The glitz, the glamour, the nattily dressed men in tuxes and the perfectly coiffed women in flowing gowns. Yep, it was Oscar night and apparently most of Victoria opted to stay home to watch the proceedings rather than enjoy a meal out.
Entering the dimly lit dining room—think classic steakhouse ambiance—we were offered our choice of tables, our first indication that it was going to be a quiet dining experience. Overall, the service, from start to finish, was impeccable—not too intrusive, but always attentive and knowledgeable.
Fire & Water’s $25 Dine Around menu very smartly represents what the restaurant does well. There’s a definite emphasis on seafood and simple meat preparations, but there is finesse, without trying to be too fancy. The chef clearly understands that old maxim that less is more.
I started with the Cowichan Bay Duck Confit Spring Rolls, which were generously stuffed with tender, garlicky pieces of meat. The accompanying baby frisee salad was dressed with a truffle vinaigrette that provided a nice balance to the rich, salty duck. It was served nice and hot and could hardly have been any better. My dining buddy also was pleased with the Dungeness Crab Cake (a favourite dish of his), which was served with apple and shaved fennel and a touch of grainy mustard aioli for a nice bite. The Sandhill Small Lots Viognier recommended for this course was well-suited for his crab cakes, but less so for the richness of my duck.
For our mains, I opted for the Pan Roasted BC Sockeye Salmon, while he had the Center Cut Pork Loin. Portions were generous! My salmon—slightly crisp outside, moist inside—was laid over an ample serving of creamy Dungeness crab and prosciutto risotto, which was laden with peas, and had a splash of warm English pea coulis on top to help tie it all together. The simple salmon preparation let the freshness of the fish shine through, as did the nicely al dente risotto, which is flavourful (though the prosciutto got a bit lost) without overpowering the salmon.
Dining buddy loved his pork loin, the meat tender and perfectly cooked, with a hint of pinkness to it. The sugar and soy marinade meshed well with the ample serving of sweet potato puree. The shitake ragout was his only disappointment, noting that it tasted as though it were made with reconstituted dried mushrooms. And unfortunately, as lovely as the Sandhill Gamay Noir that was recommended for this course was, it was surprisingly a bit too big for both our mains.
In comparison, the dessert that followed—Warm Peach & Apple Crumble for him, Fire & Water Cheesecake for me—was somewhat anticlimactic. His crumble, which features a cornmeal streusel and is served with a buttermilk sorbet and spiced crème anglaise, had a nice firm bite to the warm fruit, but my cheesecake had a rather dense consistency and seemed a little on the salty side. Unfortunate for something that bears the restaurant’s name.
So, just like at the Academy Awards, there were some winners and losers. Overall, unlike Oscar nominees that went home empty handed, we were not disappointed.
- The Secret Diner
T: (250) 382-7111, 777 Douglas St.
