Is a decent place in Victoria, the rice noodle is good and fired dumpling is better, the server is…read morefriendly, not asking for gourmet Chinese food, but been stuck on a cruise ship for a week, this place is fine, if come back will definitely stop by

Iffy service, pretty solid food…read more My family and I weren't feeling any of the nearby restaurants at our hotel. Then we decided to visit the small Chinatown in the Victoria area. To make our 3-hour visit there worth it, we wanted to have dinner here, and I don't regret finding this place; it was awesome eating here! The inside is mildly bright with many tables for seating but it also feels oddly quiet inside given the number of people inside (it was halfway to a full house). You'll also see some wall decorations and figures at the front. Service here was pretty slow; it took 15 minutes for my mom and sis's dishes to come out, and nearly 25 minutes for the first portion of my dish. Sometimes my server was pretty busy to take some of my requests like getting a spoon or the check. As for my food, I got the traditional Crossing the Bridge rice noodles, with the standout items being the Yunnan pork and raw pork for me. My ingredients for this dish came out in 25 min, with the soup and coming out 10 minutes later and the noodles following a couple minutes after that. With the way everything but the noodles were being brought out, I was worried the soup would start getting cold by the time I threw everything else into the soup. Looking past all of that, the whole thing was actually delicious! Soup wasn't sour and instead felt very homely, and the amount of ingredients was perfect. The soup wasn't in any sort of stone pot to keep it really hot, but everything ended up being fully cooked before i started eating. Others things to mention: - We got two orders of wonton soup. These don't include noodles, and the wontons looked pretty bland even though they're actually full of taste. - My mom's zhajiang noodles came in soup, which is definitely a first since I usually see it without. - Portions in general are quite small though they aren't as expensive when looking between CAD and USD. I'll mentally add this place to my list of places to revisit whenever I'm back in Victoria!

Everything was really good with some exceptional dishes. The smoked sablefish was truly well done…read more Dessert featured a very smooth and tasty hazelnut mousse, and had the best little cakes (they would be addictive if you could take them home). Pacing for the 5 courses was also nice. Not the most extensive drinks menu, but what was on offer was good. Service was also excellent. Would absolutely recommend.

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday and we both left with our bellies full and happy! I…read moreattached photos but everything was plated beautifully and wasn't just for show either. I will say the price point was very fair for the range of dishes and quality in service you're provided. Staff was exceptionally attentive and sweet. I let them know in the reservation it was his bday and at the end of the meal he got a little slice of cake! From what I gather, other customers were also very pleased with their meals and some were frequent diners so I would definitely recommend this for a small intimate date night or even a larger bday group. It was both of our first times in Canada and this was the perfect meal to treat ourselves to on our last night. Thank you not so Ugly Duckling!

Just another excellent evening with the restaurant folks! This time, finding the place was easier…read more(it's off a back alley). Got there just when they opened and got a prime seating near (but not to near) one of the fireplaces (they have several italian brick style). The restaurant has many twists and turns creating many wonderful dining alcoves. Very inviting to sit and talk. So on a cold December evening we both had the Polo Appollonia; a wonderful mixture of garlic, bacon, and cheesey pasta. But the real star of the meal were the appetizers! Amazing tasting tomato soup, and the insalata caprese. The salad had a large portion of crisp tomatoes served with like a half pound of real homemade buffalo mozzarella, and lots of fresh basil. Almost a meal. The waiter was very helpful in selections of the food and some wine. We will definitely be back on our next visit to Vancouver Island.

Delicious food, fantastic bread, friendly staff. We've come…read morehere for our birthdays twice and we've been so happy with the experience each time. The bread is literally incredible, we order an extra basket because it is so good. We ordered the mussels this time and the sauce was insanely good. The extra bread was necessary to soak up the sauce when we were done. We also split the carbonara which was also very good, the steak was cooked perfectly. Also appreciated the extra considerate touch with the blankets in the colder area of the restaurant.

Drove down from courtenay to meet with a friend to go to the…read moreCity & Colour show and she suggested the Block as she had been before. Ambiance was great - super warm and welcoming which was magnified by the host. Super lovely. Then the wait staff. Whoever is hiring/training is doing a great job! Not drinking right now but the cocktail menu was super tempting. Every menu item sounded great. We got some help on ordering from our servers and Tanya picked ones she had enjoyed before. We also sat right beside the pick up window so it was fun seeing food come out! The food was fantastic. See pictures for what we ordered. Not sure if I can remember the names of everything but it was a perfect combo!!

So straight up this place went and took us to places we hadn't been prior to eating at the Block…read more Overall a very enjoyable experience for sure, but you cannot pigeonhole this place, which is a very good thing! We are big fans of traditional fare, but the Block is a place we are so glad we experienced and will certainly return utilizing the knowledge we garnered during our first experience. A big thank you to for helping us through picking one price fixe January exploration of your local restaurants and filling it with other ala carte additions. As we often do we ordered far too much food, wanting to explore everything off a menu that is far reaching. Not sure if our additions worked with the price fixe menu, but we sure enjoyed checking everything out. The interior is interesting with the addition of structural steel in the space to keep this heritage building (I think) standing tall for a few generations. We sure hope it's still here for a long while and will most likely come again the next time we are in Victoria. That is saying a lot as there are a wide range of restaurants in the neighbourhood, but you do want to check the Block out!

It is really pretty in here. I called on a late Sunday afternoon to see if they have a happy hour…read more The host was so helpful & encouraging. We all walked over & had a great time. We did not eat, but we did have a couple drinks. Very good, served by a wonderful server. We sat in a beautiful,comfortable area between the bar & the restaurant. I highly recommend coming here, enjoying their beautiful space & have a drink. Enjoy!

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Grand Pacific for 3 nights. Our first night dined from the…read moremore limited menu of Fathom and neither of us were pleased. My spouse had the chuck and brisket/bacon burger with fries. The chef would not prepare it medium but well done only. Complaints were a dry, possibly pre formed and frozen meat patty...the veggies were necessary for moisture. I had the buttermilk chicken "schnitzel" with fennel salad and potatoes. The fennel salad consisted of 2 1/2 thin shaves of fennel. The potatoes were good. The chicken was most likely 3 oz and pounded literally as thin as paper and deep fried within an inch of its life! The dish was small or meager size and I don't need a lot to feel satisfied but simply didn't with this dish of greasy, overcooked paper thin chicken. Ugh. Chocolate torte for dessert....although thin, it was rich and delicious. We shared the white bean mezze for a starter, the hummus was good and the pickled carrots very good. The ambiance of the restaurant is nice, dark with deep colors and chill. The feeling we had was this restaurant trying to be a 5-star, chic culinary adventure (small portions but amazing food); however they fell very short. Unfortunately this hotel offers no other kitchen or menu for guests and room service. You won't find a delicious and varied menu here...you are stuck with Fathom. Do yourselves a favor and enjoy a culinary adventure outside of the hotel - every restaurant we have dined in (every time we ferry over to BC) has been yummy, with the exception of Fathom.

My husband got the 2 piece halibut fish & chips. I can never get at all my chips so we have started…read moresharing a larger order & no more wasted chips. The halibut is perfect-just like I like it. The pieces are generous. One piece is plenty for the average person. The halibut is BC caught, which is great. Tasted fresh and delicious. I like the fresh tasting coleslaw. It isn't that gluggy sweet sugar & mayo combo you get at many places. It was just a simple cut up cabbage nicely seasoned. Maybe it had a little something else on it. Expect a line whenever you go because the word is out. The wait staff was friendly and working hard to keep the line moving. We found a chair up against a narrow wooden "bar" facing the water. It was quite warm so we appreciated the shade of an umbrella.

Lovely tacones - tortilla wrapped with ingredients in a cone - easy to replicate but execution is…read morephenomenal. I got the albacore tuna and tempura cod tacones which were decently priced and filling - 2 was more than enough for a nice meal. The albacore tuna was prepared medium and fresh and flavorful, and the tempura cod is nicely battered. Both shared similar ingredients like the slaw and it was hard to differentiate the different sauces. Line was long - even on Saturday 4:30pm, it was a 15 min queue and another 10 minutes for food. Lots of ample seating outdoors only, so I can imagine it being more busy on a nicer day like when I visited.

TOP NOTCH SERVICE. Beaver Tails are the ultimate Canadian experience. A fried flat dough topped…read morewith a sugary mixture. This is located on a main strip in Victoria - and I was happy to see it. I'd only had it in Ottawa. They have others in BC just not in Vancouver. It's a small stand so it's tight but it opens to the street so it feels bigger. On your birthday, you get a free beaver tail which retails probably closer to $10. You get to have the original but my favorite favorite flavor is the original with a lemon on it so they gave that to us for free for my mom's birthday. You must visit the spot if you're in Victoria yes it is a little touristy, but it is a very good product and the staff is super friendly.

We got the BrWOWnie and Strawberry Cheesecake and they were amazing! Though I definitely preferred…read morethe brownie one more. Definitely wanted to try their pistachio one too though but didn't get the chance. The fried dough base was delicious! Crisps on the edges, and soft in the middle. The brownie consist of chocolate hazelnut spread, then topped with warm brownie chunks, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. The strawberry cheesecake one is layered with cream cheese frosting, a drizzle of strawberry sauce, and generous chunks of graham cracker crumble. Service was neutral, and ambiance was great!

we wanted noodle after our cruise trip and decided to come here after lots of walking…read more *the braised pork noodle was good flavor. *wonton rice noodle was bland. *popcorn chicken was good. wifi here so that was nice to be able to map out the area. (and also so we can call people to meet). the bathroom needed some cleaning though.

I was familiar with Cantonese and Szechuan styles of Chinese food, but I'd never heard of Guangxi…read more I'm definitely a convert and need to seek it out! They are known for rice noodles. Unlike Vietnamese bun which is thin like vermicelli, these were quite a bit thicker, almost like a round fettuccine. As appetizers, we had the duck egg rolls. We managed to eat them before taking a picture.... they were finally ground duck in egg roll wrappers. We also had the sliced pork belly with garlic sauce. I remembered to take a picture before it was completely gone! It was one of the most amazing things I've had. It's cooked and thinly sliced pork served cold, with crisp and refreshing julienne carrots and cucumber. It's served with a thin dressing that includes fresh garlic. The whole thing is cool, sharp, refreshing, and satisfying. Finally, I had the noodles. I borrowed somebody else's picture, because I forgot to take it before I dumped the toppings in. It comes with two or three different kinds of pickles, toasted soybeans, and green onions. The idea is to stir those into the noodles and eat them first, like a cool noodle salad. Then... you dump the broth on top and enjoy them like a Ramen or a noodle soup. It was absolutely amazing. As a Texan, I'm no stranger to spicy food, but somehow the spicy broth caught me at the back of my throat rather than just the tongue. You should definitely give this place a try! It felt authentic.. most of the customers in there appeared to be Asian, which is usually a good sign.

The tallow fries were delicious!! We sat outside. It was…read morerecently opened. The burger wasn't my favourite as I like a not so well cooked burger and I like lettuce and tomatoes on my burger. And those were not available. Might be different now.

Fantastic burger and Fries. Had a double cheeseburger and fries - this was one of the best burgers…read moreand fries that I've ever had! Burger had a soft bun - sort of like a Hawaiian roll - beef tasted great! Fries were crinkle cut and double fried in beef tallow - just like old times! Chatted with the owner and staff - very friendly, quick and attentive service. Loved the "Redrum" theme. We'll be back on our next trip to Victoria! (Located a block south of the Parliament building - so it's easy to walk to in the area).

Hands down the most delightful labyrinth of imported foods you will ever find in Victoria. Sooooo…read moremany little rooms that each make their own remarkable impression. The mere act of wandering through the store for an hour equaled the joy of the things we bought (the kind and attentive staff, the hidden piano player entertaining guests with holiday tunes, and the person in a top hat and coat tails opening the door for customers didn't hurt either). A MUST SEE!

What an amazing foodie spot! They have everything you can imagine relating to good food!! And…read moreeveryone who works there is so nice and well informed about the products. Any spice, sauce, balsalmic, chocolate etc etc And it is soo clean! What an awesome store!