Tag Archives: Vancouver Island

04.15.14
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You Take the Hylands…

Hyland’s Fish and Chips
10153 Resthaven Dr.
Sidney, BC
(250) 656-4435

E: Sometimes a random trip to the middle of nowhere in the town of Sidney is good. James was given a tip about where to find some good seafood chowder, and we had a bit of a problem finding Hyland’s Fish and Chips.

Fortunately, in this township, the free Wifi along the main strip made our hunt easier. We are not excellent trackers by any means, so one Google Maps search later, we located our destination and it was only a couple of blocks away from the main drag.

J: Ed could’ve fooled me with the way he kept asking me if we were there yet. I should have left him cold and hungry on a Sidney street corner, for some granny on a scooter to drive over him.

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03.18.14
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Going Back in Time with 1550’s

1550 Cedar Hill Cross Rd
Saanich, BC 
(250) 472-0047

E: 1550’s is one of those cozy bistros which will send diners back in time and if Back to the Future fans will recall, that’s where George McFly met his son, Marty, and he would not attempt to date Lorraine Baines until Marty dressed up as a nuclear suited version of Darth Vader.

Interestingly enough, on the drinks list was a drink of the same name. Coincidence?

J: At first I thought it was an alcoholic drink so strong that it would give you a force choke. But there is no such luck because it doesn’t contain any alcohol. It’s similar to a Shirley Temple and has fruity ingredients, hardly a drink for a Sith Lord and more suitable for a Hollywood child star with curls.

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02.17.14
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[Victoria Film Festival ’14] Trading an Oyster in for a Film


614 Humboldt St. 
Victoria, BC 
(250) 385-4512

No Victoria Film Festival party can be complete without a trip to the Oyster Bar or Spinnakers. Both have been long time supporters of this show, and sometimes they are the venues for one of the many parties going on, past and present. The brew pub even caters and the hors d’oeuvres I get to try out are always exceptional, but sometimes it’s just the deserts, namely their ice cream in the springtime, that I’m really after. No matter what the treat, these little bites always knock it right out of the park.

And that should be the size raw oysters should be sampled in. The Victoria Film Festival’s Gala Event often serves these tasty treats, but I had to wonder where they came from. I’m assuming the Oyster Bar, and a visit here was definitely on the must hit list.

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01.29.14
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More than Just a taste of Nippon over at Gracepoint, er Oak Bay


Just Matcha Tea Shop
2021 Oak Bay Avenue
Oak Bay, BC
(250) 813-2456

Kissako Green Tea Cafe
2027 Oak Bay Ave, 
Oak Bay, BC
(250) 370-5195

Plenty of green tea flavours can be found over in Oak Bay. Practically next door to each other are Kissako, a green tea cafe, and Just Matcha, a store that specializes on that particular brand of tea. I was in this municipality to watch the filming of Gracepoint, a US remake of BBC’s Broadchurch and I’m always keen to learn from the pros by careful observation from afar.

I have the educational background to know what I’m doing in a newsroom, but as for a film/tv set, I feel I’m not not quite there yet.

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01.23.14
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You Don’t Need To Be A Japanophile To Like Shiki

Shiki Sushi
1113 Blanshard St. 
Victoria, B.C.
(250) 381-8622

E: I’ve been to Shiki Sushi more times than James has with his attempts to get out to Sidney. But in a miracle of miracles, to convince him to head here when dinner options were minimal within a certain square block was not too hard. I didn’t realize there were a few new menu items, and for once, I didn’t do all you can eat.

J: I really wanted to visit the Noodle Cart after we failed to dine at Pinoy. Ed said Shiki was “pricey.”

I was trying to find excuses not to go in and Ed was offering to pay for 1/4 of the bill. That’s a Scotsman for you. My first impression was its dimly lit interior. Perhaps it was because of the daylight or maybe I still needed time for my eyes to adjust.

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01.14.14
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Sookjai: The Gem of Antiques Row

Sookjai Thai
893 Fort St.
Victoria, BC 
(250) 383-9945

E: Sometimes it’s difficult to find appetizing food from the southern Asian region. When the choices are basically Vietnamese, Malaysian or Filipino, Victoria does have the gambit covered. But James and I wandered up north, along Fort Street, to find a gem of a restaurant, Sookjai Thai — and one cute waitress too.

J: Go for the food, stay for the waitress, huh?

Sookjai has been on the scene since 2003 when the restaurant switched owners. The previous occupant (using a different business name) ran the place as an Italian restaurant.

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