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Devour
762 Broughton Street Victoria, BC V8W 1E4
(250) 590-3231
Tastiness factor: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Locavore approved: YES- a new menu EVERYDAY featuring seasonal ingredients, purchased locally when possible
During my stay in Victoria, I was fortunate enough to have my mother come visit me for a week. I wanted to take her out for a nice lunch on my afternoon off and, on my internet search, I stumbled across this cute little place downtown. I was drawn by its menu inspired by local, seasonal ingredients that changes on a daily basis. It is run by a former chef at the restaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto where I had a lovely meal when I used to live there.
Devour is tucked away a quiet street in downtown Victoria and if you are not specifically looking for it, you may walk right by (thank god for Google maps!). The inside is very tiny yet quaint. It has only a handful of tables with seating enough for about 12-15 people at a time. Because they cannot accommodate a huge lunch rush, they also do take-out. If you have time though, I recommend taking a seat and relaxing in the warm and bright space to appreciate the food at its prime, hot out of the kitchen.
They do not have a printed menu, but instead have a large chalkboard at the back of the store when you can find their daily offerings. They also post the menu on-line for those who wish to take out. With a completely different menu everyday, it is impossible to get bored! If I worked close to here, I would happily eat here every day!
In addition to their savory menu, they have a daily selection of baked goods that also changes regularly. Being the muffin connaiseur that I am, I could not resist getting one of their generously-sized raisin date muffins. It was made with bran and oats, and was wholesome and moist. It would make a great breakfast. We also bought one of their chocolate oat cookies, which was not as much of a success in my opinion. It had a crumbly texture and a strong coconut taste which did not really appeal to me.
Now to our lunches.
Out of the many tasty-sounding choices off the board, my mother finally decided on the arancini balls filled with cheddar and chorizo. In the center of the lightly-fried risotto balls where was a present of cheddar cheese and a tiny bit of chorizo. Over top and at the bottom of the bowl was an amazing tomato sauce that, judging from my small bite, really elevated this dish to the next level. The portion size was perfect for a satisfying and very conforting lunch.
Because I am a pescatarian, my choices were slightly more limited, especially since 2 menus were sold out by the time we got there an hour before closing. The number of choices did not really matter however, as my eyes were quickly drawn to the black rice salad with seared tuna, grapefruit and goat cheese. This was without a doubt one of the best lunch dishes I have had in a while. Beautifully chilled seared tuna, atop stunning black sticky rice, atop a bed of fresh greens. With a julienned vegetables and just the right amount of creamy goat cheese, this dish came together perfectly. This type of flavour profile takes a skilled hand. Very impressive.
With another two weeks left in Victoria, there will certainly be more visits back to this little hidden gem!
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