Douglas Weekly – Nov 11

Café Malabar is one of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants

Kiran Kolathodan and Karma Tenpa’s homage to Keralan cuisine has earned them the number five spot on Air Canada’s 10 Best New Restaurants list this year.

Served out of the Coho Commissary kitchen in the Victoria Public Market, Café Malabar’s flavorful fried chicken had the magazine’s reviewer describing it as “something to write home about.”

Chef/co-owners Kolathodan and Tenpa also picked up a YAM Best Restaurant award earlier this year in the Best South or Southeastern Café category.

Now in its 23rd year, Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants reviews dining spots opened across the country between late spring 2023 and May 31, 2024. Judged by a single, anonymous reviewer, the Top 10 list evaluates all aspects of the dining experience, from culinary vision and quality of ingredients to service and overall team spirit.

This year’s Top 10 were selected by award-winning cookbook author, Wall of Bakers judge and culinary journalist Tara O’Brady who visited over 30 restaurants in 16 cities nationwide.

Tourism still a strong economic driver, says new report

Destination Greater Victoria’s latest report shares good news. The organization says almost five million people visited the capital region in 2023, generating $3.5 billion in economic activity and contributing $2 billion to the local GDP.

This comes as DGV released its new Master Plan for the next decade, which details what’s needed to help the industry continue to thrive. Douglas reviews the plan and its potential impact here.

Island company among most investable cleantech companies

Cascadia Seaweed is the only Vancouver Island-based company in Foresight Canada’s list of 50 Most Investible Cleantech Ventures, though one half of the list features companies based in British Columbia, with Vancouver named in a KPMG report as one of the top 10 Cleantech clusters worldwide.

A 2020 Douglas magazine 10 to Watch winner, Cascadia Seaweed is fast becoming known as a leading vertically integrated ocean cultivator of seaweed. Its mission is to provide nature-based solutions to climate change and food security.

Foresight 50 helps ventures thrive through showcases and connections with international investors.

Community leaders gather to brainstorm ideas for attracting family doctors

South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) recently gathered community leaders and organizations for a think tank on solving one of the region’s most pressing health care challenges – attracting and retaining family physicians.

Co-hosted by SIPP and the Victoria and South Island Divisions of Family Practice, the session looked at creating collaborative, multi-jurisdictional, cross-sectoral partnerships in tackling the problem. It was attended by family doctors, alongside representatives from municipal governments, academic leaders, community organizations and business organizations.

“It’s encouraging to see all segments of our region so aligned around the need for family doctors,” said SIPP CEO Aaron Stone as he reflected on the day. “But we need to take urgent steps toward real solutions. Business leaders are hearing from prospective employees that access to family doctors is a hindrance to moving to Greater Victoria or even being able to stay.

Municipal leaders see the issue as a growth constraint that prevents them from building the housing and community amenities that population growth demands. Overall, this is a barrier that prevents holistic economic prosperity.”

Foodies queue for The Breakfast Shop

This past weekend Chris Jones, owner of Jones Bar B Que and The Ruby opened The Breakfast Shop alongside friend and business partner Logan Gray, owner of Discovery Coffee and Yonni’s Donuts.

Situated in the former Bear & Joey location at Cook and Fort streets, the restaurant enjoyed a strong opening weekend, with lineups out the door for its elevated breakfast menu.