I know most would avoid restaurants that are attached to hotels, but sometimes work and time creates limited options and thankfully Minnoz Restaurant and Lounge in Nanaimo did have a surprise or two in store.
I ordered the surf and turf. My 8 oz. New York strip loin came to me perfectly medium-rare with a thin layer of fat that provided added flavour. It had a generous drizzling of a lemon-pepper pesto sauce that I could not get enough of. I asked to substitute their baby Yukon potatoes with the mango jasmine rice offered with a different dish. Unfortunately, I could not detect the taste of mango and found the rice to be a bit undercooked, but appreciated being granted the substitution nonetheless. The sauce helped me finish off the rice. While I enjoyed all of the veggies, the broccolini and Brussels sprouts were the stars adding a salty contrast to other elements on the dish.
For dessert, I treated myself to a lemon pie and was surprised when such a huge portion was presented. It seemed like a quarter slice of a full pie! I could not finish it but devoured what I could.
Service was a bit slow but friendly and helpful, so I can overlook pace as I myself was not in a hurry.