Travel – Page 22 – Elsie Hui

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015

Barbs Fish and Chips – Victoria, British Columbia

While we were in Victoria, we decided to go find their wharf as often on weekends, I tell my husband “I want to go to the wharf to eat”, but sadly there’s none in Calgary. I liked out here when I said that as we found ourselves at their wharf with floating restaurants and we randomly went to one and picked Barb’s Floating Seafood Restaurant which must be known for their Fish and Chips as everyone was getting some!

This was only a little snack, after a large lunch, we didn’t actually need to eat, but figured it was something we should experience. So, we ordered their 1 Piece Halibut Dinner and their side order of Seafood Chowder. They make everything to order and even when your buzzer goes off, they’re still preparing your meal at the window! The food was amazing, the fish was a large piece, seasoned, and fried to the most perfect piece of fried halibut I’ve had! The portions were huge and we haven’t had such fresh seafood in a long time!

The soup was full of seafood with some potatoes and was very tasty! There was a lot of seafood in the chowder without a lot of filler or potatoes. The overall meal here was amazing and we’ve been bragging about our experience here in Victoria. We’re glad we made this fish and chip stop even though we didn’t actually need to eat!

Barbs Fish and Chips

Fisherman’s Wharf
1 Dallas Road
Victoria, BC
(250) 384-6515

June 24, 2015June 24, 2015

Afternoon Tea: The Fairmont Empress Hotel – Victoria, British Columbia

We’ve been talking about having afternoon tea at all the Fairmont Hotels and when we got to stay at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, we tried to join them for afternoon tea without a reservation as we had no idea what time the ferry would bring us in at. We were really luck and got a spot, and it was a nice spot near the window too!

Once we were seated, we were brought the tea that we choose from a waitress that made this experience very memorable. She was absolutely amazing and we even wrote her a recognition card! But in conjunction with our tea arriving to the table, we were brought Fresh Strawberries with Empress Cream, which was really refreshing! We were pleasantly surprised as we didn’t think strawberries were in season just quite yet!

Right after we got our fresh berries, we got a beautiful 3 tier tray of food which was all amazing! We rank our Fairmont afternoon experiences and this was a really close runner up to the best! The food was amazing, the service was top-notch, and the atmosphere was breathtaking!

This amazing presentation had their sandwiches on the bottom tier, scones with empress cream and jelly on the second tier and topped with their dessert tray! I really enjoyed their delicate desserts and freshly made sandwiches. The scones were quite spectacular, but I think I enjoyed the empress cream the most!

So next time you’re in the area, be sure to talk through these doors and enjoy a wonderful and memorable experience of afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress! It’s definitely here to impress!

Fairmont Empress Victoria – Afternoon Tea

721 Government Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 384-8111

June 17, 2015June 17, 2015

Fairmont Empress – Victoria, British Columbia

We decided to go to Victoria as I’ve never been there, so we decided to drive there which was quite a lengthy drive with a ferry ride, but it was definitely an awesome experience! We figured this is the only trip we will be taking here for the foreseeable future, so we decided to splurge and stay at The Fairmont Empress which has a beautiful view, and the location is quite central to unique places!

We stayed in their most economic room as it was a costly time to visit them, so the Fairmont Room was what we booked, but with a king bed. The room was beautiful and very comfortable as it offered a spacious area with a couch and a desk area.

Just across the way there’s another couch with their coffee and take maker! It’s the perfect place to stay for a wind-down if you don’t want to leave your room.

The bed and the room was really large and comfortable. The pillows was a delight to sleep on, and everything was clean and cozy, perfect for a rainy afternoon like the one we had during our stay!

The bathroom was pretty standard, it wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t small either. It offers everything you need, so it was jsut perfect!

Overall, our stay was magnificent. I think about returning all the time but it’s very expensive all around, so it’ll be a special trip every few years! The overall stay was magnificent and we had the best server during our afternoon tea experience. The only complaint would be valet – every time we needed our keys or wanted to drop it off, we would be waiting for 20 minutes for a door person to assist us.

Fairmont Empress

721 Government Street
Victoria, British Columbia
250 384 8111

June 16, 2015June 16, 2015

Super 8 – Salmon Arm, British Columbia

During one of our driving trips to British Columbia, we wanted a quick sleep, so we stopped at Super 8 at Salmon Arm which is just off of the highway in a convenient location. Although the hotel is just off the highway and a railway going behind it, it wasn’t as noisy as expected.

The room we stayed at was their 2 Double Bed Room and it wasn’t the most spacious room, but it did it’s job. It offered 2 double beds, a mini fridge, a desk, coffee maker and hair dryer! This hotel even comes with breakfast that starts at 6am!

The amount of space was a little crammed as you can see in the pictures – the fridge is right under the closet area, and that’s where the luggage rack was. Good thing we’re light packers and don’t need a lot of space!

The bathroom was really standard, but it was clean! There’s really no complaints with this hotel as it met our exceptions and in a way exceed it!

Overall, we had a great stay, although we didn’t stay for the breakfast to start, we were on the road already. It was a short and sweet stay!

Super 8 Salmon Arm

2901 10th Ave NE, Trans-Canada Hwy 1,
Salmon Arm, BC
250-832-8812

June 15, 2015December 31, 2018

Roof Restaurant and Bar: Afternoon Tea – Vancouver, British Columbia

We really enjoy having Afternoon Tea as it’s a really special treat. Our favourite is enjoying them at Fairmont hotels, and this time we made an appointment at Roof Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the location is in downtown Vancouver.

It was actually just a walk-in reservation, but they were still able to seat us near the window in their dining room. The hotel was going through some renovations and sadly they have gotten rid of their gift shop. Otherwise, the hotel was beautiful! I now see if you go for afternoon tea now, it’s in a different restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, hosted at Notch8 – so I must try there next time!

Once we got seated, we got the tea selection menu and picked some our tea. Shortly after, they came out with Yogurt Panna Cotta with Macerated Fruits which was amazing. The Panna cotta was smooth, thick and creamy. It was then topped with the macerated fruits in alcohol, which wasn’t over powering! It was quite a wonderful start!

After we had the Panna Cotta, they brought out a plate of Asparagus Tartlett and Sausage Roll! The pastry was light and flaky and the filling was quite satisfying! We both really enjoy sausage rolls, so when they had some fresh ones, it was amazing!

Then, a beautiful 3 tier tray of goodies came and it was very elaborate! The top tier had some scones with some jellies and Devonshire cream, then the middle tier had wonderful desserts, and the bottom tier had some finger sandwiches. The food was amazing and the scene was breath-taking as well!

Our overall experience here was pretty good! The food was good, and the tea, service and atmosphere was pretty wonderful! The price of the afternoon tea was pretty average for the Fairmont hotels at about $50 per person.

Roof Restaurant and Bar

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver,
900 W Georgia Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia
604 684 3131