Tag Archives: Downtown Victoria

01.25.17
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Driving Far? There’s No Need to Park’s Kitchen

img_20160906_134103283Park’s Kitchen
606 Trounce Alley
Victoria, BC
(778) 265-2227

ES: I wish the Izakaya in Trounce Alley stayed longer. Actually known as So-Ya, they had a classy environment to fashion some trendy and nouveau Japanese style food. People can read our review here and I truly miss them. Park’s Kitchen replaces this operation. They had a soft opening and not many people noticed.

I have to wonder if the servers even have an eye for what’s good here. When James and I had our empty glasses of water just sitting on the table, no one bothered to glance to see if we needed a refill. I saw where the decanters were and had to help myself.

JS: Although the shell of So-Ya remains, the spirit within had long since passed on. What has replaced it is not very impressive. I was willing to be pleased but Park’s rarely shined when it came to either customer service, the kitchen staff or their lunch specials.

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But I’m going to give a bad sounding critique and the reason is the not-so-good outweighed what was best about this place. But to start, their sunomono salad was very creative if not refreshing.

The lettuce threw me off but the carrots were most welcome. The vinaigrette was sweet and cool. I have to say I finally found a sunomono that may have beaten Sushi Plus. But perhaps to put something else to replace the lettuce will improve on this creation.

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01.18.17
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Defining the Divine at Grace Sushi

grace-sushi

Grace Sushi
#100-1619 Store St.,
Chinatown
Victoria, BC
(778) 265-9759

For over a year, Grace Sushi has occupied the space on Store St. that was once The Kaz. I’m not sure what the full story is behind the previous establishment’s departure, but in the past, they offered the space for Sen Zushi to occupy when their Fort Street location was devastated by a fire. Until it was all rebuilt, this other establishment fulfilled some sushi diner’s needs. Now they have moved back, and I’m the type to try all the places in town … just where I like to go lays with what is in the vicinity, before going to a play.

I had to see what kind of divine intervention could occur by walking into a location that’s now changed hands.

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12.21.16
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How Nouveau is Nubo Japanese Tapas?

img_20160828_181426201-nuboNubo Japanese Tapas
739 Pandora Ave
Victoria, BC
(778) 265-9909

I’m fairly sure Nubo is very nouveau. Their designer maki rolls certainly looked very tantalizing, making this place worth visiting again for that alone! But when I noticed that I’ve seen similar elsewhere (especially after having sushi in four different cities), well, perhaps they are not? I was seeking a taste of the old country — traditional — and this place certainly delivers. On a busy night, I managed to get a seat at the sushi bar. Reservations are certainly recommended, especially if you’re planning on seeing a yuletide production at the MacPherson Playhouse. In fact, I recommend doing so for the four operations that run here. If time is tight, then the time is best maximized by being here early and just enjoying the scents.

If only I had two hundred dollars, I would be feasting on the variety offered here for an entire month. I could on a weekly basis, though I have to spread the love between here and Omakase. When considering their motoyaki is made from scallop and prawns, I’m already drooling. When I saw that this operation offers monkfish liver, they have a one-up on many other local places I’ve been to. In what I tasted is divine, and I was tripping at the variety of garnishes used on each slice. Each serving was floating in a lake of light soy sauce, and that was just my starter!

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12.14.16
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Qu’est Ce Que C’est Favoris? Gotta Taste Them All!

simg_1027Les Chocolats Favoris
1010 Government St
Victoria, BC
(778) 265-7050

JS: Move over Beacon Drive-In, there is a new ice cream shop in town and they speak Québécois French. Can a bit of olde England (Victoria) stand up to the noveau French invasion? Personally, I will say Beacon has little to worry about. But careful, do not drop your guard. Do not take Favoris lightly. Sure Beacon has their own lightly creamed sweet ice cream but when the urges take over, now and again, I want a hearty ice cream that is less on cream but more filling. For these urges, I shall run to Les Chocolats Favoris.

ES: I like the fact that the president of this company, Dominique Brown, decided to open up shop here in Victoria instead of Vancouver. They are based out of Quebec and to have an operation here is a gamble. Over the summer, during the busy tourist season where a cruise ship stops by every few weeks, this place was busy! Of course, James and I were late in learning about it and we still wobbled our way over to try ice cream off-season.

The draw has to be with the size of the portions offered. When I was walking to the Inner Harbour later, some tourists gawked at what I had left and I pointed them to where they could buy one.

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11.30.16
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Getting Trounced With Delights at Bodega Bar!

tmp_20215-IMG_20160705_2221081841346096254Bodega Bar
in Trounce Alley
1210 Broad St
Victoria, BC

(778) 406-1210

 

ES: Victoria, BC does not have a lot of late-night dining options and sometimes a visit to Trounce Alley is required to find a few of those operations that are running to midnight. Thankfully, on the busier days of Wednesday to Saturday, there are two: Bodega Bar and Park’s Kitchen. After a movie downtown, we happened upon the former first, and for once, my buddy was not being cheap. I find it easy to rack up quite the bill at a tapa type establishment.

JS: This place is very classy. It’s so much better than hitting a seedy bar.

At least here Ed and I could sit out on the porch in the beautiful night air and take part in what the chef had on the menu. It is easy to spend your money at a tapa bar (especially on drinks). The food delivered to the table isn’t much to look at when it comes to size even though it was highly decorated. Surprisingly, it managed to fill the Two Hungry Blokes. We ordered three items, the ceviche, a porchetta sandwich (Ed’s choice) and — a meal that rang my dinner bell — a mackerel potato salad.

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11.23.16
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There’s No Need for James at John’s Place

johns_place1John’s Place
723 Pandora Ave
Victoria, BC
(250) 389-0711

There are times where I think my writing partner James Shaw is wrong, totally wrong. He thinks we should not look at the popular establishments and we should really focus more on the mom and pop operations. That’s fine, but when I’m out and about more than he is, I’ll do what I like. I feel we should at least give some few recognized establishments our take anyways. My buddy’s opinion is always dated; he draws on experiences from more than ten years ago and I tell him you can’t base everything on the past. Sure, they shape who we are (in other aspects), but when it comes to food and some operations, management can sometimes change.

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