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Tofino

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A trip to Tofino isn’t complete without a little bit of morning indulgence at Rhino Coffee House. Food Network Chef Lynn Crawford made a visit a few years ago for her show – The Great Canadian Cookbook and I always remembered that I needed to add this to my eating list when I came back to Tofino. We came here on a Friday morning at 8am and there was a steady stream of customers.

The best combination here is a donut and a coffee. If you want something more savoury, they have wraps and sandwiches on the menu too.

There is a window so you can look inside where everything is made. Nothing was happening when we were here, but its nice to know its all done here.

If you want to have coffee in-house, you get to use their fun mugs that remind you at home because of all the retro mismatching mugs.

Our donuts were ready right away and we waited patiently for our lattes and cappuccinos to be ready.

Latte

The latte was great and there was some latte art on top. A good ratio of espresso and steamed milk to create this.

The Corelle cup really brought me back to my childhood as we had the matching plates.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut

A good simple donut with a light dusting of sugar and cinnamon. The base donut was good too.

Sour cream beer glaze

My favourite donut! It has a nice crunch to the exterior of the donut and the glaze was delicious. You must get it!

Breakfast Wrap

In this wrap is two scrambled eggs, bacon, braised beans, salsa, avocado, aged cheddar, spinach, and chipotle mayo. It is very filling for breakfast, but

Bro-Nut

This is the donut-sandwich you’ve been looking for. It has a fried egg, choice of bacon, ham or sausage, tomato, aged cheddar, lettuce, on a homemade savoury donut. I got bacon and it was essentially an amazing BLT donut sandwich. The donut went so well with it and it wasn’t sweet. I would totally have this again.

Take a taste of Rhino Coffee house with you

You can also purchase beans in store or online if you want to continue having the Rhino Coffee House experience at home. A ceramic mug, espresso beans and their dark roast made its way into my luggage.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved having breakfast here early in the morning. A coffee and donut are a must. The bro-nut and sour cream beer glaze donuts I would get again with a cup of coffee. If you’re in the area and need a quick casual breakfast, make a stop here.

Address:
430 Campbell St, Tofino, BC

Website: 
https://www.rhinocoffeehouse.com

Going to Tofino is aways a joy driving down the winding roads of beautiful British Columbia and taking in the beautiful nature. What is equally on par is their fresh produce and innovative Pacific North West cusine. We spent a few days in Tofino driving in the 2018 Buick Regal and one of the highlights of the trip was getting first hand knowledge of crabbing and foraging in the backyard of Tofino.

Tofino is a small town on Vancouver Island known for their surfing, sightseeing, and eats as it faces the Pacific Ocean. It’s a popular spot for short vacations for locals. Even some celebrities have vacation homes here. What I love most is that there are no chain restaurants for miles. All you get is local dishes with local ingredients.

Chef Paul Moran of 1909 Kitchen inside the Tofino Resort + Marina took us for a crabbing and foraging tour. With all the items collected, Chef would create a few appetizers with what we collected.

Crabbing

We got into a boat after a safety tutorial and got out life jackets on. The night before, they put down a few crab traps in the close waters with some fish trimmings to lure them in.

As it is peak crabbing season, we took chances to pull up the traps, and it needed some arm strength to pull up those traps. It gave me a lot more respect for those who catch seafood. It’s hard work.

There are limitations on the size and amount of crabs we could collect as we were out here. Due diligence is done to ensure the sustainability of the seafood in the ocean. We collected 3 fresh beautiful crabs that would be turned into appetizers later in the day.

As we got our crabs, we headed into the woods to gather some more items.

Foraging in the Woods

Some may disregard some edible plants as weeds and I’m guilty of doing the same. We looked a few bushes and Chef Paul Moran was able to guide us through a few items and share with us their flavour profiles.

Spruce Buds

Spruce Buds are high in vitamin C and has a citrus flavour profile to them, which can replace lemon sometimes. Sometimes you can find these incorporated into cocktails, ice cream and beer.

Narrow-leaved Plantain

Narrow-leaved Plantain grows close to the ground in clusters. It can be used in teas or used as medicine for wounds and sores.

Elderflower

Elderflower has been a popular food trend for the last few years being turned into syrups for beverages for its floral taste.

Salmonberry Blossoms

Salmonberry Blossoms grows on the Pacific Coast due to the climate. Its bright pink/purple in colour and edible. If left on the bush, it will turn into a salmonberry.

Salal Blossom

 

Salal Blossom is sticky. It’s common to find this bush in BC. The indigenous peoples use this in their cooking.

Dandelion Buds

Dandelion Buds are edible. It’s gotten a bad reputation as dandelions grow in yards like crazy and even between cracks of cement. We were in search of the dandelion buds for the bittersweet flavour profile.

Bittercress

The last item we picked was bittercress, a wild version of watercress flowers. It has a taste similar to broccoli.

Now, that we have all 7 items, it was time to head to the kitchen to see how it gets turned into beautiful dishes.

 

From Nature to Kitchen

Chef Paul Moran made us a flatbread topped with the foraged ingredients.

After the base of the flatbread was cooked in the oven, he tore a bit of every item on top of the pizza.

The crisp flatbread, floral foraged greens, and the sweet salty cheese was delicious.

Lets not forget the crab we caught earlier. It was so fresh and sweet. You can really tell the quality and difference. I ate so much of like I was at a buffet. hahaha. Can’t get enough.

It was a fun afternoon following Chef Paul Moran gather all the ingredients and turn it into appetizers before dinner. Sometimes its good to go back to nature to see where food comes from and not underestimating whats growing in our natural wild forests.

Big thanks to Buick Canada for putting this fun activity together, Lucas Scarfone Photography for the photos, and Chef Paul Moran for the tour.

 

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Tonquin Trail in Tofino was recommended to us by a local for a quick easy trail with a nice view of the beach. Since we ate a huge brunch, we needed to burn off the calories on a short walk.

We followed the signs until we were at the designated parking lot.

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Everyone parked their cars on the gravel field that was close to the entrance of the trail. This particular parking lot is by the Community Centre.

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All the information is located on the board. We headed to the beach as it is a shorter trail. If you want to do the full trail, it is about 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete.

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Follow the gravel path and you will eventually find your way. Data services can be spotty depending on your cellular provider. I am with Rogers and there was no 3G or LTE.

The trail has gradual inclines and declines, but not too tough.

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The next sign you will see helps direct you to the beach rather than the another parking lot. Just head left.

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Closer to the beach, you will see a set of stairs that goes down right to the beach.

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Tonquin Beach looked decent, but because of the clouds, it wasn’t as impressive. If you get a perfect sunny day, you’ll be having a great time basking in the sun.

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The Maze Lookout is a short distance away. You’ll want to climb up on top to take some panoramic photos. Cool little structure on this beach.

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It was nice to be in Tofino and just take a short break from the small town, sit on the rocks and just relax.

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Sometimes its good to just take in the natural beauty of nature.

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Websitehttp://tonquintrail.ca/

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Shelter Restaurant in Tofino is a popular spot for dinner. It was highly recommended by a few friends to check out when I was here for the long weekend. I made reservations a month in advance since I knew it would be crazy if I waited a few days prior to the trip to make the call. When it comes to food, I make sure I can try to get reservations where possible.

On the day of, there was a long wait to get inside, but luckily we just walked right in with reservations.

Shelter is best known for their fresh locally sourced food that represents the West Coast.

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The interior is rustic and very cozy. A real fireplace can be seen burning in the main dining area.

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M was a bit fancy and had Pinot Noir to go with his meal. We were on vacation, so a glass of wine was perfect to unwind.

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We started off with the Crispy Deep Fried Brussel Sprouts. A good appetizer and was plenty for a group of 4.

Anything deep-fried is delicious!

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Vancouver Island Oysters is served with the Chef’s cocktail sauce, horseradish and a wedge of lemon. If you love oysters, you’ll love these local oysters.

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Shelter Pizza has roasted mushrooms, caramelized onion, double smoked bacon, mozzarella, truffle, and grana padano cheese.

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Roasted Peach Country Lamb Sirloin has Yukon gold potato gnocchi, cauliflower puree, wilted kale and a caper dijon jus.

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The lamb was tender and so full of flavour. M really enjoyed it. He wished there was more since he ate this way too fast.

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Tofino Surf Bowl has your choice of local wild salmon or marinated free-run chicken with steamed vegetables, teriyaki sauce, basmati and wild rice, spicy yogurt and cilantro. Definitely a very healthy option and can be made gluten-free.

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Pacific Lingcod Burger with lingcod fillet, basil-mint coleslaw, lettuce, tomato, mayo and an onion ring. Good size for a burger. Look at that fillet of lingcod.

With their casual fare menu and the regular dinner menu. there are enough items to suit those with different expectations for price points and palates. They can also accommodate allergies and dietary preferences.

We Rate Shelter Restaurant35rating

Address:
601 Campbell Street, Tofino,BC

Website:
http://www.shelterrestaurant.com/

Shelter Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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The Pointe Restaurant is located inside the Wikaninnish Inn in Tofino BC. My friends and I came here for a long weekend trip and made this our early brunch spot. We didn’t stay at the Inn, but we heard to the food was really good and the views are stunning.

Wikaninnish Inn is an award winning Hotel and Resort and on the top of list on TripAdvisor.

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There is complimentary parking in the lot, so just park your car and head on inside.

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Once you are in the dining room, try to get a seat by one of their many windows.

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Call ahead to make a reservation and put in that request. You’ll be glad you did since it’s a stunning view.

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We were seated facing Chesterman Beach. In the morning, there wasn’t much action, but later in the day, you will see a lot of surfers picking up waves.

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At the centre of the restaurant is an enclosed fire pit. Nice and cozy for the evening, but since it was the morning, we focused more on the view outside.

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They come around to each table to offer their Juice of the Day. I think it was like a peach, berry and mango juice. Tasty way to begin the day.

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Smoked Salmon Crepe with a side of bacon was what I ordered and I loved it. The dish was presented nicely and the smoked salmon, cream cheese, spinach and the touch of lemon butter was very delicious. I would definitely order this again.

I couldn’t resist getting bacon too. It cooked very until its crisp.

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The Pointe Breakfast has 2 eggs, a crisp potato, tomato jam, toasted bread and you choice of either home-made sausage or bacon.

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Back Bacon and Cheddar Eggs Benedict on english muffins. It also is topped with a hollandaise sauce. It is served with a potato rosti too. M added a side of sausage.

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The eggs benny was poached to a perfect medium. All that gooey yolk oozed right out.

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Duck Confit Eggs Benny was what my other friend ordered. She liked the balance between the tender duck confit and the accompanying salad.

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Lamb Meatballs has confit tuna belly, cream cheese, celeriac, herbs, brioche croutons and fior di latte.

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West Coast Clam Chowder has west side baby shrimp, bacon, corn, local fish, herbs and prawn oil.

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Side of Sausages are so good. You can definitely taste the quality. Very fresh and flavourful.

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Brioche French Toast has pear butter, poached pears, berries and oat streusel. If you have a slight sweet tooth in the mornings, you’ll enjoy this dish.

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Overall, the food was delicious and can’t be missed when visiting Tofino. It is expensive, but it is expected since its located in Wickaninnish Inn. You’re paying for the service, food and the breathtaking views.

I’ll definitely be back for more in the future at The Pointe. My friends loved the food and it was a good way to start the day.

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Our server was nice enough to give us a free map of the beaches in the area. She even told us a few of her favourite trails and beaches to visit.

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After your meal, head down to the High Tide Beach Trail and walk along Chesterman Beach. It’s a good way to burn of some calories and enjoy more the the beach.

The beach is very peaceful and therapeutic to listen to the waves crash against the rocks and beach.

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We Rate The Point Restaurant at Wickaninnish Inn4rated

Address:
500 Osprey Ln, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wickinn.com/

The Pointe Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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SOBO is an award-winning restaurant in Tofino, BC. They serve food  for all palates including vegan and gluten-free dishes. I first heard of SOBO when I saw Lynn Crawford was visiting for her show – The Great Canadian Cookbook. In 2003, they were named one of the top 10 Canadian restaurants in En Route magazine.

When we were paying a visit to Tofino, we knew we couldn’t miss eating here.

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We came here for lunch and it was packed. We waited about 20 minutes for a table of 6.

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Tofino Brewing Co Blonde Ale was really good! Light, refreshing and a sweet citrus finish. Just thinking about this beer makes me want to go back to visit the brewery.

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Crispy Shrimp Cakes has west coast shrimp, sautéed onions, peppers, herbs, and sweet mustard sauce. It comes with 2 pieces. Crispy exterior wtih the sweet delicious shrimp inside.

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Classic White Pizza has ricotta spinach nettle base, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella, toasted kale with parmigiano-reggiano and fresh arugula. Good flavours and the crisp kale was a nice touch.

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Exotic Mushroom Pizza has a San Marzano tomato base, caramelized onions, shiitake, portobello, goat cheese, mozzarella, herbed pesto with parmigiano-reggiano and fresh arugula.

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Tofu pocket has sushi rice, wasabi mayo, avocado, sprouts, sesame with smoked tuna. The taste was clean and simple. If you need a 2 bites appetizer, this is it.

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Cup of Smoked wild fish chowder has spicy wild salmon and a cream dill broth. Very delicious and hearty, but it was very spicy.

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Breakfast sandwich has smoked tuna bacon, cream biscuit, fried egg, aged white cheddar, avocado mayo, jalapeños, with a side of fresh fruit. It is a very filling item to eat.

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Don’t forget about dessert! It’s very tempting especially late at night. Since the popular dessert places close early, we came back to SOBO on another day to have some ice cream sandwiches.

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The ice cream sandwiches are located in their fridges by the main entrance.

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We were all so excited to give it a try.

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Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwich was so good. Just comforting since I would always have ice cream sandwiches as a treat when I was a kid.

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Strawberry Chocolate Flake Ice Cream Sandwich has nice bits of strawberry embedded inside. The 2 chocolate cookies housing the ice cream were good too. We were really amazing that the cookies were still crisp.

Overall, SOBO has a good range of options for lunch and has some great desserts. Even though they have it to go, just grab it and eat it outside or on the beach.

We Rate SOBO35rating

Address:
311 Neill St, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.sobo.ca/

Sobo Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Tacofino has made waves in Vancouver with amazing fresh tacos and burritos. I’ve been to all of the Tacofino locations in Vancouver, but since I was in Tofino, I had to see where it all started.

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West Coast tacos and burritos were screaming for us. The truck wasn’t open yet, but it already had a line up.

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On the menu, you have burritos, tacos, gringas, drinks and soups.

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Not sure what the menu means? There’s a little FAQ to help people navigate the menu.

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The line up is pretty constant, but don’t be turned off by it, the food is worth it.

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Choco-Banana Licuados is their milkshake and it has a good balance of the banana and chocolate. It’s a bit filling too, so M and I shared it so we could eat more food.

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Tuna-Ta Taco has seared albacore tuna with wasabi-mayo, seaweed salad, and pickled ginger. Really delicious, but this will set you back $6.50 per taco. Expensive, but very delicious.

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Fish Taco uses tempura ling cod with cabbage and fresh salsa on top.

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Look at that crisp fish taco inside. Once you bite inside, you get the crunchiness of the cod and all that delicious salsa.

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They also have different hot sauce on the table if you need an extra kick in your taco, put a few dashes in there.

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The burritos are all wrapped up, so its easy to get it to go. We grabbed a few and took it back to our hotel.

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Crispy Chicken Burrito reminded me of chicken karaage. It also has guac in it. I couldn’t say no to guacamole.

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Fish burrito has that big chunk of cod inside. Delicious as well. One of the less heavier choices.

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Pork Burrito was good as well. The pulled pork and those beans make it a very filling item to get.

Overall, the food is good and the burrito gets the best bang for your buck since you need at least 2 tacos to be full. You can still get the same good stuff in Vancouver, but if you haven’t had Tacofino before, give it a try. You really can’t go wrong with any items on the menu.

We Rate Tacofino4rated

Address:
1184 Pacific Rim Hwy,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://tacofino.com/

Tacofino Cantina Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Wolf in the Fog is one of the best restaurants in Tofino and has dishes inspired by the oceans, forests and shoreline of our beautiful Tofino.

They were Canada’s Best New Restaurant in 2014 from enRoute Air Canada. Everyone passing through Tofino for vacation always makes a stop here for dinner. Even Neil Patrick Harris was here recently.

Make sure you make a reservation ahead of time to make sure you have a seat for dinner. I came here on a long weekend, so it was essential to have a reservation.

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We were seated upstairs in their dining room. The bar has a large variety of liqueurs.

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There is a cool art pieces made with broken surf boards. So perfect to represent Tofino.

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Gingerbeer Shandy has pilsner, ginger beer and a lemon. A lighter fruitier alternative to a regular beer.

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You can even spy on the kitchen to see the food coming out.

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Fraser Valley Duck uses the smoked breast, blood orange, red quinoa, dried cherry, braised leg, mushrooms, and a black garlic jus. This is a larger shared plate. This was a very good dish! Addictive!

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Moroccan Spiced Octopus has the tender octopus with chickpeas, peppers and tomatoes. I enjoyed the delicate octopus with the flavourful sauce.

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Rare Albacore Tuna with confit pork, oyster mushrooms, nori and wasabi. You gotta order this dish. The tuna is fresh and that pork is to die for.

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Charred squid and pork belly has Szechuan pepper, daikon and thai basil. Can’t go wrong with pork belly.

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All the food was delicious. Fresh ingredients with great flavour. All the proteins were cooked so well. Mouth watering! If you’re in Tofino, give Wolf in the Fog a try!

We rate Wolf in the Fog45rated

Address:
150 4th St, Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wolfinthefog.com/

Wolf in the Fog Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Wildside Grill in Tofino gets their fish straight from the boat. Commercial fisherman Jeff Mikus and chef Jesse Blake are the minds behind Wildside Grill. Like many of the restaurants in Tofino, they source their ingredients locally, so you get high quality west coast cuisine.

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The menu is quite large, so it was very hard to figure out what to order. I wanted it all. hahaha.

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Breakfast Taco has 2 fried eggs, lettuce, avotillo, chipotle mayo, jack cheese in corn tortillas and topped with crude and lime. So good! Who would have thought these would go together. If you need some hangover food, this is it. The heaviness of the egg balances with the fresh avotillo.

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Oyster Po Boy has panko fried oysters, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, and a caesar dressing. it also comes with fries. Very fresh oysters and nice crunch in the panko crumbs. Fries were also very crisp.

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Breakfast Ciabatta has 2 fried eggs, chorizo sausage, jack cheese patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, avotillo, smoked tomato relish on the toasted ciabatta bun. Another good breakfast item but it’s more cheesy and carb heavy.

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Pulled Pork Poutine has smoked pork in BBQ sauce, cheese curds and gravy. Wow, this was so good. The pulled pork was tender and super flavourful.

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Cod Club has panko crusted cod with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, pink shrimp, sweet chili mayo and avotillo. The fries are served with it.

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Smoked Salmon Chowder has local salmon smoked in house with mixed veggies and seafood in a creamy broth. It i topped with baby pink shrimp and dill. The chowder is a bit thin but it is very loaded with ingredients.

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This is the large size and its pretty big. The half size is a lot better for an individual.

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Overall, the food is very fresh and executed well. I’m glad we made a stop here to indulge on their comfort westcoast dishes. Don’t forget to save your receipt, so you can head over to Chocolate Tofino for 10% off gelato.

All the seating is outdoors on picnic benches, so don’t forget to bring a jacket.

We Rate Wildside Grill4rated

Address:
1180 Pacific Rim Hwy,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.wildsidegrill.com/

Wildside Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Chocolate Tofino cranks out handcrafted chocolates and homemade gelato right in their cozy little shop. My friend told me that we needed to make a stop here during our long weekend out here. They have been making chocolate here since 2003. They never use artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives. Instead, they seek to incorporate organic and local flavours into their artisan chocolates and gelato.

They are located right in the area where Tofitian, Tacofino, Wildside Grill, Live to Surf, and Swell Juice Bar is located. If you’re visiting Tofino, there is a 100% chance you are paying them a visit.

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What I love about Tofino is their inherent nature to be sustainable and be hyper local. They don’t make sacrifices to their quality of their product.

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Everything is made here in this tiny shop.

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The chocolates were tempting, but I stuck with their gelato. I should have grabbed a few things, but I’ll make sure to do it next time.

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Stracciatella Gelato is a combination of sweet cream, vanilla beans and single origin Dark Chocolate flecks from fine flavour Cacao. It was a good flavour and I like those dark chocolate flakes.

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Summer Strawberry Gelato is very fresh and you will not get that artificial taste like other ice creams out there. This flavour is definitely a winner.

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Overall, it was a great day to get a sweet treat from them before heading back home to Vancouver.

We Rate Chocolate Tofino35rating

Address:
1180 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino

Website:
http://www.chocolatetofino.com/

Chocolate Tofino Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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When in Tofino, head to Tofino Coffee Company to get your caffeine fix. My friends and I were heading to go out for an early morning hike and then stroll around a few beaches. Caffeine is always a must.

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The cafe was already packed in the morning with others needing a drink in the morning.

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The interior is tiny, so there is only enough room for everyone to stand and wait for a drink. No space for any tables. Besides coffee, they have a few baked goods available.

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They also have branded cups and beans too.

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We just came in for coffee as that was our main mission.

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I got a cappuccino was it was good. The espresso had a deep and strong flavour. The frothy milk on top had a good amount of bubbles.

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From the cafe…to the beach. It was just nice taking in the beauty of the beaches as we sat on the rocks sipping on coffee. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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We Rate Tofino Coffee Company4rated

Address:
12 – 650 Gibson St,Tofino, BC

Website:
http://www.tofinocoffeeroasting.com/

Tofino Coffee Company Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato