5 must-try dishes from the new CRAFT Victoria Harbour (CONTEST)

Hold onto your pints, everyone. CRAFT Beer Market is opening up its new location right on Victoria’s historic harbour.

Not only are they opening with 110 taps, 75% of which are local BC beers, ciders, and wines, but will feature a bocce ball court, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, and two patios, one dog-friendly outdoor with an ocean-front view, and one heated — and covered — all-season patio.

CRAFT Victoria Harbour (CRAFT Beer Market)

While they’re opening with an extensive drinks menu and TikTok-able aesthetics, CRAFT’s focus on ethically sourcing sustainable ingredients to create dishes crossing a variety of different cuisines makes it a perfectly crafted experience — they also happen to be one of the largest Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF)-certified restaurant in Canada.

There are so many tasty options to choose from, and if you’re not familiar with their menu, narrowing down what you’re going to get your first time can be a bit of a challenge.

To prevent decision fatigue, we’ve curated a list of five sustainably delicious dishes — along with a perfectly paired drink — to try from the new CRAFT Victoria Harbour menu.

Cabo Fish Tacos with Four Winds Brewing’s Nectarous Sour

Cabo Fish Tacos (CRAFT Beer Market)

Whether as a full meal or a quick happy hour snack, fish tacos are always an excellent choice. Served in a flour tortilla, you’ll get chunks of spice-dusted, tempura cod topped with fresh cabbage, jalapeno lime crema, pico de gallo, cilantro, and CRAFT’s signature hot sauce. Plus, you can get them for $5 every Thursday.

Normally, sour beers wouldn’t pair with fish. But, because these tacos are filled with so much flavour, Four Winds Brewing’s Nectarous Sour packs a tart punch that amplifies the profiles found in this dish.

Benny Bowl with a beermosa

Benny Bowl (CRAFT Beer Market)

Mornings are rough enough, but brunch without a little Benny is even rougher.  Created by celeb chef Mike Pigot, this bowl features two poached farm-fresh eggs, cheese curds, bacon, green onions, and crispy hash browns smothered in hollandaise. It’s like poutine for breakfast, but without all the judgment that comes with eating poutine for breakfast.

All of the CRAFT’s locations crack down on how they source their eggs. Opting for only organic eggs, the restaurants are committing to 100% cage-free eggs in consultation with the Humane Society International Canada.

And what’s brunch without a little mimosa? Or better yet, a beermosa made with CRAFT’s house beer? The light, fruity cocktail pairs perfectly with a heavy breakfast — and there’s fruit juice, which is healthy… right?

West Coast Salmon Bowl with Driftwood Brewery’s Fat Tug IPA

West Coast Salmon Bowl (CRAFT Beer Market)

This bowl will have you swimming upstream, as the sustainably raised salmon are coated in a spicy, chilli-garlic sauce. It’s served with green beans, quinoa, almond pilaf, and a pineapple salsa.

This bowl won’t only fill your stomach, but your soul, as it’s one of their most popular Mealshare menu items. For each Mealshare menu item purchased, one meal will also be provided to at-risk youth in the community. So far, they’ve provided over 99,000 meals in CRAFT communities across Canada.

Complementing the subtle seafood flavours and the hint of spice from the chilli-garlic sauce, Driftwood Brewery’s Fat Tug IPA will add a citrusy floral note that’ll help round out this dish.

Hawaiian Ahi Poke with Hoyne Brewing Company’s Pilsner

Hawaiian Ahi Poke (CRAFT Beer Market)

No can openers needed here because this fresh fish dish uses sashimi-grade ahi tuna. They toss it up with cucumber, fresh ginger, garlic sesame, and crispy wontons in a soy vinaigrette. You also have the option to spice it up with togarashi aioli or round it out with avocado — for an extra charge.

While some chains have made tuna feel a little too fishy, the CRAFT is a long-time partner of Ocean Wise Seafood. They’re a conservation program that educates businesses and consumers about sustainable seafood.

As the key elements of this dish have some delicate flavours, it pairs well with Hoyne Brewing Company’s Pilsner. This crisp beer has a slightly sweet edge from its maltiness to give you a fuller flavour with every bite.

Korean Fried Chicken with Tofino Brewing Company’s Kelp Stout

Korean Fried Chicken (CRAFT Beer Market)

Coated in a sesame and soy glaze, this drool-worthy dish is served with sesame, jasmine rice, kimchi slaw, and marinated soy cucumber.

This option is made even more delicious given CRAFT has pledged a Better Chicken Commitment in consultation with Mercy For Animals. The restaurant hopes to source only chicken certified by Global Animal Partnership (GAP) and require all chickens to be processed using a multi-step, controlled-atmosphere system by 2024.

To help quell the spicy and play into the sweetness of this dish, Tofino Brewing Company’s Kelp Stout is a smooth, rich stout with salted chocolate and coffee notes that will complement the flavour of the chicken.

To celebrate the opening of this new location, CRAFT has partnered with Hotel Grand Pacific and Harbour Air to give you a chance to win a Victoria getaway. This includes hotel, return airfare from Vancouver, and a $250 gift card to spend at this brand-new location.

To be in with a chance to win this incredible prize, fill in the form below