BBQ Pete's Wood Pit Barbecue (Kent)

Last May, I traveled down to Kent, Wa (let's just say Seattle since Kent is in the Metro area) so that I could take the BBQ Judge certification course (PNWBA).  I've always loved BBQ and to actually be able to judge it at PNWBA (and sometimes other associations) events was a bucket list item.  We ended up taking the course at the nearby BBQ Pete's just a bit past Southcenter Mall.  I never did get to eat there, but since we were out there again before our flight to San Francisco, it was as good as any.

For my son, he loves brisket, so it was by no surprise that he chose the Chopped Brisket Sandwich with Corn Bread Muffin and Fries.  They didn't skimp on the brisket as it was bursting at the seams.  It was tender while conservatively sauced.  There was a definite peppery slant while some tang and smokiness.  The bun was soft, but held together.  Crumbly with a balance between sweet and savoury, the corn bread muffin was delicious especially with the honey butter.  

Viv and my daughter shared the Sandwich with No Name featuring sliced brisket, crispy onions, provolone and BBQ sauce.  This was also tasty with tender smoky brisket and sweet fried onions.  However, the sides were the real star.  The Loaded Potato Salad was made with sour cream, bacon and onions.  It tasted great like a baked potato with a nice tang, smokiness and creaminess.  The BBQ Beans were also money with a rich sweet depth that wasn't overwhelming.  Again, the smokiness was there while the addition of sweet corn was genius.  It broke up the monotony.

For myself, I had the 3 Meats consisting of BBQ Pork Ribs, BBQ Pork and BBQ Chicken.  I found the ribs to be meaty and succulent with a hint of smokiness.  It wasn't sauced aggressively and that was fine since we could help ourselves to 6 different sauces.  The BBQ Pork (pulled pork) was fairly moist and came plain for us to sauce ourselves.  Usually, BBQ Chicken doubles as jerky, but not this one as the breast meat was moist and tender with rendered skin.  For my sides, I had the fries and Chipotle Coleslaw.  The slaw definitely had a kick to go with equal parts tang and creaminess.  Once done, we helped ourselves to the complimentary soft-serve ice cream (which was pretty average, but hey, it was free!).  As for the rest of the food, it was more than acceptable.

The Good:
- Above-average eats
- Free ice cream!

The Bad:
- A touch pricey consider it is counter-service

Arashi Ramen (Southcenter)

It goes without saying that being on vacation is pretty sweet.  Away from the worries of real life and of course, immersing oneself in another culture and/or city rocks too.  But let's be serious here, the food has to do with at least 50% of it!  However, it can be a curse too (yah I know, first world problems) as one can often over indulge.  Thank goodness we started off with some Japanese food in Nanaimo!  However, after a few heavier meals, we had to do something a bit lighter in Arashi Ramen.  Sure, ramen may not be the healthiest of foods, yet it is relatively less heavy than say, fish & chips...  Even that would be up for debate.

We started with an order of Takoyaki which appeared to be fried rather than prepared in a mold.  However, that wasn't a negative since they were crispy with a thin exterior wall.  Inside, the mix was soft and featured veggies (it was actually okay) and a large piece of chewy, yet tender tako.  We only wished they let up on the sauce as the whole thing became too tangy and sweet.

Originally, we were just going to order the full-sized version for the kiddies, but they presented us with the kid's menu which featured a small appie, a kid's sized ramen and a yogurt drink.  As such, my daughter went for the Shio Ramen with a side of Gyoza.  Not too heavy, the silky broth was porky with a balanced amount of saltiness.  The noodles were al dente while the gyoza were pretty typical, but could've use more elasticity (with the wrapper).  My son had the Shoyu Ramen with Chicken Karaage.  This was lighter in the sense it was less meaty with the definite taste of soy.  Again, the noodles were al dente while the ajitama egg was nicely runny and well-seasoned.  The chicken karaage was crispy while succulent.

Viv decided on the Spicy Miso to change it up a bit.  This was rather impactful with a rich deep saltiness accented by a good amount of spice.  It wasn't overwhelming though.  The chunks of chasu were rather lean, but still tender.  This ramen featured a thicker yellow noodle which was even firmer.  For myself, I had the Black Garlic which was the richest tasting of the bunch.  There was an aromatic Earthiness supplemented by the rich meaty broth.  Noodles were like the other bowls and the bean sprouts were still crunchy.  Fatty and soft, the chasu melted-in-my-mouth.  So how does the ramen compare to say, Vanoucver?  Well, we enjoyed our meal at Arashi where they definitely represented ramen well.

The Good:
- Respectable ramen
- Acceptable pricing

The Bad:
- Service was friendly enough, but they didn't check on us enough

Fritz European Fry House

Having a late lunch at 2:30pm was not conducive for much of a dinner.  But having driven from Port Angeles and enduring some wait at the Hood Canal Bridge as well as finding out that Hi-Lo's was prematurely closed meant we couldn't eat any earlier.  Due to the scorching heat and the memories of an oven they call a restaurant in Kama'Aina, we decided to keep things close for the last meal of the day.  Therefore, we took the short stroll to Fritz European Fry House for some quick affordable eats.

For my son, the Chicken Strip and Fried Mozza Sticks caught his eye.  Something about fried food...  Anyways, this wasn't a complex dish since it consisted of a pretty standard chicken strips which were crispy and fairly moist.  The mozza sticks were crunchy and only a bit of cheese leaked out.  As for the fries, they ranged from crispy to some that were a bit soggy.  I didn't mind them, but I would've liked to see more uniformly crispy Belgian-style frites.  For his 2 dips, he had Marinara and BBQ which were pretty typical.  Viv and my daughter shared the Chicken Burger with Creamy Dill Ranch and Tartar sauce for the fries.  Consisting of the same chicken strips, the chicken burger was also pretty standard.  Both of the dips were solid, especially the creamy and tangy tartar.

For myself, I had the Cheeseburger with Curry Mayo and Wasabi Garlic Mayo for the fries.  Although the burger was also pretty typical, the patty was moist and somewhat smoky.  I thought the dips were also very good with a balanced amount of curry in the mayo.  My favorite was the wasabi garlic as it was exactly as advertised while being balanced as well.  Overall, we found Fritz to be serviceable yet unremarkable.  The dips were definitely the highlights as well as the reasonable prices.  Just wished the fries were more crispy.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- On point dips
- Generous 2 dips per order

The Bad:
- Fries were inconsistent, some crispy, some not

Kama'Aina Grill

Cross another bucket list item off my list - taking the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles.  Yes, it isn't Machu Picchu, but hey, I've always wanted to do it.  Other than some rough waters on a smaller ferry, the ride was pleasant and we spotted some Orcas too!  Once off the boat, we made a beeline to Bremerton since I've always wanted to see what was on the other side of Puget Sound.  Originally, we wanted to try Hi-Lo's, but they were closed due to hot weather.  So we decided to try Kama'Aina Grill instead, which to our discovery, didn't have any A/C!  Let's just say we felt like we were the food baking inside!

Of course, any visit to a Hawaiian restaurant would not be complete without some Spam Musubi.  We got 4 of these babies at $2.00 a pop.  When they arrived, we were rather taken aback at the size.  For me personally, I wasn't fond of all of the rice since it put the Spam-rice ratio off.  Secondly, the rice was not sushi rice where the texture was chewy and drier.  Whatever the case, it did the job and wasn't offensive.  Viv decided to order the 1/2 lb. Tuna Poke and if you are wondering why the food was in Styrofoam containers, it's because they didn't have actual plates nor cutlery.  As for the poke, it featured large cubes of Ahi tuna that were firm and fresh.  The light saltiness kept the natural flavours alive and the sesame oil provided aromatics.  On the side, the mac salad was too saucy and too soft for our liking.

My son has had his fair share of Hawaiian eats on our visit to the islands a few years ago and he chose his favorite being the Loco Moco.  This featured 2 large handmade beef patties which were aggressively seared.  Hence they were smoky and caramelized.  Despite this, the meat was still fairly moist while being lean.  The obscene amount of gravy was a bit salty, but really helped flavor both the meat and rice.  On top, we found 2 over-easy eggs that were still runny.  For myself, I went for the Sumo Mixed Plate consisting of Huli chicken, beef short rib, BBQ beef and Kalua pork.  On the menu, there was Portuguese sausage, but we didn't get any.  We thought the pork was delicious being moist and well-seasoned.  The short rib was too chewy while the chicken was tender and moist.   Overall, we thought the food at Kama'Aina serviceable, but with a few issues.  Yet, for the price, we weren't really complaining.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Inexpensive
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Hit and miss
- Rice for the musubi not right

Pagliacci's

Originally, we had other plans for dinner on our last night in Victoria.  However, I was open to suggestions and that was certainly the case.  When we were in Nanaimo, our friend suggested we try out Pagliacci's.  In fact, someone else gave the same recommendation via IG as well. That sounded good since we love pasta and the place is kid-friendly.  Furthermore, it was only a short 3 block walk from our hotel too.  Now the place is generally busy, so we were prepared for a wait.  I guess it was our lucky day as it was only 10 minutes.

We decided to share some pastas including the Linguine Vongole that was prepared with fresh clams in the shell.  This turned out to be quite light and mild-tasting.  There definitely was minor hints of garlic, beurre blanc and herbs, but the dominant flavours were the clams and tart cherry tomatoes.  With that in mind, if we got all of the ingredients in one bite, there was enough there for impact.  With a somewhat similar flavour profile, the Salmon Sing in the Street featured spinach, basil, wild Sockeye salmon, red onions, cherry tomatoes, lemon, white wine and olive oil.  This one was more tart due to the lemon and sweeter because of the onions.  It was also light-tasting except when eaten with the tart tomatoes and fairly moist salmon.  In both cases, the pasta was fairly al dente, but not firm.

My son decided to try the Cabinet of Dr. Cappelletti sporting tortellini stuffed with beef, ricotta and Romano & Parmesan cheeses in a marinara sauce with mushrooms, onions, red wine and topped with baked mozzarella and Parmesan.  We found this to be quite tart with the Earthiness of mushrooms and sharpness of the fairly raw onions.  The tortellini was al dente with a fairly flavourful filling.  There was no shortage of baked cheese on top, but we felt this was our least favourite pasta.  Our last dish was the Old Man & the Sea 1lb. of Vancouver Island Clams.  The sauce consisted of pesto & shrimp beurre blanc which was sweet and shrimpy, but totally too salty.  So much so, the herbs were a bit obscured.  Despite that, the clams were plump and perfectly prepared.  Overall, we were indifferent with the food at Pagliacci's.  It did the job, but was hardly memorable either.

The Good:
- Attentive service
- Reasonable pricing
- Lots of choice

The Bad:
- Cramped and not completely comfortable seating
- Food was okay, but not memorable

Red Fish Blue Fish

You've heard the phrase, "location, location, location" and how it can make or break a business.  For me, I think location can be super important for specific restaurants.  I didn't say this as an absolute because there are outliers and also special cases.  Now when it comes to a seafood restaurant, being located right next to the water seems to suddenly give it credibility despite it not meaning a thing.  Now when you combine location and legitimacy, you have not only a formula for success, but it just completes the overall theme.  This would be the case for Red Fish Blue Fish right located right on the water in Victoria Harbour.

We stopped by for lunch during their busy hours and proceeded to wait over 45 minutes for our food.  Yes, they are successful.  Right after ordering, we did get our bowl of Chowder consisting of chipotle coconut and sweet corn with Pacific white fish confit.  This was lit as the advertised flavours came on strong with hits of aromatic coconut spiked with a lingering heat.  The sweet pops of corn provided a nice compliment to the spice while the ample amount of fish made the chowder robust and hearty.  Next up was a small order of Crispy Fried Oysters atop cilantro slaw served with tartar sauce.  This was also very good with only a thin layer of tempura batter.  The oysters were barely cooked through meaning they were plump, buttery and creamy.

Onto the fish & chips, we had a 2 piece order of the Pacific Cod & Chips.  This sported 2 large fillets of ling cod that were prepared properly where they were flaky and moist.  On the outside, the light tempura batter was crunchy and stayed adhered to each piece until the last bite.  The accompanying tartar sauce was creamy while spiked with dill and only a mild amount of tang.  Crispy and light, the Kennebec twice-cooked fries were on point and the perfect partner to the fish.  To get some variety, we also had one piece of Wild Salmon and BC Halibut & Chips.  Predictably, the halibut was more firm and dense due to the it being a leaner fish.  As for the salmon, it was actually quite moist despite being Chum.

Lastly, I added 2 Tacones including the Albacore Tuna and the Tempura Cod. Personally, I preferred the cod more as it was light and crispy.  It was accompanied by cilantro slaw, pea shoots, lemon-pickled onions, million-island dressing and sweet smoked chili adobo.  Hence there was enough acidity, crunch and creaminess.  Also, the slight amount of spice was welcomed too.  The tuna was rare, but a little dense for some reason.  It was also accompanied by the same veggies, yet with a different sauce being spicy spot prawn mayo.  This meant it was sweet and slightly briny.  As you can see, we tried almost everything on the menu and most of it was very good.  Sure, RFBF has got the touristy by-the-water vibe, but that doesn't take away from it being a good place for F&C.

The Good:
- Waterfront location
- Solid F&C
- Fair portions

The Bad:
- Can run out of seating quick
- Often long lineups (45 min+) during peak Summer season

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