I keenly anticipated my evening at the Pacific. I’d had an unforgettable experience at The Mark, the hotel’s smaller, more intimate dining room and looked forward to more of Chef Andrew Stigant’s wizardry.
The room was just filling up when we arrived at 6:00 pm. Within the hour, the place was packed. Our table along the window side of the room offered a great view of the harbour. Although the room is a fair size, it retains an intimate feeling. Our hostess was more than gracious, giving us the VIP treatment when she seated us. She returned frequently to check on us.
After looking at the regular menu and both Dine Around menus, my friend and I chose the $35 Dine Around offering, which included regular menu items. I started with an appetizer of king prawns. Listed on the menu as one of the priciest of the starters, I anticipated a real treat. My friend, who was yearning for greens, chose the Caesar salad, also on the regular menu at $8. The salad arrived in a generous-sized bowl filled to the rim. Along with bread, the salad could easily make an adequate lunch. She found the lettuce crisp and refreshing but the dressing lacked zip, without a hint of garlic. My selection of three prawns was presented a large dinner plate along with a petite tempura potato puff. The prawns, which were under-cooked, were anything but king-sized and seemed lost on the large plate. The potato puff, with an excellent wasabi after-taste, was delicious.
My friend ordered a glass Venturi-Schulze vineyard’s top-notch Millefiori with a grilled game hen and I paired a glass of Rosemount shiraz with a rib eye steak. The game hen was beautifully presented and the moist breast and leg portions were perfectly cooked. The steak, a regular menu feature for $29, was thin and grizzly. It was, however, grilled to medium rare as ordered and well seasoned. Although I shared my disappointment with our waiter, he did not offer to replace the steak or offer an alternative.
Our evening ended on a sweet note. My molten chocolate cake was rich and gooey and utterly decadent and my friend’s mango and lemon balm panna cotta was velvety rich.
Although the dishes were uneven, we enjoyed the room’s ambience and, on a warm summer day, the terrace would be divine for a tête à tête over a glass of wine.
—The Secret Diner
For reservations call (250) 380-4458
463 Belleville Street, Victoria
