141 replies to this topic

[Icebergalley]

Wed. Jan. 11, '07 edition of Monday has a good review of HERNANDE'Z in its St. Andrew's Building location..

Will have to remember to slip through there on my errands and get fed...

I always enjoyed the food and service when they were on Pandora..

[Holden West]

Holy crap, did the Vic News screw this up. Hernandez is in St. Andrews Square, not Sussex Place!
----------------
El Salvador flavour comes to Sussex Place

By Patrick Blennerhassett
Victoria News
Feb 02 2007

It’s more of Mayan feel at Hernandez, says restaurant owner

Inside Sussex Place are a magazine shop, an upscale men’s clothing store and a little eatery that looks ripped from a food market in El Salvador.

Well, minus the scattered chickens and dirt roads and thousands of people. Hernandez is Victoria’s answer to the bustling Central American country.

Known by the people who eat there as one of Victoria’s best kept secrets in terms of small restaurants, Hernandez is all about the food, said Jerson Hernandez, who runs the shop with wife Tamara.

“Basically what we serve here is fresh home-made food,” Hernandez said. “It’s not a unique style; it’s more like food that you would eat every day in terms of the rice, black beans, salsa.”

The eatery serves most of its food on brown cooking paper fresh from the oven. There’s black bean soup, burritos, the campesino platter, the Sirena platter and the valiente platter. Prices for the dishes are also relatively cheap, with most in the $5 to $7.95 range.

Hernandez said people from all walks of life are making their way into Sussex Place.

“I think it all depends on what mood people are in but one of the things that (our customers) really like are our tacos and our fresh hand-made corn tortillas. We bake them ourselves, and they come five for five dollars. And it’s a good size order because you can share it with someone, if you want.”

Originally stationed in a tiny space on View Street where it operated for three years, Hernandez made the move inside to Sussex around seven months ago.

Jerson said he likes the fact they don’t really feel like they’re crammed into a crowded El Salvadorian market anymore.

“There’s a little more space in here,” he said.

The restaurant also insists on using local, organic products including its much-heralded beef which is a staple of many of the dishes. Hernandez also offers chilli and enchiladas, all with a somewhat ancient and traditional feel to it.

“People ask me all the time ‘Is it Mexican food?” Jerson said. “Is it Salvadorian food? And the way I describe it, the basics of it is more like a Mayan feel to it with the corn, the squash and the flavour.”

Although the eatery’s ambience has an upscale, urbanite feel to it, Jerson said it retains a small-town traditional feel.

“It’s basically the way that you see it,” he said. “It’s more like a food stand in a market. That’s where the Hernandez comes from – Hernandez is my grandmother’s last name and she used to have a food stand in the local market in my country. So I’m kind of trying to follow in her footsteps. Very casual, very friendly atmosphere and just good food.”

Hernandez is inside Sussex Place, 1001 Douglas St., between View and Yates streets. It’s open 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, what in the heck?? This missed the boat by about as much as when they printed Vibrant Victoria's major construction projects list without credit.

[Baro]

My friend's neighours owns this place, they'll often bring left overs and such over there, it's quite good and I've heard from a few others new to town that found the place declaring it their fav in the city!

[Holden West]

^Too bad half the peeps that go out to find it will end up at that Mexican joint on the south side of the Sussex building.

[Mike K.]

...which isn't exactly up to snuff with Hernande'z.

[G-Man]

I like La Fiesta. It is not as good as Henand'ez but still good for under ten bucks.

[Baro]

That's really terrible how the TC pretty much wrote a glowing advertisement for a compeating restaurant on the other side of downtown. Sometimes I actually can't fathom the incompetence of our local papers.

[m0nkyman]

That was the Victoria News that screwed that up, not the TC.

[Baro]

Seems I pay attention as well as they do...

[homebrewer]

Not sure how to delete, I see someone else beat me to my post

[G-Man]

No worries its called padding your post count

[Holden West]

I will conquer you G-Man. :twisted:

[G-Man]

Evil EVIL!!!!!!

[Holden West]

G-Man, your signatures are bringing up the weirdest Google-ads:

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I went by Hernande'z this afternoon--boy it smelled good. I'll have to have lunch their soon. So much more inviting than their old location.

[G-Man]

You mean at the entrance to a parking garage?

[osmich]

These two wacky owners and their kids said they were going on a road trip to Ecuador in December and that they would be gone one month. Tara loves to leave notes on their shop to let customers know what they are up to and this trip was no exception. They said on their note that they would be back in January and it is now the beginning of March! Hilarious.

You can see very lengthy but sometimes humorous writings of their travels at http://www.hernandezrestaurant.com.

They are lucky their food is good and that most people understand that this family is on a completely different clock than even the most tree hugging west coast islander. They like their holiday time whenever they want it and they live a very free life. I respect that but get your asses back here so I can have a burrito damn it!

[julienne]

Hernandez has opened a second location on 1600 Bay St. Their hours are Tuesday to Friday 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 12 to 9. it's strictly takeout with tacos and burritos, but Jenner is promising tamales real soon.
Meanwhile, their downtown location has a fine tuned menu with no -sigh- chilies rellenos at this time, and a closing time of 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
Still packed as usual.

[D.L.]

That's great, something needed to move into that location

[pseudotsuga]

dangit, that's no closer to me than the downtown location!
Nice to see they are open till 9 tho.

edit: wait a sec...checked the above url & it says the new location is open till 7... more in line with the competition, but I sure hope Julienne is right!