Blue Nile began in a tucked away little spot in a tucked away little strip mall in Esquimalt back in 2004. The location was far from perfect, but the restaurant quickly developed a following.
I discovered the place when I came to Esquimalt in 2007. I was searching for a nearby (ie. walkable) lunch spot, and was intrigued to find authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine – of which I knew nothing – so close to my new home.
Blue Nile offered a small but hearty buffet initially priced at $7.99 for all-you-can-eat. By 2007, it was $12.99, but that was still a great bargain, and the food was fantastic.
COVID was hard on a lot of Victoria restaurants. Blue Nile, among others, closed their dining rooms to focus on home delivery, continuing in that vein even after the eventual lifting of health restrictions. I kept hoping it would reopen, until it was gone. Very sad.
Meanwhile, The Hallway was established in June of 2020 across from the Victoria Public Market during the darkest days of COVID. I reviewed The Hallway for the April 2021 edition of Monday Magazine, in which I gushed over the roasted BC ling cod, a meal I still remember as among the finest.
It was a daring gambit to launch any business at that time, and I am saddened, again, that The Hallway didn’t survive. But I’m thrilled to see Blue Nile reopen in its space.
Blue Nile fans of old will feel right at home in the new space. The Hallway’s pin-lighted wooden wave ceiling remains, hovering over newly painted black walls, like dining al fresco on an African night.
Michael and Asmeret’s collection of African masks, art and artifacts adorn the dark walls. Orange tones of solid wood tables and comfortable rattan armchairs flame like braziers against the darker colours. At the back, the bar offers a full complement of liquors.
But tucked away at the back, right of the bar, right where it stood back in Esquimalt, is the hot buffet: the very same buffet, but now priced at $29.99, which is still a bargain at today’s prices.
Pick up a plate and lift the woven basket lid, tong up a couple of roles of injera, the spongy, tangy flat bread that Ethiopians use as both plate and utensil.
Here, too is the green salad, which I prefer to relegate to my return helping. On this day the hot offerings include Zebhi Dorho (chicken drumsticks stewed in a flavourful and spicy berberi sauce), Hamli Zehbli (stewed spinach), Ater Tumtumo (saucy yellow split peas), Bursen Tumtumo (lentils simmered in berberi sauce), Zebhi Siga (Beef stewed in kibe sauce), and Aletcha (potatoes and vegetables), to name just a few.
I rolled out my injera, and scooped small portions from the chafing trays onto the flat bread. At table, I used my fingers to tear into the bread and scoop up my selections. There is a lot of flavour on this plate. Earthy, rich with exotic herbs and spice in addition to some significant heat in the Berbere sauce, and all of it, except the injera, is gluten-free (gluten-free injera is available with 72 hours' advance notice). And much of it is suitable for vegan diets.
It was a delight to reacquaint myself with Asmeret’s cooking. Somehow her food seems better than I remember. Was it too long missing one of my favourite local restaurants that is to blame?
Or is Asmeret’s new kitchen – three times the size of the old one in Esquimalt – that's the reason. It can’t be the warmth of Michael’s greeting and subsequent service, for that hasn’t changed a bit.
Blue Nile
250-475-6453
