ViJ's. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

CG, Martin, and Mark arrived yesterday afternoon, and once they were a little settled in at the hotel and oriented to the Island, we made our way up to ViJ's for dinner.







I first went to ViJ's back in 1996. Or was it 1997? I can't recall which. I've been a number of times since, most memorably back in 2005 with Conrad. That was the evening when, slightly tipsy, we asked Vij to sign the entry for the restaurant in our copy of places to eat in Canada and then bartered with him for two bottles of the very hard to find Joie Noble Blend. In exchange we brought him a couple of bottles of Round Barn Winery's Pi (black currant and black walnut) later that year. We are, in short, fans. And why not? Great Indian food in a nice room, good wines, and hip without being intimidatingly so. Also democratic: you show up and you wait your turn for a table. We've had some long waits there, though we can sip wine while doing so, but last night was a pleasant half hour at most.

The food was, as always, rather exciting. We shared four appetizers, five entrees, and three of us had the same dessert which we then shared. Let's see...

Paneer and back bacon with sauteed spicy Brussels sprouts

Japanese eggplant in tamarind and kalonji curry with couscous

Grilled sablefish in tomato yogurt broth

Jackfruit in black cardamom and cumin masala

I sipped a Salt Spring Vineyards Pinot Blanc while three of the others moved from a Blue Mountain Gamay Noir to what was apparently an utterly tasty Kettle Valley 2004 Syrah. The latter tasted extra good for being the last bottle available.

Entrees:

Green beans and new potatoes in mustard seed curry on brown basmati and French green lentil pilaf. Surprise ingredient? Beets!

Pan fried coriander quail cakes with coconut curry vegetables (this was so very tasty!)

Demerara sugar and tamarind marinated beef tenderloin with black cumin curry and khoa paranta (this will sound ridiculous, but this dish was like the best damn Philly cheesesteak sandwich ever, deconstructed)

Grilled duck breast in lime-leaf curry with ginger jalapeno basmati rice

Beef short ribs in cinnamon and red wine curry with warm greens.

For dessert? The restaruant still makes gulab jamun like no one's business. Imagine doughnut holes in a spiced syrup. Mmmmmm. (blurry shot, though, sorry)

Happily, I felt better this morning when it came time to grab breakfast and head out walking than I did the morning before!