Tag Archives: Vancouver Island

10.26.16
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On the Road to Tibetan Kitchen

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Tibetan Kitchen
680 Broughton Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 383-5664

E: Tibetan or Mongolian, those are two worlds I’d love to explore for the many mysteries that lurk upon the land. In this case of wondering if they’re open on an early Saturday evening, the secret is that they are! quite often, James and I would walk by to find them closed. And I’ve always wanted to dine there because of the lavish desserts they offer.

J: Frankly I can’t see myself donning robes, shaving my head and sitting on a mountain top looking for eternal peace. Give me the vices of city life. Give me the wine, the women and the international cheeses. But perhaps peace of some sort can be found within the walls of the Tibetan Kitchen. They’ve been profiled on Food Network Canada but does that really matter to me? Many of the television programs today are just glorified infomercials. Ed and I were lucky to get a table, most of the tables were reserved. It didn’t occur to us that a cozy place like Tibetan Kitchen would be booked solid.

E: With James’ bald spot, I’m sure he would fit in, but a friar he is not. There was a short time where I could have sworn the city of Victoria had a Mongolian Kitchen but maybe I’m wrong. Can you imagine me going Kahn against a lamb or calf? Well, I’m not 100% knowledgeable about the ethnic food of this region, but exploration is in the name of the game. My eyes gravitated towards the traditional foods of this country and that included a Sha Phaley (bread with meat stuffed inside it) baked to a nice crusty and chewy delight.

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10.19.16
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Broughton Street Deli Blues

BroughtonDeli1Broughton Street Deli
648 Broughton Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 380-9988

J: Broughton Street Deli is one of those places I’ve always wanted to try but I could never get to its location at the right time. It has to do with their early closing hours. They’re a daytime operation but I’m sure they would make at least some money if they were open on Friday and Saturday nights. Sometimes people going to the bars or movie theatres (what few of the theatres there are left) don’t need the hassle of the full dining experience. Some people just want a quick bite to eat that isn’t McDonald’s.

E: By some fortune, we managed to come in here when the place was empty of all life. But when the operation only had another half hour left before closing, maybe a quick bite to eat elsewhere seemed to be the better idea. Upon walking in, James and I were treated to a sign purporting that this operation offers authentic Montreal smoked meat.

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09.21.16
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Buffet A-Plenty at Hope Key

Hope Key Front Door

Hope Key
1313 Douglas St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 382-6048

J: Hope Key is one of those places I was introduced to by a friend a few years ago. Although I have previously visited here, I’ve never tried their food or their drinks. My only experience with Hope Key was relaxing in their loft while my friend enjoyed her bubble tea. But now things are different, I was hungry and they were offering a dinner buffet after many restaurants in downtown Victoria had closed for the night. With Ed just as desperate to find a place to eat, he stepped through the doorway willingly.

E: On a late night, we were without a chance in hell to find a place that would be open after 9pm. James keeps on thinking we’ve run out of places to hit to review, but I always point out that it depends on how much you’re willing to spend on a meal. Given his frugalness, that pretty much eliminates many places.

I wasn’t prepared to spend a lot either since my dollars were depleted after several travel excursions. Vancouver and Seattle can do that. We were without a hope until he mentioned this place.

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09.14.16
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Shakin’ Up The Sushi Establishment with Rockn’ Rolls

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Rockn’ Rolls Modern Sushi
1 Dallas Rd C1
Victoria, BC

(250) 888-5336

No matter where you go to eat sushi, the basics will more or less taste the same. The taste found in tuna and salmon rolls are distinguished by the freshness of the fish (I have yet to find a place to beat what I had in Sidney, BC ages ago), rice to meat ratio used and where the fish came from. Where the rice is harvested from matters, but ultimately, it is the temperature of this grain that makes the difference. Over at Rock n’ Rolls Modern Sushi at the Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria, BC, they pride themselves on using locally sourced ingredients.

This operation is all about 100% sustainability and it shows in the Polynesian Roll. Made using local crab, bell peppers and sweet squash, this delectable maki roll is a taste for the senses! Rockfish was used, and this is a topping I do not usually see in menus. Sometimes, whitefish is listed, and the last time I really appreciated its taste was over at Southern Lake Tahoe, where a buddy and I went to The Naked Fish — I have fond memories of my sushi experience there.

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09.07.16
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The Stubborn Chef 拉麵館 changes the Ramen Scene ‘Round with AsUsual Cafe – 老地方

stubborn_chefStubborn Chef – 拉麵館
AsUsual Cafe – 老地方
3960 Shelbourne St
Victoria, BC
(778) 432-3818

Only James can think Kuma Noodle Japan has the best ramen all around Victoria. He’s most likely right, but he’s not had the complete Japanese experience (I had it in Japan, a place he has yet to travel to). Yes, I’m relentless in teasing him about this fact and one year, we will visit the Land of the Rising Sun to sample the food together. Back in Victoria, in the meantime, competitors eventually will emerge to challenge my buddy’s statement.

Trying to schedule his willingness to go out with my Pokémon GO adventures (I need to fuel up somehow) is like dragging a closet gamer out of the comfort of his own home to see the light, er sun.

We have tried a few places together. Foo Ramen Bar has been running for a while and unless you know which Japanese restaurants to go to, they will have this common staple buried along with the Udon and Soba. Next to the Victoria Public Market downtown is Ox King Noodles. In Gordon Head, The Stubborn Chef specializes in a variety of noodles. James finally checked out this place during one of his rare departures from Langford. By then, I’ve been here for the third time. Interestingly, the chef is a third generation noodle-maker. He’s been trained by the best and I’m glad he’s settling into the Gordon Head culinary landscape. The folks who ran this operation used to operate out of Chinatown in the past five years. And when it was sold a few years ago, I’m assuming the change of pace is because this municipality is closer to home. There’s less distance to travel. I’m thinking the owner/operator is taking a cue from James’ book. Why travel far when you can enjoy the comforts of home?

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09.03.16
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First Look at Sooke Harbour Players’ Annie Musical Rehearsals!

AnnieMusicalSooke4The rehearsals for the stage musical Annie is underway and we have a few photos to prove it.

As evident in these photos, audiences can expect a large cast for this production. The Sooke Harbour Players were quite aware that Annie is not a production that can be done with a small cast.

As of this time we have no information on the director or who will be starring as everyone’s favourite red-haired orphan, Annie. Andrea McArdle played Annie in the original Broadway play based on Harold Gray’s 1924 comic strip Little Orphan Annie. Aileen Quinn would play Annie in the original 1982 feature film and in 2014 Quvenzhané Wallis starred in a modern day retelling of Annie.

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