As indoor dining reopens and patio season is finally here, we get the best recommendations on where to enjoy your next meal out from Tasting Victoria Editor Amelia Acedo.
As indoor dining reopens and patio season is finally here, we get the best recommendations on where to enjoy your next meal out from Tasting Victoria Editor Amelia Acedo.
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Disclaimer: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Jackie: My name is Jackie Lamport. Today is Tuesday, May 31. Welcome to the Capital Daily Podcast. As indoor dining reopens and summer heat brings better patio dining, we head to Cook Street Village with Tasting Victoria editor Amelia Acedo to find out the best places to enjoy the best food and experiences Greater Victoria has to offer.
Jackie: Amelia from Tasting Victoria is with us again. We are in the food truck court in Cook Street Village, and we just got some coffee from Brew Bike.
Amelia: Hello, Jackie, thanks for having me.
Jackie: Thanks for coming back. When we talked before, there was still a closure on indoor dining, and the patio experience was still pretty limited, given that the weather was a bit colder. But now we're in summer, so patio season is thriving, and indoor dining is back open. When the restrictions were lifted, what was the first place that you were like, "Oh, I gotta go here finally."
Amelia: I thought about Citrus & Cane; I guess it's been closed for so long. But I went first to Gozen Sushi. Have you tried it?
Jackie: No, I haven’t.
Amelia: It's really good, and it's one of my favourite places for sushi in town. It's located on Langley Street, and it was a very nice experience. I usually get really hot on the patios, so serving indoors was really nice.
Jackie: Indoors for sushi feels a little bit like a necessity. What makes Gozen so special?
Amelia: I like it because of their special roles, and their sashimi and nigiri are fresh as well. And also, they have unique rolls that are deep-fried or with cream cheese.
Jackie: I always order deep-fried rolls, and then I regret it about halfway through, but then I always order them again. They're really good.
Amelia: Spicy as well.
Jackie: Yeah, you’re talking my language. What’s next on your list?
Amelia: I think maybe Chinese food because they've been closed, most of the Chinese places. I really like J&J Wonton on Fort Street. So I may go visit there. I'm not sure if they're open for dining yet, but I hope so.
Jackie: What are some of the restaurants that you would recommend based on the indoor dining experience?
Amelia: I would recommend Part and Parcel. I've been waiting for them to open because I just didn't want to order for takeout. I really like going indoors. So Part and Parcel is really good, their dishes are very unique. Maybe another one would be Boom + Batten because of the experience. Like I feel like when you're there, it feels like you went out like a night out. So I really like that.
Jackie: Let's start at Part & Parcel. What kind of cuisine is that?
Amelia: It’s handcrafted cooking, using seasonal ingredients and fresh ingredients.
Jackie: And Boom + Batten, what kind of food is that?
Amelia: They have pizza, burgers, gnocchi, some pasta as well.
Jackie: Oh, awesome. So a little bit of Italian in there as well. And now, we are sitting outside on a very, very gorgeous day, and I feel like it would be blasphemy to go inside, so let's talk patios. What are some of the places that you would recommend to go to just based on the patio experience?
Amelia: I usually go for patios that are waterfront patios. Right now, there's a pop-up restaurant at the Inn at Laurel Point. It’s a terrace patio, and the view is beautiful, just like the Inner Harbor, and the menu is excellent. They have breakfast and dinner. I really like that one. I've recently been to Sidney as well. And I love Sidney, there are a lot of patios to choose from, but I really liked the Surly Mermaid and the Rum Runner Pub. It was my first time going there and it has maybe the best view in Sidney, and it’s casual. Another one that I really like is Spinnakers in Vic West. They have five different patios. So one of them has a really beautiful view and the other ones are more just like to have some beers, but it's really nice. Another one that I really liked is the Collective Wine Bar right on Cook Street. They set up the patio with heaters. It's not waterfront, but it's really good.
Jackie: Cook Street is a gorgeous place. I love it.
Amelia: It is. A hidden gem for me is Wind Cries Mary in Bastion Square. It’s a very intimate space, which I really like.
Jackie: It also shares the name of my favourite Jimi Hendrix song.
Amelia: Have you been?
Jackie: I haven’t, actually. But every time I walk by it, I think, “Oh, I love that song.”
Amelia: It's really good.
Jackie: I wanted to talk about a place that you've already mentioned. And I've only been there once, but I'm quite excited to go again, just because it's so cool. Citrus & Cane, what can you tell me about that? Tell me as if I have never been there.
Amelia: It's a tropical cocktail bar with mid-century modern decor. It's beautiful. But what I really liked about this place is that the moment that I walked in, I felt like I was in another era, like the 70s, but still modern. It felt like I was living in another era and I wondered if this is how my parents used to go out. Also, it's run by a really nice couple that's been in the industry for years and their cocktails are amazing.
Jackie: About the whole walking into another era, it definitely feels like the experience alone is worth going to. And then also the cocktails too. I actually don't drink alcohol, but they have this awesome mix of mocktails. So I still feel fancy. I will go back for the mocktails.
Amelia: Which one did you try, do you remember?
Jackie: I have had the tiki tea-tollaler and the lumette colada. One was kind of like a lime coconut drink, and the other had lumette in it, which is a local liquor replacement. Both were really good. I also just got the classic nonalcoholic beer as well. It was so nice. It's still easy to spend a lot of money even if you don't drink. You just want to sit there longer.
Amelia: I really like the part-time tiki punch. It is actually quite the experience to order the drink because it comes with fire. So fun. Also, the C&C shaft. I think it's a must-try in Victoria. It's really good. And it has a twist I think coconut maybe, so it's really good.
Jackie: We right now are sitting in food truck work, and this is the time to get some food truck grub. What are some of your favourite food trucks?
Amelia: My favourite is actually a cart, not a food truck. It's Los Panas Kitchen. It's Venezuela and arepas. And they are usually there on Fridays and Saturdays at Whistle Buoy. I think they're reopening soon, maybe this weekend. I just tried the arepas last year during the summer. And I really like them especially, The King. It comes with pork, beans, cheese and they have a special sauce that I really liked. So they're amazing. I also tried this year, Kattia’s Kitchen food truck. I think it's been there for a while, but I just tried it recently, and they serve Mexican food. They're usually moving around town, but I tried them when they were in Esquimalt Lagoon. And I really like Morning People, it’s one of my favourites.
Jackie: I actually just had that for the first time this past weekend. I went, and we got breakfast, it was so good. And I'm vegan, so I asked if they could make it vegan since they didn't have a specific thing on the menu. And they did, and it was amazing. The mushrooms were fantastic.
Amelia: For breakfast sandwiches that's really good. And one of our readers recently recommended the Mail Truck that’s located in Rock Bay. And the breakfast sandwiches are apparently really good. I haven't tried them yet, but it looks like it's really good. And another fun one, it's not a food truck, but it's also a food cart. It's Hazel's ice cream. Have you heard about them?
Jackie: I have not.
Amelia: They recently opened, and I think they've been going to Dallas Road, and they sell ice cream but like a popsicle ice cream. They have a coffee toffee bar that looks amazing. The cookies and cream and the matcha as well.
Jackie: Speaking of ice cream, I'm quite excited because I'm in the West Shore. And the second parachute location opened just around the corner for me. So yeah, I went there the other day; it’s amazing.
Amelia: What did you try?
Jackie: I got the coconut chocolate. That's the only one I've had so far, but I will be back probably every weekend throughout the summer.
Amelia: I really like the cookies and cream there, and they have seasonal ice cream. I tried the vegan red velvet. They had it during Valentine's Day, and it was really good. It comes with huge pieces of red velvet cake.
Jackie: Oh, my goodness. Oh, no, you have me looking forward to winter, which never happens. Back to food trucks, part of the experience when you order from a food truck is where you are when you're eating your food. So, tell me some of the best locations for food trucks.
Amelia: Well, right here where we are at Cook Street Village is really nice, and there's Esquimalt Lagoon for the view.
Jackie: Yeah, I drive to Colwood all the time. And I purposely take that way around because the view is so gorgeous. I'm sitting there and having some fries; it’s great.
Amelia: It is beautiful, and I think downtown as well on Douglas Street.
Jackie: Before we finish off, is there anywhere else that you wanted to give a shout out to?
Amelia: Yes, one of our readers told us they really liked the Fickle Fig location in Sidney. So we went there, and we tried the almond croissant, the coffee, and lemon tarts, and it's really good. We were amazed by how good it was. I think it's one of my favourite bakeries in town now, and they have other things aside from baked goods like gelato made in-house.
Jackie: You got me wanting to go to Sidney now. I actually went to Sidney last summer, and I went to Fish on Fifth, and I really liked that and I will be going back.
Amelia: And the waterfront patios are great.
Jackie: Also, right here in front of me, we have the 2021 tasting Victoria People's Choice Restaurant Awards. It has a lot of great options for specific things if you're looking for your favourite takeout, farm-to-table restaurants, and a lot of cool options. And I understand that these are slowly making their way around the city to some of the winners?
Amelia: Yes, they are. So you can find them at locations that won an award like Ferris’s, Virtuous Pie, or Whistle Buoy.
Jackie: Awesome. So people can keep an eye out and be informed about the best places to eat in Victoria. Amelia, thank you so much for meeting me downtown. I'm happy that you made me get outside on a Monday because it's gorgeous.
Amelia: Thank you very much for having me. We'll talk again soon.
Jackie: For more great food recommendations for Victoria and the surrounding area, you can visit tastingvictoria.com or follow them on Instagram @tastingvictoria.