Wild Ginger
1401 3rd Ave
Seattle, WA
(206) 623-4450
It’s easy to become lost in the decision-making process of what to eat at the Wild Ginger. The menu has a delectable smörgåsbord of South Asian-inspired delights and the cocktails are even more savoury. I needed a map to guide me along what I wanted to sample in the temple that I entered into. During the evening, the candle lights made the dining experience like that of going swami entering a pagoda to meditate in.
E: I’ve done the BC Ferries Pacific Buffet on and off over the years when I’ve missed a meal in trying to get to the ferry on time. Sometimes in my planning, arriving can be a close call, but other times — especially with James around — we have a sizable gap as wide as his belly.
To err is human but to eat a man’s worth of delicious ferry food (insert sarcasm here) requires watching James stumble when the ferry tips over because of some ocean wave.
J: All of Ed’s mocking aside, we made it early to the ferry that was to depart to Vancouver. I hadn’t much of a breakfast to digest and paying almost $8 for an egg salad sandwich at the Swartz Bay terminal would require a lobotomy on my part. I was hungry but not at those prices. And the idea of eating in the cafeteria on the ferry wasn’t appetizing either. For a man like me, the buffet is a cheaper option.
Saigon Char-Broil Vietnamese Restaurant
3710 Tillicum Rd,
Tillicum Centre
Saanich, BC
(778) 432-2000
E: To have a dinner and a movie altogether on the same day is not easy in the area of Tillicum. I somehow managed to convince James to see a horror film (a genre he doesn’t care for) and we both wanted a healthy option beyond popcorn and soda. Saigon Char-broil was very close and we didn’t have to cross the highway to get to Cineplex’s Silvercity Tillicum Location.
J: Ed, like me doesn’t like going to the movies on his own. It’s much more fun with a friend but you’d be surprised at how many people want to sit in front of a computer rather than get out of the house, even if you offer them a free pass. Stopping for a meal at a restaurant (including Saigon) makes more sense then spending roughly the same money or more on junk food at the theatre. I’ll have a snack if I’m at Vic Theatre, Sidney’s Star Cinema, or even UVic’s Cinecenta but if it’s a big corporation owned movie house like Silvercity, I put my money where I think it’ll do the most good, with the mom and pop food operations.
E: Mind you, that doesn’t stop James from getting sweetened yogurt from within the theatre operation. One large bowl of pho’ later, he was on dessert faster than I could swipe my SCENE card to see a film for free. That’s including trying to hear him say yes to my offer to treat him to the movies for the night. Mind you, when it comes to the drinks from this restaurant, I can go through a glass of pineapple juice in no time!
Hank’s Untraditional BBQ
1001 Douglas St
Victoria, BC
(778) 433-4770
March 9, 2016 Update:
Hanks is back in business at this location! The mystery closure was apparently because they were renovating.
There are times where I wonder if Unit G2A in the square by the bus stop on Douglas Street is cursed. At least three different eateries existed at this spot in the past eight years, and neither of them lasted long. I recall it as a pizza joint once, a cheese sandwich shop the next and was a BBQ style joint where the fixin’s get tasty. They offer wings, meat on biscuits, BBQ and smoked mains.
I wanted to return to sample more of the latter half of this list but by the time I get a craving to visit, they’re closed! I didn’t find any signs indicating what’s going on but I was concerned. Not many places offer game meat for their dishes and when I am hankering for some, I see the signs say the operation has closed and to keep an eye out on their website for updates. The day after, even that sign is missing! Now all I have to go by is my memory of the Duck Egg Bolognese Pasta.
Pizzeria Prima Strada
230 Cook Street
Cook Street Village
Victoria, BC
(250) 590 – 8595
E: If I recall correctly, Prima Strada began their operation in Cook Street Village and that place has been one that I’ve been meaning to hit. James and I have been to the Bridge Street location before, and I’ve gone back a few times since. Although the Bridge location is buried in an industrial side of town, the feel, as James once said, was like that of entering a garage. The wide open space was accommodating, but we also craved a change in the form of a very inviting diner over in the Village.
Yes, you can cue the theme of The Prisoner now.
J J Morgan Family Restaurant
1520 McKenzie Ave
Saanich, BC
(250) 721-2188
This corner restaurant by McKenzie and Cedar Hill was once a favourite of mine during my youth. Back then, it was known as Pizza Patio and yes, while I’m dating myself, the memories are oh so pleasant. When birthdays were held here, kids were allowed to head back to the kitchen and make a pizza just the way they wanted it. They could pile the ingredients on high, slather tons of cheese or spread tons of sauce on it and make the product look like a sloppy joe.
Since then, it has become one or two other restaurants before settling as J J Morgan, a traditional restaurant with western flavours than anything else. They have a reasonable Sunday buffet and I went there with buddies a long time ago to chime in about how they fared back then. What they offered did not convince me to return. Fast forward to now, well, it seems the tastes have not changed by much. At least the service is always friendly.
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