G I N.
Yelp
2023-04-02. Fishhook. Victoria, BC.
Serving comfort foods with a flair! All dishes are owner and head chef Mohit's own recipes. He crafts traditional Indian dishes with a French twist. The flavors are delicate, and noting is overpoweringly spiced. Preferring to process his own ingredients, he expertly, yet subtly, ensures they're still noticeable. From extracting and grinding cardamom from whole seeds to making fresh soups daily, he believes in serving wholesome foods that are delicious and healthy for you.
Somewhat of a scratch kitchen. If you want their cardamom chai tea, make sure it's part of your morning routine. It's made in small batches, and once they're out they're out. The menu contains many of his signature and staple dishes and has not changed in 7 years, but then again, if it ain't broke...
Tonight we had the Squimp Toast, their signature Fishhook Chowder, the Vindaloo mussels, and the poutine. Our meal ended sweetly with the ganache.
Squimp Toast. A play on the toppings. Pieces of shrimp and squid are diced and flavored and set upon tartine bread. Tartine bread is one of my favorites. It has just the right amount of sourdough flavor, and has a super crispy and crunchy crust while the inside is light and airy, the best of both worlds. This was a fantastic dish, the Humboldt squid is a jumbo squid native to the South American Pacific ocean. The shrimps are locally sourced from Tofino, BC, and the harissa added a nice smoky, garlic flavor that was brightened with a hint of citrus. It was light in the heat department, but still carried a warm chili pepper kick (safe enough for kids). And if that wasn't enough, it was balanced out by a touch of honey. My kids favorite dish of the evening. 5 stars.
Poutine. One of Canada creations, the beloved poutine has taken on many transformations over the decades. Here the french fries are gently spiced with cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, and I think there was also a touch of cinnamon. Add to that some tomato curry, cheese curds, and some green onions to brighten the dish, some crispy onions to give you that pop of flavor and crunch, and top it off with pakora bartered cod for protein and you have yourself a meal! Typically pakora is crazy spicy, but not so much here. The dish was a bit in the dry side with all the spices, but again, all the dishes are subtly spiced and safe for kids. 4 stars.
FishHook Chowder. When I read the description of this dish, I think I had to try it. Wild fish confit is what caught my attention. Confit is the French word for "preserve". It is the process of slow cooking at low temperatures. The result is tenderizing tougher cuts of meat like duck legs. Fish is normally tender and/or flaky, so I was really curious to see what fish was used. The broth had a slight fishiness to it, so I was expecting some wild ocean fish confit. Sadly I won't get to tell you as my kids got to it all before I had a chance to taste any. The coconut milk was just subtle enough to mark its presence without making it heavy at all. 4 stars for the broth.
Vindaloo Mussels. Vindaloo is typically among the spiciest curries in Indian cuisine. And while it's intensely spicy, it also has plenty of bright, acidic, and vinegar tinged tones. The vindaloo here is kid friendly, switching out the majority of the heat with the classic white wine. 4 stars.
Ganache. Homemade and topped with coconut shavings set amidst a sea of dairy free chocolate and completed with islands of wild berry compote and coconut crème fraîche. The crème fraîche had hints of cardamom, orange rind, and mint. This was a fantastic dish. Separately the coconut ganache was able to stand on its own, but paired even better with the compote and crème. It was a perfect ending to our meal. 5 stars.
Overall, this was a really good experience. Head chef and owner Mohit has thoughtfully and successfully managed to come up with some creative Indian-European fusion dishes using locally sourced and imported ingredients. Despite us having a late dinner (just before they were closing), he still took the time to come out and explain some of the dishes to us. If you're expecting super bold and fiery flavors, or high sodium and artery clogging rich sauces, then this is not the place for you. But if you want to try something new and different, or just want to get your feet wet to East Asian flavors, I would say Fishhook is a winner.
Thank you to Chef Mohit and his superb staff for your hospitality, we were the last to leave for the night, yet you still didn't rush us out.
If You would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!