Victoria, BC.
By: Claire Varty
My best friend Eleni enjoying the food and sun in the grass
BBQ Bison Burger made up of free-range bison topped with smoked cheddar cheese and their homemade pink bike barbecue sauce
Day 1
First stop, Victoria British Columbia! Not going to lie, I had no idea this was such a hot destination for retirees. With the yearly mild temperatures, I found myself wondering if I booked a plane specifically meant for the elderly. Alas, that is just the Victoria crowd! My best friend, Eleni, picks us up from the airport and we’re already in search of something to eat after a five-hour flight. We settle on a small Thai place for takeout in a neighbouring town and set up picnic-style in a park overlooking the sea. Our choices included the classic pad Thai, with curry and beef dish. Peaceful is an understatement. I hear the sound of the breeze and water splashing up against the docks, and I feel ecstatic to have been reunited with my best friend after not having seen her since the winter. We finish our meal slowly, relaxing and talking on the grass before moving on. The rest of the day was filled with various stops touring the island and the main city. For dinner, Eleni took us a popular gourmet burger joint called “The Pink Bicycle” which was featured on the popular Canadian show “You gotta eat here!”. I opted for their BBQ Bison Burger made up of free-range bison topped with smoked cheddar cheese and their homemade pink bike barbecue sauce. The rest of the menu is comprised of various creative combinations of meat and veggie patties with complementing toppings like the Local Swine Burger comprised of a pork patty, with teriyaki, green onion and ginger, topped with grilled pineapple & Emmental, or the Moroccan Veggie Burger made up of a Moroccan spiced garbanzo bean patty infused with dates topped with red peppers & mintro sauce. Shortly after getting back from dinner, we turn in for the night what with the busy day and the jet lag, going to bed is much needed.
Day 2
Out of all the misfortunes, my boyfriend and I come down with a cold. Our immune systems had been compromised the previous day after having attended a party (coupled with heavy drinking) the night before our departure and having to wake up early for the flight, needless to say, it was not the best combination. Nevertheless, we persisted. Eleni took us to a BBQ from her Muay Thai club where we ate the standard burger and potato salad while conversing with the locals. Later that day, after having completed a hike where we viewed the city of Victoria from above, we went to a highly rated Japanese Tapas restaurant Nubo. Thing is Eleni heavily downplayed how good this place was to really have us in awe at the quality of the fish and the complexity of the rolls. Thankfully we decided to share everything which made selecting what to get easier since we got to try a wide selection of rolls. We ultimately decided on the following Mango Tango Roll, Negitoro Roll, Tomohawk Roll, Over the Rainbow Roll, Zero Roll and the Fisherman’s Roll.
Tomohawk Roll (spicy tuna, prawn tempura, fish eggs, jalapeno, avocado, baby scallop, miso aioli)
Over the Rainbow Roll (imitation crab meat, avocado, tuna, ebi, wild salmon, tai)
Zero Roll (spicy tuna, cream cheese, jalapeno, avocado, deep fried), Fisherman’s Roll (spicy tuna, cucumber, slices of tuna, 7-spice aioli)
Mango Tango Roll (salmon, avocado, cream cheese, sliced mango), Negitoro Roll (tuna belly, green onion)
Being so close to the ocean comes at such a high advantage to getting fresh fish and even with our depleted immune system, we got to savour all the tastes that came with consuming such deliciously fresh fish and prepared rolls.
Day 3
Day 3 – Feeling slightly better, we get up early and head into the centre of town to catch a bus that’ll bring us to the ferries. Eleni’s mother got us an Airbnb on a nearby tiny island, Salt Spring, for the next couple of days. While waiting for the bus, we stop at this cute little bakery, Crust. All of their pastries are lined up by the window making it easy for us to view the various options, but not so easy to choose as they all looked exceptionally tasty. We finally narrow it down to their mini crème brûlé tart and a decadent looking chocolate cronut. If you are ever in Victoria, I *highly* recommend making a stop here. The chocolate cronut was hands down one of the best pastries I’ve had in my life (and I’m French so that says a lot). We ate them while basking in the sun on the benches of our ferry ride over to the island, which truly made them that much more enjoyable. Having no knowledge of Salt Spring Island, we were excited to see what it had in store for us in the last couple of days of our stay in the West Coast of Canada.
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Blurry chocolate cronut and crème brûlé tart from my old instagram story