by Jill Van Gyn –
We tend to get overwhelmed with food trends. They come fast and furious and are out as fast as they came in. Staying ahead of the game is work: you need to do your research checking in on blogs and websites out of major hot spots such as L.A, New York, Paris and London. You need to get out there and shop for foods that you have never seen, talk to restaurant owners, chefs, and local producers on the regular and, above all else, you have to eat like it’s going out of style (don’t worry – it never will).
In our small yet vibrant restaurant scene, trends have been all over the map. From tacos to farm to table, there have been some heated battles fought and won in many a kitchen.
Let’s start with tacos: the trend has spun slightly out of control. Everyone loves a good taco, but the market is quickly becoming saturated, with the Blanshard and Fort intersection featuring three different taco locales – all with different takes on the south-of-the-border darling. Tacofino, La Taquisa, and La Taqueria are going head to head to win over the taco aficionados while food trucks Norte and Taco Justice are hitting the streets, doubling down on the food truck trend.
While tacos may have hit a fever pitch in 2016, look for poke, a Hawaiian dish using fresh, raw tuna, soy marinades and a variety of toppings, to become the new hit in 2017. The poke trend is on absolute fire in L.A. and New York, but has been slow to catch on in Victoria. Fresh Coast over in Gordon Head offers a miso lime poke bowl with furikake spice, avocado, kale and farrow, but I’m waiting for the day when an authentic poke shop opens up to give this trend the kickstart it so deserves.
In addition to poke, I think we’ll see a major uptick in elevated Asian street food with a particular bent on authenticity over fusion. Bao, over on Fisgard in Chinatown, is serving up some fantastic ramen and bao buns while Han Korean Restaurant on Johnson is hitting the spot with some delicious Korean barbecue dishes.
Farm to Table is becoming a slightly diluted phrase these days. There are some fantastic hard-core farm to table enthusiasts such as Hanks on Douglas and the slow food movement frontrunner Agrius, that head out to farms, to the seaside, and to local producers to procure the freshest food for their dishes. Others may be using the term with a bit more, how shall we say, creative license when it comes to calling their food “farm to table.” Be mindful of this when choosing where to eat and opt for a true Farm to Table restaurant!
Enter the food repurposing movement. Food waste is a growing topic in the restaurant industry. So much of what is brought in through the back door goes to waste. Part and Parcel in Quadra Village has already started to repurpose compostable produce material by breaking it down into rich, flavourful oils to be used in dressings and for cooking. Repurposing food and minimizing waste will not only become a trend in 2017, but I believe it will start to become the norm for two reasons: one, it makes the most out of food costs for the restaurants; and two, it capitalizes on the public’s growing interest in sustainability and waste reduction.
In your own kitchen, look for recommendations to use turmeric in, well, everything. The immune-boosting root adds flavour and a splendor of colour to any dish and is cheap and easy to find. It’s a fantastic addition to curries, but also bodes well for innovative cocktail creations.
Goodbye caveman diet, hello ancestors diet: This takes “from scratch” to a whole other level – bread making, cheese making, canning and jarring – just like they did in the good old days. Think less “life without fire” and more “life without electricity.” In the coming year home cooks are going to be pushed to get very experimental. Look for some great recipes to come out on fermentation. You will all have very busy schedules as you add homemade kimchi, sauerkraut, buttermilk and kefir to your list of cooking forays. I have little doubt that many of you will start planning your spring 2017 home garden with fermentation and a healthy gut in mind.
Trends come and go, and Victoria is the perfect testing ground to see what will stick and what will fall flat. So, get out there and be a part of the process while supporting our vibrant local food community.
