Foodology
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In British Columbia

Starbucks goes Dairy-Free with The Almondmilk Honey Flat White and Coconutmilk Latte: Review

Starbucks has launched 2 new dairy-free beverage options in stores now. The Almondmilk Honey Flat White and Coconutmilk Latte are what they are featuring as they noticed customers were actively asking for non-dairy options on the menu.

Both these drinks are made with Starbucks Blonde Espresso and will be joining the permanent menu at participating Starbucks locations across Canada. It’s definitely important to add these items on the menu as people are lactose intolerant or may be cutting dairy for other medical or dietary reasons. Soy is the alternative option, but now with almond and coconut, there are 3 alternatives.

Almondmilk Honey Flat White

The Almondmilk Honey Flat White combines ristretto shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso with steamed almondmilk and a hint of honey, creating a twist on a beloved espresso classic.

When you first taste it, the taste of the almond milk is strong. The espresso does shine through as well and is sweetened by the honey. I am personally not a fan of almond milk beverages.

Coconutmilk Latte

The Coconutmilk Latte combines shots of Starbucks Blonde Espresso with steamed Coconutmilk. There is supposed to be a strike of Cascara sugar topping that adds a subtle note of dark brown sugar and maple after every sip. The location I went to didn’t add the Cascara sugar for whatever reason.

The latte is very thin with the coconut milk and doesn’t have the mouthfeel of the latte.

Tips to creating your dairy-free beverage at Starbucks

  • Select a non-dairy milk: Order your beverage with soy beverage, almond beverage or coconut milk beverage
  • Select a flavoured syrup: The following syrups do not contain animal-derived ingredients: Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut 
  • Hold the following ingredients, which contain dairy: Whipped cream, java chips, protein powder, caramel sauce (Pro tip! Caramel sauce is different from caramel syrup) 
  • Avoid beverages made with: Pumpkin Spice Sauce, White Mocha Sauce and Caramel Brulée Sauce 

Final Thoughts

It’s great to have almond and coconut options on the menu to substitute for milk, but the taste of these two didn’t hit the mark for the new Almondmilk Honey Flat White and Coconutmilk Latte. The flavours of the Almondmilk and Coconutmilk really take over and change the taste and consistency in these beverages. Do keep in mind, I can have dairy, so this is coming from the opinion of a dairy drinker, but I do enjoy oat milk as that’s the closest substitute for milk I really enjoy.

Starbucks has no immediate plans to release an Oatmilk latte in Canada just yet, however, they’re continually adjusting their menu to better accommodate all dietary concerns.

Certain Starbucks locations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin have Oatmilk according to Delish.com.

Have you tried these two drinks yet? Would love to hear your thoughts.

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

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In Burnaby Central

L’OTUS Cake Boutique: 5 Levels of Matcha Gelato and Crepe Cakes in Burnaby

Recently, coming back from Japan, I realized there are a lot of sweet treats not available in Metro Vancouver. Nanaya Matcha in Tokyo have 7 levels of Matcha gelato and I’ve been waiting for someone to create that in Vancouver.

L’OTUS Cake Boutique has opened their Burnaby location just behind Metropolis at Metrotown and has made 5 levels of matcha gelato and it’s exclusive to their Burnaby location. I saw this on instagram and I just had to come here with a few friends to check out this spot.

Interior

The space is really nice and it’s on the ground level of a newly developed apartment building. There are 4 booth style seats and a few tables. We came in the middle of the day and it was quite busy but we were able to get a table for 4.

They even have 2 high chairs available, which is nice.

Menu

5 Levels of Matcha Gelato

We had to get the flight of 5 mini matcha gelato for $15. Pretty expensive, but you really need one to share with a few friends. I wouldn’t recommend getting multiple because most people just want a few bites and that’s it.

You’re supposed to try it from lightest to strongest. After trying them all, we all loved level 4 the most. It has a good ratio of matcha and sweetness.

Once we tried everything and retried the flavours, 4 is still superior.

Soda Matcha

The matcha soda comes in a take out cup, which would have been nicer if they had cups instead of these take out containers. Anyways, there is the soda on the bottom and then the matcha on top, where you should mix it before drinking. It was an interesting flavour, but none of us really like it. The matcha could have been stronger as the sweet soda was the dominant taste.

Matcha Red Bean Latte

The Matcha Red Bean Latte comes in a clean milk carton glass and it’s pretty cute. There is a good ratio between the matcha, milk, sugar, and red beans. It was decent, but it wasn’t the best we’ve had.

Matcha Cheese Foam

This was like a matcha latte and then the cheese foam on top. It was a bit too much milk in my opinion.

Philippine Mango Crepe Cake

This was one of the most expensive slices of crepe cake at Lotus. It is $12 for a slice, but since it does take a lot of effort to make a crepe cake and the cost of the Philippine mango isn’t cheap at all.

It was really good. Nice ratio of cream and mango. One of our favourites.

64% Dark Chocolate Crepe Cake

This was decadent and delicious. Loved the darkness of the chocolate and also had a good ratio of cream, chocolate mousse and crepe layers.

Double Layer Cheesecake

This was also a hit too. It has the denser cheesecake on the bottom and then the soft and lighter cheesecake on top.

Final Thoughts

I wasn’t a fan of any of the matcha beverages as they were pretty mediocre. The mini matcha gelato fight is fun if you’re sharing with a few friends. The cakes are solid and we really enjoyed those but it is quite pricey.

Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic addition to Burnaby as we definitely need more delicious cafes to chill with friends. Plus, it’s a few steps away from the Metrotown skytrain.

Address:
4352 Beresford Street, Burnaby, BC

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In Cafe

Starbucks Hong Kong: Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly Review

I love love love looking at different menu items at Starbucks all over the world and I just have to try the items not available in North America. When I was in Hong Kong, I had to try the Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly.

Looking at the big menus behind the counter doesn’t reveal the whole menu, so I like grabbing the smaller menus on the counter to see everything that they offer. My eyes were drawn to the Frappuccino Blended Beverages section for the Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly.

Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly

The earl grey jelly is on the bottom and then filled with the chocolate black tea frappè, then the whipped cream and powder on top. In Hong Kong, they have white paper straws instead of the regular green plastic ones.

The Earl Grey jelly doesn’t taste like it too much. It was very very subtle and it mostly just added texture to the drink. Kinda like grass jelly. The Chocolate Black Tea frappe was very nice and not too sweet. I quite liked it a lot. This drink reminded me of a bubble tea.

If you’re ever in Asia and you see this on the Starbucks menu, definitely give it a try.

Website: http://starbucks.hk/

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In Bubble Tea

Gong Cha Renfrew: We had 16 Bubble Teas and 2 Bubble Waffles so you don’t have to

Gong Cha is a world renowned Bubble tea shop from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. They have been in Vancouver for a few years now and they’ve recently opened up their location across from Renfrew Skytrain Station.

We were invited to give their drinks and bubble waffles a try.

It’s a pretty good location and there aren’t too many bubble tea shops in the area. Some of the popular drinks include – Royal Milk Tea with Pearl, Milk Foam Earl Grey Tea, and Earl Grey Milk Tea with 3J.

You can also customize your drinks sugar and ice levels. They also offer 2 sizes of drinks, regular and large. During our visit, we got it 30% sweetness and regular ice. We like out bubble teas less sweet so we can taste the tea more, but thats just our personal preference.

Menu and Daily Specials

Bubble Waffle

They serve up bubble waffles at this location in various flavours like original, pearl, matcha, red bean, and chocolate. These flavours can change, so you can ask them which ones are available. When we were here, we tried the original and the one with pearls inside.

Regular Bubble Waffle

This is the classic version with a crisp exterior and a chewy interior. It tasted pretty good when you eat it fresh. Highly recommended if you want something to share among friends.

Pearl Bubble Waffle

Why not add some pearls to your bubble waffle. It’s actually very interesting as it adds a nice chew to your bubble waffle. There aren’t too many inside, which is good as it compliments it very nicely.

Rose Tin Guan Yin Tea Series

The Rose Tin Guan Yin Tea Series is new and started in early December of this year. Not sure how long it will be on the menu for, but if you do see it, there are 3 drinks offered – Honey Rose Tie Guan Yin Tea Latte⁣, Milk Foam Rose Tie Guan Yin, and Rose Tie Guan Yin with White Pearl⁣.

Honey Rose Tie Guan Yin Tea Latte

This is beautiful and the drink is separated into 3 different layers. The honey and syrup is on the bottom, then the milk, and then the tea on top. You’ll want to mix this up before you drink it.

The drink is milky and not too sweet at 30%. You get the taste of the tie guan yin tea with the hint of subtle rose.

Milk Foam Rose Tie Guan Yin

I wasn’t a fan of the cup used as it is typically a wide lipped lid rather than the typical bubble tea cup. When mixed up, it did taste similar to the Honey Rose Tie Guan Yin Tea Latte.

Rose Tie Guan Yin with White Pearl

You get a stronger tea taste in this drink compared to the other two. The white pearls are a nice touch to add texture to the drink.

Matcha Milk Tea

We got the matcha milk tea and it was decent. Next time, I think we would prefer to have pearls to give it more texture in the drink.

Oreo Milk Foam Black Forest

This drink has layers of milk foam, pearls, grass jelly, and oreo crumble. It’s another interesting drink that looks pretty cool with all the items inside. You get a lot of different textures from the pearls to the grass jelly. It’s not your traditional bubble tea by any means. Some love it and some hate it. It has a stronger grass jelly taste, so its not for everyone.

Royal Milk Tea with Grass Jelly

This is a classic drink which you can’t go wrong with. We even brought a reusable bubble tea cup and straw as they will make the drink to save on plastic going to the landfill. One of our favourites.

Wintermelon Oolong Tea

This is another popular drink, which is great hot or cold. Having it less sweet is our way to have it. You get the sweet hint of the wintermelon complimenting the oolong tea.

Passionfruit green tea QQ

This was a surprising drink that was pretty good. We did love the pearls and coconut jelly that were part of it. Great option if you like fruity bubble teas.

Purple Sweet Potato Milk Tea and Pearls

It has a nice deep purple colour to the drink, but the texture of the purple sweet potato was very gritty. It felt too artificial for our liking.

Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Pearls

Brown sugar milk tea has been quite the rage this year in Vancouver. You’ll want to mix this up really well before drinking or else you’ll be sipping up the brown sugar pearls at the bottom. We did like this better than the regular milk tea, but the time that we were here, the pearls were a bit hard.

Strawberry Milk Foam Smoothie with Pearls

This has the pearls on the bottom, then the smoothie and topped with milk foam. If you like strawberry beverages, you’ll enjoy this. Definitely better to get this drink less sweet so the strawberry shines through.

Peach Yogurt Smoothie with White Pearl

You’ll want to get this at 0% sweetness or 30% sweetness because at regular sweetness, it was way too sweet. It has potential to be a good drink

Strawberry Yogurt Drink with Coconut Jelly

Another drink where we would recommend 0% – 30% sweetness. I would have been very refreshing if it wasn’t so sweet.

Milk Tea with Pearls

A classic bubble tea beverage. Milk tea with pearls is decent and I wouldn’t expect less as it’s the go to beverage.

Final Thoughts

Our team tried 16 drinks and 2 bubble waffles during 2 visits to get a feel for Gong Cha’s menu at the Renfrew location. We generally prefer less sweet bubble teas, so 0% – 30% sweetness is good at Gong Cha. We wouldn’t recommend getting 100% as it is way too sweet especially for the yogurt and smoothie series.

Gong Cha has a large menu, so when you go in a group, there’s something for everyone. The Renfrew location is great as there are lots of tables to sit and hang out with friends.

A few of our favourite drinks from our team – Passionfruit green tea QQ, Peach yogurt smoothie, Strawberry milk foam smoothie, Wintermelon oolong tea, Honey Rose Tie Guan Yin Tea Latte, and Royal milk tea with grass jelly.

Address:
2887 E 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.gongchacanada.ca/

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In British Columbia

Starbucks Canada: Irish Cream Cold Brew and Americano Review

Starbucks has launched two new drinks this holiday season. It’s the brand new Irish Cream Cold Brew and the Canadian exclusive, Irish Cream Americano.

Since just coming back to Vancouver from our holiday vacation, I was wondering what would be the next items being launched in Canada. Great to know there is more than the usual items like Gingerbread Latte and Peppermint Mocha.

Irish Cream Cold Brew

The Irish Cream Cold Brew begins with their signature Cold Brew and Irish Cream syrup. Then it is topped with vanilla sweet cold foam and a line of cocoa powder.

I really enjoyed it! It wasn’t too sweet as the cold foam and the cold brew balanced so well. The strike of cocoa powder was noticed and went well with the flavours.

Even when it’s cold outside, there is always time for a cold beverage. I sure love it.

Irish Cream Americano

This Canadian exclusive is made with rich, caramel-like espresso, flavoured with Irish Cream syrup, topped with vanilla sweet cream cold foam and finished with a strike of cocoa powder on top. Once you leave the drink with the lid on, the cold foam and cocoa disappear into the drink. Not that much to see, but its all in the taste.

I usually don’t drink Americanos as it’s too acidic and strong, but with the added Irish Cream syrup, cold foam and the cocoa, it was great.

Final Thoughts

The flavors of vanilla and cocoa in both these drinks go well with Starbucks espresso and Cold Brew. It’s festive but gives you that caffeine kick that you need without being too sweet. Loved both versions and would get it again.

So far this year, all their special cold brew beverages have been a hit.

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

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In Cafe

McDonald’s Hong Kong: Black Sticky Rice Pie Review

A month ago, McDonald’s in Hong Kong launched the Black Sticky Rice Pie in stores. Black sticky rice is popularly used in Asian desserts often paired with mango and coconut milk. I’ve tried a lot of limited edition pies at McDonald’s around the world and I had to check it out. I personally find it very exciting, so I love to write reviews about these items.

The is black sticky rice pie is comprised of the classic McDonald’s handheld pie crust stuffed with a thick sticky rice filling. The exterior is nice and crisp. It pairs well with the filling inside and isn’t too thick or thin. A good ratio.

When you look at the filling, you can see the black rice inside that is essentially purple in colour. It is a touch on the sweet side, but still very enjoyable. I would definitely order this again. The size isn’t that large, so it’s easily consumed in a few bites.

Website:
https://www.mcdonalds.com.hk/en.html

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In Cafe

KFC Hong Kong: Egg Tart with Red Bean and Mochi Review

KFC Hong Kong just launched a new egg tart just for Hong Kong with Red Bean and Mochi. It is Japanese-inspired because of the use of the 2 ingredients. My friend told me to check it out and I just had to as it was close to where I’m staying.

You can get it ala carte or you can get it as a set. I went with just 1 to see if I would like this or not. It’s only available for a limited time only.

They have Hokkaido Tokachi red bean and Japanese mochi in the centre of the egg tart. Then it is topped it with a marshmallow and a touch of matcha powder. I found that the marshmallow is too overpowering that it takes away from the mochi and red beans. They definitely could have used more mochi and red bean too.

This was definitely a miss and I wouldn’t order it again.

Website:
https://www.kfchk.com/

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In Cafe

Starbucks Japan: Merry Strawberry Cake Frappuccino Review

While I was in Japan, Starbucks just released their holiday frappuccino – Merry Strawberry Cake Frappuccino. It is dessert-filled crumb with sponge cake crumbs, red strawberry sauce, sponge cake-flavored base and topped with whipped cream and freeze-dried strawberry. 

You can see the 3 layers in the cold version of this drink. They do have a hot version of this drink but I felt it was too weird. Some say it tastes like a Nesquick’s strawberry milk.

There are many ways to customize this drink too. You can swap the milk with soy milk if you’re lactose intolerant. You can also request more strawberry sauce at no extra charge.

I got my frappuccino as a tall with all the standard sugar and ice levels. Upon first sip, it tasted like a regular strawberry cream frappuccino with bite of the cake crumbs. The strawberry sauce is sweet.

Perhaps getting it less sweet is better, but I didn’t think this was that special of a taste unless you love strawberries.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.co.jp/beverage/frappuccino/4524785421622/?category=beverage

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In Cafe

McDonalds Taiwan: Taro Pie Review

McDonalds in Taiwan is featuring their Taro Pie. This isn’t on the regular menu, but just for a limited time only. I’ve had Sweet Taro Pie in Hawaii and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! When I saw it on the Taiwan menu, I needed to get it.

I wasn’t planning on getting it, but I was intrigued if it would be the same as the one in Hawaii. When it arrives, it comes in a generic ‘flavoured pie’ packaging as they always have rotating flavours along with the staple – Apple pie.

Taro Pie Review

The taro pie comes in one piece and its deep-fried till a golden brown on the outside. When I cut the pie in half, the inside reveals white pieces of taro with a clear off-white filling. Unlike the one in Hawaii, the colour is different and has a lot less taro.

As we took a few bites, the taro was very sweet and most of the pie was the clear off-white filling with subtle tastes of taro. Perhaps it’s a different type of taro they have. Nonetheless, it was fun to try, but I wouldn’t get it again.

It just wasn’t reminiscent of what taro is like and way too sweet. I did enjoy the deep-fried pastry as it was very crisp and delicate compared to the ones in North America.

Website:
https://www.mcdonalds.com.tw/

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In Cafe

Starbucks Japan: Yuzu Citrus Tea ゆず シトラス & ティー Review

I love finding new drinks at Starbucks around the world. When I was on my 2 week Japan trip, I saw that they were offering Yuzu Citrus & Tea on the menu. It’s a permanent item on the menu and I had to give it a try as it’s not available in North America.

You can get this drink in Short, Tall, Grande and Venti. Iced and hot options are available.

I went to their Uji, Kyoto location and it’s a fantastic space. One of the most tranquil Starbucks I’ve been to. It has even won awards for its design. If you’re ever in a foreign country, you’ll definitely find a Starbucks somewhere.

Yuzu Citrus Tea ゆず シトラス & ティー

I got my drink iced and in a tall size. I just wanted a taste without having a big cup of it. The drink has citrus fruits like pink grapefruit, and Japanese yuzu peels to create this drink. The base of the iced version is black tea, while the hot version uses English breakfast.

Upon first sip, you do set the sweetness from the citrus, and when you bite onto the yuzu peels, it give a bitter tang to the drink. It’s a pretty refreshing drink and if you’re in Japan, give it a try. I would get it less sweet next time.

As you can tell with my cup, since it’s November, all the Holiday cups has rolled out. hahaha.

Website: https://www.starbucks.co.jp/

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In Bakery

Smith’s Bagelry: Turkish-Canadian bakery on West Broadway

Smith’s Bagelry opened a few months ago and is getting rave reviews from locals who visited this Turkish-Canadian bakery. Look for the bagel cart along West Broadway to find this hidden gem!

About the name: there is no Mr. or Mrs. Smith

“Simit” is a Turkish bagel. In the Ottoman Empire during the 1400s, the empire started making these bagels for the public on special days. Overtime, it became the standard Turkish street food and breakfast item sold from carts.

Smith’s Bagelry knew that they’re the only one of it’s kind in western Canada and to make it easier for customers to pronounce simit, they chose “Smith”. Now you know why it’s called Smith’s Bagelry!

Interior

The interior is well lit, has modern lines and displays historical photos of simit vendors.

Menu

Smith’s Bagelry offer many sweet and savoury choices, with one board dedicated to their sandwiches.

They also have a beverage menu that combine drinks you expect from cafés, as well as new Turkish drink options to try.

Simit (Turkish bagels)

Compared to bagels we’re used to, these Turkish bagels are lighter, less doughy, has a hint of sweetness and still has a crispy exterior.

Smith’s Bagelry makes all their bagels from scratch and shapes them all by hand. (And because I always ask this…) The secret ingredient that makes their bagels extra special is grape molasses that they import directly from Turkey.

Bagel sandwiches

Lunch is their busiest period. The bagels are perfect for sandwiches. My favourite were Aspendos (smoked salmon) and Cappadocia (Montreal smoked meat).

Sweets: Éclair and San Sebastian cheesecake

The éclair have the perfect cream to bread ratio and the crushed pistachio was a good addition. I could probably eat a dozen of these.

Their San Sebastian cheesecake is a must-try! It’s light, fluffy and goes perfect with strong coffee.

Final Thoughts

Smith’s Bagelry has been open for less than six months and deserve the good reviews they’ve received. The Turkish bagels are perfect alone, but work just as well on sandwiches. They have so many sweet and savoury choices, so there’s something for everyone.

I am a big fan of their business name being a clever way to appeal and educate customers about simit (but only if you think about it). They plan on continuing to expand and refine their menu, including adding more brunch items.

Address:
191 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.smithsbagelry.com/

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In Cafe

Tim Hortons Canada: Kit Kat Donuts and Drinks Review

Tim Hortons in Canada quietly launched their new Kit Kat menu featuring 2 treats and 3 beverages. It’s great to finally see some new items that fit more with their brand as the last few items like omelette bites and Beyond Meat Burgers didn’t really suit them very well, nor did they taste good.

They launched these 5 items:

  • Caramel-Filled Donut with Kit Kat
  • Chocolate Truffle Bar with Kit Kat
  • Kit Kat Iced Cappuccino
  • Kit Kat Hot Chocolate
  • Kit Kat Latte

I had to go to the closest Tim Hortons to check out all these Kit Kat items to see if they were any good.

Menu

Caramel-Filled Donut with Kit Kat

It is essentially a caramel-filled donut with chocolate frosting and Kit Kat crumbs on top. The donut has a really good ratio of filling to donut, so there is caramel in every bite.

The one problem I find is that it is very very sweet. The caramel with the chocolate frosting and then the topping of Kit Kat was a bit much.

Chocolate Truffle Bar with Kit Kat

The chocolate truffle bar is topped with whipped cream and Kat Kat pieces. I actually found this to be much sweeter than the Caramel-filled donut. My husband liked it but not a win for me. I could feel the cavities creeping on.

Kit Kat Iced Cappuccino

Tim Horton’s classic Iced Capp now comes in Kit Kat flavour. It has the regular Iced Capp ingredients but with added Kit Kat syrup inside when they mix it. It is then topped with whipped cream and Kit Kat pieces.

It was alright but it did have the essence of Kit Kat flavour.

Kit Kat Hot Chocolate

I got the Kit Kat Hot Chocolate in a small size and it is their regular hot chocolate but with Kit Kat syrup. I can see this being a fun treat for the kids.

They put a lid on my hot chocolate so the whipped cream melted and the kit kat got soggy. It used to look really delicious. Get it without the lid if you want your kids to enjoy it visually a bit more.

Kit Kat Latte

The latte comes in Medium, so no small size. It is a regular latte with the Kit Kat syrup inside. This does have a better balance of the syrup and the latte so it isn’t overly sweet. It has a nice aftertaste of the Kit Kat.

Similarly with the hot chocolate, when you put the lid on, the whipped cream dissipates and the Kit Kat crumbs get soggy.

As I was observing them, I could see the Kit Kat syrup container. As the container is unmarked, I think these items are limited time only.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely adore Kit Kat treats but these Tim Hortons creation using Kit Kat are way too sweet. I will stick with my classic go-to items like steeped tea, coffee and honey crullers.

Website:
https://www.timhortons.com

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In Cafe

One Bowl: Healthy Lunch and Dinner Options in Kerrisdale

One Bowl is a cozy and casual cafe located in Kerrisdale. They specialize in healthy food options that use high quality ingredients and lower in calories.

The Kerrisdale neighbourhood has a lot of great restaurants from large chain restaurants to locally owned cafes like One Bowl. If you’re looking for something healthy that would pair well with your diet or have dietary restrictions, One Bowl is pretty appealing.

Their approach is to use seasonal ingredients while keeping the purity of their ingredients so its organic and unprocessed as possible. They want the ingredients to shine through without it being overshadowed by dressings and spices.

Interior

The space is cute and there are a few tables inside for small groups. They can host private parties for up to 20 guests in the evenings, just contact them for more information.

The space isn’t too cramped, so if you need some extra room or have kids, it’s not a bad place to visit.

Menu

Sirloin Steak Mushroom Bowl

This bowl has a base of mixed wild rice, kale, mixed greens, wild mushrooms, picked beets and cabbage, tomato, radish and pea shoots with the sirloin steak and egg. There is also a raspberry balsamic dressing on the greens. A very hearty bowl with clean flavours.

At 433 calories, it’s pretty impressive.

Truffle Chicken Bowl

The truffle chicken bowl uses chicken breast, and has wild rice, mushrooms, greens and an egg. The chicken was cooked nicely, but could have used a touch more salt and pepper to bring out more flavour. The mushrooms were delicious with a lot of umami flavour that paired well with the ingredients in the bowl. Also, the truffle oil is nice and fragrant.

This was our favourite of the two bowls. The chicken was very moist and tender. At 370 calories, this isn’t bad at all.

Final Thoughts

The bowls do range from $13 to $19 depending on the ingredients, so it can get pricey. Nonetheless, they do use quality ingredients and isn’t too salty or saucy. You leave feeling good as it has a clean taste. As there isn’t a lot of sauce, some would say its a bit bland. We were impressed by the low calories of their dishes.

If you’re in the Kerrisdale area and you want something healthy, definitely check out One Bowl.

Address:
5687 Balsam St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.onebowlvancouver.com/

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In Cafe

[Sneak Peek] Fufú Café: Japanese Soufflé Pancakes in Vancouver

Fufú Café is going to be Vancouver’s first-ever all Japanese soufflé pancake cafe. There are other cafés and shops serving up different versions of soufflé pancakes, but Fufú Café will have a variety of them available from sweet to savoury.

They are just days away from Soft Opening, so watch out on social media to see when that is happening.

Grand Opening Special

They will have their grand opening on Saturday, September 7th, 2019 with a great promo where the first 50 customers will get a free classic soufflé pancake. After that, the classic soufflé pancake will be 50% off.

Photo Courtesy of Fufú Café

Interior

The whimsically designed 20-seat cafe is influenced by modern French-style aesthetics, highlighting soft and light pastels colours, artwork and textures.

Photo Courtesy of Fufú Café

It’s absolutely stunning and you’ll definitely get a few good photos here with your friends or family.

Menu

Mixed Berries Soda

There are a few different sodas on the menu and they are gorgeous. I went with the mixed berries soda as it’s in season and you can’t go wrong with berries. We have this a quick stir and patiently waited for our pancakes to be ready.

Their made-to-order Japanese soufflé pancakes each take about 15 to 20 minutes to make. I didn’t find the wait that long since having a good catch up session with a friend definitely last longer than that.

FuFú Classic Soufflé Pancake #1

There are 2 versions of the Classic. This one has 3 pieces of the Soufflé Pancake accompanied with butter, maple syrup, and “Fufú” icing sugar. I love seeing the 3 layers jiggle when you shake it slightly.

This is definitely classic and I love how it’s simple, yet it shows off the texture and flavour of the Soufflé Pancakes the most. The butter and maple syrup pair so well. This was one of my favourites.

FuFú Classic Soufflé Pancake #2

The second version also have 3 pieces, but it has sea salt mascarpone cheese whipped cream to accompany the Soufflé Pancakes. The sea salt mascarpone cheese whipped cream does have a good balance of saltiness and sweetness to pair with the pancakes.

Matcha Mochi

There are 2 pieces of Soufflé Pancake topped with shiratamako balls, housemade matcha sauce, matcha whipping cream, double chocolate raspberry ice cream, white chocolate flakes, and matcha flakes. The matcha whipping cream isn’t too intense and has the right amount of sweetness to pair with the pancakes. If you want more matcha flavour, the matcha sauce is more concentrated. They get their ice cream from Rocky Point Ice Cream and it’s pretty darn good.

Mixed Fresh Fruit

This has 2 pieces of Soufflé Pancake topped with mixed fresh fruit, classic whipped cream, dried raspberry flakes, and icing sugar. I love the dried raspberry flakes as it adds a nice crunch to the dish. This was my second favourite flavour as the whipped cream and fruit compliments the pancakes well without masking the texture or taste of the pancakes.

Lemon Crème Brûlée Soufflé Pancake

There are 2 stacked soufflé pancakes, house-made lemon crème brûlée sauce, lemon yogurt ice cream, with seasonal fruits. This was one of the sweeter options because of the lemon crème brûlée sauce but still well balanced in taste. I personally found that the lemon crème brûlée sauce did mask the taste of the soufflé pancake as it has stronger flavours. I really enjoyed the ice cream because it has a nice biscuit texture embedded in it. It is also supplied by Rocky Point Ice Cream.

Earl Grey Milk Tea & Tapioca Pearl

This is definitely a fun Soufflé Pancake topped with housemade earl grey tea sauce and tapioca pearl. This is another popular item on the menu. For me, I found the chewiness of the pearls and strong earl grey tea sauce overshadowed the Soufflé Pancake similar to other items on the menu. If you love bubble tea, you’ll really enjoy this.

Eggs Benedict

You can find their savoury soufflé pancakes on the menu on weekends from opening till 3pm. The eggs benedict has two poached eggs on top of soufflé pancakes, housemade hollandaise sauce, and your choice of local pork sausage or bacon, fresh organic greens salad. I got mine with bacon.

It is super creative since I would have never thought Soufflé Pancakes would be part of brunch. The eggs are poached perfectly with a silky hollandaise sauce. It doesn’t highlight the pancakes well, but it is a pretty well rounded breakfast and it tastes good.

Final Thoughts

They have a good sized menu and different items that either show off the Soufflé Pancake or their creativity with the sauces. When they open, they are definitely going to be really busy, so you’ll probably have to brave the line ups are peak hours until it settles.

It’s great to finally have a Soufflé Pancake shop open in Vancouver because these pancakes are just so good. I absolutely love the classic and the mixd fresh fruit Soufflé Pancakes.

Website:
http://fufusoufflepancake.ca

Address:
266 West Broadway, Vancouver BC

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In British Columbia

Starbucks Canada: Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Review

Starbucks is at it again and celebrating the arrival of Fall with pumpkin spiced everything. I really love the fall and the foliage is changing, its a good temperature for a light jacket, and of course there’s Halloween and my birthday.

The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is perfect for those who love a coffee-forward version that isn’t too milky and sweet. I’ve had the famous PSL but I alway found it too sweet so half sweet was always my option. Did you know, it was launched in 2003, so it’s been around for the last 16 years?!

They started developing the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew in 2019 and came up with 10 different iterations until they picked the one that’s launching today. They combined the strong cold brew with the pumpkin spices that surprisingly work really well together. You get the hit of the pumpkin spiced cream and then the boldness of the cold brew. It goes down smooth and not too sweet at all.

Fall 2019 Line Up

Pumpkin Spice Latte (returning favourite)
Celebrating its sixteenth year, the PSL is made with real pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, for a taste of the season with each sip. The official beverage of Fall is handcrafted with espresso and steamed milk and topped off with whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin spice topping.

Salted Caramel Mocha (returning favourite)
A seasonal favourite, the Salted Caramel Mocha blends mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup, combined with espresso and milk, and finished with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and Sea Salt Sugar topping.

Cardamom Latte (returning favourite)
Espresso and steamed milk, sweetened with Classic syrup, crafted together and topped with Cardamom Spice sugar.

Pumpkin Scone (returning favourite)
Flavoured with pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and cinnamon, topped with a sweet icing and drizzle.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin (returning favourite)
Our perfectly spiced pumpkin muffin topped with sweet cream cheese and a sprinkling of chopped, caramelized pepitas for a delightful balance of salty and sweet.

Pumpkin Loaf (returning favourite)
A gently spiced bread with pumpkin flavours and pepitas.

Starbucks VIA Instant Pumpkin Spice Latte
Made with high quality arabica beans and a smooth and creamy combination of real pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Just tear open a packet, add hot water, wait 10 seconds and stir. No coffee machine or grinder needed!

2019 Thanksgiving Blend
Dark chocolate and subtle spices, featuring notes of sage. Inspired by the warmth of the season and gatherings big or small, this year we celebrate a thoughtful new recipe.

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In Bubble Tea

Weekend Tea: Fruit Teas in South Burnaby

Weekend Tea is the latest cafe to open up in South Burnaby. They specialize in fruit-based drinks that are unique to this cafe.

There are a lot of bubble tea shops that have opened up on Kingsway recently, but they hone their craft of brewing fresh fruit teas.

Interior

The seating area is gorgeous with their garden wall and makes for great photos. There are a few seats for small groups but you can always push seats and tables together if you have more people.

Menu

Lychee Fruit Tea

There are bits of lychee, jelly, and the tea. The lychee and jelly bits added great texture. Very refreshing for the summer weather. Not too sweet either. We haven’t has lychee in a long time, so having this really brought us back to our childhoods.

Grape Yogurt

This was our favourite item! It has layers of grape slush with yogurt and then jelly bits inside. Surprisingly very good and the flavour of the grape really shined through. Remember to mix this drink so you incorporate the layers.

Yuan Yang (Coffee Milk Tea)

You can see the layer of milk tea and the coffee on top. Mix this up and then enjoy. The coffee was nice, strong and paired well with the milk tea. The coffee is more of the dominant flavour unlike the coffee milk tea you would find at Hong Kong style cafes.

Zang Mango

The Zang Mango has mango jam, mango bits, fresh milk, and cheese foam. Mix this up really well to incorporate the flavours. At first, it seemed like the weirdest combination, but we couldn’t stop sipping at it. The sweetness from the mango, and the salt from the cheese foam worked.

Golden Kiwi Fruit Tea

They use a whole golden kiwi in this drink as well as lime to balance the sweetness. It’s great that they use these kiwis rather than the green kiwi. The golden kiwi is sweeter and not as tart, which goes well in a fruit tea.

Pineapple Passionfruit Fruit Tea

This one is topped with salty cheese foam to compliment the sweetness of the fruits. I personally felt this was sweeter than the other drinks as pineapple and passionfruit are generally more sweet compared to other fruits.

Grapefruit Fruit Tea

The grapefruit fruit tea was very refreshing and loved the bits of grapefruit. Grapefruit and tea go very well together.

Assorted Fruit Tea

This is a drink you can find at other bubble tea shops in town and I just had to see how it stacks with the competition. It was well balanced and at regular sweetness, it wasn’t too sweet at all.

Honey Dew Yogurt

There are the layers of honey dew slush, yogurt and bits of jelly in the drink. Who knew honey dew and yogurt would go well together? Yet again, I was intrigued. If you love honey dew, you’ll enjoy this.

Brown Sugar Milk

There are pearls, brown sugar and fresh milk. After we mixed this drink up, we felt like it was too sweet. Not a fan of this one.

Final Thoughts

Overall, their fruit drinks are good for the hot summer weather. They don’t specialize in milk teas here, but the fruit teas are good especially the ones with yogurt. You can add pearls to your drink, but they suggest having it normal so you can get the true flavour of the drink that they intended it to taste. Some of the drinks do take some time to make, so when it’s busy, you might be waiting a bit.

Our favourites were the grape yogurt, zang mango, lychee fruit tea and coffee milk tea.

Address:
#101-5021, Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

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In Bubble Tea

[Sneak Peek] BlackBall opens in Richmond

BlackBall is an International Taiwanese Dessert Chain showcasing a menu of authentic Taiwanese desserts and drinks prepared with quality ingredients. 

The extensive menu features the award-winning BlackBall Grass Jelly, “Xian Cao”, known for its silky smooth texture and healthy benefits. BlackBall has redefined the classic dessert by pairing it with a variety of toppings that reflects the most authentic taste of Asia.

Founded in 2006 in Taipei, Taiwan, by the Tang brothers, BlackBall has also been rapidly expanding and franchising around the world in the last few years. The international Taiwanese dessert chain has over 100 locations around the world.

This is the first location in BC and second in Canada. The first opened up in Toronto

We were invited for a sneak peek before it opens up to the public.

Interior

There are 2 levels to the shop and very high ceilings. Good for small to large groups.

Menu

The menu has some great options where you can build your own bowl or choose the pre-made ones on the menu.

Customize it however your like and we love this option!

Membership

Instead of membership cards, they have a small key chain is for regular membership. You can use it to collect points and redeem for free desserts and other perks.

VIP Membership

If you noticed, their menu has 2 prices – VIP member and non-VIP. If you’re a fan of Black Ball, you can purchase a VIP membership by prepaying a certain amount to your account to get discounted prices on all items on the menu.

You get the bigger black fuzzy keychain and you can show it every time to pay and get the discounted price. The membership is worth it if you plan on making multiple visits here as you need to prepay a balance on your account.

BlackBall Grass Jelly

This has a base of the grass jelly ice as the base, then topped with Yam Q, Taro Q, peanuts, red bean, Konjac jelly / agar (Brown sugar flavour konjac jelly), and then a creamer for grass jelly from Taiwan.

The grass jelly has an herbal taste but it balanced out with all the items in the bowl.

BlackBall Supreme

BlackBall Supreme is the ultimate item to share with a few friends. You get a bit of everything in this bowl and is a good size for 3-4 people.

The ultimate dessert here! Just look at that!

Regular Balls vs Q Balls

Some dishes come with both Taro and Yam Balls as well as Taro Q and Yam Q, but what’s the difference you ask?

Q balls contain 95% real taro/yam and regular balls contain 75% taro/yam to give it a chewier texture.

Agar Aiyu Jelly

If you’re looking for something that’s not grass jelly, they have aiyu jelly. This bowl has aloe vera, taro ball, yam ball, wintermelon flavour ice, aiyu jelly, crystal pearls, and coconut jelly.

Aiyu jelly is made from a plant unique to Taiwan and tastes sweet and fruity. It really matches with the items in the bowl and perfect for the summer.

Forest Matcha Ice

This comes with matcha jelly, matcha pudding made with milk, matcha, sesame mini ball, taro mini ball and rice balls.

The sesame mini balls were really good and we highly recommend it as a topping.

Shaved ice contains Matcha syrup, condensed milk, and shaved ice.

Waffles with Fresh Fruit and Cream

There are 2 liege waffles topped with strawberries, chocolate tubes, condensed milk and a scoop of ice cream. The other one has chocolate sauce, bananas, vanilla ice cream on the liege waffles.

Something different if you’re with friends but don’t want the other desserts.

Drinks

Besides desserts, they have a variety of drinks on the menu too. They come in medium size and large size. The ones pictured here are medium.

Fresh Milk with Purple Rice and mini sesame balls (Secret Menu Item)
Wintermelon tea with mini balls
Fresh Milk with Grass Jelly
Cheese Top Fresh Brewed Tea
Milk Tea
Iced Lemon Tea with Aiyu Jelly

Final Thoughts

A lot of people will compare BlackBall with MeetFresh, but what stands out from this place is the ability to customize what is in your bowl. Choose your base, toppings, and served hot, warm, cold or iced. They are so many toppings choices on the menu too.

Address:
1061 – 8300 Capstan Way, Richmond, BC 

Website:
http://blackballdesserts.ca

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In Cafe

On Yogurt: Dorayaki with a Twist in Downtown Vancouver

Dorayaki is much love by Doremon and fall into any sinister trap that involve this sweet treat. Dorayaki is a Japanese treat made of pancakes sandwiched with red bean.

On Yogurt in Downtown Vancouver has launched a line of dorayaki sweet sandwiches. There are 5 in total, 3 have their signature rolled gelato and 2 others have other fillings.

  • Creme Brulee
  • S’More
  • Milk Tea Rolled Gelato
  • Matcha Rolled Gelato
  • Nutella Rolled Gelato

We were invited to give these a try.

Menu

Milk Tea Rolled Gelato

This was our favourite of all the Dorayaki. It has 3 rolled sheets of Milk Tea gelato, black sugar pearls and whipped cream. The taste of the milk tea was really good. Pearls had a good texture as well.

Make sure to eat it fast before the gelato starts melting because it’ll get messy.

Matcha Dorayaki

The matcha dorayaki has matcha rolled gelato, red bean paste, and crispy rice. We found this to be a bit sweet, probably because of the added red bean.

S’more Dorayaki

This has coffee crunch paste, chocolate cereal and the fluffy marshmallow. Definitely one of the sweeter items in this series.

Creme Brûlée Dorayaki

The Creme Brûlée has seasonal fruit and the fruits we had were blueberries and strawberries. Pretty good as well.

Nutella Banana Dorayaki

A classic combination and you can’t go wrong. This has Nutella rolled gelato, Nutella paste and banana.

Milk Tea

Their milk tea rolled gelato is pretty darn good, so we had to get the drink. It normally comes with small pearls, but we asked to have it with the big pearls, which are used for desserts only. Pretty good!

Final Thoughts

Overall, the creative dorayaki is a great idea and it give customers more options. The version with the rolled gelato can melt pretty quickly, so when eating it like a sandwich, you don’t want any of that gelato to melt away or fall out. If you’re a fan of gelato and dorayaki, definitely check it out. We highly recommend the milk tea version of the dorayaki.

Address:
95 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC 

Website:
http://www.onyogurt.com/

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