Ulla Restaurant

So dinner number two in Victoria, could it top Brasserie l'ecole? Let's see...Ulla on Fisgard was our second stop of the night, after trying the Buck a Shuck at Oysters. This was another highly recommended restaurant and we decided to give this place a shot. Featuring dishes that use mostly local organic ingredients, and a wide selection of cocktails, this place looked promising.

   

We were a bit late for our reservation and ended up having to wait at the bar while another table was cleared for us. We took a seat at the bar and sipped a cocktail while we waited. They were raising money for a cocktail creator, Murray Stenson, who was diagnosed with a heart condition recently. Without adequate medical coverage, the restaurant was donating a portion of the sale of every "Last Word" cocktail towards his surgery costs. Given that this was such a good cause, it was a no brainer for us. The gin based cocktail was tangy and was a great appetizer!  
I know, I know, you probably don't need to see another picture of bread and butter/olive oil. Indulge me, more worthy food porn is on the way...  After having the 63 degree egg at Cotto Enoteca, I was excited to try the 64 Degree Egg here. It's served with some lomo and pickled cauliflower, and some smoked tomatoes. The crumble you see here is a brioche crumble, slightly sweet but with a great crunch.   It is always exciting to slice an egg open, but this was a bit different. There wasn't any bread or pasta to absorb the yolk. The crumble did a good job, but I was thrilled with the way that the yolk spread throughout the dish. We made use of the bread though, using the yolk as a wonderful sauce with the lomo, making ourselves the most indulgent crostini. Lomo is a dry-cured pork tenderloin, and the vibrant colour is very appetizing. Slightly salty but very moist, this is different from other cured meats which tend to be drier and tougher.  When I saw Quail on the menu, I knew I had to try it. After the delectable Duck Confit from Brasserie l'ecole last night, my expectations were high. Accompanying the crispy quail was a bit of green farro, some roasted hazelnuts and a bit of puffed grains. I've never had pickled grapes before, but it's amazingly good. The mixture of textures, from the crispiness of the quail to the crunch of the hazelnuts and grains, was really amazing. Listed under the appetizer menu, I think this could easily be an entree, but then again, I did just have the 64 degree egg. For our actual entree, we opted for the Short Rib Steak which was served with little potato towers as well as some pureed potatoes. Also on the plate were cipollini onions and chanterelle mushrooms. You're probably wondering what that is on top of the beef, well it's more beef, it's a floss made of flank beef! It was amazing, very dense meaty flavour and a great crispy texture. Who would have though of using beef to garnish beef!?

Take Note:

• Dishes are meant to be shared, easier to try more items that way
• Appies are reasonable (under $15) but mains are a bit pricey
• Our dinner, 3 plates and 3 drinks came in at under $90 including tax

Looking for more Victoria ideas? Here you go!