The Victor Porterhouse; Photo Credit: Bill Milne
Dine Out Vancouver (DOV), my favourite eating festival of the year, launches tomorrow, running until February 4, 2018.
This year, over 300 restaurants are taking part, offering sumptuous prix-fixe menus (ranging from $20 to $40). There are also a ton of different food and drink-themed events to get excited about, like the Hidden Gem Dim Sum Tour, Olympic Village Food Tour, and Spirited Masterclass – Bitters 101. The sooner you book though, the better, since many events and restaurants are getting close to capacity.
I got the chance recently to preview the DOV menu at the newly launched Victor in Parq Vancouver. It’s well worth making a reservation for before DOV comes to a close.
The Parq Vancouver is an impressive and massive addition to Vancouver’s entertainment and dining scene. The complex, situated next to BC Place Stadium, includes two hotels (JW Marriott and the DOUGLAS), a casino, a spa, a fitness centre, meeting and event spaces, and eight restaurants and lounges.
Four of those restaurants are participating in DOV for the first time this year: Honey Salt ($40 lunch and $25 lunch); 1886 ($40 dinner); BC Kitchen ($30 dinner); and The Victor ($40 dinner).
Ride the DOUGLAS’ elevator up to the 6th floor rooftop and you’ll find the Victor after traversing the most strikingly beautiful restaurant walkways in the city. To your left will be the sky, BC Place Stadium, a reflective pond, and an island with lit up small trees and shrubbery, while in front of you lies the restaurant itself. The effect is undeniably magical.
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
Photo Credit: Bill Milne
The name of the restaurant, the Victor, is a play on “to the victor belong the spoils,” alluding to its location near the stadium, as well as the casino in the complex. The interiors are sleekly elegant, with a darker, more masculine steak-house vibe compared to the white-hued aesthetic of the very pretty Honey Salt. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow for great views of False Creek, as well as the 30,000 square foot rooftop urban park. It’s a huge space, with plenty of seating options, including a bar for elegant sipping and mingling.
The Victor bar; Photo Credit: Bill Milne
The menu offers updated classic North American steak and seafood selections, as well as sushi bar creations, with an emphasis on seasonal and local sourcing.
The Victor tomahawk; Photo Credit: Bill Milne
The Victor seafood selection platter; Photo Credit: Bill Milne
The Victor sushi platter; Photo Credit: Bill Milne
The $40 three course DOV dinner menu begins with a choice between lobster and crab bisque with gruyere toast; Belgian red endive salad with pink lady and aurora apples, medjool dates, marcona almonds, Okanagan Happy Day’s goat cheese, and sherry-tarragon dressing; or a kappa (cucumber) roll. Of the three, the lobster and crab bisque was particularly good, with lovely silky texture.
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
Next, the selections for mains consist of saffron risotto with Arborio rice, foraged mushrooms, truffle oil, parmesan regiano, and pickled vegetables; grilled coho salmon with aji amarijo purée, sautéed kale, and cipollini onion; and sirloin cap, Angus reserve, with potato gratin, roast heirloom carrots, and green peppercorn sauce. All are excellent options, the steak tender with great flavour, the risotto wonderfully aromatic, and the salmon perfectly grilled (there’s nothing better than a restaurant that knows timing when it comes to cooking seafood).
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
Don’t forget to save room for the decadent finish, either chocolate mousse with dark chocolate cake crumble, or an Eton mess, with raspberries, banana, vanilla, custard, sponge cake, cream, and meringue.
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
Photo Credit: Tara Lee
You also have the option to add on $25 wine pairings, with Cedar Creek Estate Pinot Gris or Lock & Worth Merlot for your first course; Mission Hill “Reserve” Chardonnay or Mission Hill “Estate Series” Pinot Noir for your entrée, and Inniskillin Riesling Ice Wine for your dessert.
Overall, the Victor is a fabulous addition to the DOV festival, with a menu that is not only delicious, but also an ideal way for trying out this newly opened restaurant.
