- Words by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Don Denton
I can smell the woodsy, campfire-like aroma well before I see executive chef Peter Kim coming out of the kitchen at FATHOM—one of Victoria’s most exciting new restaurants. He’s carrying what looks like a large glass ball filled with smoke and a bed of shells, stones and moss cradling my appetizer and invoking the ocean and forests of Vancouver Island.
“It not only gives the show aspect, it also gives a nice, very pleasant taste with the grilled bread, and the hickory goes very well with the beef tartare,” Peter says, smoke wafting out as he removes the sourdough bread from the top of the beef tartare smoke bowl.