A” Restaurant?

IMG_20160325_183900096

Hanks * A Restaurant
Unit G2A – 1001 Douglas St.
Victoria, BC
(778) 433-4770

I have to wonder if Hank’s in Victoria has separated from the Ucluelet operation which does Untraditional BBQ. Because if they did, that might explain why there’s inconsistency in their product and menu offerings. I’ve noticed on their page no mention of the city operation. Despite my concern, after seeing the Douglas street operation closed for a few weeks, I was glad to see them reopened, with new signage, look and everything.

Yes, they’re open, and no, they did not suffer from the curse this particular space seems to suffer from. On a busy Friday early evening, it was populated with hungry hippos (men) craving drinks and protein. Their Wagyu meat offerings certainly explain why this place is popular. For those who do not know about this particular breed of cattle, they’re known for a marbled fatty texture and are from Alberta.

Continue reading