Victoria Food Culture at the top - ULLA Restaurant · Saturday November 26, 2011 by colin newell
When a great restaurant opens, there is one big mistake that a diner can make – and that is…
Not getting there early – that is, when the place first opens… Well, it can be problematic.
Because as time passes, the legend (and reputation) of the restaurant develops and with that, your expectations – particularly on your first visit.
And so you know, this is not quite like taking your first trip to San Francisco or the Napa or Sonoma Valley and picking out some established places – which are probably guaranteed to be good based on “travel expectations”. Which is another phenomenon entirely… Not like that at all.
So. ULLA. It has been open over a year (maybe 1.5 years…) and the reviews have been stunning. Apparently it has achieved a coveted Top-10 Enroute rating from Air Canada… OK. Checked the link. Yes it has. Impressive.
We booked a week or so in advance because this place tends to be busy – because of its reputation. And we landed on a very, very blustery Wet Coast Victoria evening while thousands of folks were without power, Ferry boats were docked and flights grounded. Consequently, there were a few cancellations at ULLA. No problem.
The room has a comfortable and warm feeling to it – we received a very friendly greeting at the door with an offer to take our coats – We were dining with another couple who had never been there – they were seated and giddy with excitement.
Menu’s and wine list immediately in hand we were given plenty of time to mull over the adult beverage selection and ask any preemptive questions about the menu or the ULLA concept.
Within a few minutes we had glasses of wine in hand and were quickly zeroing in on appetizers and mains.
Andrea had the 63 degree soft poached Egg on a brioche, with chanterelles, cipollini onions, black garlic jus, and parmesan. Well presented but kind of a single note item – like it was missing something extra on the plate to offer contrast.
Please note that Andrea’s palette is way more advanced than mine – in short, she is a super-taster and can pull flavors off of the plate and scents out of the air that a bloodhound would miss. It is an amazing talent to see at work.
Our couple friends (much to my chagrin) ordered two of the same appetizers; Escargot… 6 on the plate with lots of drizzle flourishes.
Note: These were not just ordinary snails – they were basil fed snails.
Yup. Not kidding.
Our friends thought they were yummy, that there was not a lot of snail on the plate and that it was more art than substance. Not a nit pick folks, just an observations.
My appetizer: Edremit, gemlik, castelvetrano and picholine.
Any ideas folks?
Olives. For whatever reason, I ordered a bowl of olives to nibble on. I love olives and these were all very tasty, different and appetizing.
Mains: Here was one of those times where I felt like smacking my friends on the head.
Andrea, Steve and Sharon had the pork tenderloin…
Still meadow farm pork loin, braised cabbage, Potato roesti (hash brown), celery root, bacon, cheddar, apple, gastrique (Gastrique is caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar, used as a flavoring for sauces…)
The pork was perfectly prepared and presented on the three plates – a veritable art gallery of small items to taste and enjoy.
I had the halibut cheeks on a bed of beluga lentils and roast sugared almonds, tents of steamed spinach and grilled baby cauliflower caps. The cheeks were slightly overdone and watery but everything else was dreamy and perfect. I could have eaten a plate of the lentils and almonds. The baby cauliflower was sublime.
ULLA is artistry pushed to the limit. Service is polished, at the ready and entirely unobtrusive. When we had questions, there were instant answers.
It’s entirely possible that someone with unrealistic expectations would be disappointed here. For me, any minor flubs in the kitchen are made up in superlative service and understanding of the product.
For me, any overall criticism would be: ULLA is a very serious restaurant. It is not a fun restaurant. There is a ton of passion and prowess here – but it is not a place where you raise glass after glass of wine hooting and hollering with joy. The food is art and ULLA is a food art gallery. And you know what they say about Art Galleries – they are repositories of brilliant works where you hold your voice down in quiet humility while you appreciate the artistic efforts of… well… artists.
If you love food, art and art galleries, you will love ULLA. But don’t be too noisy about it. Out of 10 points per, I would rate the food at 8.5 – Service 9.5 – Presentation 9.5
Colin Newell is a Victoria area resident, food and coffee lover – and occasional writer for EAT Magazine…
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Growing it for Men's Health - Movember · Sunday November 20, 2011 by colin newell
Hey! If you enjoy this blog, are male or have a male in your life – please consider supporting Men’s health in November!
It is Movember and I have tossed my razor for the month of November 2011.
Please consider a small donation to my Movember team at the University of Victoria.
If you are a dude or there is a dude in your life, please remind him to take care of himself and get “checked” at least once a year.
Prostate cancer is a battle that you can win – if you stay on top of it. So say “I love you” to the ones you love by looking after yourself.
Feel free to click here for a small donation to my Movember team.
Thanks everyone!
The Tim Hortons Starbucks McCafe Battle Royal Brewing · Monday November 14, 2011 by colin newell
Had an interview with 9 CBC-1 regional stations this morning… starting at 4 AM My time – on the Wet Coast.
Talking to Sydney, Nova Scotia, Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Charlottetown, P.E.I. – Yellowknife in the North West Territories, Whitehorse in the Yukon, and 3 wonderful spots in B.C.; Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria. Let’s not forget Calgary’ Alberta!
Which means I was up at 3:30 AM prepping after a fairly full 4 hours of sleep. Who needs a coffee? I do, I do!
So let’s get down to the skinny cappuccino on this issue shall we?
The big question in the news today is: Venerable Canadian coffee and doughnut icon to unveil espresso and specialty coffee service to double-double take-out java junkies nationwide – starting in Ontario today… So why now!
Excellent question. Here is the deal: Tim Hortons has a throttle hold on drip coffee take out in Canada… 80% of the market share. That is something like 1 billion cups of java in one year. But it is a flat market place. And they have virtually no stake in the lucrative and growing specialty coffee sector… which accounts for upwards of 3% growth annually.
Oh yea… and McDonalds is doing it as well with their 2nd or 3rd time rebooted McCafe series of gourmet coffee kiosks – often and in almost all cases located within many standard McDonalds franchise locations.
You have heard the joke about the Starbucks located within the Starbucks? Well, this is the real deal. And here is the kick: The espresso coffee service at the McCafe is not half bad. I say that because I have had it. And for some in the industry, this might be scary… but I will explain why there is nothing to worry about.
How are existing Tim Hortons customers going to respond?
Well, this is not the end of the world. Truth be told, Timmy’s customers are a loyal lot and, if I may be blunt… Put it in the menu and they will eat it or drink it. Tim’s is constantly rolling out new ideas, and although I might not be a big fan of their drip coffee (which I described as miserable in a recent Financial Post article) nor their greasy little Tim doughnut morsels (manufactured and frozen in Ontario only to be shipped nationwide only to be reanimated.) – I do enjoy the occasional sandwich or bowl of Chicken Noodle soup while I am on the road.
If they put espresso and cappuccino on the menu, someone is going to try it – particularly the up and coming next generation of coffee consumers… whomever they might be.
I guess I know coffee – so what am I expecting personally?
Tims drip coffee service is 1950’s old school miserable; poorly blended arabica coffee brewed in old school gravity brewers into glass urns where bitterness is given an open invitation to the caffeine party within minutes of the pots being put out on the hot plates!
Even McDonalds has joined us in the 21st Century with sealed air pots and professionally sourced 100% Arabica blends that taste, well, like coffee… and often good coffee at that.
How will Tim’s fair? It really depends on how motivated the Horton mother ship is. At McDonald’s McCafe kiosk, they use Franke Swiss made machines that are more reliable than gravity and unflinching in their coffee brewing precision. These machines are upwards of 30G a pop and in skilled hands are capable of producing a winning double tall skinny latte. They will not win any barista throw downs but they will satisfy the commuter in a hurry. Time will tell, readers… Time will tell.
Does Starbucks or the independents have anything to worry about?
Heck no. Starbucks customers (like their McCafe and Independent counterparts) have fierce and unbending loyalty to their product and preferred fix. Certainly, the occasional java junkie will be enticed by the rock bottom prices – but they will only return if the product is stellar.
Some in the industry feel that this will set back all the ethical progress that has been made in the area of fair trade, direct trade, and online specialty coffee auctions. Not so fast. These markets are entirely different than the New York C markets that Starbucks, McDonalds and (ultimately) Tim’s will be pulling from. In fact, the real showdown here is between McDonalds and Tim Hortons. Starbucks is still a cafe and their priority remains, coffee for the masses.
Will I try it?
I regularly head into my local Tim Hortons in the interest of research… just as I pop into Starbucks and McDonalds. Tim’s coffee needs work. And it is a simple fix. Am I curious about what their “specialty coffee” service will taste like? You bet.
Will it stand the test of time?
McDonalds has made several attempts to enter the specialty coffee market – with limited results. We are still not sure now McCafe is going to look in the long term. Tim’s, like McDonalds has nothing but time. If it does not work now, they will certainly try again in the future.
Meantime, I am brewing a pot or two of Jamaica Blue Mountain Clifton Estate coffee… from a farm that has been in active production since 1770! Here is the thing about coffee: Coffee is recession proof. It stands the test of time. It’s here to stay. Imagine all the things that have come and gone since the 1700’s.
However you brew it, coffee is here for the long haul.
Colin Newell is a Victoria area resident and coffee expert – he has been studying the delicate brew since the late 70’s and offers his wisdom freely.
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Mad about Fall Chapter 2 Take a moment - appreciate your coffee · Saturday November 12, 2011 by colin newell
I was talking to a ham radio operator in New Jersey today… about the weather…
his weather.
And while I chatted I was brewing my first thermal carafe of organic Costa Rica coffee from Every Day Gourmet Coffee roasters – St. Lawrence Market, Toronto…
(And) That part of America has had rain, snow, floods, hurricanes and honest to goodness tornadoes…
and an earthquake.
Between sips of my Hario poured brew I noted that… Here it was gray. A normal shade of gray for Victoria this time of year. (With) A bit of wind. A bit of rain. And a steady temperature of around 10 degrees (Celcius) or 50 degrees on the (Far) scale.
My wife and I went downtown this afternoon to do a few chores. We walked outside in the rain – a rain that seemed to fall out of the sky and divert around us before striking a glistening sidewalk. Charming.
Looking around downtown Victoria (on the southern tip of Vancouver Island) one sees great coffee shops, eateries and attractions on every corner. Victoria, in fact, is a coffee lovers mecca where every form of brewed caffeinated enticements await the adventurous. I try not to take for granted that, per capita, we have more quality Joe joints per square mile than anywhere else in North America. Yea, Seattle and Portland are great – and so is San Francisco (and Vancouver) but that involves driving.
You do not need a car in Victoria to enjoy a broad variety of coffee consumption here.
You just need time, a fistful of dollars and a clear head – that will soon be buzzing with psycho activity after your first 2 or 3 beverages.
In Victoria you can get your java brewed; in a French press, in an Aeropress, in a vacuum brewer, in an air pot, in an espresso machine, with a Hario pour over… and in ways I am not even familiar with yet. Yup, just trying to keep up.
Victoria barista’s and their cafe owner associates are among the most informed, educated and passionate in the business – Our cafe experts in Victoria frequently go to the source or the place where the coffee is produced. They know the farmers. They care for the people that produce the raw materials. There is a direct and living connection between the coffee served in Victoria and the people that are caring for it.
You can taste it in the cup and feel it from the people that work the coffee here in the city.
On some level, it almost makes sense that Victoria has a land and real estate market that is virtually unattainable for virtually all of the folks that live here – because this place is so desirable.
And looking out into the wind and rain and subtle dampness… Well maybe, just maybe… this will be as bad as it gets.
A city with a mild rain and a great, great coffee scene – that keeps getting better and better…
I love it… and respect it for now…
Until I pack up in January and move from one paradise to another… on the Big Island of Hawaii (where we hang out for 1 month every year.)
More on that later!
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