You’ve got to hand it to a new restaurant that schedules its grand opening to coincide with the start one of the busiest dining out times of the year (Dine Around). Anyone who has watched the TV show Opening Soon knows that new restaurants rarely ever open on time and often are still painting drywall as the first guests arrive at the door hungry and thirsty. Well, Niche not only opened on time, they managed to open a day early—on Valentine’s Day—a Big Night Out in Victoria. Talk about living on the edge.
Niche is Victoria’s newest restaurant. It takes over the old Pablo’s location in James Bay. When Pablo and his flambé cart retired daughter Maria teamed up with chef Jason Leizert (formerly of Rosemeade) to bring a new style of dining to the neighbourhood. The restaurant is housed in an historic house and was gutted to make way for a complete makeover. Gone are the rugs, the partitioning of the small rooms, the old paint. In its place are a beautiful new hardwood floor, clean lines, and an airy open feeling that, although minimalist by design doesn’t feel cold but modern and exciting. Chalk up another design success for Maria (who also did the amazing makeover at the English Inn).
This sleek, clean design is befitting of Leizert’s cooking which is unfussy yet deep in flavour. The $35 Dine Around menu offers choices both for the appetizer and the mains. I tried the cod—which was a fresh as the sea and cooked to just the flake point. Perfect. It came atop braised Napa cabbage with grilled lemon. Very simple but well executed. My dining companion ordered the duck confit. When it came he was surprised to find a large bowl filled with a deeply flavoured broth and a skewer of confit suspended above the liquid. Not your typical duck confit.
Main courses brought a pair of game hen plates (Cornish hens). A whole bird cut into four pieces artistically presented with swirls of black current jus and onion puree, scatters of whole mushrooms in a dark demi-glace and fingerling potatoes. Beautiful to behold—and to eat.
Wine pairing suggestions showed thought. A crispy and racy Gehringer Brothers VQA Riesling matched nicely with my cod and noted BC winemaker Howard Soon’s Sandhill Small Lots Barbera drunk with the delicate hen was an inspired suggestion.
Dessert, as expected was a highlight (Liezert is a dessert master). Simply called milk, sour cherries. cookies. It was much much more with contrasting textures, temperatures and flavours. You have to try it for yourself.
Also on site are an intimate little bar and a private upstairs dining room. Niche is similar in style to a new breed of restaurant that is taking Vancouver by storm—a beautifully under designed room, high quality cuisine with portions and at prices suited to today’s diner. Service is top notch Victoria—that is to say knowledgeable and professional without being snotty or in your face.
Niche
(250) 388-4255
Quebec St., Victoria
