Here’s another thing I love about Dine Around – the opportunity to get out and revisit restaurants you haven’t been to in a while. With so many eateries in Victoria, and new kids on the block every minute, there’s a tendency to forget some old favourites. I use affordable Dine Around menus as an excuse to check-in and check-up on.
One such restaurant that’s gone through many incarnations since I last dined there is The Temple. A number of new chefs, new ownership, new management, and new menus – would I recognize the cosmopolitan white-walled spot with the mini plates, cool cocktails and large white bed that I remember? The evening started well – early on a late February evening, with sweet jazz playing, a few solo diners at the bar, and colourful cushions along the long white banquette. The walls are now a warming brown, and the cushy chairs a dark chocolate leather. (Still got the bed though!) Definitely a welcome change. With a bar this chic, a martini was definitely in order, and we sipped well-crafted mixes while we perused the $25 menu. There were two choices each for the appies and mains. I started with the Temple Caesar – a smoothly flavoured deconstructed plate of sweet gem lettuce, balsamic drizzle and shredded Parmesan reggiano. My dining companion went with the West Coast Fry Bread, puffy, slick and hot, served alongside warmed creamy white bean and goat cheese dip.
We selected both of the mains offered and shared them. One was a Beef Tenderloin, spice-rubbed and juicy, atop zesty Havana cornbread, roasted spring root veg and espresso demi. The beef was cooked perfectly well, and nicely accented by the spice and coffee. The other main offered was Broad Noodles, with Asian vegetables and Chinese truffles. Subtle, fragrant broth for a base tied the flavours together nicely. While the suggested Tinhorn Creek Merlot wine pairing suited the tenderloin well, we both thought it much too heavy for the Eastern noodle dish.
For dessert, there was only one choice, so we both spooned into our Wonton Wrapped Banana Split – the banana baked crispy, alongside scoops of Australian ginger and toasted coconut ice cream. The ice creams were delish, and we quickly downed the intense scoops before they melted from the deep-fried banana.
The overall description of the menu can be defined as ‘global’, with flavour influences and styles from all corners and cultures. While this broad approach can be confusing for most restaurants, Temple pulls it off fairly well. One disappointment though - I noticed that the Dine Around items were all currently found on the regular dinner menu – somewhat disheartening, because I feel that chefs should use this Dine Around opportunity to showcase their skills, instead of recycling daily menu items. Regardless, this Temple is still one of the most cosmo rooms in town – and worthy of a late night pilgrimage.
—The Secret Diner
The Temple
525 Fort St.
(250) 383-2313
