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 ...

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…

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.

Portland : Pine State Biscuits & Blue Star Donuts & Trucks!

We're in Portland and the biscuits are calling.

Pine State Biscuits.

P.S.B. started off as a vendor at the Portland State University Farmer's Market (PSU, more important initials to remember) and became so popular, they opened up first one, then another brick & mortar. The original has recently closed to make way for the opening of another permanent biscuitery. Fortunately for all of Portland, they still come to the PSU.

And we were there waiting for them (we and a bunch of other blokes). This is the scene minutes (maybe seconds!) after the 8:30am opening...those aren't people loitering, that's the line-up.

Pine State Biscuit at PSU

But it goes fast, my friends. And Pine State doesn't scrimp on menu offerings just because it's a market stall. They have all their best sellers, including the Reggie (fried chicken, bacon & cheese) and the Moneyball (biscuit & gravy & a fried egg). They have a traditional sausage gravy as well as a mushroom gravy on offer. Being a Canuck, this biscuit & gravy thing is new'ish to me - but once you taste a good one (and Pine State fits the bill perfectly) - you begin to understand the love for this legend of a dish.

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.

AYO Eat - a delicious, spicy corner of Market Square

Ayo Eats in Market Square is a tiny take-out window that produces some big tastes: Indonesian food including green curry, chicken satay, beef curry and egg sambal.

AYO eat in NW corner of Market Square

If you’re not trucking your food back to the office/home, there are picnic tables & benches around the Market to sit and eat at (and I saw a few people chowing down right on the steps below Ayo…couldn’t wait to dig in!). Set in the Northwest corner of the Market (near to Paboom’s back door) – a half door swings open...

Norte - New Tacos on the Block

Unfortuntely Norte has recently tweeted out to their followers that they won't be reopening for 2014.
:-(
They have another exciting project that is taking all their time.
A very sad adios to Norte.



There’s a new taco place in town – Norte Street Food. They're located in Fernwood (on Gladstone Avenue, near Fernwood Avenue). The tacos (served using fresh, in-house made corn tortillas) are "from the pueblos of Northern Mexico". I haven't been to this part of Mexico, but I have made a few trips to this corner of Victoria.

They previously sold their tacos on Bridge Street – but have now set-up permanently, in a cozy little spot between Aubergine Foods and The Fernwood Inn.

It's a tiny place - but....

Mortiscycle Doughnuts @ the Superior Point Espresso Bar

Update part deux:
While Mortiscycle currently is no more, I've heard rumours (June 2014) that their doughnuts may live on - Empire Doughnuts. And they are linked with PiCNic (upper Fort St location), possibly after their expansion into the adjacent space. More to come....I'm sure.


Update:
Currently the Mortiscycle Doughnuts have not set-up shop for 2014. The previous owner has moved on from Victoria and the currently owners of the Superior are concentrating on the restaurant portion.
Hopefully they'll open the espresso bar outside and maybe some delish doughnuts...




The Superior Point Espresso Bar is a lovely little coffee “stand” at the corner of Superior Street and Kingston Avenue (kitty-corner from the main entrance to Fisherman’s Wharf). It’s been opened by The Superior Café, whose owner is no stranger to the restaurant industry in Victoria (I’m sure there are some of you who remember having coffee -before it was “having coffee”- at La Boheme or Bohemetea).

They serve 2% Jazz coffee and homemade baked goods including Mortiscycle Doughnuts. Like I wrote before, doughnuts are popping up everywhere (and I say…..awesome-sauce!). I recently stopped in for a quick latte and (twist my rubber arm) a doughtnut to go with it. As I pulled in on two-wheels – I even got a special deal on my morning snack.

Love the vintage Coleman cooler...

You can hang out at the stand, making yourself comfortable on the steps, chairs or...

Tacofino - YAX, then YVR, finally YYJ!

Tacofino has finally landed in Victoria....and it hasn't taken long for the food truck aficionados to 'suss it out. They opened on a Monday and with a few tweets and Facebook posts - there are small line-ups forming by the Thursday we're there for lunch.

Tacofino started in Tofino and then opened another truck in Vancouver. Their third meals-on-wheels is back on the island, landing smack dab in the middle of the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre parking lot. They also bring their own seating - with 3-4 picnic tables to enjoy your tacos (or burritos) at. Note: this is the back parking lot, off Quadra, in behind the police station (hey, how did the police get so lucky with a taco truck in their backyard?).

We join the line-up and start targeting lunch selections....

Donuts - the new cupcakes in town

We've had the cupcake craze happening in Victoria for several years now (the stores run the gamut - big, small, vegan, tv show tie-in, you name it). It wasn't like cupcakes didn't exist before this proliferation about five years ago - but the grocery store versions were mere shadows of the gourmet goods getting iced today. And now, I'm quite sure, the next big thing is gaining momentum - doughnuts. And like the aforementioned barbie-sized cakes, these are not your garden-run timmy's old fashioned plain.

In the name of exhaustive research, I will endeavour to try as many as I can (read: before I have to move the notch on my belt). To start off - I've hit two purveyors recently - Doughboy Donuts and Yonni's.

Doughboy Donuts can be found at some of the nicer coffee shops around town, but also Saturdays at the Moss Street Market. Inside the courtyard, tucked in the corner, the day's offerings are on display, each identified on the butcher paper covering the table.
**UPDATE**
Doughboys is currently not creating their fabulous donuts - but hopefully we'll see them around soon.

Doughboys Donut Stall at Saturday Moss St. Market

Doughboys Saturday Selection

On the two occasions I've visited the stall (research people, research!)...it's a steady stream of people coming...and the inventory doesn't last long...

Taco Justice League - showing your hunger who's boss

Bring on another food truck! We may not have many of these mobile-kitchens in Victoria, so we're slowly trying to hit them all (or at least a good chunk of them). My last truck post was Refiner Diner, and now we're stepping into the ring with Taco Justice League.  You can find them in the Wellburn's parking lot on Cook Street, near the corner of Pandora.

Taco Justice League Food Truck

It's a small menu...but everything sounds good, so it's still a hard choice...

Finest at Sea - fish & chowda!

Another (somewhat) sunny Saturday in Victoria and we find ourselves on the search for some fish & chips again – this time next door to Fisherman’s Wharf. Finest At Sea (FAS) seafood (in a green heritage house) on Erie St in Victoria, overlooking Fisherman’s Wharf Park, is a great fish-monger, now wearing a restaurant hat (well, at least a take-out kiosk cap).

The retail fish store inside the house is under construction currently - so sales have been moved outside to a shiny trailer in the parking lot. And the best part - now they're cooking fish in this kiosk to serve! Fish, chips and chowder, to be exact. The small crowd ordering when we're there is an even split between those picking up fresh halibut & salmon fillets and those ready to dive into some yam fries with their halibut burger.

F.A.S. kiosk in parking lot beside store

Bring on the fish!...

The Fish Store - A great chippy at fisherman's wharf

With the sun out and the temperatures hitting the shorts'n't-shirt range these past few days - it seemed like the perfect time to hit Fisherman's Wharf - and we weren't alone in this decision - the wharf was hopping like it was tourist season.  So we headed to one of my favourite places for fish & chips - The Fish Store.

They have you covered here - half fish store, half kitchen - you can get provisions for tonights dinner and something for lunch right away.  And you can feel good about the fish & shellfish too - it's all 100% OceanWise certified (environmentally friendly seafood).  My heart says "yay!" and my stomach says "bring it on!"

And then onto the food...

Refiner Diner - trucking in good food

Update (May 2014)
Unfortunately the Refiner Diner Food Truck is no more :-(
But....I saw it being reimagined as a new food truck....currently parked in the same space (beside Shatterbox Coffee on Yates St.).
I'll be waiting to visit them when they open.



Food-trucks - I love 'em.

Wish we had more of them here in Victoria - and hopefully, one day, zoning and permit requirements will allow more of these fun and interesting mobile kitchens in town.  Talk to anyone about a great food-truck scene and Portland is usually the first answer (and it's fabulous - the worst part is having to make a choice from so many when you have limited meals while in town).  We may not get to that point in Victoria - but a few more around the garden city would be awesome.

...but I'm loving the ones we have already.

We finally had a chance to try Refiner Diner.  They have recently moved to their new location at 950 Yates St, nestled up to Shatterbox coffee (across from the London Drugs complex).

Look for the diner-sign...

The truck is tucked in from the street...