Marble Arch Fish & Chips
3468 Tllicum Rd.
Saanich, BC
(250) 386-7141
E: When considering the price of popcorn and pop at the movie theatre these days, trying to stave off a case of the munchies while watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two was difficult. James had an idea to check out a chinese diner… or is that a seafood place? I’m not sure what that restaurant was, but it was like I walked into magical mystery store.
Golden City Restaurant
721 Fisgard Street
Victoria, B.C.
(250) 386-8404
Going out for dim sum with my relatives have often made for a traditional Sunday brunch. That’s when it’s most popular. But to sate a sudden craving, it can be found served on other days of the week and sometimes not even brought out in a cart. That’ll depend on the restaurant.
When going out with friends, it was a plan concocted the night before. My friend, Qué Banh, had a craving and checked to see who was interested in an impromptu gathering. Also there was her father, Chan Hai, and her friend, Triana Avis.
When we arrived at Golden City, Qué was disappointed that the carts weren’t being wheeled around. She said it took away from the entire dim sum experience.
J: Ed, myself and professional photographer Qué Banh were to hold a proper Chinese New Year celebration but unfortunately Qué fell ill, leaving the monkeys to run the zoo.
We took two flights of stairs to the basement of the Red Lion Inn. A former ballroom-turned restaurant, Jade Fountain was populated. My reservation for Sunday brunch, made over half a week earlier, meant nothing. Instead, we were given a number and directed down a crowded ramp in the vicinity of the washrooms. Today it appeared, was not a good day to be of either Chinese descent or big boned. Fortunately I was only the latter. Ed and I played the child’s game of ‘Traffic Lights’ for a half hour, slowly making our way towards the dinning tables before our lucky 13 was finally called.
E: Be glad it wasn’t the unlucky number four. In Chinese or Japanese, the word has two meanings: either the number four or death. For the most part, it’s considered an unlucky number.
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.
2635 Quadra Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 380-9773
Fairway on Quadra has a fully functional kitchen and a buffet that’s comparable to what any Chinese restaurant can offer. This place is worth hitting for those people who are tight on money; the food is good and for the speed, one can get a meal made up within minutes.
The only difference is that you have to choose what entrees you want and there’s no going back for seconds. You name it, they’ll most likely have it. To name a few, there’s dumplings, Szechuan style squid, tempura prawns, sweet and sour pork and egg rolls.
Prices begin at $6.99 and increase by dollar increments for any additional selections. While there’s no regrets buying from Fairway, there’s always tomorrow to hit the gym. Every time I consume one of those palettes of noodles with squid and prawns, I feel several pounds heavier.
Their meals are not really meant to be eaten in one go, or by just one person. Even in the smallest serving size, there’s enough for two. Sadly, while they give away squid like nothing, the prawns are limited to three per serving, and to get double that would take up a selection. The taste is about what you would expect for material made en masse. Sometimes, the squid is dry and the tempura batter greasier than oil baking out in a sun, but that’s because of how long it’s been sitting there. The people who dole out the food are probably not certified to be in a kitchen either. They take your order and look for who’s next.
If they truly cared about how to service a product, they’d be properly portioning out the food, so the packages do not feel top heavy.
I’ll be ready to tip over instead.
2 Blokes out of 5
By James Robert Shaw
Fu Wah Express Cafe
746 Goldstream Ave.
Langford Centre
Langford, BC
(250) 474-7693
Fu Wah Express Cafe is a mom and pop Asian cuisine establishment located in the heart of Langford. For the past 10 years with at least three ownerships that I’ve known, I remained a regular patron. The current owners are very nice and hospitable. The food served under their proprietorship is, in my humble opinion, the best of my patronage.
The menu is extensive and the food can be made fresh. You can either dine in or do take-out. In addition, a small buffet is topped-up through business hours. I ordered a four item buffet for $6.50. I took my usual seat in front of the window where the old Asia Express sign still remains. My meal of fried rice, chicken chow mein, sweet & sour pork and cooked vegetables with beef (you can also have vegetables without beef) were heaped in good portions on my plate. I must admit, sometimes I can not finish my meal. But this time I tempted fate by ordering 2 tempura-style prawns.
twohungryblokes.com 