MOMO Sushi To Go - Give me MO!

Sometimes it seems like sushi places are like coffee shops - new ones are popping up constantly (usually replacing ones that have just closed) - such a crazy cycle. I can't keep up - but I'm trying to!
I drive by this Quadra location (across from the police station at Caledonia) constantly - and have watched it morph from coffee to curry to sushi. I think this latter one will stay.

Opened in early December - you can't miss the building - painted hot pink/fushia...

tetote - d'best delivery du jour

I love going out to lunch - but sometimes you can't get away from work and must avail yourself to places willing to bring food to you.

And in the case of tetote lunch-box/bento-box delivery - you may be inclined to order "in" more often.

What is tetote?
- one of the freshest, fun & delicious food trucks in Victoria owned and operated by Chef Naotatsu Ito (who previously owned Daidoco in Nootka Court).

In the summers you can find them Saturdays at the Moss St. Market and Wednesday evenings at the Oaklands Sunset Market. They focus on Japanese food - including bento boxes and rice burgers - utilizing many organic, Japanese veggies from Umi Nami farms in Metchosin.

tetote food truck - Moss St. & Oaklands Sunset Markets

But in the late fall, winter & early spring - they'll bring their delicious lunches right to you ...

PiCNiC - tasty Fort St. bookends

PiCNiC is a (capital G!) great little coffee/lunch spot...well, two spots actually (as in PiCNiC and PiCNiC Too). The original is located at the bottom of Fort Street, near Wharf St, North side; the second is about seven blocks up Fort St, South side.

Picnic (first location, lower Fort)

Picnic Too (Fort btw Cook & Vancovuer)

They serve local coffee (2% Jazz), create unique lunches daily (2 sandwiches, 1-2 salads and a soup) and mix up refreshing beverages (lavender lemonade, sodas, cold-brew coffee & more).

Empress Hotel Bengal Room - Curry buffet & all the trimmings

The Empress Hotel is really a stunning setting for meals - whether you're in the tapestry laden tea lobby for afternoon tea, the dark wood-paneled formal Empress room for dinner or in the British Indian decorated Bengal Room for a fancy cocktail and a light (or more substantial) bite to eat.

Bengal Lounge entrance

The interior is has a library or reading room feel to it, with a touch of safari....

Rathskeller Schnitzel House - it's Oktoberfest every day!

You've driven by, probably a million times.

You may have even eaten there…. YEARS ago.

It's still the same - a traditional German restaurant in food, decor and hospitality - which they've been doing for over 40 years at the corner of Quadra & View.

And if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

This is a place you'd call "classic"...

La Taquisa - homemade corn tortilla goodness

La Taquisa is a great "taco stand" that's graduated from the "stand" part.

Their early beginnings were in Cook St. Village, anchoring the not-quite-a-food court/commons. Even in the off season, people would huddle around the cart or the heater, slurping tortilla soup and downing fresh made tacos in the cold. With their popularity growing, they opened up their first brick & mortar location in the Westside Village (Save-On Foods, Spinnakers Liquor Store…) and their latest location: Blanshard Street, between Broughton St. and Fort St.

The inside is bright and open with a can't-miss counter where you place your orders…

Tre Fantastico - fantastic cubed.

This is not a coffee review - I will leave that to the professionals out there.

I'm all about the food.

And this is all about the breakfast.

A short and sweet review for a small & sweet place.

Most people that I mention Tre Fantastico to, have either a) been and loved it or  b) don't believe there's a coffee-house there and fire-up Google street view. But don't be frightened - it's easy to find, just surprising to some that it's there.

Tre Fantastico is located in the Parkside Resort on Humboldt Street - where their cosy patio is shaded by huge trees and their view is across to the gardens and buildings of St. Ann's. You'll easily forget you're half a block from Blanshard St.

Yes, that's it…..Tre Fantastico!

Building on the strong base of Caffe Fantastico coffee and their coffee-houses around town - this location is licensed and has a small kitchen that cranks out great food. You can stop in for coffee & a muffin, a local brew & grilled sausage, a glass of peninsula wine & a charcuterie plate or….well, the list goes on (and there's gourmet popcorn too!)

Fiamo Italian Kitchen - it's Dine Around again!

We're coming to the last few days of Dine-Around and have landed at Fiamo Italian Kitchen.

A nostalgic stop, as this was one of my first blogging entries…but I digress.

Even though I'm making this recount fast and short (and there's only a few more days to take advantage of Tourism Victoria's Dine-Around promotion) it's not like Fiamo's is going anywhere - so use this dinner review the way Dine-Around is intended - get your interest peeked (or your memory jogged) about eating out at one of the great restaurants that this city has.

Now onto the food.

Catalano - and let there be brunch

Catalano Restaurant and Cicchetti Bar is located in/beside the Magnolia Hotel at Courtney St. and Gordon St., just a block up from the Empress Hotel.  Many restaurants have graced this space ($teak, steak, pub, etc) so it was exciting to hear that two veteran restaurants (Ferris' Oyster Bar & The Tapa Bar) would be partnering to open up something new and different. Touches from each restaurant can be found here at Catalano.

The interior has been spruced up - the entrance is more open and the bold coloured paintings & wood finishes give a warm feeling throughout.

North 48 - modern diner, no hat required

North 48 Restaurant is the recently opened reinvention of The Black Hat Bistro. Tucked away at the corner of Langley and Broughton - just a block off Government - it's open six days a week for dinner and four days for lunches.

North 48 at Langley & Broughton

The space is still decorated in dark warm tones and the leather chairs and thick wooden tables have been joined by a few banquettes in the middle of the room that break up the space nicely. There's a well stocked bar at the back…

Jam - they're worth the wait

Jam Cafe in Victoria is a great little breakfast spot on Herald Street.

It's no secret though....

When you arrive, it may look like the picture on the left....or, if it's the weekend and you're arriving at peak brunch time - you may take part in the photo on the right.

All quiet on the Western front (aka 8am)

An eager crowd awaits, 8:05.....kidding (more like 9:05)

Once you're inside - great things await you...

Zambri's - classy Italian at the Atrium

Zambri's has been a fixture of Victoria's restaurant scene for over fourteen years.

The restaurant is located in the beautiful Atrium building, adjacent to the main entrance on Yates Street. Prior to opening up shop in their glass walled setting, they were tucked into a non-descript spot between London Drugs and the Market on Yates. Back then, weekdays lunches were ordered & paid for at the counter and brought out to your table. Dinners were usually a wait for one of the unreservable few tables (or you might luck-out and grab a stool at the tiny bar). Scene-change: Atrium - now Zambri's is open for lunch six days a week (with table service) and reservable for dinner seven nights a week. They're also open for a fabulous brunch on Sundays.

Zambri's Atrium location

Everything about the restaurant setting has changed. Nothing about the quality of the food has.

Jubilee Pharmacy...there's food too!

Pharmacy?
A food blog with a Pharmacy entry?
Yes, it sounds like a miss-post, but you need to know about this store.

Jubilee Pharmacy has two locations - one kitty-corner from the Jubilee Hospital (that one you could see coming, I'm sure) and the brand-new, second location on Johnson Street at Quadra. If you're now performing a mental Google Map - this location used to house a rotating array of carpet vendors (and Fabricland, way back when). The rugs are gone, the reno's are done and the food is here.

Yes, it's THAT old carpet building

Jubilee Pharmacy AND MARKET!

The original location is always an interesting place to shop for groceries. Two jam-packed aisles are loaded with an incredible selection of sauces, spices, pasta, gluten-free items, dried fruits, exotic chocolates, pop, jams and so much more. Shoppers brave tight aisles, barely allowing two people with hefted baskets to pass, to access the unique selection and amazing prices.

The second location?...

Roast Carvey - a slice of heaven

The Victoria Public Market is open!
Hip-hip-hooray!

I'm actually relieved that the places are rolling out at a slower pace (if they were all open at once, I would probably agonize over the decision on where to eat).

First stop:

I just met up with a friend for lunch so we can check-out Roast Carvery. The stall is in the middle of the market with a simple sign hanging high out front...generally with a line of eager patrons waiting beneath it.

It's not hard to see what their "wares" are - right at the front of the stall, the owner is slicing off roasts of pork, beef and chicken (and occasionally lamb, as a recent tweet informed me). There is also a veggie sandwich as well - in case you're not hankering for roast beast.

India Bistro - bringing some spice to Wharf Street

India Bistro has recently opened in Victoria; although they're not new to the restaurant scene (with several other Vancouver restaurants in the family, including a sister 'India Bistro' on Davie Street), they're new here on the island.  Located at the corner of Wharf Street and Yates Street - you can settle onto a comfy leather chair inside or a patio seat outside.

India Bistro corner of Wharf St & Yates St

I'm not an expert on Indian food (having only recently begun to elevate my spice-tolerance), but a friend (who does nosh-out on this and other spicy cuisines regularily) had recently been and quite enjoyed the meal. So onto the hit-list it went.

Fan Tan Cafe - filling stomaches in the heart of Chinatown

The Fan Tan Café has been a fixture in Victoria’s Chinatown for decades (their website says 28 years and I’m apt to believe them). Tucked in the middle of Chinatown, they form half of the gateway to Fan Tan Alley.

Fan Tan Cafe right at entrance to Fan Tan Alley

A large fish tank greets you as you open the door, acting as a visual screen between the entrance and the rest of the restaurant. The tables are cosy, the chairs are comfy and the drinks are classic. Being there on a Thursday, Long Island Ice Teas were on sale – so we ordered up a couple and tasted the 80’s again.

Hot & Cold Cafe - you'll warm right up to this place

Unfortunately, The Hot & Cold Cafe has closed this location on Pandora.
…fortunately, they still have their Cook St. Village location!


The Hot & Cold Café has recently opened up a second location on Pandora Avenue (the first one is tucked into Cook Street Village, just up from the Beagle pub). This new location is nestled up to Relish, a favourite restaurant of mine (best scones ev-a, and the breakfast isn’t a slouch either), but I digress…

The Hot & Cold is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 for coffee & baked goods and at 11am, they roll out their full lunch menu. The lunch menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches & rice bowls (plus they have a special of the day).

Lots of delish looking baked goods to liven up your morning coffee and then even more tasty-looking items for lunch….

Foo Asian Street Food - thousands of people (& a TV show) can't be wrong

Victoria's Foo, at the corner of Blanshard Street and Yates Street, is housed in a small building, once just used for storage, then a liquor store and finally, now, to some fabulous asian-inspired street food. You can take your food away, saddle up to the stools inside, or (if the weather is nice) pull up a seat on the patio.

Foo Asian Street Food at Yates & Blanshard

All the food offerings are listed on large blackboards, above the counter that overlooks the kitchen. The two larger ones show the regular menu and the smaller one above the register shows the day's specials.

Relish - Weekend Brunch Happiness

Relish is a lovely little cafe located on Pandora Avenue, just east of Quadra Street. Bookended on the corners by McD's and a Provincial Government office, a few older, one-storey buildings house a large amount of food-goodness. Relish is one of them (the Blair-Mart and Hot and Cold Cafe are worth standalone future blog write-ups). Relish is open Monday-Friday for breakfast & lunch and on Saturdays for brunch. A weekend brunch was our meal destination – so we slid into the last available table at the time.

Relish's sunny tables on Pandora Ave.

The menu is not long but it is diverse – including granola, french toast, bennies, sandwiches and a burger. Some of the menu items have very interesting Korean & Chinese influences, as well. They also have a beautiful espresso machine - so you can start your meal off...

Devour - and we did...every last morsel

Unfortunately Devour has closed their doors :-(
For fans of this little gem of a place, they are coming out with a cookbook.


A tiny little lunch and early dinner spot tucked away on Broughton Street (near Blanshard) is Devour Bistro. The name aptly explains what you'll be doing. There's seating inside and a few tables outside, where you can soak up the sun (which we did).

Recently I met up with a friend and we pretended to be a ladies-who-lunch. And ladies who lunch can start the meal properly....