olo restaurant

up to vancouver standards. vancouver island sea salt pork rinds $3 4/5 - i'm not a big fan of pork rinds but it was freshly made.
pea soup, cauliflower & cheddar carrot 'egg', ciabatta croutons $12 3.5/5 - it was on the salty side with a "63 degree egg."
giant pacific octopus, grilled potato, herb puree, olives, pickled chili, squid ink cracker $14 4.5/5 - the sauce went so well with the octopus. the smoked olives were tasty too.
silken tofu, chickpea tempeh, ancient grains, cashew cheese, vegetables, yogurt $25 4.5/5 - totally recommend this dish if you don't mind paying meat prices for a vegetarian dish. the tofu had a hint of yogurt and we think it was made in house. it also came with a side of stir-fried vegetables. so it could totally fill you up.
birch syrup coho salmon, grain salad, rye & buttermilk fried mussels, birch carrots, dill pollen $27 4/5 - the salmon tasted it was smoked. very crunchy deep fried mussels. caramelized carrots. i didn't enjoy the grain salad. it was very similar to the grains in the vegetarian dish. they were a little too dry.
6oz island beef rotating cut; grass-fed, potato puree & pave, roasted onion, mushroom puree, green garlic, cubeb pepper sauce $28 4/5 - they ran out of the other cut (sirloin?) when we got there. the pepper sauce came on the side so you could decide how much you wanted.
chocolate cake, hazelnut rice crisp, chocolate soil, malt cream, salted caramel ice-cream $9 4.5/5 - many tables ordered this. the rice crisp did not have a strong hazelnut flavour. the chocolate soil was quite dark. salted caramel was a little too sweet but still acceptable.
black current sorbet, purple plum sorbet $3 x2 4.5/5- in-house made, fruity and smooth, both of them were quite similar

i'm glad i picked to come to this place! nice presentation and our group was satisfied. the portions might be a little on the smaller side but it was still enough. i guess they did this to avoid setting their prices too high. our server was not good at recommending dishes. i asked her what are her favourites and the most popular dishes. she gave me the standard answer: "everything is good here." reservations kept coming in at 9:30pm to this ~40 seats restaurant. i suggest an earlier sitting because a few dishes were sold out already when we got there.

while we were in victoria , dorothy and i were on the hunt for some good food as well. sadly, we got turned away from a restaurant because it was packed and they didn't have any tables until 10pm. they recommended checking out  ulla restaurant  in victoria's chinatown. sure, why not. i opted for the  pork three ways with potato & cheddar perogies, cabbage, chive, bourbon maple sauce ($26) . it was actually more like four ways: one which seemed like a meat ball (far top left), crackling (on the perogie), grilled (bottom), and roasted (right). i liked how the roasted one seemed like hk style roasted pork, and enjoyed the meatball as well. the grilled one had a strong charred and smoky flavour, which i didn't enjoy, but i know some people like that smokiness. i found all three pieces to be overly salty though. the perogies were delicate and good and served as somewhat of a palate cleanser. doro had the 6oz grass-fed, island beef ($25) , which was quite good, albeit again, a bit salty. the

well intended, but confused.

visually stunning food!. the food in this restaurant is visually stunning. most dishes involve beautifully arranged combinations of ingredients and complex cooking techniques. the desserts were amazing! highly sophisticated use and variety of chocolate (characterizing the chocolate dessert), amazing yoghurt panna cotta accompanying their poached pear dessert...unusual ingredients are used (e.g., lamb bacon); everything was absolutely delicious. modern small restaurant atmosphere. service was very good. overall, this was an unforgettable meal.

inventive bioregional cuisine that flirts at times with pretension. the menu's local emphasis is always changing, giving it a seasonal freshness. we had two starter dishes before our mains and generally loved the flavours throughout. on this score, ulla succeeds where so many other west coast cuisine pretenders fail. nice, minimalist, relaxing ambience; service the night we were there was flawless. our one grievance is portion size in proportion to cost. very little food on the plates, especially the mains. we left hungry, and diners dropping over $100 should never leave hungry. i appreciate that quality products and local food cost money, but there are creative ways to fill up a plate a bit more. the new wave of modern fine restaurants seem to be plagued by a misguided belief that trinket-size portions and artistic presentation are paramount. as such, sometimes that comes at the expense of what deserves to be a more robust, satisfying meal.

had a lovely dinner at ulla last night. our server was knowledgable and friendly, the food was scrumptious and the wine paired perfectly. i had the basil crusted halibut and was very satisfied! beautifully prepared - a work of art! great modern, chic vibe. will definitely be back.

ulla restaurant. fantastic restaurant. well worth including when in victoria.

amazing service !!. what a gem to have this in our capital city :-d
convenient location, trendy atmosphere and fabulous, contemporary cuisine.
it was fully booked on a saturday night but i didn't feel rushed or ignored.
the staff were very, very accommodating (for my nut-allergic friend) and attentive (my water glass was never left empty).

shared 2 appetizers (gnudi and scallop boudin blanc), i had the sumac elk leg (main dish) and shared the chocolate cake (dessert but no mere chocolate cake as it was beautifully described by the waitress). all looked stunning on the plates and the creative flavors were amazing and complimentary.

this is definitely a place to re-visit again and again...and again.

ps. the restauranteurs say they were will be opening for lunch service soon.
very excited about this :-)

all in all, beautiful presented and tasty food in a lovely place with exceptional service. you could tell the place is run with a lot of care. i would not hesitate going back again.

i really enjoyed the meal we had here. the deconstructed chowder with the ling cod was absolutely a must. and the octapus was cooked perfectly. a great selection of virgin cocktails made this a must for non drinkers! our server was attentive and made the whole experience worth it. definately will be going back asap!

so dinner number two in victoria, could it top brasserie l'ecole? let's see...ulla on fisgard was our second stop of the night, after trying the buck a shuck at oysters . this was another highly recommended restaurant and we decided to give this place a shot. featuring dishes that use mostly local organic ingredients, and a wide selection of cocktails, this place looked promising.     we were a bit late for our reservation and ended up having to wait at the bar while another table was cleared for us. we took a seat at the bar and sipped a cocktail while we waited. they were raising money for a cocktail creator, murray stenson , who was diagnosed with a heart condition recently. without adequate medical coverage, the restaurant was donating a portion of the sale of every " last word " cocktail towards his surgery costs. given that this was such a good cause, it was a no brainer for us. the gin based cocktail was tangy and was a great appetizer!   i know, i know, you probably don't need

i don't get it. i don't see what all the hype is about. the food was decent but i don't want to pay $30 when i can make a better steak at home myself. and what restaurant doesn't ask you how you would like your steak done?! and then to top it off my server tried to convince me that i would like my steak rare after i told her no i like my steaks well done. i will not be going back.

loved every bite. will be back on our next visit to the city, thanks!

glad we tried it. ulla is a great little place in victoria. creative menu and good friendly service. the bourbon sour cocktail was delicious. we tried the octopus and quail dishes to start, both good. i had short rib for my entree, my husband ordered the pork. in general, both were good. a couple of the "purees" in both appetizer and entrees tasted a little odd but they are such a small part of the meal it did not have an impact on the overall experience. a couple sitting at the table next to us were complaining about the noise level and lack of privacy. well, it's a small room, meant for a great dining experience. i suggest if you want privacy, call ahead and ask if there are appropriate tables in the restaurant. we will definitely be back on our next trip to victoria.

a winner. the décor is simple but pretty. the few times i’ve been, service has been very friendly though a bit slow. only real complaint is that the wine list could use just a few more options.

the polenta cubes with truffle mayo are delicious. the pork loin (with roasted potatoes) was a little tough when i had it but still tasty. the short-rib steak dinner is amazing!