Benjamin's Cafe & Restaurant Ltd.

I drove out to the fairway market shelbourne this weekend because I really wanted Lumpia. I ordered a meal plus extra Lumpia. the meal was pretty small for the 1 item plus noodles, which I got pancit bihon. The pancit was very runny which I have never experienced before, and it did not have much flavour and not good however the Lumpia was delicious. I wouldn't recommend the pancit bihon but I do recommend the Lumpia, so delicious.

Best Filipino food in the city!!

We wanted to try Filipino food and were very disappointed by their buffet. Food was cold and did not look appealing. Didn’t taste good either. Ube cake was the only thing that tasted good.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Finally a great Filipino restaurant in Victoria. We tried their weekend buffet for 25$ and it was a great value. The ambiance is cozy and welcoming. The food was such a surprise, and of excellent quality. This is a welcome addition to the restaurant scene and we will be happy to come back again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My girlfriend and I came here twice in the same day. Solid filipino breakfast, delicious buffet. Will need to return for stuffed ube french toast.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pork Lechon Paksiw, Tapsilog

The spaghetti was absolutely delicious—took me right back to my childhood! The Halo Halo was also fantastic. Such a charming local spot with great flavours and a cozy atmosphere!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Halo-Halo

(BBQ) “ This is a flavor explosion in every bite!”
(CRISPY KARE-KARE)
“ Perfectly balanced and absolutely delicious. Sabaw pa lang ulam na.

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork Kare-Kare, BBQ Skewers

I know food and I know the Philippines. This place is authentic and legit. If you haven't eaten here you must!

Nothing outstanding—palabok sauce was too heavy for the amount of noodles, the food leaned salty, and portions were on the smaller side.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Halo-Halo

Was craving authentic Filipino cuisine and Benjamin's Cafe in Victoria (Esquimalt) did not disappoint! Their all-you-can-eat buffet is only $25/person for two hours (kids 10 and under eat for free). Best buffet value in Victoria for sure. There's an endless array of fresh, delicious food that they keep fully stocked and hot, plus incredible desserts. The staff were super friendly and we loved the chill ambiance (great seating outside in the sunshine!). Today's buffet had so many options, I couldn't even try them all but I did my best to sample everything and every dish was incredible:

Bulalo with Meat (Beef shank soup — such a rich, savory broth)
Pansit Bihon (Rice noodles)
Carbonara
Laing ( taro leaves in coconut milk with crispy pork on top — irresistible!)
Ensalandang Talong ( Eggplant salad)
Pork BBQ (no idea what sauce they use but it's amazing)
Pork Lumpiang Shanghai Rolls
Sinaing na isda (steamed fish)
Chicken BBQ( in rice wine)
Lechon Paksiw ( Roasted pork stewed in vinegar — I had thirds!)
Ube cake
Fruit Salad (not your ordinary fruit salad — sooooo good)

Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Long weekend buffet was great. Large selection of proteins and absolutely delicious beef shank soup.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 5

This place is a total gem, the food is delicious, do try their egg Benedict for breakfast, delicious croissants and sandwiches , I also tried their halo halo drink which was ice cream, shaven ice and alot of good stuff in it. Service is very polite, friendly and professional! A must!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Eggs Benedict with Bacon, Halo-Halo

I am a big foodie and I love flavorful foods so when this restaurant opened I was really stoked because finally, there's a Filipino restaurant in Victoria.

I first came here to try their halo-halo and I was impressed and told a few of my friends. We went back the second time and the third. The fourth time I was with my Canadian friend hoping to impress him but he said the banana was hard. Their was also some ingredients missing that they had to top it off with more gelos (not nata de coco) which is not really an ingredient in a halo-halo. I did not enjoy it and regretted that I bought two. I also tried the Lomi on another occasion with my dad and I enjoyed it at first. The second time was with a friend and I did not enjoy it as the taste has changed and it wasn't as good as the first.

I tried their buffet to support them celebrate their one year anniversary. It was eat all you can for $25. I went their mainly because I want my Vietnamese friends to try Filipino foods and what better way to do that than the eat all you can idea. My Filipino friends were not really stoked to go because they said the foods here are not really good, but they went because of me. The pancit was basically just noodles with soy sauce and cabbage, there was no meat. It was the same for chopsuey. The veggies were not properly cooked and are cut into big sizes plus there was no meat in it. If you know the real taste of chopsuey to how Benjamin Cafe cook it, the taste doesn't even come close. I said this because I have tried their chopsuey on multiple occasions where my friends ordered catering from them. The lumpia was ok and dry. I tried the lechon kawali and that was ok. I also tried the beef menudo or was it afritada, not quiet sure but the memory of it already faded meaning it was not good either. The lechon kawali was ok. I had to make my money worth so I went back a few times for the buko pandan.

That concluded my visit and I will say that this will be that last time I will me dining here. I was not really impressed with what was served and all in all it was an ok experience to try the other menus they have. To be honest, the foods here are a hit and miss not to mention very pricy.

According to a friend of mine, "the number one reason why Filipino people eat out to a Filipino restaurant is to eat delicious foods and to treat themselves or their family. If the foods we eat out is not as good as the one we cook at home, then it is better to just stay home and cook". He has a very good point there.

I hope this will serve as a constructive criticism. I did try to support this restaurant and went back a few times.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Benjamin's is great, we've been several times now. The food is delicious, staff are super friendly and it's a very good vibe all around.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Had an amazing mocha and breakfast croissant. The space is lovely and the people beside me were having some pasta that smelt so good i need to come back with my gf.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5