Eating Victoria- Food Blog and Eating Guide

I went to Delicado’s a few years ago, and I left feeling underwhelmed and ripped off. I went again a few weeks ago and it was a different experience. I had a wrap, which was full of beans, rice, cheese, and veggies. It had some kind of sauce with a bit of heat which was a nice surprise. I also ordered one of their many( all of them looked appetizing) salads. The broccoli salad was intriguing, and I couldn’t even finish it all because it was that generous of a portion. It was raw broccoli( not everyones cup of tea but it worked in this salad) with carrots and raisins with some kind of sweet yoghurt dressing. It was refreshing and really tasty.

My second experience here makes me want to go back again. Vegetarian-friendly, healthy and bags of flavour!

Puerto Vallarta Amigos- Mexican Street Food
On Wharf St., at the end of Yates

Hey Folks!
Sorry I don’t have very much information about this little place. I added the restaurant to Urbanspoon, but I was unable to find a website, phone number, or address for the establishment. I heard about Amigos from a post comment on another blog, so I decided to investigate today for lunch! The trailer itself is clean, with bright colours, and a decent amount of staff crammed inside. The menu is small, and the options are very affordable. I saw signs decorating the trailer with ” Farm Fresh” and the like, so I figured ” Why not?”

The staff were eager with grins of a fresh business, and the whole transaction from choice to food-in-hand was less than 5 minutes.  I went with a Torta, and to be honest, I didn’t even know what it was from the picture on the menu. You can choose multiple flavours for quesadillas and tortas, so I chose the beef barbacoa($5.99). I knew it was going to trigger my thirst, so I picked up a mango juice-box too($1.50). At a grand total of $7.50, this is an affordable lunchspot for people on the go, or office-workers near-by.

The beef barbacoa torta was everything I hoped it would be, greasy, spicy and full of flavour. The bread was almost grilled, but with oil. Barbacoa is a Mexican style of cooking, usually involving slow roasting meat( typically whole mutton), over a fire, or more traditionally in a pit covered with Maguey leaves. The beef barbacoa was tenderized to perfection, falling apart but it still maintained good texture. The flavours were bright, the lettuce inside wasn’t really necessary( probably just an iceberg mix). Overall I was impressed for the $5.99 price tag and I will definitely go back to see if the other items deliver a similar pleasurable experience. I’m assuming this place is only open at lunch, but if anyone reads this, you can adjust the information on the Urbanspoon spot below,

Bandidas Taqueria
2781 Commercial Drive
604-568-8224

Once upon a time I lived in Vancouver, and even though I reside in Victoria currently, a trip back to the big city invigorates me with food, traffic buzz, eclectic peoples and conversations. I hopped on the ferry to visit my brother( who lives near the Drive) and some newlywed friends. Thursday seemed the epicentre of an unsuspected heatwave, and it followed us into the open-air cafe, Bandidas Taqueria. Commercial Drive is known for alternative living, good coffee, Italian eateries, and a good mix of lifestyles. My friend L suggested Bandidas, and it welcomed us with smells of the kitchen and busied mouths talking and eating. It’s a busy joint from first glance, but I think that may be because everything moves quite slow inside. The server we had was sarcastic and a bit out to lunch, but nice enough. We ordered a pitcher of Red Devil beer ($16), and L ordered a hibiscus iced tea($3). The chairs weren’t comfortable, especially in the sticky heat, but sipping on cold drinks eased our focus on the temperature. The menu is a reasonable size, with many options to please any diner. I went for the Dani’s Enchiladas( $10.50) and a Mole sauce($1 extra charge), my bro ordered the Pascale Mark Nachos($11) and a small guacamole($3), and L&M chose the Leona Gayle for ($8).

The food seemed to take its time getting to us despite our fast-flowing conversation. By the time it arrived, we were well-starving.

Food:

My first impressions were that the food was sloppy and bland in appearance(not a lot of vibrant and fresh colours). For example, the mole enchiladas I ordered, everything on my plate was brown. No sprigs of fresh cilantro? Just something to sex up the presentation a bit would be nice. The enchiladas were clearly homemade and delicious. They were stuffed with roasted squash was sweet and really paired well with the mole. The mole wasn’t memorable, but it did the trick for this meal. My bro’s nachos seemed pedestrian, sprinkled with corn and finely diced red peppers, and a couple of jalapeno peppers. I struggled to see the rationale behind the 11 dollar price tag, plus an additional 3 dollars for a little dish of guacamole. My friend L enjoyed her spicy tofu burrito, but M really didn’t care for the salsa verde on top of his.

Overall:

The food was passable and undoubtedly homemade. But the price is a bit steep for the sloth service and questionable food. I enjoyed mine, but I don’t think I’ll go back for dinner. This is a cool place on the drive for a few beers and for people watching. Spin the wheel and hopefully your dinner party lucks out with their choices.

Hernande’z Cocina
735 View St.
250-884-5313
www.hernandezcocina.com

Update(Nov 2010)

Allo! Just wanted to update this review for Hernande’z. I was surprised to see in my recent visit, that Hernande’z has expanded across the way, and has split up their order/service side from their food preparation side. With this comes more seating and more staff. They still have the cards which identify which order is yours, it’s a fun touch. I went with a group of three other people, and the food arrived within 5-10 minutes. I had the huarache with puerco this time, with hot sauce. It wasn’t very hot(spice-wise), but it was fresh, and I polished off the whole thing.

Hernande’z is a great spot for lunch or dinner, with menu items ranging from a couple of dollars up to around 10. It’s simple, fresh, and most importantly, delicious. Congratulations on the expansion.

Cheers

E.V.

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June 2010

I’ve expressed my confusion in previous posts about how Victorian’s are rating restaurants on Urbanspoon, and to test this once again, I went to the #1 restaurant in Victoria, Hernande’z Cocina, in the little mall between View and Yates. I’ve been here a few times before, and it continues to grow each time I visit. I don’t recall having two menus the first time I went, so the express menu and slow-food menu must be a new option. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I chose from the slow-food menu.  Hernande’z is a self-professed replica of a Central-American kitchen(cocina) fashioned after their great-grandmothers market stall in Cojutepeque, El Salvador, which is an endearing and personal touch to the experience. I liked the sounds of the huarache de pollo( $7.95). I was handed this laminated card, ‘El Diablito’, which was called when my order was up. This is very much a cafe set-up, colourful plastic table clothes, and reggaeton blaring in the background.

When the huarache arrived, I traded the staff member for my diablito(devil) card, and delved straight into the heavenly huarache. Huarache is derived from the shape of the actual corn tortilla/ masa base, which resembles a sandal or oblong shape. Huaraches are actually a type of popularized sandal. The masa dough itself was chewy but didn’t put up much of a fight, it still had a soft and rich quality to it. It didn’t have the unctuousness(oily,slippery) that comes to mind with a lot of poorly executed Mexican food. The basmati rice was perfectly cooked, the chicken was perfectly moist and shredded, and the black beans were silky and full of flavour. The salsa on top was more for a punch of acidity, not for heat. The sour cream seemed thinned out, perhaps with some lime juice, but it was nice to have it evenly distributed, not in big globs. The organic greens were a nice bitter and fresh finish to this (filling) lunch. I can see why this restaurant has a faithful lunch queue. Victoria, I am slowly coming to understand what you are looking for in a restaurant. Hernande’z may be humble in appearance, but they truly care about the food. The rating is justified in their stubborn refusal to not serve anything but fresh and properly prepared food. I like when a restaurant takes charge and accountability like that, it makes the diner feel looked after. It’s good value, and packed with subtle fresh ingredients, this joint is definitely on the right track.

Food rating: 4.5/5
Service rating: 4/5
Ambiance rating:4/5