victoria – Elsie Hui

October 21, 2018October 28, 2018

Green Leaf Bistro – Victoria, British Columbia

We went to Victoria for Canada Day, and if you know my boss, he was there during this time as well and we said we’d try to meet up in front of the Empress for fireworks if it all works out. So, I had to spend the day in this city even though I was actually staying in Parksville. So, for lunch we wandered off to Green Leaf Bistro for a quick soupy lunch.

I know I didn’t want or need this, but since it was on the table, I eat it! It was Barbecued Quail. I do eat quail and I love it deep fried, but like chicken wings, I’m not always in the mood for them. This was actually really good and I’m glad it was ordered. It was something quite different, so it’s always good to give new things a shot.

I ordered a bowl of Spicy Beef Noodle Soup as I needed something to get me going again. It’s already been a long day and somehow i needed to last until midnight. The bowl of noodle soup was pretty big and not as spicy as I had originally prepared myself for by looking at it. It was very spicy, don’t get me wrong, but I thought it would be constant choking and sweating and running nose. I’m not sure why I thought that would be enjoyable, but I can’t question myself as I never make sense. This was a pretty big portion and generous amount of meat on top.

We ordered something “normal” just in case my order was too spicy for me to handle. We had their Brisket Noodle Soup and this was pretty good. The soup was definitely a different broth and it was good!

Overall, we left here very full and satisfied. Now that I’m blogging this and looking back.. I was not very smart at all getting a spicy soup. “what if” I had a stomach ache from the spice!? LOL! Everything worked out well though, as usual!

Green Leaf Bistro

832 Goldstream Ave,
Victoria, BC
250-590-8302

June 24, 2015January 6, 2019

Dutch Bakery and Diner – Victoria, British Columbia

We got up really early the morning we were driving home and found a place called Dutch Bakery and Diner which wasn’t too far from our hotel. We decided to try them, and it worked out great as street parking was free still when we went!

We sat down and we were greeted by the friendliest staff, and it felt like you were in an old town diner once you got there. It was fantastic!! The menu wasn’t extensive, but the selection was still great!

I decided I would have their Uitsmyter which sounded “Dutch” to me, and I tried to get it as traditional as possible. Turns out, I ordered a giant silly face – ham and egg open faced sandwich with some hashbrowns! It tasted great and it was fun to eat the entire face up!

We also ordered something more standard to our culture, their Full Breakfast which was either ham or bacon, and in our case it was bacon, with eggs, hashbrowns and toast! Just because it sounds simple though, that’s where it’s important to have a good recipe and skills making it and they did an excellent job here!

Our breakfast was so amazing, we decided to grab a few treats for our ferry back to the mainland!! The bakery was a lot of fun, like any bakery really, but this one had so much stuff! I got a Chocolate Croissant to go and I actually ate it at the ferry terminal. It didn’t make it on board as it looked and smelled so amazing! It was delicious and the chocolate they used was decadent, but not so rich where I don’t like it! The texture was pretty good too, and I’m sure it would have been better had I enjoyed it at the diner.

We got another croissant as well, a savoury one, their Ham and Cheese Croissant and we got this as it was unique. Instead of plain or cheese, it had ham in it. It was actually amazing and as I’m writing about it now, I kind of wish I had one! The texture of this croissant was better actually, and with the ham and cheese, it was perfection! It doesn’t look like much, but she’s a gooder!

The final thing we bought on our way out was what they called a Flying Saucer Cookie and I got it because of the name. I took a bite of this and I fell in love! There’s nothing called “Flying Saucer” on the internet as I wanted to know more about it or prehaps try to make it. It’s got almond on it and a little filling. It was absolutely amazing, unique, and special! I really enjoyed it! So, be sure to stop by here for some flying saucers!!

Overall, this was one of the best and unique bakeries I’ve been to as it’s a bakery and diner mix! The food and service was amazing, the prices was fair as I found everything in Victoria just a tad more expensive. But the memories of the food we had here and the experience of flying saucers, it was worth it!

Dutch Bakery and Diner

718 Fort Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 385-1012

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