Story by Angela Cowan Photography by Don Denton

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For Chef Ian Blom, opening his own restaurant has been a long dream in the making, and it was always meant to be a family affair. He and his wife, Kimberly, met in culinary school, and it quickly became a mutual goal; this past November, that dream became a reality when The Ainslie opened its doors in downtown Duncan.

Named for their five-year-old son, the couple乌鸦传媒檚 restaurant is a tri-generational business, co-owned by Ian乌鸦传媒檚 mother, Heather, and propped up by Kimberly乌鸦传媒檚 tireless efforts behind-the-scenes.

The Ainslie offers up a unique fusion of fine dining menu items in a relaxed atmosphere, something Ian says hasn乌鸦传媒檛 really been available in Duncan before, and it has been met with great support from the community in its first few months.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 been a couple restaurants that have been 乌鸦传媒榝ine dining,乌鸦传媒� but as far as downtown goes, it乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of pub food and sushi restaurants,乌鸦传媒� he said.

The lunch menu in particular has a lot of comfort-food based dishes that offer a delicious twist, like the Fried Chicken and Waffles, marinated in soy buttermilk, with an aged cheddar waffle and thyme-infused honey. Or the Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese, made with heirloom tomatoes and caramelized fennel, and a sandwich of house onion bread, caramelized onions, Haltwhistle cheese and pesto.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 testing out what people like to eat in the Cowichan Valley,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淪andwiches, really good burgers, comforting foods. People can come and feel like they乌鸦传媒檝e been filled up without a lot of grease.乌鸦传媒�

And with a menu that changes regularly, any dish on offer is guaranteed to include the freshest and most seasonal ingredients available.

Ian, who grew up in the Cowichan Valley, wanted to highlight the incredible abundance of his hometown as much as possible in designing the dishes.

乌鸦传媒淚 really wanted to try and promote the Cowichan region and the produce we grow here, as well as support the breweries and distilleries in the area,乌鸦传媒� said Ian. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 our scheme 乌鸦传媒� to put the Cowichan Valley on the map.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淲orking in Victoria, even when I was in Calgary, we were importing stuff from the Cowichan Valley,乌鸦传媒� he added, explaining it just made sense for him to focus on developing a business here. 乌鸦传媒淚 love living here and I wanted to give back. I love the community.乌鸦传媒�

With summer just around the corner, the team at The Ainslie is excited to promote their newly opened patio, a gorgeous, tucked-away spot surrounded by the restaurant乌鸦传媒檚 gardens. It乌鸦传媒檚 the perfect spot to drop in, relax and indulge in some amazing food.

乌鸦传媒淚 just want to show people that you can have great food and not be overwhelmed by the restaurant itself. You can come in and be completely relaxed in an environment where you乌鸦传媒檙e treated like family, with food that can stand up to any food in the world,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淔lavour and fresh and seasonal, those are always our keys and passions. And it乌鸦传媒檚 definitely a passion-based business.乌鸦传媒�

Soy Caramel Sauce

2 cups granulated sugar

2 Tbsp water

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup sambal Olek

1/4 cup fresh ginger, rough chopped

8 cloves garlic, rough chopped

1/2 stalk lemongrass, rough chopped

4 star anise, whole

Add sugar and water to a heavy-bottomed pot and cook on medium heat until sugar becomes caramel in colour.

Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the sugar all at once. This creates a lot of steam, so be mindful not to burn yourself.

Simmer on medium heat until mixture reduces by one third.

Strain and serve warm over grilled meats or vegetables, roasted and spiced sweet potatoes, etc.

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