Dining

And get this: Eight kinds of fresh local fish from sablefish to spotted prawns can be ordered in 5 different ways from charbroiled to stir-fried. To drink, discover superior suds from Surgenor, the Comox Valley Brewery, and luscious wines from the award-winning Beaufort Winery.

Resort Dining

Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa sits by the sea, so the kitchen rightly focuses on fish and seafood. The kickline includes seafood chowder with clams; panko-crusted pan fried oysters; wild salmon rubbed with Indian tandoori spices; Qualicum Bay scallops on skewers; and sublimely, a house steamer basket of fish and shellfish with veggies, pot stickers and a lime sesame glaze. Check with the resort for Gala Seafood Buffet dates and a spread encompassing just about everything that swims.

The Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community is 7.4km/4mi from nearby Comox, a 336ha/831a complex of Platinum-rated championship course and golf community. The club's Silverado Steak House provides an airy conservatory setting and a menu highlighting such regional fare as local Miyagi oysters and buffalo strip loin.

Cafes and Bistros

Hip cafes and bistros abound: The ultra-popular Atlas Cafe gallivants from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest and from Italy to India with gastronomic aplomb. Breakfast offers five kinds of eggs Benny. For lunch, it's hard to beat salmon and halibut cake crusted in crackling cornmeal. Dinner goes global.

The restaurant Bisque goes off the beaten track with prawns stuffed with spinach and escargots, Dungeness and king crab ravioli and sensationally, scallops in a nest of deep-fried potato.

Authentic Thai

Visitors seeking a hit of Southeast Asian fire can try Kinaree, an outstanding Thai restaurant serving authentic Bangkok fare roaring with sweet basil, lemongrass, chillies, garlic and coconut milk. Red and green curries dance across the stations of the palate. Try fish apple salad, with chunks of deep-fried fish, crunchy green apple and toasted cashews. And maybe deep-fried ice cream for dessert.

For more information on eating out in Courtenay, check with the Visitor Centre.

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