The Pacific Restaurant receives Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival Award
April 13, 2009

The Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival has awarded The Pacific Restaurant, 463 Belleville Street, the Bronze Glass Award for its 2009 Wine List. Every year, the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine List Awards recognize British Columbia restaurateurs who demonstrate excellence in their wine lists and serving techniques. The Pacific Restaurant in the Hotel Grand Pacific received the same honour last year.

The Annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival took place at the end of March and attracted almost 25,000 consumers as well as 850 international members of the wine industry. The trade competitions gave the Festival an opportunity to honour and celebrate those professionals who have developed and enhanced the extraordinary wine and food culture of this region.

Hotel Grand Pacific Director of Operations and Food and Beverage, Emory Haines, is committed to building a strong wine program at the hotel through education and experience. He was instrumental in bringing world-class wine instruction to Vancouver Island, and has hosted delivery of the International Sommelier Guild programs at the Hotel since 2003.

Haines appreciates the award for The Pacific Restaurant and is quick to credit the professionals in the restaurant, headed up by restaurant manager and sommelier Dawn Kapcala, who have extensive knowledge regarding every wine on the menu that they can share with diners.

"Our wine menu continues to evolve", says Haines, "and since we received the Bronze Glass award last year, a strong focus on local and organic wines has influenced the choices featured on our extensive list."

To view The Pacific's award winning wine list go to www.pacificrestaurant.com/bar. For more information about the Hotel Grand Pacific, on Victoria's Inner Harbour, visit www.hotelgrandpacific.com.

International Sommelier Guild Courses continue at Victoria's Hotel Grand Pacific
April 13, 2009

The Hotel Grand Pacific and the International Sommelier Guild (ISG) will offer Wine Fundamentals Certificates Levels 1 and 2 at the Hotel Grand Pacific, 463 Belleville Street, Victoria, beginning June 14, 2009.

The Hotel Grand Pacific is the first in Victoria to offer courses accredited by the leading wine resource authority, providing Vancouver Island residents with the opportunity to build their wine knowledge without having to travel to the Lower Mainland.

Well-known industry professional, sommelier and wine educator, Lesley Brown, will lead the ISG Fundamentals courses.

ISG Wine Fundamentals Certificate Level 1 is an introductory course for the novice wine enthusiast. It is designed for those pursuing a career in hospitality or for those who wish to enhance their knowledge and enjoyment of wines. Participants will acquire skills in basic wine terminology, wine tasting and recognition of the major grapes used to make wine. The course starts on Sunday, June 14th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and runs for 8 weeks.

Level 2 also begins Sunday, June 14th, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and runs for sixteen weeks. The goal of this course is to advance understanding of wine and wine making in order to prepare the student for the Sommelier Diploma Program. Students will begin to develop blind tasting skills by studying old and new world wine regions as well as sparkling, fortified wines and ales. In addition, they will build on service skills, food and wine pairing techniques, and proper storage and management practices.

ISG, The International Sommelier Guild, brings together the resources of top educators, industry leaders, leading restaurateurs, wine merchants and wineries. ISG strives to pool the knowledge of the best minds available to stay on top of new trends, research, developments and standards. The ISG has certified Sommeliers for over 17 years and works closely with the hospitality and culinary industries to train professionals in wine and spirits.

For further course information, contact Lesley Brown at lbrown@internationalsommelier.com or Emory Haines, Director of Operations at the Hotel Grand Pacific, (250) 380-4451.

Haines is committed to building a strong wine program at the hotel through education and experience and was instrumental in bringing world-class wine instruction to Vancouver Island. He has hosted delivery of the International Sommelier Guild programs at the Hotel since 2003.

Registration is available on line at www.internationalsommelier.com.

Dim Sum and Then Some
April 4, 2009

Dim Sum is to China as tapas are to Spain. Now, Dim Sum is steaming things up at the Hotel Grand Pacific every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Executive Chef Rick Choy's version of these tempting little treasures mixes his Hong Kong food heritage with a respect and passion for fresh seasonal BC fare. Choy's inventive "Dim Sum and Then Some" twists the small plates concept into an inspired feast of delectable treats using local ingredients from field and stream. Served upon elegant china in the tradition of fine dining restaurants in the Orient, Choy's Dim Sum offerings change with the season and the harvest, making repeat visits to The Pacific Restaurant a must for "sum" aficionados.

True to the original Cantonese custom of "yum cha" or drinking tea with Dim Sum, The Pacific Restaurant has imported an exquisite collection of high quality Chinese and Japanese loose leaf teas, and English Tea Council approved Bodum tea pots, for the sipping pleasure of patrons. Guests may also brew to order at their table using individual Bodum tea kettles, while nibbling on Chef Choy's palate pleasing bundles.

For brunch traditionalists with an appetite for the savoury and sweet, Chef Choy has conjured up an eclectic brunch menu featuring breakfast classics, plus lighter fare such as fresh wild BC seafood, organic greens and local artisan cheeses.

Brunch lovers may also mix and match and travel the globe at the same time with a little "sum" thing from China complementing a little something else from right here in BC. Eggs Benedict and steamed dumplings could very well become the new trend in brunching, lunching and munching. Perhaps you could even ask for "fork-chops" to eat with.

For weekend reservations, call The Pacific Restaurant in the Hotel Grand Pacific at 250-380-4458.

Our Dim Sum and Then Some Menu

Think Outside the Crumpet
April 1, 2009

The Hotel Grand Pacific presents West Coast Afternoon Tea

"Veddy British" Victoria is losing her grip on Afternoon Tea. Put down the finger sandwich and back away from the strawberry jam because there IS life after clotted cream.

Imagine the punchy spices of Pacific Pan Asia meeting the clean savoury flavours of the wild West Coast. The Pacific Restaurant in the Hotel Grand Pacific is "tea-sing" you to come in and enjoy a "High Tea" far above the ordinary.

Sample such intriguing nibbles as Asian five-spice scones with local Vancouver Island jams and jellies. Indulge in wild smoked BC salmon sushi with traditional First Nations' bannock. Sweet and salt marry exceptionally well with an afternoon menu that also features Thomas Haas chocolates and fruit gelees.

It gets better. Tea lovers rejoice. Restaurant Chef Michael Minshull has a wild new take on Tea, but gives a nod to tradition with an outstanding selection of world teas, and the use of English Tea Council approved Bodum tea pots for the perfect "cup-ah". Guests may brew to order at their table using individual Bodum tea kettles, thus ensuring their Biodynamic Single Estate Darjeeling is steeped with full boil water or their green tea is washed in water just below a boil.

West Coast Afternoon Tea at the HGP is available 7 days a week from 2 pm to 4:30 pm. Priced at $36 per person.

For reservations call The Pacific Restaurant at 250-380-4458.

Our Tea Menu

Sustainable Wines program introduced at Victoria's Hotel Grand Pacific
February 23, 2009

The Hotel Grand Pacific is proud to implement its new Sustainable Wines program in The Mark and Pacific Restaurants and in The Pacific Lounge, effective immediately.

Sustainable wines are the product of environmentally and socially responsible grape growing and winemaking within the winery. A green dot identifies wines on the Hotel's wine list that marry quality with sustainability, making it easy for restaurant and lounge guests to make the most responsible wine choices.

"We are delighted to introduce a new wine experience to our guests", says Emory Haines, Director of Operations and Food and Beverage for the Hotel Grand Pacific. Haines and Restaurants Manager Dawn Kapcala personally selected wines for the Sustainable Wines program. "The wines are of excellent quality, which remains our first concern with any wine on our list, and are produced with a holistic approach to growing and food production that respects the environment", Kapcala explains.

The Hotel Grand Pacific is determined to be at the forefront of culinary sustainability. The Sustainable Wines program complements both the hotel's participation in the Ocean Wise sustainable seafood program, and emphasis on seasonal menus that source foods from within a 100-kilometre radius of the property.

Haines is committed to building a strong wine program at the hotel through education and experience. The Hotel Grand Pacific was instrumental in bringing world-class wine instruction to Vancouver Island, and has hosted delivery of the International Sommelier Guild programs at the Hotel since 2003. The hotel's wine list has received prestigious awards from the BC Wine Institute, Wine Spectator magazine and the Vancouver Playhouse.

To view the wine list, visit www.themark.ca. For more information or reservations call 250-380-4458.

The Hotel Grand Pacific on Victoria's Inner Harbour was recently selected the Best Hotel in Canada by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. For more information about the Hotel visit www.hotelgrandpacific.com