We’re able to accommodate most allergies and dietary preferences with advance notice. To protect the integrity and timing of the tasting menu, we limit the number of modified menus we can execute each evening. Please share all dietary needs at the time of booking (or contact us directly) so we can confirm in advance. Requests received day-of may not be possible to accommodate, and accommodations are not guaranteed unless confirmed by the restaurant.

Our tasting menu is typically served at a relaxed pace. If you’d prefer a quicker evening (or have theatre/ferry timing), please let us know when you book — we’re happy to adjust pacing when we have advance notice.

Though we are unable to take reservations for a la carte dining, we’re always happy to offer individual dishes from our tasting menu on a walk-in basis.

Reservations aren’t required, but they are strongly recommended —particularly for parties containing dietary restrictions. We open our doors shortly before our first scheduled reservation, and are sometimes closed for private events. Planning ahead with a reservation is the most surefire way to ensure that we’ll be able to welcome you.

We aim to change one dish every two weeks, following the seasons on Vancouver Island as they progress. Since we rely on a range of ingredients that are either wild or from small local farms, the menu is subject to change without notice, and the online version is best regarded as a sample only.

We encourage our guests to arrive in whatever makes them most comfortable. But we do find that dressing for the occasion makes it feel just a little bit more memorable.

We love to welcome gourmands-in-training; and are even happy to make special one-off menus for them to enjoy with advance notice. We have found, however, that guests under the age of five struggle to stay comfortable and engaged for the duration of an entire tasting menu. We kindly ask parents to consider the intimate nature of the room and to ensure little ones are able to dine in a way that preserves the experience for all guests.

This is far and away our most frequently asked question.

“Ugly Duckling” began as a quiet statement about fine dining. There are “swan” ingredients — caviar, foie gras, wagyu — that arrive already beautiful, requiring very little to feel luxurious. And then there are the underloved ingredients: humble cabbage, beef shin, the parts and products that rarely get the spotlight.

Our work — and our pleasure — is in what happens when those “ugly ducklings” are given time, technique, and real attention. With enough care, they don’t just become worthy; they become extraordinary — often more delicious, and more memorable, than their swan counterparts.

Not exactly. We are, first and foremost, an homage to a very special place: Vancouver Island. Our menu is a celebration of the ingredients, makers, and wild places that make this (we believe) one of the most magical places on earth. But we’re also proud to call Chinatown home; and ignoring this piece of the context would feel incomplete. So our menu incorporates Chinese ingredients and techniques, and we seek to reflect the history and aesthetic of our surroundings in the experience.