(rebarmodernfood.com) – Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

How I heard of this place: Our hotel was just around the corner, and our walks through Bastion Square to enjoy the weekend arts and crafts market led us right by rebar. On one such walk, I paused to peruse the menu, and an older lady from Vancouver stopped by to tell me, “Don’t think about it. Just go in!” When my husband caught up with me, I suggested it for our Saturday morning brunch. He was in!

Type of cuisine: “Refusing to embrace space-aged foods engineered to mimic freshness, rebar has always celebrated real, local flavour.

At Rebar, eating modern means being aware: aware of where your food comes from and preparing and serving food responsibly, from seed to table.

Rebar proves that exotic flavours don’t need to traverse the globe to reach your plate, especially since there is a wealth of culinary treasures in our own backyards.

At Rebar Modern Food, we prepare food for our customers just as we would cook for ourselves at home: carefully and conscientiously. Food is meant to nourish and Rebar focuses on serving food and juices that maintain as many nutrients as possible. Steaming and roasting vegetables, toasting and grinding spices, using fresh, hand-cut herbs in our dishes and fresh juice from our own juicers to enhance stocks, sauces and dressings: at Rebar, you enjoy real, gourmet food because we never fake it.

Fresh, authentic, nourishing food.
That is what matters most to us.”

Ambiance: “Fusing hippy-chic neo-noir retro-fitted coolness, this place brought together the best of the best: healthy, delicious food in a trendsetting atmosphere.”

“Nestled in the heart of Bastion Square, Audrey found an odd-ball half underground empty space for lease that had previously been home to a store that sold military memorabilia. The building was constructed for the Royal Trust bank in the 1930’s and the space that would become the Rebar’s kitchen was the bank’s vault…”

“Buckets of green paint, kitschy second-hand art and those signature Mexican-oilcloth table coverings were just a start.”

“People come from all over the world to munch on the health sustaining, casual decadence that Rebar serves up and bask in the bohemian vibe Audrey and her team created.”

What I ordered: To start, my husband and I were each intrigued by the Blushing Georgia Zinger (CAD$5.75 each), a featured drink of fresh juiced oranges and ginger blended with peaches and raspberries. For our main entrees, my husband selected the Smoked Salmon Scramble (CAD$16): hot-smoked wild B.C. salmon, cream cheese, fresh dill & scallions scrambled with eggs, served with roast potatoes and buttered sourdough toast. On the side, a helping of homemade (what tasted like) raspberry-rhubarb jam.

Me, I opted for the Eggs Benny with Spinach & Mushroom (full order CAD$13): two poached eggs topped with Hollandaise sauce set atop wilted spinach & grilled mushrooms on focaccia, served with roast potatoes.

What I loved: We were so in love with the fresh juice, and my Eggs Benny, that we were determined to return the next morning for round two! Sadly, we made other delicious plans and were unable to return this time…but our next visit will certainly include another trip to Rebar! It was the buttery grilled mushrooms that perfectly complemented the earthy, wilted spinach and light, buttery focaccia with perfectly runny poached eggs. Whoa. My husband, too, surprised me with his delicate palate, finding the burst of fresh lemon zest among the garlic-oil roasted potatoes.

Why I loved it: Bright and crisp interior with kitschy colors and plastic tablecloths that, somehow, worked well together in the window-lit basement space.

Cost: Average to high (CAD$10 – CAD$17 per entree)

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