The Victoria Public Market is a vibrant community hub located in the historic Hudson building downtown. Although many of its vendors were affected during the pandemic and have closed these past years, many new vendors have opened their doors and are eager to welcome you to try their food.
At the time of this visit, the market had vendors serving salads, meat, pasta, sushi and Indian food. It also hosted events, cooking classes and live entertainment.
These are five vendors we tried and recommended in September 2024.
Shashwat serves Indian street food, traditional dishes and Indo-Chinese food.
The menu at Shashwat is huge, including:
Curries: Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options like butter chicken, lamb curry, goat curry, and various lentil-based dals.
Tandoori dishes: Marinated meats and vegetables cooked in a traditional clay oven.
Appetizers: Popular dishes like samosas and pakoras.
Breads: A selection of Indian breads such as naan, garlic naan, and roti.
The restaurant offers both dine-in and take-out options. Their combos are a great option to try out first, at very reasonable prices.
Oota Ya Sushi is a Japanese pop-up restaurant in the market, right in Coho Commissary. They offer fresh, high-quality sushi and authentic Japanese dishes, such as Masu Sushi; a round oshi sushi, usually made of fresh salmon. This dish is wrapped in bamboo leaves with shiso leaves and sticky sushi rice.
Its menu also includes sashimi, miso soup, oshi sushi, and rolls. The lunch sets are a great option if you’re looking to try it out for the first time.
Please note that the hours are very limited and it’s always best to pre-order.
Known for its freshly made pasta, La Pasta offers a casual dining experience, focusing on high-quality, house-made pasta served fast. The menu includes appetizers, salads, pizza, and of course, pasta. They also offer seasonal and limited time menu items from time to time, and they are usually great. Some of our favourites are the gnocchi made with butternut squash, sage brown butter, and sliced almond, and the spaghetti carbonara, made with Italian bacon, farm fresh egg yolk, garlic, and grana padano.
Aside from their delicious offerings, they have also been doing classes on how to make pasta from scratch. They just did one late August and we are hoping the next one is soon. We will keep you posted.
Café Malabar just opened in June 2023 and it has already won Best South or Southeast Asian Restaurant in the 2024 YAM magazine’s Best Restaurant Awards. The restaurant focuses on authentic Kerala-style cuisine. This region is famous for its use of aromatic spices and diverse range of dishes. Café Malabar offers a unique dining experience, focusing on traditional flavours from South India that are less commonly found in other Indian restaurants in the area.
The menu is very big. The restaurant recommends sharing dishes, starting with a selection of ‘Snacks + Bites’, counting about one dish per guest, moving on to mains, including ‘Hoppers + Breads’ to dip into curries.
If you are unsure on what to order, try out the Kerala Tasting Board. It includes:
Egg puffs or vegetable cutlets
Fried chicken or fried fish
Selection of any two curries
Ghee rice and matta rice
Appam and porotta
Two cups of sulaimani
Condiments: Garlic dip, house ketchup, onion salad, homemade mango pickle, and mango chamanthi
This Victoria classic spot has been well-known in the city for years. Roast specializes in slow-roasted meats, including beef, pork, and chicken, served in sandwiches, salads or as meals. The roast beef sandwich is a favourite and their chimichurri sauce is very popular.
Roast also runs specials alongside its regular menu.
You can also grab a full rotisserie chicken, a few sides, and you’re good for a great family dinner.
Victoria Public Market
#6 1701 Douglas St.
11am-6pm Monday-Saturday
11am-5pm Sundays
