- Words by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

I can smell the woodsy, campfire-like aroma well before I see executive chef Peter Kim coming out of the kitchen at 91裸聊视频攐ne of Victoria91裸聊视频檚 most exciting new restaurants. He91裸聊视频檚 carrying what looks like a large glass ball filled with smoke and a bed of shells, stones and moss cradling my appetizer and invoking the ocean and forests of Vancouver Island.

91裸聊视频淚t not only gives the show aspect, it also gives a nice, very pleasant taste with the grilled bread, and the hickory goes very well with the beef tartare,91裸聊视频� Peter says, smoke wafting out as he removes the sourdough bread from the top of the beef tartare smoke bowl.

It91裸聊视频檚 my first taste of what the Hotel Grand Pacific91裸聊视频檚 new restaurant, which opened earlier this year, has to offer. Decorated in muted greys and greens and a deep, sea blue with gold accents, FATHOM91裸聊视频檚 d茅cor and menu are inspired by the ocean91裸聊视频攋ust like this Inner Harbour restaurant91裸聊视频檚 name.

91裸聊视频淎 fathom is a unit of measurement for how deep below the sea you91裸聊视频檙e getting, and we91裸聊视频檙e a seafood-centric restaurant. So, the idea for the design is that it goes from lighter to darker, like the ocean, and as you get into the lounge, you91裸聊视频檙e exploring the depths of the sea,91裸聊视频� explains Hotel Grand Pacific marketing guru Becca Penner.

I decide to dive right in, sampling the sweet and juicy scallops served on a spring pea risotto with ginger scallop mousse and accented with an edible shell hand-crafted from phyllo dough and pressed against an actual scallop shell to make the perfect impression.

91裸聊视频淲e have to tell people it isn91裸聊视频檛 an actual shell or they won91裸聊视频檛 eat it!91裸聊视频� Peter says with a laugh.

Peter came to the hotel from Vancouver almost a year and a half ago after working in some of the city91裸聊视频檚 top hotels and eateries. He91裸聊视频檚 also worked throughout the Pacific Rim, including San Francisco, Singapore and Australia. He says his inspiration for FATHOM was to create dishes that are unique and sustainable.

91裸聊视频淲hen someone asks me what the concept of our menu is, I joke that it91裸聊视频檚 something I would love to eat. But we want something that will be well-received by locals and also very sustainable91裸聊视频攕omething that is ethically grown and sourced and harvested,91裸聊视频� Peter explains. 91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 also the responsibility of chefs and the people in the industry to showcase items91裸聊视频攂oth in how they91裸聊视频檙e created and how they91裸聊视频檙e presented91裸聊视频攖o bring out the best flavours.91裸聊视频�

My next dish, a delicious chicken karaage, packs a flavour-packed punch with some heat, some crunch from crushed cashews, and just the right amount of crispy coating for a unique take on Japanese fried chicken.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a little twist with the Korean version,91裸聊视频� Peter says. 91裸聊视频淲hile we marinade it in the traditional Japanese style, we toss it with the gochujang glaze, so it gets a nice balance of the heat, but a lot of taste with the ginger and garlic.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 already a huge hit among staff and patrons, but Peter says his absolute favourite item on the menu is the sablefish, which is served with a kabayaki glaze and a house-made prawn cake with a cauliflower puree and nori sand.

91裸聊视频淚t is a dish I91裸聊视频檇 collaborated on with chefs I worked with in Vancouver, but I91裸聊视频檝e added my own twist to it with a little bit of Korean in there and a little bit of Japanese fusion as well,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 something that91裸聊视频檚 really unique in the food scene here in Victoria.91裸聊视频�

Taking my first bite of the sablefish, I experience layers of flavour. It almost has a deep smokiness to it. I can see why Peter loves it, but he says there91裸聊视频檚 no such thing as perfection.

91裸聊视频淚f we say our menu is perfect, our restaurant is perfect, our team is perfect, then there91裸聊视频檚 no room for growth and there91裸聊视频檚 no more room for creativity,91裸聊视频� he explains. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e continuously evolving and looking to create new seasonal dishes to use what the harvesters, growers and forager who we work with provide, and make something that is edible as well as beautiful to the eye.91裸聊视频�

FATHOM91裸聊视频檚 new hand-crafted cocktail menu is also taking its inspiration from the sea, with the help of brand and beverage consultant Soren Schepkowski.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going to go with the fathom idea, separating the cocktails into different zones: so, the sunlight zone, the twilight zone, the midnight zone, the trenches and the abyss, depending on how adventurous you want to be,91裸聊视频� Becca explains. 91裸聊视频淭he deeper down, the more spirit-forward, heavy flavours there are. Whereas at the top, in the sunlight zone, they91裸聊视频檙e lighter and more approachable.91裸聊视频�

I decided to splash down past the lighter zones to midnight for a cocktail called Don91裸聊视频檛 Say Rabbit, which is like a black Manhattan. A smooth sipper, it91裸聊视频檚 made with Jura 12 Whisky91裸聊视频攐ne of the 160-plus whisky options on the menu. FATHOM is also working with Devine Distillery on the Saanich Peninsula to create its own house whisky.

91裸聊视频淥ur goal now is to become a local hot spot and more of a go-to spot for locals, especially people in the foodie community, as well as a must-do for tourists,91裸聊视频� Becca says.

As I decide to have one last piece of the chicken karaage, I know I91裸聊视频檒l be back for more.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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