Ferris' Grill & Garden Patio

When Viv and I visited Victoria for the first time together a long time ago, we had visited a few spots including the Sticky Wicket and Ferris' Oyster Bar.  This time around, I wanted to reminisce, so we had to do a return visit to one of the aforementioned restaurants.  Since the kiddies were with us this time around (they didn't exist the last time...), we chose Ferris' Grill & Garden Patio for obvious reasons (Sticky Wicket more known as a watering hole...).  Of course, eating at the grill & garden patio was a bit brighter and kid-friendly than the actual oyster bar.

Viv and I started out with a 1/2 dozen of Oysters on the half shell served with shallot mignonette, ponzu, cocktail sauce, Tabasco and lemon.  We weren't told what type of oysters were on the plate, but my best guess the small ones were Royal Miyagi.  Not sure about the other 4 but according to the menu, they could've been Cecil's Whaletown Bay and Hollie's Holliewood.  Regardless of that, they were supremely fresh, briny and sweet.  The bigger ones were very creamy and sweet.  We did get a couple of shell fragments in a few of them unfortunately.  I decided to try their West Coast Chowder with smoked wild salmon, cherrywood smoked oysters, clams and bacon.  This was a seriously rich and smoky chowder that was creamy with the meatiness from the bacon and big chunks of potato.  This was full-flavoured and full-bodied.

For my entree, I went for the Bouillabaisse featuring wild salmon, local shellfish and prawns.  I thought the spicy tomato broth was tart, yet fairly one note.  It could've used some fennel rather than just onions.  The seafood was expertly prepared though with flaky moist salmon, buttery clams & mussels and meaty shrimp.  The best part was the large plump oyster which was buttery and creamy with a sweet brininess.  Just as good was the perfectly fried oyster that had the same qualities, except with a crispy breading.  Viv decided on the White Miso and Honey Glazed Salmon on Jasmine rice with yau choy and a ginger, sesame & soy sauce.  The salmon was also prepared properly here being moist and flaky.  The rice was chewy while the veggies were still vibrant.  I really enjoyed the ginger sesame sauce as it was impactful and paired well with the salmon.  However, it was far too salty.

My son, inexplicably had the Smoked Tuna Sandwich featuring albacore tuna, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on a brioche bun.  Suddenly, he is enjoying rare or raw fish (or in this case, raw textured fish)...  Well, it was a great choice as the tuna was buttery soft while exhibiting a balanced smokiness, yet not salty.  Hence, it was nicely complimented by the bacon.  The use of brioche bun was the proper choice as it didn't take way from the soft texture of the tuna.  On the side, the house-cut fries were crispy and appealing.  My daughter wasn't very adventurous this time around and merely went for the Kid's Pasta with tomato sauce.  Nothing much to write home about here, but the penne was al dente, but there needed to be more sauce.  Overall, we were able to be nostalgic while dining on above-average food.  Now, when is the next time we will be back?

The Good:
- Decent eats
- Loved the garden patio
- Decent service

The Bad:
- A little pricey for what you get
- Food took forever to arrive