Ugly Duckling Restaurant

Victoria, Canada

As the gateway to the vast, rugged – and surprisingly temperate – wilds of Vancouver Island, the city of Victoria is no stranger to exceptional produce. Think sweet Dungeness crab and giant blueberries, or saline oysters and verdant herbs. But in a different stroke of innovation, Ugly Duckling, an exposed brick and wood space nestled within Chinatown, plates up the bounty of seasonal goodies in a Chinese-inflected tasting menu. In springtime, for example, you might get buttery, flaky sablefish – made famous by Nobu as black cod – sourced from the pristine waters of Haida-Gwaii, or a Tamworth Pork reared at local Stillmeadow Farms paired with Japanese turnip, fermented daikon and a slathering of savoury XO sauce. Understandably, the beverage programme also leans heavily on local pours, with bottles from Vancouver’s own Cowichan Valley, as well as further afield in better-known Okanagan.

Key Information

• Tasting menu from $95
• Dinner: Weds – Sun
• 1 250 978 0915
• Visit Ugly Duckling Restaurant's Website

Location

543 Fisgard St, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 1R3