What’s the bread deal lately?
We seem to be in the midst of a sandwich boom across town and honestly, no complaints. Victorians welcomed Otto this summer, Hero is coming this Fall, a little sandwich counter called NICO just opened in Oak Bay, and we’re counting the chicken burgers at Birdman to make the point. The next trend seems to be a wave of coffee shops coming to town, with four new cafes entering the scene. Read The Roundup below for all the details!
P.S. New format alert! Let us know what you think about The Roundup in the poll at the end of this newsletter.
— Zoe
THE BIG STORY
Forecast Coffee Coming To Cadboro Bay
It’s official: the newest open in Cadboro Bay Village will be Forecast Coffee Roasters.
Forecast Coffee began in 2020 in Whistler Village and has since grown to over six locations across British Columbia. They are known for their strong coffee program, in house roasting, and hearty house made food offerings (pastries, yes, but also brunch, sandwiches, and sides).
They’re opening their doors at 3840 Cadboro Bay Rd, a beautiful character building where they’ve been working with Studio Roslyn on the interior design. This is the strongest possible signal that it’s going to be a cool, comfortable space you’ll want to hang out in — Studio Roslyn are the same design team responsible for the looks of local favourites like Parsonage, Superflux {Cabana}, Superbaba, and Whistle Buoy (as well as many of your favourite Vancouver hang outs).
The plan is not just to be a daytime cafe, but to stay open a few nights a week serving up local flavours and drinks.
According to founder Jim Salusbury, “the space centres around a generous seasonal courtyard patio, built for long lunches, slow mornings, a glass of wine to end the day, and everything in between”…
The Roundup
The Newest Opens:
🍵 Kyoto Garden: Opened this week! The construction paper is down at 1200 Broad St., revealing the cutest new cafe in town. There’s a shop full of Japanese teas, matcha bowls, and trinkets, plus plenty of seating, and a tatami mat section that will be used for traditional Japanese tea service down the line. The owner, a Kyoto native, wanted to bring a little taste of Japan to Victoria, quite literally: all the matcha and hojicha is imported directly from Japan. They recently hosted a soft open, where I got to try some of their feature drinks. My favourite was the Hojicha Latte, which was classic and nutty, followed by the Matcha Coconut “Coconut Cloud,” which was deliciously refreshing (that is, not at all the overly sweet sip I was braced for), and their Black Sesame Latte, whose added espresso shot gave me the perfect caffeine jolt needed to write this newsletter. Can’t wait to see you there!
🥪 Meat and Bread: Opened this week! This is a return act with a twist. Not only do we get all the delicious sandwiches Meat and Bread is known for, but the Victoria location will be the first and only one with a full coffee program to boot (they’ll be pouring up locally roasted Fernwood beans). Visit them at 1203 Broad St.
🍹 Citrus & Cane: They’re back and better than ever! After a move, then another move, then renovations, this is the most anticipated re-opening in town. You can now visit the iconic tropical cocktail bar at 606 Trounce Alley (right beside Tapa Bar and Bodega). The new interior is gorgeous and pays homage to their roots, and they now serve bar snacks and small plates alongside their tropical drinks.
🍞 Soul’s Toast at RBC: The original location is just off the Malahat and was once named “The Best Lunchtime Pit Stop” by Maclean’s (as in the best in Canada, to be clear). You don’t need to make the trek up the highway to visit them anymore, though, because they just opened their first food truck location in front of the Royal B.C. Museum. Soul’s serves up messy and delicious Korean street sandwiches and is open Wednesday through Monday from 8 AM to 6 PM.
☕️ Hide + Seek at RBC: Hide + Seek is now pouring at the Royal B.C. Museum! Add it to the “good coffee downtown” mental rolodex.
🥪 Otto: If you haven’t been to the sandwich spot’s first ever physical location yet, what exactly have you been doing? They opened with a splash in late June after years as a pop-up business, were promptly swarmed and sold out of everything in three days, and have been happily slinging sandwiches (and staying in stock) ever since. Visit them at 1019 Fort St.
🍗 Birdman: This is the third open from the same team that brought you Wind Cries Mary and Rudi, and their latest restaurant has all the polish you’d expect from such seasoned pros. Another gorgeous interior by Bidgood, extensive menu offerings, and an impressive bar program out the gate. They opened in late May at 537 Johnson St.
🥗 Fülcanteen: Find them at 730 Pandora Ave (right beside Rudi). Fülcanteen specializes in speedy service and getting in your macros. Smoothies, salads, bowls, sandwiches. A perfect, guilt free lunch stop.
🍕 Dough Eyes: The latest open from the team that runs Cafe Brio and Brasserie L’Ecole. Find them at 530 Pandora Ave slinging pizza (dough made slow with sourdough fermentation), ice cream (made in-house), and an impressive wine list (can I interest you in a bottle of champagne with your slice of pie?). Between the wines and veggie sides, it’s pizza dinner all grown up.
🍓 Oakberry: The downtown location is now open! Stop by 801 Fort St. for açai bowls, smoothies, matcha, and more.
🍜 THAT Restaurant & Bar: Visit this spot at 1008 Blanshard St for authentic Chinese flavours. Expect rich, warming broths, juicy dumplings, Sichuan spice, and delicious bubble teas. Pop next door for a glass of wine at Tourist and you’ve got yourself a pretty perfect night.
🐂 OX Korean BBQ: This restaurant took over the old Meet space at 797 Hillside Ave a few months back and quickly amassed hundreds of positive reviews and Instagram followers. They offer affordable lunch sets as well as a big selection of premium cuts, and join Sura Korean GrillHouse as one of the only KBBQ spots in town.
🧆 Cairomum: Mama Nadia’s Kitchen moved out and changed their name (haven’t we all been there), but they’re still serving up the same fresh, authentic Egyptian street food that earned them a perfect 5-star rating at their Cook Street location. They now go by Cairomum and call 1807 Fort St home (right beside GoodSide Pastry House).
🐦⬛ Crow’s Coffee: The cutest new coffee counter just opened at 210 Gorge Rd. East! They are locally owned, pouring 2% Jazz coffee beans, and serving baked goods by Bubby Rose’s. Neighbours are welcoming the new spot with rave reviews.
🧀 NICO Kitchen: This little sandwich counter sits inside Farmy Markets at 2897 Foul Bay Rd. Grab your groceries, a bite to eat, and browse the goods at White Rabbit, a vintage fashion and homeware store that also inhabits Farmy’s.
🇮🇹 The Italian Pantry: The newest retail shop by Triestina Pasta & Provisions. As the name suggests it’s primarily a pantry restock, but they do have a few seats outside if you decide you can’t wait to get home to try the cookies, gelato, or wedge of cheese (bet) you just bought. Find their locally made pastas here, alongside olive oils, Italian sweets, tinned fish, and a selection of charcuterie. Now open at 3826 Cadboro Bay Rd.
🫐 Noble Berry: Around the corner from The Italian Pantry, Noble Berry opened their doors this May at 2560B Sinclair Rd. Stop by for a mouth watering selection of cakes and sweets. There’s limited seating, but a takeout box and picnic blanket at the nearby Cadboro-Gyro Beach is a pretty nice back up option.
🍷 The Restaurant at Unsworth: It’s another renovation story, but up in Cowichan Valley. Unsworth Vineyards has long had a cozy restaurant with a gorgeous patio overlooking the vineyard, but they’ve just re-opened after renovations with a polished new look and menu. Chef Dan Bain leads the team there, and the renewed restaurant is built around their in-house Culinary Garden, where herbs and seasonal produce are harvested daily. Unsworth is also participating in the Cowichan Valley Wine Festival, so you now have every excuse to make a day trip out. (Note: they require reservations for wine tastings).
Coming Up Next:
🌦️ Forecast: Opening in September. This will be the coffee shop’s first foray off the mainland (they currently have locations in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and Whistler). They’ll be opening their doors at 3840 Cadboro Bay Rd, with plans for full coffee and food service in the day, as well as select evenings (!). Read the full article here.
💙 Blue House: Opening in September. The much anticipated replacement to Hide + Seek’s 2207 Oak Bay Avenue location is here! Read up on the new owner, concept, and menu here.
🥜 Ayoub’s Dried Fruit & Nuts: Opening this Fall. Ayoub’s is a bit of an “if you know you know” spot — it’s a Vancouver classic for Persian flavours that offers tasty treats like nut mixes, cookies, Turkish delight, chocolates, and dried fruit. Personally, I can’t wait for Victorians to be in the know, too. (Try the lime and saffron cashews. Trust me.) Find them in Broadview Block.
🥪 Hero Sandwiches: Opening in September. Hero is taking over the old Gigi’s Cafe space at 1002 Hillside Ave. They’ve been operating as a pop-up around town for years, but this will be their first physical location. Hero will be offering three types of sandwiches: the big hero sandwiches that longtime customers know and love, more traditional Italian panini, and melts. They’ll also have a small coffee program, cannoli, Italian grocery staples, fresh-baked cookies, and citrus olive oil cakes. Down the line, customers can also expect meatball subs on Mondays, deli offerings, and catering.
🍩 Lee’s Donuts: Opening in November. If you’re subscribed to the Tasting Victoria newsletter, you were the first in the city to find out that Lee’s is coming to Broadview Block in Victoria. The infamous donut dynasty started as a stall in Granville Island (a stall they still occupy, where you’re guaranteed to find a line around the block). They became a franchise in the last few years, and have expanded to around a dozen locations since. This will be their first ever location off the mainland, and they told Tasting Victoria that in addition to their classic 15 flavours, we can expect some unique offerings at this store. They are aiming to open this November, and plan to host a family friendly party to celebrate the launch. Lee’s will be joining local donut heavy hitters like Empire Donuts and Yonni’s, bringing Victorians one step closer to having full, city-wide donut coverage.
🥥 Hey Happy Cook Street: Opening in January 2027. Tasting Victoria subscribers were also the first to know about Hey Happy’s upcoming Cook Street location. Read the full coverage here, including details on the design, menu changes, and opening plan.
Know a great place we should add here? Reply back and let us know!
THE BIG STORY
Blue House To Replace Hide + Seek
Something exciting is unfurling behind the paper at 2207 Oak Bay Avenue, the former home of Hide + Seek.
There’s a new cafe going in called Blue House, and the opening is planned for this September.
"If you look at a coffee shop it's like a mini community centre,” Michael Zhou, the owner of Blue House, told me. "It's a social hub. That's the concept behind this cafe."
The thing that struck me most when talking to Michael is how obsessive he is about the details. He's doing a big chunk of the renovation himself. He's been doing multi-round blind taste tests to decide which matcha, milks, and coffee brewing methods to use. He’s buying beans a full grade or two above what most shops use and workshopping syrup recipes with chef friends.
He spent several minutes explaining to me the exact measurements and extraction times used to achieve different flavour profiles from the same coffee beans.
And he's been talking to locals. Before he'd told anyone what he was doing, he spent a month sitting in Victoria cafes, chatting to whoever was around about what they liked and what they wanted…
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