Geometric neon lights illuminate sushi chef Clark Park, who spins maki like a South Beach DJ. There are negronis on tap, and servers with bows tied up have their sleeves rolled up. It’s a new form of island hospitality that is upscale but insistently unsentimental: Arc’teryx meets Christmas tree over oysters.
From a cushioned banquette, we see Christian Ehlich in white chef’s uniform shining as Marilena – the name means “bright starfish” (he is also a diver) – in his gleaming, multi-million dollar kitchen. After a long stint as Chef David Hawksworth’s right-hand man, he joined the Toptable Group (Blue Water Cafe, CinCin) to spearhead their first grand vision in Victoria. To that end, there’s a cellar of over 5000 bottles that guests enjoy at linen-lined tables. The seafood towers seem to hold all the secrets of the Pacific Ocean, and there are truffles under glass at the passageway.
If the shrimp cocktail is prepared correctly, it will make the perfect gift: freshly cooked, fluffy, and frozen perfectly. Then there are plush pea agnolotti mixed with truffle oil, ceviche mixto with a small handful of pomegranate seeds. Burrata from Puglia with heirloom tomatoes dressed with Venturi-Schulze balsamic tastes like pure Saanich sunshine. And I notice at least one plate of Park’s wild aburi sockeye salmon on every table.
Eli, a Victoria native, had time to think about the food for this long-delayed project. What he came up with is a menu calibrated to balance familiarity and formality in a stunning restaurant that does the same.
