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At McDonald’s Canada we want to show our appreciation and say thanks to those frontline healthcare workers who are working tirelessly to treat those in need, serve our communities and help keep us safe with further rapid scaling of vaccinations. Starting today, we are offering all frontline healthcare workers, vaccine volunteers, medical testing centre and pharmacy workers as well as emergency services and military personnel a complimentary medium McCafé Premium Roast Coffee or Tea at participating restaurants across Canada for the month of January, available at the front counter or in drive-thru with their valid work ID.

“Our purpose at McDonald’s is to feed and foster communities and this effort is aimed at acknowledging those who are doing so much to care for our communities right now,” said Gemma Pryor, Senior Director, Canada Impact Team. “Throughout the pandemic we saw our franchisees finding creative ways to support their communities in times of need and that’s what we’re seeing again here today with the free coffee offer.”

In March 2020, McDonald’s Canada partnered with its independent franchisees from coast to coast to coast, giving away more than one million complimentary cups of McCafé Premium Roast Coffee and Tea. Since then, our franchisees have continued to show their support within their local communities, on many occasions providing coffee or breakfast to local healthcare workers and volunteers.

Now, we are bringing back the offer for a limited time amid the continued push for Canadians to get their vaccine or booster, alongside the ongoing challenges of treating and testing patients in the pandemic. It’s a simple gesture of appreciation for those who continue to be on the frontline, protecting and caring for our communities across the country.

Starbucks is kicking off the new year with the launch of its winter menu, arriving in stores today (Tuesday, January 4th), featuring the returning Pistachio Latte, back by popular demand for its second year, and new bottled cold pressed juices, perfect for a January reset.

Winter Food Menu

  • Beyond Meat®, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich: With 25g of protein, this sandwich delivers a meatless breakfast option without compromising on flavour; made with cage-free eggs, Cheddar and a Moroccan-inspired English muffin.
  • Spinach, Feta and Cage-Free Egg White Wrap: Vegetarian and protein-rich, this wrap combines cage-free egg whites, spinach, feta cheese and tomatoes inside a whole-wheat wrap, toasted to perfection.
  • Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites: Perfectly cooked cage-free egg whites prepared using the French “sous vide” technique resulting in a velvety texture bursting with creamy Monterey Jack cheese, spinach and fire-roasted red peppers.
  • Protein Boxes: With delicious and nutritious offerings like Cheese and Fruit or Eggs and Cheese, Starbucks Protein Boxes are perfect for Canadians looking to grab a balanced snack or meal on the go.
  • Apples, PB and Trail Mix Snack Box: A portable plant-based snack box including apple slices, Justin’s Peanut Butter and a premium fruit & nut mix makes for a satisfying snack or small meal.

Well Cold Pressed Juices (New)

Starbucks welcomes Well’s Cold Pressed Juices to its line-up of ready to drink bottled juices for customers when they’re on the go. Proudly made in Canada, Well’s cold pressed juices are available to purchase at participating Starbucks stores in Canada in three flavours.

  • Be Well Cold Pressed Juice – An earthy, tangy, and sweet juice is packed with deep red beets, sweet apples, and bright orange carrots
  • Well OJ Cold Pressed Juice – A citrusy and bright juice is made with oranges, picked and squeezed at the peak of sweet flavour and is packed with vitamin C
  • Well Greens Cold Pressed Juice – An earthy, bold, and sweet juice is made with a variety of leafy greens, sweet apples, bright lemons and ginger

Pistachio Latte 

Back for its second year, the Pistachio Latte features cozy flavours of sweet pistachio and rich brown butter paired with espresso and steamed milk, specially crafted to keep coffee lovers comforted in the new year.

The Pistachio Latte can be ordered hot or iced at stores in Canada for a limited time while supplies last. Learn more about the inspiration behind this returning fan-favourite beverage.

Starbucks is kicking off the new year with the launch of its winter menu, arriving in stores today (Tuesday, January 4th), featuring the returning Pistachio Latte, back by popular demand for its second year.

Pistachio Latte 

The Pistachio Latte features cozy flavours of sweet pistachio and rich brown butter paired with espresso and steamed milk, specially crafted to keep coffee lovers comforted in the new year.

The Pistachio Latte can be ordered hot or iced at stores in Canada for a limited time while supplies last. Learn more about the inspiration behind this returning fan-favourite beverage.

Taste Test

We tried out the Pistachio Latte and it was ok. I would suggest adding an extra shot of espresso so the coffee can shine through the sweeteners. You get a lot more flavours when it’s hot

You can enjoy the brink hot, iced, or blended. Also modifying the drink to have oat milk instead of milk is another good option.

Website: https://www.starbucks.ca/

This year, autumn gets anew beverage with the Apple Crisp Macchiato, available at Starbucks stores across Canada and the U.S. starting Tuesday, August 24 for a limited time, while supplies last.

For nearly 20 years, Starbucks beverage teams have created new autumn flavours for customers to enjoy. Whether it’s the returning hit and companion to the Pumpkin Spice Latte, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, or past favourites like the Apple Oat Flat White and Salted Caramel Mocha, Starbucks fall beverages have always been the perfect companion for crunchy leaves and sweater weather.

Apple Crisp Macchiato

Building on the popularity of fall flavour at Starbucks, the NEW Apple Crisp Macchiato, available hot or iced, offers customers comfort to the core with layered flavours of apple and brown sugar melding like the filling of a gooey apple pie in harmony with espresso, steamed milk and a caramelized-spiced-apple drizzle for a nostalgic autumn pick-me-up.

Taste Test

We gave the Apple Crisp Macchiato a try and we felt there was too much syrup, so I would recommend cutting it in half so it’s not too sweet. The syrup does pool at the bottom, so make sure to mix it up or else it gets really sweet at the bottom. The flavours are nice as you do get the tang of the apples, cinnamon notes, and cloves that reminded me of the Fall.

Website: https://www.starbucks.ca/

Starbucks Canada has laucnhed the new Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino blended beverage. Inspired by a nostalgic flavour reminiscent of carefree, fun-filled summer days at the carnival.

What’s Inside?

The Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino features layers of strawberry puree, whipped cream and a blend of funnel cake flavoured syrup, topped with crunchy powdered sugar funnel cake pieces.  The Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino blended beverage can be customized with non-dairy options (recommended with oat or almond beverage) to suit customer preferences.

Taste Test

There was a lot of strawberry puree and the funnel cake flavoured syrup in the drink, so make sure you stir well as it can accumulate on the bottom. Even with stirring the drink, the first few sips were still very sweet.

It’s a fun themed drink packed full of sugar. The funnel cake flavoured syrup could be reduced a bit. There are tiny crunchy powdered sugar funnel cake pieces but too small to be reminiscent of a funnel cake.

Final Thoughts

We definitely won’t be ordering this again. I would prefer to have a real funnel cake than drink it. They tried to emulate the taste and experience but it fell too short.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.ca/

As the days become brighter, Starbucks Canada is adding a new oat-based beverages to its menu – the Canadian-exclusive Brown Sugar Oat Americano to provide customers with more delicious plant-based beverages.  

At under 200 calories for a grande-size, the beverage features Starbucks Blonde Espresso, brown sugar syrup and water, topped with steamed oat beverage and cinnamon.

Taste Test

A good drink that works very well together, but it a touch sweet, so I would recommend going with one pump less brown sugar. If you order from their app, it’s easily adjustable, plus you can see how many shots and pumps of syrups are in each drink.

Other than that, it was very enjoyable and would get again.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.ca/

Starbucks is adding a new line of espresso drinks to the core menu—the perfect iced duo will help coffee lovers embrace their day and introduce more plant-based choices into their diet. We give the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso a try.

Combining the trends of cold coffee and oat beverage, Starbucks baristas shake Starbucks Blonde espresso, brown sugar and cinnamon together with ice, and then top it off with oat beverage for a cool lift to help cold coffee lovers power through their day.

Taste Test

The drink is pretty good and I love the combination of espresso, brown sugar and oat milk. The espresso and brown sugar compliment very well, but it is still a touch sweet. It would be good to get one pump of brown sugar less.

All it is missing is some pearls to compare to the offerings of Starbucks in Asia.

Final Thoughts

Definitely worth a try if you love espresso, oat milk, ad brown sugar.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.ca/

Basak Cafe recently opened up and I was fortunate to have a passionate foodie follower let me know about them. With the pandemic, it’s never easy to open a restaurant or cafe with the reduce capacity for social distancing. Basak mean crispy in Korean and their waffles have a crunch to them when you bite into it.

As I’m usually in the area, I had to check it out. They are located beside House of Tofu Soup, a few meters away from Han Nam Supermarket and Hanin Village. They are most popular for their waffles and coffee.

The people behind Basak Cafe have worked at many notable restaurants and cafes in Vancouver. They have travelled the world and have been influenced by different tastes and cultures. As they were planning to open a restaurant, they worked hard on developing Korean style hotdogs, but with this location, they decided to start off with waffles for now. I absolutely love Korean corndogs, so I hope they add that on their menu soon.

Interior

There are a few tables inside for small groups and they are all spaced apart and blocked off with clear curtains. I usually do take out, but I felt very safe here, so I dined in here as it was just myself.

Menu

Half and Half Chubby Waffle

I went with the half and half waffle which has matcha and red bean, as well as strawberry. It’s the best option to taste both flavours.

I like how it’s not too sweet and they use real strawberries in their cream, so it’s very very fresh and enjoyable. The matcha is strong and the red bean isn’t too sweet either. Good if you love matcha. If I had to choose a flavour, it would have to be the strawberry.

The waffle itself is a bit darker in colour but it holds up very well the cream and doesn’t go soggy. I ended up doing takeout afterwards for my husband and no issues at all.

Iced Dalgona Latte

I really like their version of the iced Dalgona latte with the dalgona pieces. Very different than the viral trend of whipping up instant coffee.

It was strong and slightly sweet, so it was enjoyed with the waffle.

Final Thoughts

It’s a great cafe to hang out with a few friends that are in your bubble. They are going to have more menu options once they work out any kinks, but I’m excited to see those new items.

If you’re in the area, definitely give them a visit.

Address:
4563 North Road, Burnaby, BC

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/basakcafe2020/

Remi Patisserie has their official storefront open in Vancouver after doing a series of pop-ups all over the Lower Mainland. Even in the middle of a pandemic, we can’t resist a sweet taste of Remi’s delectable treats. Remi was the head Barista and Pastry Chef at Origo Club in Richmond and after doing pop-ups, he gained quite a fan-base for his Asian-inspired baked goods.

You can find Remi Patisserie nestled on W 7th Ave near Cambie Street. It’s a few minutes walk from Olympic Village Skytrain or Broadway City Hall Skytrain.

Pre-Orders

I was passing by the area and decided to line up to get a few of their treats. I didn’t pre-order ahead of time, so I had to try my luck. Good thing I got a few of the last items before it was all gone. I kid you not, if I waited 15 more minutes, there would be nothing left in the display cases.

If you’ve had Remi’s baked goods before, you know that pre-orders are a must. To pre-order, you just message them on Instagram. If you don’t have Instagram, you will have to order at the shop. Not the most inclusive option, but that’s what they have at the moment.

Line ups

There are 2 line ups at the shop. One of the left for pre-orders and on the right are the walk-ins. If it’s your first time here, it is a bit confusing.

Small Stuff

A majority of the items left in their store was the small stuff. That’s what they call their bite sized pastries.

We managed to pick up:

  • Cloud Cake
  • Mango Mochi 2.0
  • Hojicha Mochi
  • Almond Plum Flan
  • Crispy Choco Hazel Financier
  • Matcha Mochi Eclair
  • Tonka Pecan Eclair

All the flavours were very nice, but the ones that really stood out to me were the matcha mochi eclair, crispy choco hazel financier, and the almond plum flan. Don’t get me wrong, the other items are really great too, but these ones are more unique to Remi Patisserie.

Large Cakes

They have large cakes if you are celebrating something special. This does include their roll cakes as well. The items rotate seasonally, so make sure to check their Instagram to see what is available.

Final Thoughts

All of his creations sell out in a few hours, so you will want to put in a pre-order to ensure you get all the delicious treats you want.

Overall, everything we tried was solid. Sometimes it’s fun to buy a bunch of items and not know what it is. We were very impressed and we will be back for more. Next time, I’ll preorder.

Address:
511 W 7th Ave #109, Vancouver, BC

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/remi.patisserie/

Starbucks just launched their Oat Beverage on the menu. They announced it months ago, but can’t believe it’s here already since so many loyal customers have been wanting this option for years.

They launched it today featuring the Oat latte and the Apple Oat Flat White. Two great hot beverage options. You can also have the oat beverage customized in other drinks if you want to keep it dairy free.

The Apple Oat Flat White is a Canada exclusive, which combines their signature espresso with steamed Oat beverage and Apple syrup, topped with Clove Sugar topping.

What Oat Milk/Beverage are they using?

When I as observing them making the Apple Oat Flat White, they are using the Earth’s Own Oat Barista Blend, which is actually my favourite out of all the oat milks out there.

Taste Test

The Apple Oat Flat White definitely represents the Fall reminds me of the sights of the Apple Orchards in October. The apple syrup doesn’t dominate the drink and works well paired with the espresso and clove sugar. If you want it more subtle, you can always ask for less apple syrup.

You can still taste the creamy texture of the oat milk and stands out.

I like it and I will get it again.

Fall 2020 Starbucks Line up:

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Our signature espresso and milk, with flavourful notes of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg creates this incredible beverage that’s a fall favourite. Enjoy it topped with whipped cream and real pumpkin-pie spices.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks® Cold Brew sweetened with vanilla, then topped with a pumpkin cream cold foam and a dusting of pumpkin spice—a super-smooth fall treat.

Apple Oat Flat White

This Canada exclusive combines our signature espresso with steamed Oat beverage and Apple syrup, topped with Clove Sugar topping. A new Fall favourite!

Oat Latte

Perfectly steamed Oat beverage and signature espresso combine to craft a cozy latte.

Salted Caramel Mocha

We combine espresso and milk with mocha sauce and toffee nut flavoured syrup, topped with sweetened whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a mixture of turbinado sugar and sea salt for the best of both worlds.

Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino

We combine mocha sauce and toffee nut flavoured syrup with coffee, milk, and ice, then finish it off with sweetened whipped cream, caramel sauce, and a blend of turbinado sugar and sea salt for an explosion of flavour in every sip.

Pumpkin Scone

A spiced pumpkin scone topped with sweet icing: deliciously and perfectly created for pumpkin lovers.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin

This moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin muffin—topped with a sweet cream-cheese filling and a sprinkling of chopped, spiced pepitas—offers a delightful balance of salty and sweet.

Pumpkin Bread

A gently spiced bread with pumpkin flavours and pepitas. There’s no doubt this tasty seasonal favourite will get you in the mood for fall

Ways to order

Customers have several options to choose from to enjoy their favourite fall beverages this year, while practicing safe social distancing, including:

  • Drive Thru
  • Curbside pickup
  • Starbucks Delivers (Check the Uber Eats app for availability and restrictions) 
  • Mobile ordering 

Teapressu is one of our favourite bubble tea shops on wheels, but recently we found out they have open a storefront in Burnaby on Kingsway. We were very excited, so we decided to give them a visit. Their hours are limited as they are in a very soft opening phase to work out any kinks.

They are known of their teas created using an espresso machine. It extracts great flavours from the tea, making each cup very strong and aromatic.

Their menu has a variety of bubble teas and even vegan options. Plus, soft serve too.

Menu

Pearl Milk Tea Soft Serve

I got the twist where it has the milk tea and vanilla together. Then I also added pearls to it based off their suggestion. It was really good and a nice treat, but it got quite messy when it melted. As the cup in tall and narrow, it would drip down the sides of the cup.

Pearl Iron Milk Tea

This is their number 1 best selling drink on the menu.

I got it at 100% sweetness, but it was a bit too sweet for me. Next time, I would do 50% or even 30%. Nonetheless, the pearls were nice and chewy. The tea was very fragrant too.

Apple Awakening

They have fruity beverages on the menu and my husband tried their Apple Awakening. It was very refreshing especially on a hot Summer’s day.

Final Thoughts

Teapressu is a great addition to the neighbourhood, but they do face tough competition as Chatime is just a shop away. Nonetheless, I do prefer Teapressu for their superior quality and affordable price. Support local as much as possible.

I highly recommend Teapressu, so if you’re in the Burnaby area, check them out.

Address:
5242 Kingsway, Burnaby BC

Website:
https://teapressu.com/

Bel Café recently introduced their new Bel Box, which is a lunch box on the go and it comes with your choice of a sandwich, a half Tuscan Kale salad, a cookie, and a small drink. Bring it back home or take it to the park for a picnic.  

Senior Pastry Chef, Tessa Faulker, recently launched a selection of new pastries including a Cinnamon Morning Bun, rosemary twist, raspberry vanilla scone, miso almond kouign amann, and the ham & cheese bostock.

Lots of new things happening and we were invited to check out these delicious treats.

Bel’s Picnic Box

You can choose from these sandwiches:

  • Ham and Cheese Mt. Moriarty cheese, smoked ham, mustard, sourdough bread
  • Smoked Meat Montreal style smoked beef, pickles mustard, rye bread
  • Herbivore roasted garlic hummus, baby gem lettuce, pickled red onion, cucumber, avocado
  • B.L.T. (or A.L.T.) bacon/avocado, lettuce, tomato

We got our box with the smoked meat sandwich, chocolate chip cookie, half Tuscan Kale Salad, and Flow Water.

It’s a solid box with everything you need for lunch.

Rosemary Twist

The rosemary twist is quite large and has many flakey layers. It’s like a croissant but twisted with the aroma of rosemary and hints of salt.

Cinnamon Morning Bun

This is covered in sugar and cinnamon, which makes it like a churro croissant. A tad messy to eat, so becareful.

Ham & Cheese Bostock

This was our favourite pastry as we tend to gravitate towards savoury pastries. It had a good texture that complimented the ham and cheese.

Miso Almond Kouign

The miso almond kouign is sweet and delicious like an almond croissant. The miso is subtle but works well.

Raspberry Vanilla Scone

Lastly, the raspberry vanilla scone is pretty standard but a touch on the sweet side. It also has a crumbly texture, so be careful when you eat this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, lots of new things happening at Bel Cafe. Of the things we tried, we really like the Rosemary Twist and the Ham & Cheese Bostock the most. They really have quality savoury pastries that stand out. Cinnamon Morning Bun was good and it reminded us of a churro.

With the weather so great this summer, it’s great to grab a few things and head to the close by parks or beaches.

Address:
1780 W 3rd Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://belcafe.com/

Lady M New York has launched their new site ladym.ca to offer shipping to Canada, but it is very costly to Canadians at over $200 per crepe cake. It got Canadians really excited, but then Spiritea in Vancouver began offering Lady M cakes imported from New York by the slice or as a whole cake. You don’t need to spend over $200 to commit to a whole cake as you can now have it by the slice.

We were invited by Spiritea to try their Lady M Cakes to see how it compares.

Prices

  • Slice of Mille Crepe Cake ($19.50)
  • Whole Mille Crepe Cake ($225)

Signature Mille Crepe Cake

The quality was superb and not sure what their secret is to keeping it so fresh even though it was imported across the country. It is soft and fluffy with 20 paper thin crepes between their pastry cream. When you look at it, it’s really a work of art. If you’ve ever tried making these on your own, it tasks a lot of skill. This cake just melts in your mouth.

This is the top flavour as it’s what made them famous in the first place. Classic.

Matcha Mille Crepe Cake

This is another popular flavour that gets sold out quickly. Quality was good as well and if you’re a matcha lover, you gotta get this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, quality is fantastic and you can’t argue with that. The price is steep, but you can’t get a taste of Lady M without getting on a plane or ordering it from Lady M New York (the shipping is a pain).

It’s a luxury Mille Crepe Cake, so if you can afford $19.50 for a slice of cake, go for it.

Address:
4151 Hazelbridge Way Unit 1968, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://spiriteadrinks.com/

A lot of people love oat beverage (most call it oat milk, oat mylk, but there isn’t any milk in it) as their preferred milk alternative. I absolutely love it in my drinks and can’t get enough of the creamy texture and mild oat flavour.

Starbucks Canada introduced its first non-dairy beverage option back in 2004 with soy beverage. Today, Oat beverage is the latest plant-based offering, and the fourth dairy alternative to join Starbucks Canada’s menu, which includes soy beverage, almond beverage and coconut beverage, giving customers even more choice when it comes to customizing their drinks.

Oat beverage is known for its mild flavour and velvety foam, Starbucks Oat beverage is non-GMO, made without preservatives, artificial flavours or colour, and is made with oats sourced from Canada.  

Of course oat beverage all taste different depending on who make it. Hopefully when it launched in Fall of 2020, it will live up to expectations.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.ca/

Honolulu Coffee is back and they have launched a new Hawaiian-inspired menu of seasonal specialties at its Downtown and Kerrisdale locations in Vancouver.

Available for in-store or takeout service, the new Honolulu Coffee Vancouver summer menu includes a few iced tea and coffee drinks and açaí bowls. We were invited to give these new items a try.

I miss Hawaii, so just having a taste of these new items brings me back to the beautiful sights, sounds, and tastes of Honolulu. Since we can’t travel due to the pandemic, this will do.

Safety Measures

Safety is very important, so they have enforces the following measures to keep everyone safe during the pandemic.

  • Enforcing in-store one-way flows / separate areas for mobile order pick-up stations
  • Plexiglas dividers at ordering stations
  • All tables and chairs sanitized after use
  • Hand sanitizer available at registers and pick-up counters;
  • Sanitizing bottles available around seating area for customers
  • Customer who stay can ask for extra alcohol wipes from a staff member
  • All baristas will be wearing masks
  • Social distancing clearly marked and enforced throughout both locations.

Matcha Lychee Soda 

The matcha lychee soda is made with a blend of amai matcha sweetened with housemade lychee syrup and topped with San Pellegrino. Mix this us to incorporate all the ingredients in this drink. Very refreshing drink.

Lychee Oolong Iced Tea 

The lychee oolong ice tea is made with iced oolong tea lightly sweetened with housemade lychee syrup and offering subtle notes of fragrant gardenia and honeydew melon. Refreshing beverage as well, but would have liked the tea to be stronger.

Honey Coconut Cold Brew

They use cold brew shaken with honey syrup and coconut milk. We love this and would get this again.

Açaí Bowls

They offer 4 different kinds of Açaí Bowls. The frozen base of açaí berries, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and apple juice sweetened with honey. The base of the bowls are all the same, but the toppings change.

You can’t go wrong with any of them as it’s all based on your personal preference.

The Basic

The Basic Açaí bowl is topped with fresh bananas and housemade granola.

The Classic 

The Classic Açaí bowl is topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, bananas, housemade granola and a sprinkle of coconut flakes.

The Hawaiian 

The Hawaiian Açaí bowl is topped with fresh bananas, toasted macadamia nuts, almond butter, housemade granola and coconut flakes.

Build Your Own Bowl 

If you want to have customizable toppings include fresh blueberries, strawberries, bananas, housemade granola, almond butter, macadamia nuts, coconut flakes or honey, you can definitely make it however you like.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a great addition to the menu if you want something that is refreshing and healthy. Plus, you’ll definitely be craving to go to Hawaii once this pandemic is over. We highly recommend the Honey Coconut Cold Brew.

Address:
2098 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.honolulucoffee.com/

Starbucks Canada is expanding its summer-inspired menu by adding Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almond foam to it’s line up. We’re definitely more fans of their coffee than their other beverages, so we had to give it a try.

These new beverages are intended as a lighter-tasting, subtly sweet option with coffee-forward notes. The non-dairy cold foam layer is made from flavourful ingredients like almond beverage, vanilla syrup, and cinnamon. Their regular cold foam has egg in it.

Cold foam is frothed cold instead of hot and blended until smooth, creating layers of creamy texture and flavour without the cream. Cinnamon Almond Foam is airier than other cold foam options and can also be modified with soy.

Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almond Foam Taste Test

Upon first sip, you can taste the cinnamon in the foam. The foam is very light and does dissipate quickly. There is a bit of sweetness from the vanilla syrup, but I wasn’t a fan of the almond beverage. That paired with the cold brew just didn’t jive as well with my personal taste preference.

It’s a great option for non-dairy drinkers, but not for me.

Other plant-based options at Starbucks

Here are some other plant-based options as well as non-dairy drinks they have on the menu.

Making its debut in Canada first this week, the new Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Iced Beverage is lightly caffeinated and full of tropical kiwi and starfruit flavour, then shaken with ice.

A feast for the eyes thanks to its bright green hue, the drink’s pop of colour comes from a blend of fruit juice, green coffee extract and kiwi fruit inclusions mixed with water. 

Imagine it like the dragonfruit refreshers or the other berry refreshers but with kiwi. The drinks can also be customized with lemonade or coconut beverage in place of water. 

Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refresher Taste Test

We ordered a grande with coconut beverage. On the menu, you’ll see it as ‘Star Drink’. It has the starfruit and kiwi flavoured juice and real kiwi fruit pieces added to coconut beverage and shaken with ice.

The coconut beverage really throws it off and looks like it curdles in the drink. We are really not a fan of the coconut beverage at all. If you want to try the Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refresher, skip the coconut beverage.

If I was to have it again, I would just add lemonade to it.

Other non-dairy beverages

The Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers is the latest non-dairy beverage to join Starbucks summer lineup, which includes: 

Whisk Premium Matcha and Level V Bakery have finally opened their doors in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. They are located right at the library on Kingsway. This plant-based matcha tea, cafe, and bakery has no dairy and eggs. Great for those who are lactose intolerant, vegan or vegetarian.

Both of these companies have been around for a while and they have finally made their dreams a reality by having a storefront. It’s definitely a challenging time with the pandemic, but they made it happen.

Keeping You Safe

There are a few things they are doing at the cafe and bakery to keep everyone safe.

  • One way: Enter from the entrance on Kingsway. The door on E 8th is Exit Only to maintain ONE WAY flow through the space.
  • Hand Sanitizers: They have hand sanitizers available by the cashier’s table, as well as the exit.
  • Facemasks: They can also provide you a face mask upon request.
  • Sneezeguards: They have this covering the entire counter.
  • Limited capacity: They are only allowing 5 customers in at a time to respect social distancing.
  • Card payments: No cash is accepted.

Soft Opening Menu

Regular Menu

Interior

The space is very narrow, so there aren’t tables available for more than 2 people. It’s a good spot for just 2 people to be chatting.

I did see this larger table, but not sure if it will be available when dine-in is available.

Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte

This has a base of organic housemade strawberry puree, organic coconut milk, and their matcha. I also decided to add pearls to it because it was an add-on. Why not? It’s a pretty trendy drink and I honestly got it for the looks. I was also very curious how it tastes.

You have to mix this drink well. You get the freshness of the strawberries, then the strong matcha taste afterwards. It was actually a pretty good drink.

Mochi Muffins

When I was here, they had matcha and chocolate flavours of their mochi muffins avalable. It was pretty good! One of the better ones I’ve had so far.

Final Thoughts

It’s good to have another matcha cafe and bakery open up in the area to give people more options in the Mount Pleasant area. They offer some pretty unique items on the menu that I haven’t see elsewhere, so I’m excited to visit again when they have their grand opening.

Address:
39 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5T 3H7

Website:
https://whiskmatcha.ca/
https://levelvbakery.com/