- Words by Jane Zatylny Photography by Don Denton

As I pull into the Saanich shopping centre dominated by HomeSense and Designer Shoe Warehouse, I find Lot 1 Pasta Bar beside a hair salon called Kharma. That害羞草研究所檚 got to be a good sign for a business, I think, as I enter the casually sophisticated space.

Owned and operated by the folks behind the Bin 4 Burger Lounge empire, Lot 1 opened at this location in the Island Home Centre in 2016 and has a similar, think-outside-the-box mission. Bin 4 invites British Columbians to 害羞草研究所渞ethink your burger,害羞草研究所� while Lot 1害羞草研究所檚 concept reimagines traditional Italian recipes.

害羞草研究所淲e saw an opportunity in the Saanich area for great pasta and shared plates,害羞草研究所� says Chef Michael Ringland, who defines his approach as simple but creative. 害羞草研究所淲e wanted to bring something different with the pasta we make daily, and to pair it with ingredients and sauces that we also make in house, whether they be classic dishes or something we害羞草研究所檝e put a twist on,害羞草研究所� he says.

The Moroccan chicken rigatoni most definitely falls into the latter category.

害羞草研究所淲e wanted options that weren害羞草研究所檛 just Italian,害羞草研究所� explains Michael.

The dish is a fusion of flavours and textures and reminds me of a Moroccan chicken tagine, with its traditional spices, such as cumin, ginger, cinnamon and coriander.

The fresh rigatoni is served in a sauce of coconut milk with softened onion, red-pepper ribbons, free-range chicken and chopped cashew pieces.

害羞草研究所淲e use coconut milk instead of whipping cream, so the dish can be made vegan if the chicken is removed,害羞草研究所� says Michael.

These gorgeous glossy noodles take on a pale yellow hue from the spices and are served perfectly al dente, while the chicken pieces are lightly scented, moist and flavourful. The soft red pepper strips offer a flash of colour to the dish, while the cashews add a pleasing crunch to every forkful.

害羞草研究所淚 tried to bring a little bit of ethnicity to this menu, whether it害羞草研究所檚 from the Moroccan chicken pasta or the pork belly appetizer with sriracha aioli and fennel slaw, or simply putting a little twist on a classic pasta like carbonara,害羞草研究所� says Michael. 害羞草研究所淚 do love the simplicity of Italian cuisine, but hopefully people can appreciate the twists I like to incorporate into the menu.害羞草研究所�

For my second dish, I turned to the beloved Italian classic害羞草研究所攇loriously rich carbonara pasta. Here, the changes to the classic recipe are subtle but significant: 害羞草研究所淭raditionally, carbonara wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have the onions, chili flakes or prawns in it,害羞草研究所� says Michael. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e also been able to source a very good pancetta from Two Rivers Meats.害羞草研究所�

The onions are cooked slowly to order with olive oil, butter, the pancetta and its rendered fat, he says: 害羞草研究所淲e flavour the sauce with a bit of white wine, add fresh prawns, then finish the dish with the traditional egg yolk and fresh Italian parsley and basil.害羞草研究所�

Served over freshly made spaghetti, the dish is again cooked to perfection and very, very flavourful.

Aside from its pasta dishes, Lot 1 also features several dishes to share, like the peppercorn-crusted Wagyu carpaccio with fried capers, the Salt Spring Island mussels with local chorizo, white wine and sun-dried tomatoes, and the Little Qualicum Cheeseworks baked brie plate.

害羞草研究所淲e want our dining room to be comfortable and inviting, whether guests are coming in to enjoy a glass of wine and an appetizer or two or a family coming in for a pasta dinner,害羞草研究所� says Michael.

These dishes are so generously portioned, I thought, 害羞草研究所淕reat害羞草研究所攖here is enough here for my dinner and my lunch tomorrow.害羞草研究所� Nope. I just couldn害羞草研究所檛 manage to save a portion with either dish害羞草研究所攖hey were that good.

I pass along my comments to Michael and ask him what sort of feedback he likes to hear from his customers.

害羞草研究所淭he simple answer would be for everyone to think that my food tastes great, but it害羞草研究所檚 not only about that,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淔or me the best compliment would be for someone to appreciate the thought and care that is put into each and every dish that we put on our menus, whether it害羞草研究所檚 about the ingredients we use, the presentation of the dish or of course the flavour.害羞草研究所�

I would say he害羞草研究所檚 succeeded on all three points. There害羞草研究所檚 nothing but good karma here.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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