Dessert Archives - Page 13 of 18

In Cafe

Qoola Plus: Now Open in Richmond Centre

July 15, 2013

Sometimes people do crazy things to get what they want. M has been craving frozen yogurt for weeks now and of all the yogurt places in Vancouver, we had to drive all the way down to Richmond for Qoola Plus based on CoffeeGuy’s recommendation.

We’ve been to a few Qoola locations before, but this one is different. It’s Qoola Plus. What makes this location a little bit more special? They serve coffee, sandwiches, pizza and salad.

It’s a nice option here if some of your friends want froyo and some want food.

The interior is quite nice and modern with lots of seating.

Some of the seating is quite comfortable. Nice large lounge chairs, which are great for relaxing and chilling with friends.

They have 10 flavours at a time similar to some of the other froyo places in town. The froyo is by weight, so you don’t need to fill up your entire cup.

After you fill your cup with froyo, you can begin choosing the toppings that you want on top.

I usually skip right to the fruit section where I find my favourite toppings. Seriously, fruits are the best.

Once you’re done, you take it to the cashier and weight it. I don’t exactly remember what the price per weight was but I remember it was something decent.

I got mine with the original flavour with mango, mochi, raspberries and kiwi on top. My favorite way of enjoying froyo…with lots of FRUIT!

M got the original flavour too but he packed his cup with fruits, mochi and these weird juicy balls.

Our other friend got the watermelon sherbet with a variety of different toppings. The cups are reusable. You can bring it back next time and get $0.25 off your order.

The experience at this Qoola was pretty good. As they are still in their soft opening stages, they are perfecting processes here and there to best meet the needs of their customers. The staff was very friendly and was eager to educate customers on their products.

Overall, I did like the ambiance of this Qoola. They offer free wifi, so it make it a good spot to just have a snack and do some work or have a small gathering or meeting.

We Rate Qoola Plus:

Address:
6060 Minoru Boulevard (Richmond Centre Mall)
Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.qoola.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=6060+Minoru+Boulevard+Richmond,+BC&hnear=6060+Minoru+Blvd,+Richmond,+British+Columbia+V6Y+2V7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In BBQ

Chinatown Night Market: Closest Night Market to Downtown

July 6, 2013

The Chinatown Night Market has changed a lot since I was a kid. With the emergence of the other Night Markets in town, the quality of the Chinatown Night Market isn’t as good as it used to be. Despite that, it still attracts thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the festivities. It’s the closest night market to the Downtown core, so it makes sense. If you’re in the area, take a short stroller here and then enjoy the sunset at False Creek near Science World.

The Vancouver Chinatown Night Market is open from May 17th till September 8th, 2013 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Related Link:

2011 Chinatown Night Market Food Vendors

The market spans from Main Street to Columbia Street on Keefer street. The block is closed off so people can walk freely on the streets.

There are a few stalls that sell toys, jewellery , clothing, and a lot of random stuff.

I honestly never come here to buy things. It’s all about the food for me. But when it was about 10 years ago, I would come here to buy pokemon cards. Nowadays, there’s nothing very spectacular from the vendors.

Bar-B-Q

There’s a stall that sells a lot of skewers. It’s one of those staple items that you must have at a night market.

Bubble Gallo Tea House

There’s bubble tea too. Perfect for the hot summer weather.

Dim Sum Express

The food area is quite popular and the most congested part of the street. There’s even Dim Sum Express, they have a food truck near Waterfront station too.

Potato Tornado

One thing that was a must for MedicalGiraffe and I were the potato tornadoes. You might know them as hurricane potatoes…. depending on where you’ve been. It’s $3.75 each and you can choose your seasoning. They also sell popcorn chicken for $4.50.

This was a popular stall, so the food did take about 10 minutes.

The way that they cut the potatoes is with a drill. Very strange but I guess it gets the job done. Then they deep fry it for the crunchy goodness. The last step is sprinkling on the spices.

We got our ketchup flavoured potato tornado and it sure looked pretty. The taste was ok, but it was very very oily.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki was another item on our mind. It was very very busy at this stall, so it took about 20 minutes to get our order.

They had a lot of people waiting for them, but it took me a long time to figure out something was off about this stall.

All the balls looked ready and perfect to eat, but they took a long time to cook. After watching them for a while, we realized they were frozen store bought takoyaki heated up in these pans.

She wasn’t poking to see if the batter in the centre was cooked, she was seeing if it was not frozen on the centre.

6 pieces for $4.50.

We did feel a bit ripped off since we now know we could probably go to T&T and get a gab of frozen takoyaki for that price.
It tasted passable, but sucks that it wasn’t prepared the way it should be.

Bubble Waffles

There was also bubble waffles too. 1 for $3.75 or 2 for $6.50.

Near the other side of the Night Market seemed a little more Gastown-like with artist, local produce, plants, and jams on sale. There were also 3 Food Trucks there too – JJ’s Trucketeria, Holy Perogy and Ze Bite.

JJs Trucketeria

JJ Trucketeria is a Filipino themed Food Truck. I’ve always wanted to go for a visit but they are usually on Fraser and 43rd. Way too far for me to get to during lunch.

During the night market, they had salads, garlic fried rice plate, panwiches and their market bowls. Their prices are pretty good for a food truck. We really wanted to try their meaty items but we held back and decided to try the market bowl.

Market Bowl ($5) has brown rice, carrots, leeks, caramelized onions, yams, black beans, chick peas with their signature JJ sauce. It is completely vegan, so good for those people with dietary restrictions.

MedicalGiraffe and I didn’t particularly like this item since it was mostly the brown rice mixture with a bit of sauce.

Ze Bite

Ze Bite was there selling their amazing French food.

Nice Pops

Nice Pops were selling some gourmet popsicles with 4 flavours:

Rhubarb and Cardamom
Cucumber, lime and Chili
Strawberry and balsamic Vinegar
Strawberry and buttermilk

The prices are $4 each or 3 for $10.

Cucumber, lime and Chili starts off with the refreshing cucumber and lime flavours but them the spicy chili taste kicks in. MedicalGiraffe’s mouth was literally on fire. She can handle her spice, but this was definitely spicy.

Rhubarb and cardamom was very refreshing. Highly recommended.

On the day that we went, there was outdoor karaoke. Surprisingly a lot of people were fearless and stepped up on the mic. There was a variety of songs sang by people of various ethnicities.

The Chinatown Night Market is not as impressive as the Richmond Night market, so don’t go out of your way to come here. If you are in the area after dinner Downtown, you can just take a stroll over here after dinner.

Website: http://vancouverchinatownnightmarket.com/

In Cafe

Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie: Chocolates Galore

July 5, 2013

Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie is located on Hastings Street in North Burnaby. It’s pretty awesome to see that The Heights is starting to get some amazing shops in the area. Over the past few years, I’ve always complained about how few dessert places we have. My go-to place was always Cumpari’s on North Road.

The interior of Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie is quite small with a few high tables near the windows. Not a great place for large groups, but it s a nice quiet setting for a few friends to catch up over some cakes.

M was intrigued by all the chocolate, so he decided to get one of each. I think he didn’t know which ones to choose, so he got them all. Each piece is $1.40 and is a bit pricey, but they look very pretty.

Noix de Coco et Passion
Praline Amande
Citron et Thym
Pistachie
Mango
Gianduja Dark
Tanka Amande
Kalamansi Framboise
Noix de Coco
Caramel
Gianduja Milk
70% Ganache

He ate them all quite quickly. All those in one sitting. He didn’t even leave me a piece. He said they were pretty awesome.

Besides chocolate they also have a variety of cakes and tarts. We came near the end of the day so most of the goodies were gone. All their treats looked quite cute.

Trio de Chocolate ($4.50) has layers of dark, milk and white chocolate mousse. It’s quite small and it can be easily gobbled up in a few bites, but did taste pretty good.

Box of Macarons ($9.95) comes with 6 flavours. The different flavours that they had were caramel, chocolate, coconut, lime basil, limoncello, maple syrup, passion fruit and pistachio. I have no idea which flavours were in the box since I got it as a gift for MedicalGiraffe. She did say they were tasty.

They also have bars of chocolates too.

It’s a nice change to have such a delectable pastry shop in the area. If you are passing by this area, definitely stop and go inside. Parking is a little bit tricky but there should be some on Beta Street.

We Rate Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie:

Address:
4712 Hastings St
Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://www.christophe-chocolat.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=4712+Hastings+St+Burnaby,+BC&hnear=4712+Hastings+St,+Burnaby,+British+Columbia+V5C+2K8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Canadian

Dishcrawl Vancouver: Exploring the West End

July 1, 2013

Dishcrawl Vancouver invited me to their event focused on West End restaurants. We went to 4 different restaurants in one night, but the catch is that we only knew the first location but the other 3 are a mystery. They try to showcase the best restaurants in this area within walking distance of each other.

There was about 25 people on this particular tour and we headed to Ap Gu Jung, Hida Takayama Ramen, Forage and Capstone Tea & Fondue.

Ap Gu Jung

AP Gu Jung was our first stop. It’s a Korean restaurant located on Robson Street. This place has been here forever. I remember coming here in high school.

The interior has 2 floors and kinda looks like a western pub rather than a korean restaurant because of the playoffs playing on the big screen, jerseys, and a drum kit.

We started off with 4 dishes of banchan, which are complimentary side dishes. There is seaweed, kimchi, broccoli, and potatoes.

On the plate they sampled:

Seafood Pancake
Kimchi Pancake
Chicken Skewers
Pork on Fire
Traditional Beef BBQ
Rice

For people with dietary restrictions, they got some different items. The portions here were pretty good since there were 3 more restaurants to go to. A lot of people couldn’t finish in time, so they did have to pack it to go. We definitely needed more than 40 minutes here.

Hida Takayama Ramen

Hida Takayama Ramen is located inside the Robson Public Market on the 2nd floor. I thought I went to all the ramen places in town, but I was wrong. This ramen joint is very hidden. The prices seem quite fair as it is all under $10.

The owner – Mike Asaoka is very charismatic about the ramen he makes and uses the best ingredients.

Hida Chuka Ramen was one of my favorites. It was simple and representative of some ramen you would find in Japan. The broth is chicken based and flavoured with soy sauce.

White Sesame Ramen was very rich and thick . We ate everything else, but it was hard to drink the broth.

Sweet and Spicy Ramen was ok, but not one of my favorites.

I didn’t fall in love with any of the particular ramen, but I found it very interesting how if you come here on a normal day, the price of the small and the large are EXACTLY the SAME prices. You can get huge bowl of noodles for about $7.

Forage

Our third stop of the night is Forage. I was quite excited about this place because they do have some killer food.

We were welcomed by Chef Wittaker who took us through the farm-to-table concept at forage and let us know what we would be eating.

Nettle gnocchi and brown butter is served in a cast iron pan. The texture of the gnocchi were like little pillows of mashed potatoes.

Foraged and cultivated mushrooms is topped with Okanagan goat cheese and comes with grilled caraway rye bread. I have an addiction for mushrooms, so I polished this dish. Yum Yum!

The Flatbread has pancetta, morel mushrooms, onion béchamel, and Jersey blue cheese. It was thin, crispy and very enjoyable.

Capstone Tea & Fondue

I haven’t been back to Captone in a few years after a bad experience. It’s been a few years and that experience has always stuck in my mind. It was good to see that they rebranded and hopefully this dining experience would be good.

We were given small personal pots of Dark Chocolate Fondue and some assorted items for dipping.

In the bowl were fruit, banana bread, cheesecake, cookies, macrons, and ice cream balls. Don’t leave the ice cream balls till the very end since they will melt. With the hot weather in Vancouver, its best to just gobble them up right away.

It was a nice end of the meal.

By the end of the night, we were all full and ready to have food coma. This is my second Dishcrawl and I still have the same thoughts about these types of events. It’s not an event for everyone. $60 is a little bit steep if you’re a picky eater. Even though they do accomodate dietary restrictions, you may not like certain types of cuisines.

On the bright side, you do get to explore 4 restaurants in one night and are great for indecisive people. Do look out for coupon codes since there are a few floating around for each Dishcrawl tour.

To check out DishCrawl Vancouver: www.dishcrawl.com/vancouver/

In Cafe

Nero Belgian Waffle Bar: Amazing Waffles

June 17, 2013

Nero Belgian Waffle Bar has been on my list of places to eat for a while. I even got 4 emails from readers telling me about this amazing place. If you wrote me an email, trust me, I have never forgotten! Nero is located on Robson street across from the Safeway. It’s a small little place and doesn’t have too many tables to accommodate large parties. The two times that I have went, it was very hard to find a seat.

They serve 2 types of waffles, the Belgium waffle (light and crispy) and the Liege Waffle (Soft, sweet and chewy). You can then choose to have them sweet or savory. I always seem to get sweet since I usually come here after dinner.

Banella ($6.95) with a liege waffle. Banana on top of the waffle with a dish of nutella. It’s a classic combination that anyone would love. FoodQueen ordered this, so check out her blog post soon.

Rudolph ($9) on a brussels waffle. It is topped with whipped cream, fresh raspberries, vanilla ice cream, Belgium chocolate mousse and drizzle of chocolate. This was AMAZING. My absolute favorite. The brussels waffle was so light and crispy like the description. SO good! After this, I will always have a brussels waffle. MMMMmmmmmm.

Mocha ($8.90) on a Brussels waffle. It is topped with vanilla ice cream, 60% dark chocolate, and espresso infused whipped cream. GastroFork ordered this, so you can see it on her blog.

Razz ($7.50) is on a Brussels waffle. It is topped with fresh raspberries and dark chocolate. It was really good as well. After having a taste of their brussels waffle, I’m hooked. Now I can see why they have lineups out the door.

Overall the waffles are great, but the service can be a bit atrocious during peak hours. When I came with Amy and Dee, we were told we were not supposed to save a table before we ordered our food. I totally understand the logic, but there wasn’t a line up in front of us. We just wanted to secure a spot so we didn’t have to get our order and stand up. Putting that aside, I really do love their waffles. I haven’t been able to find such a delicious brussels waffle in Vancouver until I came here.

We Rate Nero Beligian Waffle Bar:

Address:
1703 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.nerowaffles.ca/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1703+Robson+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1703+Robson+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6G+1C8&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Bakery

Chicco: Japanese Parfaits

May 23, 2013

Chicco has been on Robson street for a long time and I remember coming here a long time ago for Parfaits with friends. It’s great that it’s still around serving up their Japanese versions of parfaits. The parfaits have changed up slightly, but still a very cool thing to eat.

The shop is quite small, so it’s hard to find seats if it’s during peak hours. If the weather is nice, you could always go to a nearby park to walk around and munch on this.

Green Tea Parfait ($7) contains a cube of green tea mousse, rice cake, whipping cream, corn flakes, sponge cake, vanilla gelato, green tea jello, red beans, green tea gelato and a green tea stick. This is the most popular item and is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. It’s not a heavy dessert and its like a very fun cereal to eat.

Mango Parfait ($7) contains a strawberry macaron, strawberries, cube of mango mousse, mango ice cream, strawberry jelly. whipped cream, corn flakes, sponge cake, and scoop of strawberry sorbet.

Very Berry Parfait ($7) contains a strawberry macaron, strawberries, blueberry, strawberry sorbet, whipped cream, corn flakes, sponge cake, and strawberry jelly.

All of the parfaits are somewhat structured similarly but the flavours are different. It is definitely expensive for what you get but when you get it, it looks beautiful. I would highly recommend the Green Tea Parfait.

We Rate Chicco:

Address:
1504 Robson St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.chiccocafe.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1504+Robson+St+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1504+Robson+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6G+1C3&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Cafe

Scandilicious: Delicious

March 21, 2013

After finishing dinner on The Drive at Havana’s one dark and rainy Tuesday night, my friends and I were craving something sweet.

We wracked our brains for a while thinking of a dessert place in the area and could only think of La Casa Gelato. It was pretty cold out so we weren’t really in the mood for ice cream.

I hopped onto Urbanspoon and saw a name that I didn’t recognize – Scandilicious. It was only 1 block away so it was perfect!

Scandilicious is a new waffle café that opened on The Drive about a month ago. They serve 5 different types of waffles with so many sweet or savoury options!

Liege – served hot, a dense chewy and sweet waffle
Brussels – The typical waffles you see served at most places
Vaffler – a thin, tender, lightly crispy waffle spiced with cardamom
WOS – Short for Waffle on a Stick
Gluten Free – Good option for those with dietary limitations

They also make their own sauces that they are looking to bottle up and sell soon in store.

When I arrived at the store, I was greeted with such a warm scent. I was also mesmerized by all the options. After debating for awhile, we finally got to ordering.

Vaffler with espresso sauce topped with vanilla ice cream

WOW. This was my absolute favourite of the night. The pairing of espresso with vanilla ice cream is perfect. My favourite part of it was the espresso sauce. It was flavourful, not too sweet, and had a butteriness to it like caramel.

The Vaffler itself on its own was really good and spiced with cardamom, which made it have a nice subtle and light gingery taste to it.

Vaffler with Coconut spread
The coconut spread was similar to the Malaysian Coconut Spread called Kaya but was more flavourful and richer. It wasn’t overpowering or artificial tasting either. It initially looks like it might not be enough sauce but it definitely is enough for such a delicate waffle.

Vaffler with dark chocolate cherry sauce

The dark chocolate cherry sauce wasn’t my favourite but that might also be my taste preference. It was a little grainier compared to their other sauces.

Brussels Waffle with Almond Butter

This style of waffle is one that you see often. It was light and crispy. My friend chose the almond butter that was quite thick and tasted just like ground almonds.

To sum up my experience at Scandilicious, I was surprised and will definitely be back again soon. It’s a great addition to the neighbourhood and provides lots of options for those looking for something heavier, sweeter, or lighter.

The price point is also good – see their menu for prices.

They have lots of sauces and it just so happens they’re hosting a sample night on Friday, March 22, 6pm to 7pm at their quickie take out window. Stop by if you’re in the area (limit one sample per person)! Check out their website or facebook page for more information.

Words of wisdom

Ask them for help and suggestions if you’re overwhelmed by the options
Experiment with flavours and be creative!
Good on the wallet!

We Rate Scandilicious:

Address:
1340 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.scandilicious.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1340+Commercial+Drive+Vancouver,+BC&hnear=1340+Commercial+Dr,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V5L+2T6&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Cafe

Leonidas: Its Hot Chocolate Time

February 6, 2013

Foodology Disclaimer: Leonidas invited me to try some of their Hot chocolate to gear up for the Hot Chocolate Festival.

Leonidas is located below Canada Place and serves great hot chocolate to locals and tourists. Besides hot chocolate, they have dessert, coffee and shakes. It is a popular franchise all over the world and a few years ago, it arrived in Vancouver.

They pride themselves of offering chocolates made with 100% cocoa butter – no fillers, no wax, no vegetable oil, no animal fats. Their chocolates are flown in from Belgium and not made in-house.

This year, they are participating in the Hot Chocolate Festival starting Saturday January 19th till February 14th, 2013. These sound crazy amazing, especially the frozen noisette.

Their 4 flavours offered this year are The Frozen Noisette, Tiger Milk, Jamaican Kiss and Boho Secret.

The Frozen Noisette
Melted praline blended into frozen yogurt, topped with a shot of melted chocolate, and finished with crushed hazelnuts.

Everyone LOVED this! You must get this!

Tiger Milk
Leonidas White chocolate, saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, and finished with slivered almonds.

This drink kinda reminded me of Chai tea. It definitely different than all the other hot chocolates.

Jamaican Kiss
Leonidas Milk Chocolate, coconut milk and pineapple rum.

M loved this! It has a stronger taste of coconut than the rum, but is a great combination.

Boho Secret
Leonidas 72% Sao Tome dark chocolate, mint and a secret ingredient.

This was my second favourite and it reminded me of a peppermint patty or After Eight chocolate.

With the hot chocolates, you get a choice of a chocolate, a sample of leige waffle or some treat to accompany your drink.

This is their regular menu.

72% Dark Hot Chocolate is definitely not for everyone. It is very rich and good for people who like dark chocolate. If you enjoy something a bit smoother, the 52% dark hot chocolate might be better.

The hot chocolate is served in a double walled cup, so it stays hotter for longer.

It even comes with a little chocolate.

Champagne Hot Chocolate isn’t on the menu, but you can order it. It is made of the Champagne truffles and is so good! It’s not alcoholic at all, but it adds a nice after taste. I really enjoyed this one!

Earl Grey Macaron had a very nice flavour, but the texture of the macaron tends to stick slightly to your teeth. The macaron didn’t fall apart easily as some other places in town. A good macaron to go with your hot chocolate is always a plus.

Words of Wisdom:

Delicious Dark Chocolates and hot chocolates!
Under $10
Closest Skytrain: Waterfront

We Rate Leonidas:

Address:
#29 – 1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.leonidaswaterfront.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=%2329+%E2%80%93+1055+Canada+Place+Vancouver,+BC&ie=UTF8&hnear=1055+Canada+Pl+%2329,+Vancouver,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Cafe

Cafe Savoureux: It’s Coffee Time

January 16, 2013

Cafe Savoureux is located in Richmond on Capstan Way near all those other bubble tea and dessert restaurants. After having Cruzpresso’s Bday dinner at Dinesty, we headed over to this place for some coffee.

This place is known for their coffee and has a variety of different types. If you’re not a coffee drinker, they have teas, slushies, and desserts.

The interior is cute and has very ornate plates and teacups on the walls.

They even have Kopi Luwak for $60! Kopi Luwak is coffee made from the beans of coffee berries eaten and excreted by civets. I’ve only heard about this on the news, but apparently its very good coffee.

Another coffee specialty is the Syphon Style Coffee. It gives you a clean pristine cup of coffee. A few of us ordered the coffee and they said it was really good!

Earl Grey Tea ($5.95) comes in a cute pot and tiny tea cup. The candle underneath keeps it warm.

Floating Coffee ($4.95) has iced coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. M didn’t particularly like this but it might have been due to the funky ice cream cone cup.

Walnut Cheesecake came with the coffee and tea since there was a combo special when we went. It was decent cheesecake but it wasn’t crazy good.

Chocolate Toast ($2.95) is Nutella on top of thick toast.

Condenseed Milk Toast ($2.95) has drizzle of condensed milk on top.

Creme Caramel ($4.95) is quite average too.

Overall, the drinks were good, but the desserts were average. Cafe Savoureux is a nice place to have a drink of tea or coffee but you can probably pass on the desserts.

We Rate Cafe Savoureaux:

Address:
8368 Capstan Way
Richmond, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=8368+Capstan+Way+Richmond,+BC&hnear=8368+Capstan+Way,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6X&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Chinese

100% Healthy Dessert: Mixed Fruit of 13 Specialties

January 5, 2013

100% Healthy Dessert is a small dessert shop in Vancouver. I’m sure not all the dessert is healthy, but there are some pretty neat Chinese desserts. Is a nice little place to just catch up with friends.

The interior is quite small but isn’t too busy.

Mixed Fruit of 13 Specialties ($7.50) has the strangest name on the menu, so I ordered it. I was curious to see what 13 items were on this. We couldn’t figure it out, but it was good if you like shaved ice type of desserts.

Overall, the desserts were OK, but not crazy amazing. Most of the items on the menu are HK style desserts, so you will find some familiar favorites.

We Rate 100% Healthy Desserts:

Address:
8291 Westminster Hwy
Richmond, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=8291+Westminster+Hwy+Richmond,+BC&hnear=8291+Westminster+Hwy,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6X+1A7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Cafe

Charlie Brown Cafe 查理布朗咖啡專門店: Novelty Cafe in Hong Kong

October 20, 2012

Charlie Brown Cafe is every child’s dream! Or at least my dream since I grew up watching the cartoon and reading the comics. This location is their flagship store. When I passed by, I had to stop and go here. It wasn’t our plan to go here, but my sister and I couldn’t resist.

We walked up the stairs and everything is Charlie Brown!!

It’s a great place to chill with friends too. Lots of seats!

When you walk to the counter, there are so many cakes!

So many cute things!

There are even cakes shaped like their heads!

3D Lucy ($500 HKD or $70 CDN) Crazy expensive cake, but I am sure someone bought it.

Soy matcha Frappe tasted OK. It was a bit thick and icy.

Latte was so cute! You get to choose what character on top. I just chose Charlie Brown because its iconic. It also tasted great!

Tiramisu was way too cute to eat.

But, I knew I couldn’t stare at it all day, so I eventually ate it. Really good!

Woodstock Mango Mousse was also super cute. Trust me, I took a lot of pictures!

But, we also had to eat it! The mango mousse is on the outside and there is a gelatine puree inside. It tasted good too.

Their lights are very cute on the ceiling! Don’t you love Linus?

Overall, the desserts are good and its a great place to go to if you are a Charlie Brown fan. Theres lots of merchandise to purchase and lots of food to eat. They also have sandwiches and set meals, so you aren’t just limited to drinks and desserts.

Have you been here before?

We Rate Charlie Brown Cafe:

Address:
G/F-1/F, Kok Pah Mansion, 58-60 Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
http://www.charliebrowncafe.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Kok+Pah+Mansion,+58-60+Cameron+Road,+Tsim+Sha+Tsui&hl=en&hnear=Kok+Pah+Mansion,+58-60+Cameron+Rd,+Hong+Kong&t=m&z=16″]

In Bubble Tea

Sweet Garden 糖圓園: Shaved Ice x Bubble Tea

October 19, 2012

Sweet Garden has a few locations in Hong Kong. The location I went to was in the Windsor House in Causeway Bay. We were walking around the mall and got thirsty, so we decided to stop for some drinks before heading home.

It’s very colorful inside! Service was OK, but you have to ask for an english menu.

We ordered Milk Tea with pearls and coffee shaved ice, Red Bean Milk with Milk Shaved Ice, and Milk Tea with Milk Shaved Ice. The taste of the drinks were good, but it was a tad expensive.

Overall, it was cool having the combination of shaved ice on top and the bubble tea on the bottom. It’s not a good drink if you are wanting to quench your thirst because it is quite sugary.

We Rate Sweet Garden:

Address:
4/F, Windsor House, 311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Windsor+House,+311+Gloucester+Road,+Causeway+Bay&hl=en&hnear=Windsor+House,+311+Gloucester+Rd,+Hong+Kong&t=m&z=16 “]

In Causeway Bay

Yo Mama: Froyo in Hong Kong

October 8, 2012

Yo Mama is a chain of frozen yogurt shops all around town. I was attracted to this place because of it’s hilarious name. I am sure you’ve heard the hundreds of jokes that are like “Yo Mama so fat…..she weights 90210 on the scale”. I haven’t had froyo in Hong Kong yet, so I decided to give it a shot!

You have 3 steps to the Yo Mama experience. Choose the size, flavour, and then the toppings. You get 1 free topping and the others are an additional $5 HKD.

They have some cool toppings like macarons and palmiers.

They also have fruit and a few typical toppings. I wasn’t too impressed by the selection of toppings.

Once you have your yogurt, you can sit down. There not too many seats available.

Small Original Yogurt with strawberries ($29 HKD) looked pretty depressing. The cup is way too big for what you get, so it seems like you get so little yogurt. I didn’t really like the taste of it compared to Pinkberry in North America.

Overall, I wasn’t impressed by it. The limited choices of toppings and the taste didn’t cut it for me.

We Rate Yo Mama:

Address:
Shop 404, 4/F Windsor House,
311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay

Website:
http://www.yomama.com.hk/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=311+Gloucester+Road,+Causeway+Bay&hnear=311+Gloucester+Rd,+Hong+Kong&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Chinese

Excellent Tofu & Snack 好好豆品專門店: Tofu Dessert in Richmond

October 2, 2012

Excellent Tofu & Snack makes in-house tofu desserts and soy milk! M, TaiwaneseGirl, and I were eating at Dinesty and decided to take a trip to have tofu dessert. I love tofu dessert, so I never miss a trip for some yum yum tofu! The last time I came here was 2 years ago and I really wanted to come back.

The shop is very plain looking on the inside and outside, but the tofu dessert is the star of the show!

Menus are in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

Soy pudding with grass jelly ($3.50) was what I ordered. It tastes very bland without any sugar, so you will want to add ginger syrup or liquid sugar for more taste. I love it because it’s healthy!

Soy Pudding with red bean and coconut milk ($4) was what M ordered. He thought it was OK since he’s not too use to eating this.

Soy Pudding with Basil Seeds ($3.50) came warm instead of cold. All our other orders were really cold. We asked them to exchange it for a colder one and they did fix it.

There are items you can add into your tofu dessert – peanuts, ginger and liquid sugar.

Overall, I do really love this place. I also purchased a big tub of sweetened tofu dessert to bring home! It was devoured so quickly too!

Words of Wisdom:

Parking in the parking lot, but it’s usually full during peak hours. Alternative parking at Aberdeen Mall or Parker Place.
Tofu dessert is a must!
Really inexpensive, should cost you less than $5
They also sell a variety of soy drinks and soy desserts to go.

We rate Excellent Tofu & Snack :

Address:

160-4231 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=160-4231+Hazelbridge+Way+Richmond,+BC&hnear=4231+Hazelbridge+Way,+Richmond,+Greater+Vancouver+Regional+District,+British+Columbia+V6X+3L7&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Bakery

Paul Lafayet: French Patisserie in Hong Kong

September 24, 2012

Paul Lafayet is a 3 Michelin starred pastry chef who bring the citizens of Hong Kong authentic French pastries and desserts. This location is in K11 in Tsim Sha Tsui. They are best known for their yummy macarons and delicate cakes. The price is quite expensive compared to other food items in Hong Kong.

When you walk in, you will see their large display case of macarons on top with various different flavours.

Then below that are the variety of cakes. I bought a few different items about bought them home to eat after dinner.

I ordered 10 macaroons in total and they put them all neatly in a box so it doesn’t get crushed during the ride home.

Oolong Macaron was a unique flavour! The taste was very subtle, but well put together.

Chocolate Macaron was another delicious choice and great for everyone.

I loved the chocolate one because it was very chewy and rich with chocolate mousse in the middle.

Matcha Macaron also has a nice subtle flavour

Caramel Macaron was a bit more sweet than the others, but still has a good taste.

Pistachio macaron tasted good as well, but they could have done a but more to enhance the pistachio taste.

Raspberry macaron has a lot of color to it, so when you eat it, your lips and tongue turn a bit red.

Sesame macaron was one of my favorites. It’s not a common flavour to see around. Plus, they make this one look pretty.

Earl Grey Macaron is another tea flavoured macaron. I really do love tea infused macarons because it suits very well with a cup of tea. I found this particular macaron interesting because the 2 side of it are different colors!

Chocolate Mousse was what my little sister ordered. It comes in a cup and can be reused for other uses like making other desserts or drinking from it. The mousse was rich, smooth, and had a great flavour.

Cheese Cake with fresh blueberries on top was ok. It wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was, plus it was very small and quite expensive.

Overall the macarons had a nice flavours, but the texture of the macaron was not perfect. Since the weather of Hong Kong is quite humid, it made the macarons fall apart easily. You could twist the 2 side off like an oreo cookie. None of the items were disappointing, they all had great flavours.

We Rate Paul Lafayet:

Address:
Shop G23, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Website:
http://www.paullafayet.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=18+Hanoi+Road,+Tsim+Sha+Tsui&hnear=18+Hanoi+Rd,+Hong+Kong&gl=ca&t=m&z=16 “]

In Causeway Bay

Yee Shun Milk Company: Steamed Milk Custard in Hong Kong

September 21, 2012

Yee Shun Milk Company is located in Causeway Bay and is a popular destination for tourists. I spotted this when using my Trip Advisor app and it was ranked quite highly. The company originated from Macau and opened 4 locations in Hong Kong.

They specialize in steamed milk custard. If you have heard about Australian Milk Company, the products are quite similar.

When you pass by the exterior of the store, you can see a large amount of the steamed milk prepared ahead of time. The turnover rate is quite high, so they do have to prep that many.

Double Steamed Milk (雙皮燉奶) is very smooth and creamy. My little sister loved it and would not put it down! If you come here, someone at you table must order this. The texture reminded me of tofu pudding.

Steamed Milk With Ginger (薑汁燉奶) has a strong intense taste of ginger. A lot of people online rave about how good it is and I absolutely hated it because I don’t eat ginger too often. Some people do love this but its not for me.

Red Bean Ice was what my mom ordered. Its a common drink found in Hong Kong and contains red beans, evaporated milk, ice and sugar syrup. Mom mom thought it was ok, but not great.

Overall, it was fun to come here for a snack to try Steamed Milk Custard. The line ups were not long and we did enjoy the experience despite my hate for ginger.

Words of Wisdom:

Not long waits compared to Australian Dairy Company
Double Steamed Milk is a must!

We Rate Yee Shun Milk Company:

Address:
G/F., 506 Lockhard Road,
Causeway Bay

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=G%2FF.,+506+Lockhart+Road,Causeway+Bay&hnear=506+Lockhart+Rd,+Hong+Kong&gl=ca&t=m&z=16″]

In Dessert

Burger King: Patbingsu served in South Korea

August 17, 2012

Burger King in South Korea serves different desserts than in Canada. Since I heard they had patbingsu (팥빙수) – shaved ice dessert, I needed to go see how it compared to other places. Eating patbingsu is very popular during the hot humid Summer time.

The menu had a lot of different desserts. Lots of ice cream and cold drinks. I was very tempted to order everything, but I only have one stomach.

Patbingsu comes with a bed of shaved ice, topped with canned pineapples, red bean, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and a dollop of ice cream. I was more impressed by the patbingsu at Burger King than at Miss Lee Cafe.

It tasted ok, but the red bean was very strange to me…but it’s probably because I don’t like red bean. The canned fruit was ok considering it was a fast food chain.

I wasn’t use to eating this type of dessert, but it was ok to me. It’s still cool to see the different desserts around the world offered at Burger King. If you are in Korea, definitely try Patbingsu at other restaurants that specialize in it….probably not Burger King.

In Dessert

Miss Lee Cafe: Featured on ‘We Got Married’

August 15, 2012

Miss Lee Cafe has several locations around Korea. Kirby and I were in Myeong-Dong and stumbled upon this location. I was a very rainy day, so we decided to chill out here before finding more food. Miss Lee Cafe specializes in boxed lunches, drinks and desserts.

Miss Lee Cafe was made famous by Korean reality show – We Got Married featuring Yonghwa from CN Blue and Seohyun from SNSD.

What makes this cafe very unique are the hundred and hundreds of love messages scattered throughout the restaurant. It’s a very popular place for couples to dine at during dates. Also, for all the fan-girls that come here because “we got married” featured this cafe.

You can grab a pen, a paper, and a twist tie to create your note. It can be about your friends, loved ones, or whoever.

Here is a shot of a few of them. I have no idea what they say, but I think it must be about love.

This location has a few floors and it’s also self-serve. You order at the counter, grab an electronic device and wait for it to buzz. Once it buzzes, you can walk back to the counter to pick up your order.

Five Taste Sherbert has canned pineapple, cherry tomatoes, kiwis, banana, almonds, peanuts, raisins, and canned peaches over ice. Looks pretty, tastes horrible! Do Koreans not have a variety of fruit? or does this cafe just suck that badly?

The combinations of nuts and fruit did not blend well together, nor were they very fresh. Kirby and I had a very hard time trying to finish this item.

Once the fruits were devoured, this is what was underneath. Gross ice and tomato tasting water.

It also came with some snacks on the side. They tasted very stale. I usually don’t notice stale snacks, but this was VERY stale.

The overall quality in their items are very poor and I would never ever return. The concept is very cool, but with all the cafes in Korea, you can skip this place.

Words of Wisdom: