(Dinner at Sooke Harbour House continued...) Three breads were brought out, along with softened butter. The breads were a barley sourdough (delicious), a white French bread with Calendula flower petals (in the dough), and a rye-wheat-fennel bread (also very good). I ordered a Œ94 Chardonnay from Au Bon Climat, Santa Barbara (California). I was considering a British Columbia wine, but opted for a wine that I was certain I would enjoy. Au Bon Climat makes some very nice wines, and this Chardonnay is an example. The first course was ³Cooper¹s Cove Manilla Clams and Blue Mussels steamed in a Dungeness Crab and Lemon Thyme Bisque.² After the first couple of clams and mussels, I got a good taste of the bisque. Whoa. I removed all the clams and mussels from their shells and proceeded to relish every drop of the crab bisque, with those very fresh and just-cooked-enough clams and mussels. I even sopped up the last of the bisque with some bread. The second course was ³Chinese simmered Metchosin Veal served with a steamed purple potato salad with a peach and pepper chutney.² (Metchosin is the municipality -- town? -- next to Sooke.) Another incredible dish. The spiciness of the veal (tenderloin), paired with a slice of peach and the subdued heat of slivers of red and yellow roasted peppers was an incredible combination. The purple potatoes (with slivered veggies) were very lightly dressed, and therefore didn¹t compete with the flavors of the veal and chutney. My main course was ³Pan-Roasted Sablefish (Black Cod) with a garlic, arugula and flat leaf parsley juice, Yukon Gold Roesti, roasted chantrelles and beets.² The potatoes were shredded formed into a large pancake and fried, and this disk was topped with the chantrelles and beets, and then three pieces of fish, and the potatoes were surrounded with the arugula/parsley juice. This was one of the most perfectly cooked pieces of fish I¹ve ever eaten -- a light golden brown crust but incredibly moist inside. Fabulous. Period. For dessert I ordered an ³Apple, rosemary and hazelnut caramelized comander tart with sweet majoram ice cream.² I couldn¹t imagine the mix of flavors, but decided to try it. It was very nice. Tart apples, with lots of fresh rosemary in a hazelnut crust. The ice cream (vanilla with the sweet majoram infused) was sublime. Around the tart was a Salalberry coulis, a local berry that reminded me of the tartness of cranberries. With dessert I drank a British Columbia ice wine: Œ94 Chenin Blanc Ice Wine, Inkameep, Okanagan Valley, Inniskillin. It was incredibly concentrated and went very well with dessert. (Thanks to the waiter Benjamin for the recommendation). It was a truly incredible meal. If you¹re going to Victoria, make the side trip to Sooke. The bill (without tip) was just under $145 (Canadian). (Note: the appetizers and salads run from $7.50 to $14, and entrees were $20 to $34. It is possible to have a terrific meal without spending a huge sum.) Note: the restaurant is only open from May to October and reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. I dined on Monday evening (September 15th) and tables were available. Sooke Harbour House 1528 Whiffen Spit Road Sooke, British Columbia (250) 642-3421 Homepage: sookenet.com/shh I so enjoyed the ice wine with my dessert that I went back to the Ocean Pointe Resort Wine Shoppe and bought a bottle of Œ95 Chenin Blanc (from Inniskillin), which I¹ll drink on some special occasion. (It was $54, plus tax, for 375ml.) My last full day in Victoria included afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel. One of the series of French chateau style hotels built by Canadian Pacific early this century, the Empress is truly the queen of hotels in Victoria, with a fabulous setting at the head of the inner harbor. As such, it quite the tourist attraction and crowded most of the day. Afternoon tea is served from noon to 5 p.m., and although not intended as a meal, it can just about serve as one. Reservations are a must in the summer season, and I had one for 3:30. Served in the original lobby, it is a nice setting, and done quite nicely, with china, silver and cloth napkins, live piano music and the lovely view of the harbor. We started with a dish of fresh blueberries, with whipped cream (and I opted for a glass of a decent sparkling wine). The tea is a special blend of four teas, which I thought was very nice. A three-tiered tray is then brought, with tea sandwiches (ham salad, egg salad, cucumber), a smoked salmon and cream cheese pinwheel, a raisin scone (with ³Jersey Cream² and strawberry preserves) and three small desserts (an orange and cherry slice, a lemon tartlet, and a chocolate macaroon). It was very decadent way to spend a cloudy and cool afternoon, yet also quite pleasant, as I brought a book and took my time. If you can, I¹d sit facing the windows, if nothing else to avoid the looks from the non-ending stream of gawking tourists as they pass by. Cost of the tea (without the sparking wine, tax or tip) was $29. Each party is given a box of 12 bags of the Empress¹ special tea blend. Empress Hotel 721 Government Street Victoria (250) 389-2727 I took the ferry to Vancouver and after some difficulty with my hotel (the Westin Bayshore) went for a long walk to cool off and ended up at the Fish House in Stanley Park. I arrived shortly before 6 pm, and not having a reservation (which is strongly recommended) was seated on the covered and heated patio (which was a little cool and breezy). As any party is seated, the hostess recommends the Flaming Prawns, either as an appetizer or entree. Despite being leery of something being pushed so heavily, I ordered the appetizer portion. A (very hot) pan of shrimp, tomatoes, red peppers, spinach and feta cheese is brought to the table and flamed with orzo. It was delicious, with the salty cheese and sort-of licorice flavor of the orzo. I was concerned that the shrimp might be overcooked, but they were very tender. The restaurant had a special mushroom menu, and I was considering two dishes, and opted for baked salmon with mushrooms in a ³red wine sauce,² based in part on the waiter¹s recommendation. I was surprised when the dish arrived because the sauce looked like mushroom gravy and was light brown in color (not the red color I was expecting, although in retrospect, I guess I was expecting a red wine reduction). I asked the waiter if this was red wine sauce and he said yes, but perhaps the wine had been added early and was absorbed by the mushrooms. Skeptical, I tasted the sauce, and it tasted like gravy, with more salt than I care for and had only a hint of a red wine taste. The fish was nice, although cooked a little more than I care for, and was paired with mashed potatoes, a carrot puree, red cabbage and some broccoli. The veggies were all nice, but I did not finish the fish. After discussing the ³sauce² again with the waiter, he took the entree off the bill. I will say the service was very good, the interior of the restaurant looked warm and inviting, and I would return again, but would remain leery of sauces. Since my bill was reduced, I will just note that the cost of appetizers and salads run from $5 to $12 and entrees from $14 to $40 (for a lobster). The Fish House in Stanley Park 8901 Stanley Park Drive Vancouver (624) 681-7275 After the disappointment over the sauce, I headed back to my hotel, and walked by a possible dessert location, named Death by Chocolate. I¹m not sure if there¹s any connection to Marcel Desaulinier (sp?), but I did not enter, because it looked fairly deserted (no pun intended). A few blocks away I came across another dessert establishment (Almost Confection) that looked more promising. I returned later and was bowled over by the dessert case, which displayed a half dozen cheesecakes, a similar number of cakes, four or five pies, and two ³mousse cakes² covered with chocolate. After much indecision, I ordered white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. It was terrific, very dense and moist. It comes with a ³three-berry² sauce, which was somewhat tart, and in my view, unnecessary. Next time, I¹d order it on the side. The desserts run $4.75 to 6.25, and coffee, tea, juices and several liqueurs are available. True Confection 855 Denman (at Haro) Vancouver (Note: A second branch is located on West Broadway, close to the University of British Columbia.) The next day I decided to eat Chinese and went to Grand King Seafood Restaurant. When I entered, the restaurant was crowded, but I was seated fairly promptly. The menu included dim sum and various other dishes, including soups, noodles, and chef¹s special recommendations. Based on the prices, I guessed that most of the dishes that were not dim sum were full sized portions, and would greatly limit my choices if I ordered those dishes (not wanting to be burdened with leftovers). So I opted for dim sum, which you order and is brought fresh to your table. I found the menu somewhat strange, because in addition to the expected Chinese characters, there was a simplified english description (perfect for those unfamiliar with the food), but not the name of the dish in English. For example, shiu mai were described as seasoned steamed pork dumpling. After inquiring about the names of the dishes, I ordered shrimp egg rolls, shiu mai, (steamed) cha siu bao, and hai gow. I ordered the dishes two at a time, so that the food wouldn¹t arrive at once. Everything was excellent -- especially the shrimp, which tasted very fresh. The bill (not including tip) was just over $21. Grand King Seafood Restaurant 705 West Broadway (next to the Holiday Inn) Vancouver For my final night¹s dinner, I went to another Asian restaurant (Kirin Mandarin Restaurant), one that serves Chinese regional cuisines and some Japanese dishes. I arrived without a reservation around 7:30 and the restaurant was packed. It took about ten minutes to get a table, and I was seated rice next to the kitchen, which is also exactly in front of the four fish tanks (one each with shrimp, lobster, crabs and fishes). I didn¹t complain, since there were no small tables to be seen, and I decided I could watch what was coming out of the kitchen. The menu is very large (perhaps 10 or 12 pages) and deciding was difficult. I felt like splurging again, and was prepared to order kung pao lobster, but was talked out of it, since the lobsters were generally two to three pounds each, and it would have been a huge dish. I settled on mu shu pork, shrimp in spicy tomato sauce, Chinese mushrooms with vegetables and fook chow fried rice. The mu shu pork was tasty, but I thought was too heavy on cabbage and too light on the pork. The shrimp were very nice, and the sauce reminded me of lobster sauce, to which a liberal amount of onion, and a small amount of tomato paste and diced red pepper were added. The fried rice was somewhat disappointing, since it seemed more like steamed rice tossed with stuff, including overcooked shrimp and squid. I had some sake and a beer during dinner. The bill was just over $41. Kirin Mandarin Restaurant 1166 Alberni Steret Vancouver (604) 682-2812 I also want to relate one rather amusing observation about taking notes while dining. At first, I kept my note taking rather subdued, not wanting to make a big deal about it. But it was simply not possible to escape notice. At Sooke Harbour House, a woman at the next table asked who I was writing for. I said no one, just some friends on the internet, and she nodded but seemed unconvinced. At Kirin Mandarin Restaurant, I noticed a very significant change in service as the meal progressed. When the staff saw me writing things down, my water glass never was more than half empty. The manager himself inquired about the meal. When I went to serve myself seconds on the rice, a waiter immediately offered assistance. I walked out the door laughing, having apparently convinced them I was some sort of restaurant reviewer. Perhaps this post does suggest that. I just might take notes at dinner more often... Mark
Seattle, WA