Today we were invited to The Victor’s, rooftop Summer Oasis patio party, within Parq Casino. This was their peak of summer showcase, bringing brand awareness and potential offerings in bite sized morsels.
We had our own sectioned off piece of their patio to enjoy the summer sun, their sparkling water feature, and the unique view of BC Place in the background.
Guests were invited to visit cocktail and drinks stations, all featuring sake imported from Japan. This would match Bluefin tuna and Wagyu beef that would be served later on in the evening.
Each invitee was greeted with a glass of welcome sake. The Brewmaster’s Choice is a 30 generational sake and the top selling brand in all of Canada. This is a go-to sake for most when looking for an easy drinking, fermented rice beverage. It was as light and refreshing as it was clear, especially in comparison to the creamy sake, we tried next.
Walking us through the bottles of sake was a “sake samurai”, an actual title bestowed onto our expert presenter this evening. He regaled us this with the story on how the ceremony for this honour took three hours, and how there was a press conference to follow. This is a title that cannot be bought, requested, or applied for; but is given to the deserving.
I enjoyed the mouth feel of the creamy sake. The colour and texture gained from lack of filtering and the leaving in of sediment. All intentionally done for this desired, denser end product. It more closely resembles porridge, the nature that the sake begins with. This would be best paired with bolder flavours like a curry or spicy Thai food.
For those who prefer to mix their sake, there were two cocktail options to choose from. One a spritz much like an Aperol with orange blossom at the forefront. The Oasis Spritz with brewmaster’s choice sake, select aperitivo, peach, and cava.
The other was more botanical thanks to use of gin paired with lemon citrus notes. The Afternoon in Nara with bombay sapphire, brewmaster’s choice sake, lillet blanc, yuzu, thyme, and lime. Both were refreshing options to help everyone cool down on this particularly hot day.
For food, small bites were brought around. This started with deep-fried yam chips, sliced vertically for quite the lengthly presentation. Eaten as is for a crispy chip-like crunch, but it could have used a dip.
I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed the kale goma-ae. When made traditionally with spinach, I avoid it for its soggy and wilted texture, that I do not like. Although here with kale, when dressed in the sesame sauce, the leaves remain crispier, for what I found an enjoyable mouth-feel.
The crowd was a fan of the pork belly, lettuce wrap, drizzled over with a spicy aioli This one was tasty and the lettuce merely served as a vessel for the tender and fatty belly. It offered a refreshing crispy element to an otherwise fatty morsel.
The wagyu beef hotdog looked promising, dressed in a wasabi mayo, with shredded nori over top. However, it lacked flavour. There was not enough condiments to flavour, and most people simply ate the hotdog, discarding the plain bread. I did enjoy the bun, I found it spongy and soft at the centre and toasted crispy all around. It just needed a garlic spread.
As good as the gourmet bites were, the real feature was the bluefin tuna butchering master class. A whole tuna was presented over smoking ice for gawking faces and snapping cameras. However, it was a tease as we did not get to try this one on display.
For the sake of ease and time, we instead watched our Head Chef-instructor work on slicing down to size a separate, pre-descaled, and skinned bluefin fillet. Interestingly enough, this bluefin tuna was purchased from a farm in Mexico, flown to Vancouver two days ago, and still deemed very fresh. This was a show of the quality of seafood brought into The Victor and its sushi bar.
Our skilful sushi chef of over 13 years made quick work butchering our bluefin tuna appetizer trio. For those interested, he walked us through the different cuts, pointing out the leanest to the fattiest. Otoro, Chutoro, and Akami.
“Otoro” is the one with the most dollar signs. It is the most desirable part from inside the fish’s belly. This is the fattiest part of the fish with a sweeter taste, it practically melts in your mouth.
In contrast “Akami” is the most common and frequently-used part of the fish. It is the meaty and red coloured tuna you see over rice and in sashimi or sushi rolls. It is the main part of the fish and there is more of it.
“Chutoro” is a blend of both otoro and akami, giving you both a meaty and a fatty texture in one. It is lesser seen as there is so little of it on the fish. Out of the 3 cuts, I did enjoy this one the most for its happy median.
Our Chef/host would slice each cut into individual servings to be enjoyed with a side of daikon salad, pickled ginger, and fresh grated wasabi. When I asked, Chef suggested that we do enjoy each with soy and the condiments above. That the selection was curated to not only highlight the natural flavours of the fish, but they also help in killing off any bacteria from eating it raw.
I have had Otoro, Chutoro, and Akami as sashimi and nigiri before, but to watch it being butchered fresh and then placed directly upon my plate was a whole new experience. A treat to witness the work and skill required to sashimi, and to taste the difference it made in real time.
A light soy sauce was used, with a gentle enough salting that matched the more muted flavour of fresh wasabi; which was then washed with the julienne daikon.
We would go back for seconds and thirds, and then return again when they begin rolling up handrolls. These were slices of seaweed topped with sushi rice, and given a heaping mix of bluefin tuna and green onion. All rolled up and handed off to you. You ate this like a burrito, and it was delicious.
For those looking for more substance, The Victor’s kitchen team was also grilling up barbecue. There was pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms on skewers. Each brushed and a sweeter teriyaki glaze and grilled up on the traditional Japanese grill, and/or North American style barbecue, for faster results.
For desert, there was liquid nitrogen made passion fruit gelato, topped with a skewer of fresh fruits: watermelon, pineapple, and kiwi. Refreshing and tangy, this was a great palate refresher.
The party went on well into the night with a Wagyu beef tasting and the bar left open until 9pm.
And as guess mingled and ate there was live music to cultivate the mood. A guitarist and vocalist giving us the acoustic versions of popular songs that we could sing along to.
There was also a colourful performance from a silk fan dancer that mesmerized.
At event’s end, guests were given vouchers to enjoy a complementary cocktail at the neighbouring D6, as well as $10 play voucher to use on the casino floor.
In conclusion, this was a great way to get a more intimate look at what The Victor and D6 has to offer this summer going into fall. Quality food, live entertainment, and plenty of drinks.
The Victor
Parq Vancouver Casino Resort
39 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC V6B OR3
(778) 370-8600
parqvancouver.com
That sushi looks so delicious! The other food too!!