Victoria Chinese Food-Restaurants in-and-out of Chinatown

Victoria's Chinatown, established around 1858, on Fisgard Street is Canada's oldest intact functioning Chinatown.  This section is in part dedicated to the early pioneer restauranteurs and the current merchants and food establishments in this historic part of Victoria within walking distance of the Inner Harbor.  Some places we recommend you check out include:

• SHIZEN SUSHI Japanese Restaurant (on Government St. just 2 doors to the north of the Chinatown Gateway - not wheelchair accessible)
  During the summer of 2006 this location changed from a Chinese Food Restaurant of over 50 years history to a totally remodelled Japanese Sushi Bar and Restaurant under the new owner Nhu Do (aka Newton).
  Shizen Sushi Japanese Restaurant
  1706 Government St,
  Victoria, BC  V8W1Z5
  (250) 381-8228
  
  
  
• Don Mee's Restaurant (a second floor restaurant with great dim sum, unfortunately not wheelchair accessible)
  Don Mee Chinese Seafood Restaurant
  538 Fisgard Street,
  Victoria, BC V8W1R4
  (250) 383-1032
  (250) 383-8387 (fax)
• Golden City Restaurant
  Located 1 1/2 blocks east of the Chinatown Gateway, on Fisgard St. across from The "OLD" Bay Department store
  - serve's Dim Sum menu daily, as well as more traditional a la carte menu selections for lunch and dinner
  - this bright cheery restaurant is at street level making it easier for those who find stairs difficult to handle.  The waiters are helpful, but you need to be careful about the salt level of some of the recipes (if you're on a low salt diet) - just mention it to them when you're ordering.
  - the wasthrooms are clean, and appear to be wheelchair acessible, this combined with a parking lot right next to the restaurant makes it attractive for access by older / handicapped patrons.
  Golden City Restaurant
  721 Fisgard Street,
  Victoria, BC V8W1R8
  (250) 386-8404
  (250) 386-8004 (fax)
• Loy Sing Co. a butcher shop with a history of serving 4 generations of Victorians with their wonderful BBQ duck, roast pork, chicken and more -- or try the take out boxed hot lunch selection!
• Victoria Chinese BBQ on Government street just down from Peking House features a range of BBQ meat (we have a picture of their cooked chicken and squab in the banner above) - they also have a large selection of Chinese baked goods such as steamed/baked buns and some great deals on their take out lunch/meal boxes
• Noodle House Fast Food Restaurants
  • Wah Lai Yuen Restaurant / BBQ and great Bakery - in the heart of Chinatown, on Fisgard St. between Government and Store St.
  • Noodle Box - next to the historic Chinese School and Chinese Consoloidated Benevolent Association building
• Chinese vegetables and fruit as well as preserved foods, spices, condiments, tea and cookware:  check out about 6-7 stores all within 2 blocks of one another.  The prices are unbelievable and most stores are open 7 days a week.
• A favorite Chinese restaurant we recommend, is not in Chinatown, it's the Mee Wah Restaurant. Click on the link to see a Mother's day family dinner for 4 table setting.  It is a small favorite eating-dinning spot for many locals in the Chinese and non-Chinese community, so it's best to phone for reservations.  For modest prices, you get great Cantonese Chinese food, table-cloth settings, friendly service in air-conditioned comfort and clean bathrooms (appear to be wheelchair accessible).

If you're not interested in Chinese food, there happens to be excellent Pub-style food a block away at Swans hotel / microbrewery-pub / restaurant, or the well known Herald Street Caffe-Cafe,
556 Herald St.,
Victoria, BC V8W1S6
(250) 381-1033
(250) 381-1093 (fax)

or try the newer and highly acclaimed French Restaurant, La Brasserie L'École (noted in travel magazine Conde Naste).

Brasserie L'Ecole
1715 Government Street,
Victoria, BC V8W1Z4
(250) 475-6260

For those looking for a cup of coffee, expresso or latte and snack or light meal, there is the QV Cafe-Bakery open 24 hours, right across the street from the Memorial Gateway to Chinatown, on Government and Fisgard Streets intersection.  A feature of QV is the outdoor section of tables - great on one of Victoria's many mild weather days, almost all year long.  You'll find QV a regular drop-in for local Police officers and Ambulance service staff on coffee break, an indirect endorsement of its convenient location and service.

Within 4 square blocks you have a cornucopia of Chinese, Western and European eating places as well as half a dozen grocery stores, 4 barbecue meat store-outlets, serving a range of tastes from "Canadian-Chinese food, Szechwan food, northern Beijing style food, as well as Cantonese style noodle house menu's and dim sum luncheons.

"Legendary Burgers" and Western-Style Home-Cooked Food Cafes and Restaurants

2 blocks away from Chinatown - on the intersection of Douglas Street and Caledonia Street, we have one of the consistently good White Spot Restaurants "... home of the Legendary Burger". 
White Spot Restaurants
710 Caledonia Avenue,
Victoria, BC V8T1E5
(250) 382-9911
(250) 382-5139 (fax)

Across the street, on Douglas Street, we have the Victoria's original Paul's Motor Inn & Restaurant - with great menu and extended late nite hours.

24 hour western style food is available at
Denny's Restaurant
3100 Douglas St.,
Victoria, BC V8Z3K2
(250) 382-3844

Down Government Street a few blocks north of Chinatown, across the Point Ellice / Bay Street bridge you find Humphries Family Restaurant (in the West Side Village Shopping Centre - across from SaveOn Foods and next to the TD bank) for home cooked style breakfasts, with bacon & eggs, toast, pancakes etc. or for lunch, a great selection of burgers, Taco bowl salads, sandwiches, chili, spaghettei etc.; or choose from the tradtional western style dinner menu with things like chicken cordon bleu, beef liver, salisbury steak, meatloaf, pork chops, turkey dinner, savory salmon, and New York Steak.

The Princess Mary Restaurant
just across the Johnson Street Bridge

[The top left photo on the page is of a guest being served by one of the Princess Mary's chefs]

Greek-Italian Restaurants in Victoria

For a mediterranean-european ambiance, check out
San Remo Restaurant 2709 Quadra Street, (near Hillside)
Victoria, BC V8T4E5
(250) 384-5255
- or - a few blocks from the heart of downtown Victoria, try Villa Rosa Ristorante, at 1015 Fort [between Vancouver and Cook St.]
telephone 250-384-5337.

Consumer comments and suggestions

A word on MSG (mono-sodium-glutumate or "Accent"):   for people sensitive or allergic to MSG in their food, we suggest you not order food that may contain "oyster/oyster-flavoured" sauce and even some soy sauces - as these often contain significant amounts of MSG.  so even when some restaurants state they do not put MSG in their recipes, you may want to err on the side of caution.  One give-away symptom for this writer is suddenly finding the restaurants tea is so great that I consume pots of the stuff that I normally wouldn't.

Names and suggestions of eating spots on this section are from long time Canadian and foreign born residents of Victoria.  While we share these suggestions based on our own experience over the years with most of these restaurants, we assume no responsibility if you find your own experience of these establishments not to your liking - however - most of these places have been around for many years and have well deserved good reputations in the local Victoria community.

I wish you good eating and shopping,
Neal Chan (et al who grew up in Victoria)
contributing content editor to MetroTown.info 2001-2006

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES- Restaurant Inspections

Victoria Health Inspection Reports of Restaurant and Food Handling Services

An interesting site to visit to see if your favorite restaurant, cafe or coffee shop or market passed their most recent health inspection and how they rated.

Capital Health Region web site www.caphealth.org/mho
Note - you can search by name of restaurant/facility or by going through the alphabetical listings

Dining Guides

• The Victoria Dining Guide
  www.victoriadiningguide.com online home of the print publication "Proudly celebrating 19 years of dedication to the restaurant industry"
  
  This glossy professionally published guide is distributed free in various locations throughout Victoria, and includes articles and location maps.

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see also

Mee Wah Restaurant

Golf Courses in Victoria see map

Learning Resources

• Libraries & Museums
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  www.uvic.ca
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Credits:  the images on top banner are from N.Chan