The Penny Farthing Pub (web site, 2228 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria BC, phone 250-370-9008) is an olde-English style pub located in the Oak Bay area of Victoria. The word from my compatriots is that the beer and wine and other drinks at this pub are mighty fine. However I felt like indulging in some culinary fare, and went for a dish of their steamed mussels (pictured below, $12.00). They have mussels with a Strongbow cider sauce, or some with a mango curry sauce. I tried the curry ones, and boy were they delicious. I asked my fine server what locale the mussels hail’d from, and she replied that they are fresh from Quadra Island. Now that is why they are so good! They were big, juicy, and really just melted in my mouth. And that curry sauce was so tasty that I just slurped some of it up after all the mussels had gone. If you’re in Victoria be sure to stop by this venerable watering hole!

Samurai Japanese Restaurant (1108 Davie St., phone 604-609-0078) has become one of my favorite places to go for gigantic and fresh sashimi and sushi rolls. Located in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown Davie Street area, Samurai is usually packed with people well into the evening. Be prepared to wait a few minutes in line, but I think you’ll find that the wait is well worth it! Pictured below are the assorted sashimi, and the Saba (mackerel) sashimi. Price is quite reasonable at this restaurant, considering the quality of the food. For two people ordering some pretty fancy items, the bill came out to around $30.00.

Zachary’s on Robson (web site, 121 Robson St., phone 604.605.1472) is located in the Hampton Inn & Suites hotel which is on the south-east end of Robson Street downtown, right next to BC Place Stadium. Their lunch menu is reasonably priced with most items around $11.00, and I found the quality of food to be far better than I’d expect of a restaurant in a hotel. I enjoyed the Halibut pasta special ($11.99, pictured below), which had generous chunks of tender halibut in a tomato-based sauce with mushrooms and artichokes. The spinach salad (also pictured below, around $7) was quite large and tasted really fresh!