đšđŠ Victoria Food Journal · | AsUsual Cafe
đ 2510 Estevan Ave, Victoria, BC V8R 5Z2 Tucked away on the edge of Oak Bay, this little Taiwanese spot has been around for years, I thinkârun by a Taiwanese owner, which explains the authentic vibe. The place is tiny with not many seats, and most folks seem to get takeout. As someone from Shanghai, I love the sweet-savory flair of Taiwanese foodâitâs right up my alley! But ugh, the Taiwanese waitress? Total mood killer. She had a permanent scowl, didnât even offer water unless we askedâsuch a let-down. đ đ Taro Egg Waffles đ°5.95 The waffles themselves smelled amazingâno weird eggy aftertaste, with a crispy outer layer and soft, cake-like inside. But the taro flavor? Barely there. Worse, there was a faint burnt taste. Just an âokayâ batchâprobably wonât order again, since it feels hit-or-miss! đ„ Build-Your-Own Platter đ°19.96 You pick 3 appetizers, and it comes piping hotâwatch your fingers! â Salt & Pepper Chicken The coating is fried to a shatteringly crisp, and the seasoningâs light but spot-on. The chicken inside is tender, with a subtle sweet hint under the saltinessâso moreish! đ â Fried Sweet Potato Balls (Tian Bu La) Basically fish cakes, and theyâre chewy in the best way after frying. On their own, theyâre mildâjust a touch of fishy and flouryâbut dip âem in that Taiwanese sweet chili sauce? Game on. Salty, sweet, savoryâso much flavor in one bite! đ„ą đ Fried Oysters Only 5 in the platter, but hey, since a single order of oysters is half the platterâs price, it feels like a steal. The oysters themselves were a bit fishy that day, and the batter was thicker than Iâd like. Still, the sweet chili sauce saved itâfine for a quick bite. đŠȘ â Tamagoyaki đ°6.96 So fragrantâand scalding when it arrives, so let it cool! Itâs tender and moist, with the perfect balance of egg and mayoâsweet, creamy, and just a touch salty. Melts in your mouth, honestlyâso good! đ„ đ Taiwanese Braised Pork Noodle Soup + Braised Pork Belly đ°15.95+5.95 Decent, but not as good as their braised pork rice. I only ordered it âcause my stomach felt off and I wanted something warm. The broth is sweet-savory, and the meat includes both ground pork (lean, no stringy bits) and a chunk of braised pork belly. The belly felt smaller than usualâmaybe âcause the noodle bowlâs bigger? Still, itâs marbled nicely. I swapped noodles for (ho fun), and the portionâs hugeâI couldnât finish half. The only veg is cabbage, which is a bit boring, but itâs fine. đ„ą #Canada #CanadaFood #VancouverIsland #Victoria #Foodie #LifeSnippets #FoodTour #MyDailyLife #RestaurantRecommendation #HiddenGemRestaurant #FoodCheckIn #SoloDining #EatsAndTreats #TaiwaneseFood #EggWaffles