Azuma Sushi
615 Yates Street, Victoria
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I discovered Azuma several years ago, before they doubled in size and before they became busy almost all the time. You often seen lineups here.
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My Azuma meals have been uniformly reliable and the service quick and friendly. Sometimes, it's amazingly quick – the food is in front of you in under 10 minutes, hot and nicely cooked.
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They are a high-volume place. If you're expecting the exotic and offbeat, it's probably not here, but I haven't been through their entire menu.
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Their lunchtime bento boxes are reliable — and under $10. You'll find the ubiquitous shrimp and vegetable tempura, teriyaki chicken, variations on beef, and sushi.
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It's a restaurant where you feel comfortable and I find myself gravitating there when I'm in a no-fuss mood and just want a quick, decent meal. Not necessarily an "authentic" meal, but a satisfying one.
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The Reef
533 Yates Street, Victoria
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My old reliable here has been the West Indian curry, with chicken or goat, for around $10.
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The curry comes piled on rice with a side of coleslaw. I don't know what "authentic" calls for, but for my tastebuds, the curry could have a little more heat. But I still like it.
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The Reef can be uneven. Most of my experiences have been good. But once, the garnishes — a slice of kiwi and watermelon — were very sad. This happened on a Sunday. And according to foul-mouthed celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, you're gambling a bit if you dine out on a Sunday. It's likely a day when the first-string kitchen staff is taking the day off. I have no idea if this is the case with The Reef.
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The Reef's deep-fried plaintain chips, with spicy dip, are a delight. It's hard to stop eating them. But once, they came out with some of the chips burned. I should have sent them back.
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Despite the occasional mis-steps, I find myself returning. There's more good than bad.
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Our colleague Matthew Pearson has high praise forÌýPizzeria Prima Strada in Cook Street Village. Here's his post at the City Sights blog.
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Coming up: the under-$5 breakfast at the Fairway grocery store on Quadra. I'm not a morning person, so it might be a while before I get around to this. The big sign promoting the breakfast definitely tempts me.Ìý
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Last time I was in the Quadra Fairway, they were offering discounted sushi after 8 p.m.
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A small group of us went to the Sooke Philharmonic's annual Fling on Sunday at Sooke's Ed Macgregor Park. The orchestra plays pop classics. An enthusiastic audience sat on the lawn and many of them munched on food while they listened.
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I was impressed and astonished by the cuisine on display.
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One group ate off real plates with real cutlery. SaladÌýand sliced chicken breast appeared to be their main course. They also had many other things — including fruits and cookies.
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Another group had meats, quiches, meat pies and a beautiful fruit salad. They also used real plates and cutlery.Ìý
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I should have taken photos.
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We also brought food, but it was much more modest — cold cuts, cheese, lettuce and sweet-pepper slices to make sandwiches, plus sausage rolls, grape tomatoes, and cherries.
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Ed Macgregor Park is undergoing a major upgrade. There's a boardwalk down to the sea, that goes on and on. An outdoor stage is to be built before next year's Fling.
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