Dessert Archives - Page 14 of 18

In Cafe

Honeymoon Desserts: Drinks and Desserts in Hong Kong

July 27, 2012

Honeymoon Desserts established its first location in Sai Kung district in 1995. It was soon developed into the current chain-stores you see today. Its popular among the locals especially the youth in Hong Kong. I was recommended by Joyce of VanFoodies to try out this dessert place too! Since I saw it at Langham Mall, I decided to grab a drink here with my sister and mom.

Mango Pomelo & Sago Sweet Drink was ordered by my little sister. She really enjoyed it! It might be because she has a secret addiction to mangoes.

Watermelon Juice was ordered by my mom and she didn’t want anything too sweet. She thought it was good too.

Mango Pomelo & Sago Sweet Soup with Green Tea Ice Cream was very good and refreshing on a hot summers day in Hong Kong. The green tea pairs nicely with the mango and its great for people who have a sweet tooth.

Overall, pretty good option for cold drinks and desserts. It’s similar to Hui Lau Shan, but the items are very very similar.

Words of Wisdom:

At Langham Mall Exit C3 of Monk Kok Station
Very busy, but turnover of tables is fast
You can reserve tables

We Rate Honeymoon Desserts:

Address:
Shop 409, Level 4, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street,
Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Website:
http://www.honeymoon-dessert.com/en_us/

View Larger Map

In Bakery

Maxim’s Cakes: Angry Bird Cakes at the MTR Stations

July 24, 2012

Maxim’s Cakes can be found everywhere in Hong Kong. Most MTR stations with have one inside. Even if you look along the streets of popular areas, you are bound to run into this bakery. It was founded in the 1960’s and has grown into the largest cake store in Hong Kong.

We came here after a long day of shopping and decided to get a few cakes for my sister. We always see her eyeing the cakes and I think it was time to get her some. Plus, there was a sale. We love sales.

There are lots of bread and little pastries.

In the glass case are all the cakes!

People in Hong Kong really love Angry Birds for some reason. They even have Angry Birds jello cups available.

Angry Bird cakes can be seen too! They also have then in Vancouver T&T too. They look too good to eat, plus who knows how good or bad they taste.

We grabbed a bunch of smaller cakes to bring back home. There was a buy 3 get 1 free deal, so we bought 6 cakes to get 2 free. We really didn’t need so many slices of cakes, but discounts make asian people buy more. It’s in our genes to find good deals.

Blueberry Cake had a nice strong blueberry flavour, but it wasn’t too sweet. It has layers of blueberry mousse and cake. Then, it’s topped with blueberries and a jelly. If you are a blueberry fan, you must get this.

Cheesecake was not too sweet as well, it had a very smooth texture that went eaten.

Chestnut tart was my favorite! It is topped with a mound of chestnut paste, whipped cream, chocolate on top of a crispy tart. Very delicious!

Chocolate Mousse Cake has layers upon layers of chocolate with a douse of coco powder on top. Remember not to inhale when eating this since you don’t want to start coughing due to the coco powder up your nose.

Mango tart has huge chunks of mango on top of whipped cream, chocolate and the tart. It’s very good and the mangos don’t fall off as easily as you think. Highly recommended for those mango lovers.

We definitely enjoyed all our cakes. Pretty decent for a chain store. I would return if I really have a craving for a quick slice of cake. There are numerous other cake shops in Hong Kong, so don’t think this is your only option.

Words of Wisdom:

Ask if there are discounts
All cakes are pretty good

We Rate Maxim’s Cakes:

Address:
Shop 10-12 at Paid Concourse,
MTR Tin Shui Wai Station, Hong Kong

Website:
http://www.maxims.com.hk/en/main.asp

View Larger Map

In Causeway Bay

Hui Lau Shan Healthy Dessert: Mango Desserts in Hong Kong

July 21, 2012

Hui Lau Shan is Hong Kong’s most popular and famous mango dessert restaurant. It has various locations all over Hong Kong. You are bound to see one near an MTR station or a large mall. Joyce of VanFoodies highly suggested I visite here. During my first few days in Hong Kong, I noticed so many locations everywhere. Their branding does change slightly depending on which location you go to, you keep your eyes open since not all shops are written in english. The exterior of this shop was written in Chinese, but the interior has english.

The location I went to was across from Sogo in Causeway Bay. It was a super hot day waiting for the bus, so the family and I decided to go on a hunt for a cold drink. To my surprise, it was only steps away from our bus stop!

They have a large amount of items to choose from. If a friend isn’t into mangoes, you can find some other alternative on the menu. I had a very hard time choosing since I wanted everything.

Mango Drink with Aloe Jelly was what my sister ordered. When it arrived, we were so surprised the aloe jelly was so green! I’ve never seen it this color. They are very generous with the jelly and makes up a large amount of the drink. The drink was really good, but she was a ad disturbed by it’s unnatural green color.

Mango Drink with Coconut milk and tapioca was what my mother ordered. It was very refreshing especially for the hot day humid weather in Hong Kong. The mango was very fresh tasting and not diluted at all.

Mango Sampler Platter comes with three different dishes. Its great for indecisive people who just don’t know what to order. It comes with Mango chunks with Mango Puree and Glutinous Rice Balls (Bottom left), Crystal Jelly with Mango chunks and Mango Ice Cream (Bottom Right), and lastly Mango Mochi with Fresh Mango (Top).

My favorite item was the Mango chunks with Mango Puree and Glutinous Rice Balls. Its a very popular item to order even if you are not getting the platter! Anyone that goes here must order this item…or get their friends to order it! Its refreshing, has a great fresh mango taste and is a must to have! The mango ice cream was really good. It was very icy, but for some reason I couldn’t get enough of it! So good!

Overall, it’s a great place to sit down to have a drink or get take out. Don’t be too discouraged by the large crowd or the occupied tables. The turn over is quite quick, so if you and a few friends want to sit down, your wait shouldn’t be too long.

Words of Wisdom:

Anything mango is a must!
Good prices

We Rate Hui Lau Shan:

Address:
Shop 3, G/F, 2-6 Yee Wo St
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Website:

http://www.hkhls.com/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

True Confections: Dessert Restaurant in Vancouver

July 10, 2012

True Confections is an award winning dessert restaurant. They have 2 locations in Vancouver and it’s usually a go-to place for University students and cake lovers. The cakes are HUGE and thats what draws customers into the restaurant.

M, CandiedZen and I came here for some dessert. M and I have never been here, so it was definitely an adventure for huge slices of cake.

It was still pretty early, so there were tons of seats. The decor isn’t amazing, but it’s all about hanging out with friends and indulging on cake.

There is a large display case that houses the cakes and pies.

You’ll probably be staring at all the desserts for a while. It’s always good to bring friends so you can steal a taste of their cakes!

Devil’s Food Cake has layers of dark chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and marshmallow icing. It was very large! M liked it but he couldn’t finish it all in one sitting.

Hazelnut Belgian Chocolate Mousse has a thin layer of flourless chocolate cake, piled with rich hazelnut chocolate mousse and decorated with shards of Belgian milk chocolate. This is CandiedZen’s go-to cake when she’s at True Confections. M and I agreed it was pretty delicious.

Banana Cream Pie is made the old fashioned way, with lots of bananas and cream. You can really identify the two layers of the cake. I really love banana cream pie and it did not disappoint!

The slice of pie was huge. Here’s a comparison shot of an iPhone and the slice of cake.

Overall, it was a good experience. I would suggest sharing the cakes with your friends so you can try a taste of a few cakes without getting sick of your own cake.

We Rate True Confections:

Address:
3701 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.trueconfections.ca/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Wafels and Dinges: Throwdown Wafel by Bobby Flay in New York

June 26, 2012

Wafels and Dinges has been featured on Eat St. and even Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I was at Columbus Square and this cart caught my eye. I saw them a few months ago being featured on Food Network and I just had to see what all the buzz is about. They have won several awards and were well publicized by various publications in New York.

If you were wondering what dinges are…don’t get it confused with dingus. Dinges = toppings.

You can watch the video below from the episode from Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Looking at the menu, it makes for a nice snack and it’s all under $10. The line wasn’t too long and the staff at the cart were friendly.

de throwdown wafel ($6) was the wafel that beat Bobby Flay. It’s crunch on the outside and light on the inside. The wafel is topped with spekuloos spread and then a load of whipped cream. Spekuloos is like a spread that tastes like gingerbread cookies. It’s simple , but I did have to use a fork and knife to eat it. There was way too much whipped cream to eat it with my hands. I didn’t want to get any on my face or my clothes.

Overall, it was a great experience and I can see why they have won so many awards. Definitely check it out when you’re in New York.

We Rate Wafels and Dinges:

Location:
Outside the Time Warner Centre
Website:
http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/

View Larger Map

In Bakery

Momofuku Milk Bar: Crack Pie in New York

June 23, 2012

When visiting New York City, we knew we had to try the Momofuku Milk Bar. People around the world rave about their amazing desserts. I’ve never heard of a milk bar before, so this would be a fun-filled adventure to East Village with CanuckGirl. They have various locations around New York. They even sell their popular Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook here too.

Blueberry Miso + Cereal Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream ($4.50) I didn’t know which flavour to get since they were so good, so I asked them to twist the two flavours. To my surprise, they were able to do it. I think my favorite would have to be cereal milk because it reminded me of the sweetened milk after you eat your cereal. Highly recommended.

Another item on the menu that really intrigued me was the crack pie. Looking at the first few ingredients, you know this isn’t a pie if you are on a diet. Butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream.

Crack Pie ($5.25) was so good. Bad for the hips, but very delicious. It will definitely satisfy any sweet tooth.

All the items that was sold at this shop was all pre-packaged, so don’t expect a bakery type of setting. There are very little seats inside, so most people just do take-out. The locations do vary, so not all locations have all their items.

Words of Wisdom:

Order anything with Cereal Milk!
Crack Pie is a must!
Under $10
Very little space to sit and eat

We Rate Momofuku Milk Bar:

Address:
251 E 13th St
New York, NY

Website:
http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/milk-bar/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Big Gay Ice Cream Shop: Twist Cone with Sprinkles in New York

June 21, 2012

When visiting New York, I knew I had to go try te Big Gay Ice Cream Shop. I saw it on Food Network a few months ago and I had to see what all the buzz was about. It was a very hot day in New York, so ice cream was definitely needed!

They also have a Food Truck called Big Gay Ice Cream Truck!

The interior is very small, so you can’t really sit down anywhere. You basically go in, give your order, pay, get your order and leave. A lot of people were eating outside or were walking around.

Vanilla and Chocolate Twist Cone with Rainbow Sprinkles

So many sprinkles! I had the choice of choosing between chocolate sprinkles or rainbow sprinkles. I think I made the right choice! It really does turn you into a kid again.

The taste was quite good, but it wasn’t super amazing. It’s something simple that’s enjoyable. They also have other more adventurous types of ice creams too. I really wanted to try something more basic. I did enjoy my visit!

We Rate Big Gay Ice Cream Shop:

Address:
125 East Seventh Street
New York, NY

Website:
http://biggayicecream.com/

View Larger Map

In Cafe

Food Adventure in New Westminster: Ki Sushi, Tre Galli Gelato, Karmavore, and Boathouse

June 13, 2012

Foodology Disclaimer: The Food Adventure was paid courtesy of the Salient Group. The reviews are unbiased as the restaurants were chosen by the winner and no restaurants had prior knowledge of our presence.

A few weeks ago, I held a contest to have a reader join me for an all-day food adventure with me. Through the powers of Excel, @depotato got drawn as the winner. Since it was also her sister’s (@seapotato)birthday, we took her along on our adventure in New Westminster. She selected a few places to go to – Ki Sushi, Tre Galli Gelato, Karmavore and the Boathouse.

Since they have never been to New Westminster, we walked around checking out a few really cool stores like the retro video game store and a board game store. Clearly, we 3 were very nerdy and loved video games. The day was very fun despite some restaurants being a hit and miss.

Ki Sushi

At 11am, we went to Ki Sushi. Since they just opened, it was quite busy, but by 12pm there were definitely more customers. They sell the usual type of Japanese dishes. I’ve been here about 5 years ago and they have undergone some renovations.

Salmon and Tuna Sashimi ($11.95) has about 5 pieces each and was a decent price. It tasted delicious and fresh. What I liked out the place is that they use Wild Sockeye salmon rather than the usual salmon.

Seafood Salad ($9.95) was very massive and had a good amount of seafood. It had ebi, hoki, tako, baby shrimp, avocado, shredded lettuce, and a citrus sauce. The salad was good, but we wished it was larger pieces of lettuce rather than the shredded lettuce. Also, there was way too much sauce.

Gyoza ($3.50) was very sloppy and poorly executed. When you pick up the gyoza, it would fall apart instantly. I assume when they were making them, they probably didn’t seal it well enough.

Prawn Tempura ($8.25) was a good size and was crunchy on the outside.

American Roll ($12.95) has half a soft-shelled crab and seaweed on top of 8 rolls. The inside of the roll has avocado and crab. It is wrapped with tuna. This was my favorite roll, but it was a bit expensive.

Vancouver Roll ($9.94) is topped with avocado and eel on top. It was also a favorite of the table.

Maple Roll ($6.96) has wild sockeye on top and the inside has tuna. If you love sashimi, you’ll definitely love this.

Overall, the food can be a hit and miss. The service was ok, but we did notice some of the dishes were quite dirty so we had to swap them. The food came out fairly quickly which wasn’t too bad.

Words of Wisdom:

Hit and Miss dishes
Good sushi
Decent prices

We Rate Ki Sushi:

Address:
31 8th St
New Westminster, BC
Website:
http://www.kisushi.ca/index.asp

View Larger Map

River Market

We stopped by after our lunch to check out The River Market near the waterfront. They have the worlds tallest toy soldier, a good amount of shops and restaurants. It was moderately busy on the weekends. The busiest areas were inside River Market since there are some amazing restaurants there – Wallys Burgers, Re-Up BBQ, and some other places.

I use to come to this area quite often as a kid and this area has definitely transformed a lot!

Right by the dock, there was also the Samson V Maritime Museum. It’s free to enter and you can look into their engine room, captains deck, and their living quarters.

Tre Galli Gelato

As we were walking around River Market, gelato caught the eyes of @seapotato and she just had an urge for gelato. Tre Galli Gelato Caffe has a large selection of gelato and they serve coffee.

Guava Gelato / Espresso Gelato ($3.75) was a strange combination by @seapotato but she enjoyed it.

Espresso Gelato / Hazelnut Gelato ($3.75) was chosen by @depotato and she liked both flavours. She also said the hazelnut gelato was more dominant compared to the espresso gelato.

Hazelnut Gelato ($3.75) was what I chose. The flavour was very nice and strong, so it was nice for a hot day outside.

Overall, the gelato was a good price and the flavours were very delicious. It’s a good item to snack on if you are at the River Market chilling with a few friends.

Words of Wisdom:

You can sample the flavours
A good selection of drinks
Decent prices
Close to New West Skytrain

We Rate Tre Galli Gelato:

Address:
810 Quayside Dr
New Westminster, BC

View Larger Map

Karmavore – The Vegan Shop

Karmavore is a vegan shop in the heart of New Westminster. They have a eco-friendly retail shop on the main level and a grocery store/deli in the basement. They are 100% vegan. It’s the perfect spot if you are vegan.

They have a few tables downstairs, but the space isn’t too large. You can find some unique items here. We were drawn here by their root beer floats but it turns out they were not available. We were quite sad, but we decided to grab some other snack and drinks since we were there anyways.

We consumed the following:

English Breakfast Tea ($1.75)
Carob Peanut Butter Puck ($2.50)
Edible Flours Mini Red velvet Cupcake ($1.99)
Happy Planet Lost lagoon Mango Smoothie ($2.79)
King Island Coconut Water ($1.49)

Overall, we were a bit disappointed since they didn’t have the root beer float even though it was still written on their chalk board. As we ordered our pastries, they were quite hesitant to give us a plate since we wanted to eat it in the shop. It seems like it really was a “grab n go” deli. Nonetheless, it’s a good spot to go to if you work or live in the area to grab something.

We Rate Karmavore:

Address:
610 Columbia Street
New Westminster, BC

Website:
http://www.karmavore.ca/

View Larger Map

Downtown New Westminster

As we finished our snack, we walked around Columbia Street to see what was in the area. We stopped by the Trapp + Holbrook presentation center and had a tour of their apartments. It was very pretty and I was so amazed by their fridges since it was built into their cabinets.

We check out most of the stores on Columbia street and walked up a giant hill onto 6th st. We huffed and we puffed and then we went to Blenz to grab a drink before heading back down to the River Market for dinner. We also found some vegemite and marmite at Sherlock’s Cafe.

The Boathouse

For our dinner, we decided to get our fill of seafood by going to the Boathouse. It is located right by the River Market and is known for their steaks and seafood. As we arrived, we were really looking forward to oysters and lobsters. Unfortunately, they already sold out of lobster tails and Shrimp Kisses. We were very disappointed since it was very early in the evening, so there was no way they would have been sold out. It was a weekend, so it didn’t make sense they wouldn’t be prepared for the weekend rush of customers.

@depotato and @seapotato decided to get 3 course dinner set for $35 instead.

Complementary bread was very good. It was fluffy in the center and nice and nice and crisp on the outside. It also came with some herb butter to spread.

Boathouse original West-coast Chowder didn’t seem very hearty like how a chowder is supposed to be.

Crispy Calamari comes with Tzatziki. It was nice and tender. Very soft and chewy.

6 Kusshi Oysters + 6 Royal Miyagi Oysters ($17.99) tasted good and their tastes were a bit different, but Kusshi is definitely the better oyster. What I noticed when I reviewed by photos was how battered the oysters looked. Whoever shucked these were quite aggressive with them.

Thai Crab Cakes ($12.99) comes with 3 pieces and the taste was alright, but we did notice there was not a lot of crab meat compared to the amount of bread crumbs.

Mixed Seafood Grill has grilled sockeye, crab stuffed jumbo prawns, pan seared sea scallops and fire grilled prawns with tomato pesto orzo and vegetables.

7oz Sirloin Steak with stuffed prawns ($29.99) was asked to be cooked medium rare, but the cut of meat was very tough.It seemed to be cooked medium instead. I just left it since I didn’t want to be picky. They gave M a steak knife for his steak, but didn’t give me one for some reason. So, I just assumed I would use my regular knife. It was very hard to cut, I had to use a lot of strength to cut up my steak.

14oz Prime New York Steak ($39.99) was what M ordered and it was a huge steak. He ordered it rare and there are visible grill lines. On the menu it states “the top .2% of world class beef – the best quality available and exclusively cut for Boathouse”. M did not think the quality was there. He was quite disappointed as well.

Molten Chocolate Brownie ($8.99) is served warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries on the side. M said the brownie was very warm and the ice cream definitely balanced it out.

Famous Mud pie is also known as the mocha ice cream pie. It comes with a chocolate ganache sauce and maple almonds. It did taste good.

Creme Brulee was ok according to @depotato. She did say the crust was very hard and it made it a bit bitter.

Overall, I was not satisfied with the service or food at this Boathouse location. I’ve been to other Boathouse locations and the quality was not here. I would not return to this location again. Even though we told the server that it was @seapotato’s birthday, they did not provide a sparkler on her cake compared to the other customers in the restaurant. Also, they charged us for the cake when it was supposed to be complimentary. You can pay the same price at Black & Blue Downtown to get better quality…and pay less.

Words of Wisdom:

Quality is not there
Overpriced
Inconsistent service amongst customers

We Rate Boathouse:
Address:
900 Quayside Dr
New Westminster, BC

Website:
http://www.boathouserestaurants.ca/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Les Givres: Artisan Ice Cream in Montreal, QC

June 3, 2012

After meeting up for dinner with BraisedandConfused, she took us to Les Givres for some post-dinner treats! Les Givres specializes in artisan ice cream. It is all made in-house and made with the best ingredients. They always try to come up with some crazy flavour combinations that tastes great.

Once you enter, there is the counter on the left and seats on the right. It’s really a great spot to just chill after dinner.

They have a good amount of flavours to choose from, so I am sure you will find something that tickles your tastebuds.

If you aren’t into ice cream, they have other desserts such as chocolate mousse cakes and macarons.

We grabbed a few and just stole a little bit from each other so everyone could try a bit of the flavours. There is coffee, pistachio and green tea. These all had strong flavours and were very enjoyable, the downside is that each scoop is about $3, so it’s not cheap at all.

Green Tea (matcha) Ice Cream

Apple Pie Ice Cream is another one we got after our initial 3 types. The taste is very subtle and you can start tasting the flavours once you stumble upon the apple pie pieces inside.

Overall, great place to just chill and catch up with friends or just anything.

Words of Wisdom:

Made in-house
Can be a bit expensive for ice cream

We Rate Les Givres:

Address:

3807 Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC

Website:
http://www.lesgivres.ca/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt: Cant Resist Froyo in Toronto, ON

May 29, 2012

Menchies Frozen Yogurt is another Froyo store on Bloor Street. There are 3 different froyo stores within a block or so away from each other…. but I ended up going to all 3 for some reason. It was close to BaguetteGirl’s place and we always felt like eating froyo.

It’s also a chain store and they recently opened one in Vancouver too. I was actually excited to go to this location since I haven’t been to the one in Vancouver yet.

The interior is very open and has a few seats and lots of space to walk around to create your froyo. The instructions are very basic – mix, weigh, and pay.

Everything basically has their mascots face on it, even their lamps.

Apple Tart froyo and original tart froyo with fruit toppings ($0.55 per oz). I enjoyed it!

More froyo.

I love their cute mascot! It makes eating froyo very enjoyable at Menchies because of the cute characters and bold colors.

Overall, they do have a large list of flavours and similar concept to the other froyo places on the block. Their consistency between each flavour is slightly different, so that could be improved. Nonetheless, it’s still a healthy dessert option! No matter which froyo place you go to on Bloor St. … it’s all about the same.

Words of Wisdom:

Similar prices to the other froyo places on the same street
Fun and unique spoons
Can try all the flavours before deciding which to get
Friendly helpful staff

We Rate Menchies Frozen Yogurt:

Address:
511 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.menchies.com/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Yogurty’s Froyo: 16 Unique Froyo Flavours in Toronto, ON

May 24, 2012

Yogurty’s Froyo is another self-serve yogurt shop on Bloor Street in the Annex. There are tons of yogurt shops near by, such as YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe and Menchies within a few blocks of each other. I thought it was strange, but all of them were packed at night.

FaceMan, Batman, BaguetteGirl, CanuckGirl and I came here after dinner to finish off the day.

There are lots of space inside, but it’s super busy at 11pm.

Since it is self-serve, you just pay for the weight of what you put in your cup. The cup is only one size, but it’s a big cup.

Yogurty’s has about 16 flavours! It’s quite a large selection! You can taste test all the flavours before choosing what you want.

After you fill up the cup, you can add candy toppings or fresh fruit.

Wafer and Peanut Butter swirl Froyo ($0.55 per oz.) I added some brownies, cheesecake bits and cookie dough on top. Yummy.

There’s a good amount of fresh fruit to add on top too!

Overall, Yogurty’s does have a lot of flavours and good consistency between their yogurt. They also have lots of toppings to choose from too.

Words of Wisdom:

Try out a majority of the flavours before filling up your cup
Go place to chill and hangout
Wifi

We Rate Yogurty’s:

Address:
527 Bloor St. West
Toronto, ON
Website:
http://www.yogurtys.com/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens: Gelato Time

May 22, 2012

The newest Loblaws in Toronto is located in the old Maple Leaf Gardens near Ryerson University. It is very very large, but has everything you ever wanted from a grocery store. It has a very large selection of ready to eat food and deli section. I was so amazed by the sheer size and modern interior.

As we were waiting in line for Guu Izakaya a few blocks down, we decided to just roam around Loblaws and check it out.

They have a gelato section with 16 different flavours. BaguetteGirl and I were enticed by their flavours and decided to spoil our stomach before dinner.

Lemon Gelato ($2.99) was very tart tasting. The consistency was like a harder sorbet. It’s not the best gelato in town, but it was good considering it came from a grocery store.

Hazelnut Gelato ($2.99) was very fragrant and tasted really good.

Overall, it’s a strange place to go eat gelato, but we were not the only ones. A bunch of others were getting it to-go or sitting in their cafe area. What I like about the design of the store is that they still have left remnants of the old stadium and incorporated them into the design.

Words of Wisdom:

Large Selection of groceries with very modern look
Find ‘Center Ice’ in the Canned Meat section
Decent and Quick deli section and food

We Rate Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens:

Address:
60 Carlton Street
Toronto, ON

View Larger Map

In Dessert

YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe: Frozen Yogurt in Toronto, ON

May 18, 2012

Yoyo’s Yogurt Cafe is located on Bloor Street in the Annex. They currently have 5 locations in Ontario. During the day, CanuckGirl and I passed by and this place was packed! A majority of the seats were occupied, even the patio. Seeing that frozen yogurt is a better alternative than ice cream, we decided to see how this place compared to the ones in Vancouver.

The interior has a lot of space to walk around. You can sample the flavours before choosing what you want.

They have 8 different flavours to choose from and they do vary every week. There are 4 steps to make the yogurt processing easier.

Choose your flavour
Add the yogurt into the cup
Add toppings to it
Weight it and pay

They have a decent amount of toppings to put on.

I just wished there were more varieties of fruit to add on top.

You then can pay at the till. You can ask for a cup of water if you need it.

Frozen Yogurt ($0.55 per ounce). CanuckGirl and I got very different looking frozen yogurts. Unlike Pinkberry, you pay by weight and not per cup. Can you guess which bowl is mine?

I wish I was the one that ordered the full cup, but the way I can tell if I like a frozen yogurt place is trying their original flavour. Original works great with all the fresh fruit, but I wish it was a bit more tart. Mine came out to be about $5 and CanucksGirls HUGE cup was about $11.

Overall, it’s still a great place to chill with friends and eat dessert. Lots of seats to sit down. The staff were very nice and love to joke around with their customers.

Words of Wisdom:

Pay by weight
Self-Serve
Vegan/Gluten Free options
Open late

We Rate YoYo’s Yogurt Cafe:

Address:
417 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON

Website:
http://www.yoyosyogurtcafe.com/

View Larger Map

In Cafe

Mink Chocolates: Willy Wonka of Chocolates

May 11, 2012

Mink Chocolates has a chocolate cafe in Downtown Vancouver near the Convention Center. They have fondue, waffles, parfaits, drinks, and specialty chocolates.

Since it was my last day of work, I had to bring something awesome for my coworkers. Since I am usually strange, I thought I should bring some strange chocolate to the office.

It’s a great place to sit and chill as you have a coffee or desserts.

Open In Case of emergency ($6.25) has mint, bourbon with chocolate ganache inside a dark chocolate shell. I liked the texture and the rich chocolate taste, but I felt that it was quite hard tasting the mint and bourbon.

PB Wannabe ($6.25) has almond butter and grape jelly in milk chocolate. It really brings out the kid in you as it puts together the flavour combinations of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

No Grumpy ($6.25) has espresso in a dark chocolate bar. The chocolate does have a strong espresso taste and will definitely liven people up. If you love coffee, you’ll love this.

Overall, they are quite unique and I love their strange flavour combinations in their chocolates. It’s definitely a great place to bring friends or relative that are out of town! On the downside, it’s not cheap either. Each item is around $5, so it can add up.

Words of Wisdom:

Good Hot Chocolate
Lots of amazing chocolate bars
Makes good unique gifts
Is a bit expensive
Closest Skytrain: Burrard or Waterfront

We Rate Minks Chocolate:

Address:
863 W Hastings St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.minkchocolates.com/

View Larger Map

In Cafe

Apres-Midi Teahouse: Tea Lattes & Desserts

May 6, 2012

Apres – Midi Teahouse is a hidden teahouse in Gastown. It can be quite difficult to find since it’s not near any main roads. They specialize in tea. They also serve desserts and coffee.

HipsterGirl and I needed to kill some time before an event, so I decided to take her to Apres-Midi Teahouse. I have passed by a few times, but finally decided to check it out since I am a lover of tea.

It’s quite relaxing inside with the rustic brick walls and natural lighting. They have their main level with lots of seats.

They also have an upper level too that is also relaxing. You can spend lots of hours just catching up with friends or even doing some work.

Gastown Fog was what HispterGirl ordered. It wasn’t exactly like a London Fog since the tea they used was slightly different that earl grey. She still enjoyed it.

Matcha latte is bright and vibrant green. I asked it to be half-sweet and you can special request stuff done to it too. It was delicious and creamy!

Chocolate Mousse Cake comprised of mostly mouse, which was awesome . it was light and airy but packed full of chocolaty goodness.

Overall, we had a great time just chilling here. The teas and desserts are good, but it is a bit expensive. Each items is around $5, but considering that it’s in the Gastown area, it is fairly priced.

Words of Wisdom:

Spacious Interior
Yummy tea lattes and cakes!
Has Wifi

We Rate Apres-Midi Teahouse:
Address:
1 Gaoler’s Mews
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.apresmiditea.com/

View Larger Map

In Bubble Tea

Flo Tea Room: Drinks and Toast Box

May 5, 2012

Flo Tea Room is located on Granville Street in the Marpole area. It’s been there for several year now and they would serve food similarly found at Hong Kong or Taiwanese Style Cafes.

FoodPunk, FoodQueen and I decided to grab some drinks and dessert here since we were in the area.

The interior is quite spacious with a few booth seats and standard tables.

Shakespeare’s Affair ($4.95)

Fire in Ice ($4.95)

Shrek ($4.95) has red bean on the bottom and matcha slush on top. It’s a very creative name since the drink is green and shrek is green. I did enjoy the drink, it wasn’t too sweet at all.

Honey Box Toast ($7.50) is a hallowed out chunk of bread and filled with toasted bread pieces topped with ice cream, fruit, Oreos and your choice of sauce. We got chocolate sauce on top.

I’ve seen so much hype over the Honey Box Toast and when I saw it on the menu, we just had to order it. It seemed quite popular at other restaurants too.

I wasn’t a big fan of this item since it was essentially toast but in a different form. I didn’t find the toppings to be very unique either. To make it a bit sweeter, I asked for a dish of condensed milk to add into it. Even though the honey box toast does look super cool, it’s not for everyone.

Overall, I may not have liked the box toast, but the service was pretty amazing. We probably spent 3 hours here and the servers were so nice and filled up our tea quite often. We never felt any pressure to leave. Great place to have some bubble tea and chat!

Words of Wisdom:

Parking in Rear
Large variety of drinks
Very attentive and friendly staff

We Rate Flo Tea Room:

Address:
7994 Granville St
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.flotearoom.com/

View Larger Map

In Dessert

Purdy’s Chocolate: Extreme Milk Bar

April 18, 2012

I took a break from work and decided to roam around for a fruit smoothie. Somewhere along this break, I ended up getting some ice cream from Purdy’s Chocolates. When it comes to their milk ice cream bars, I have no will power!

The Extreme Milk Bar (~$4) is first dipped in white chocolate, then a coating of milk chocolate and then finally coated with crushed almonds.

There is no better treat than this if you love sweet treats. I personally wasn’t a fan of the white chocolate since it was a bit sweet for me. Next time, I’d probably ask for 2 dips of the milk chocolate. Nonetheless, the 2 coats of chocolate create a nice crunchier exterior covering the milk bar.

Words of Wisdom:

Regular Milk bar with milk chocolate and almonds is good too (without the one extra dip)
Hedgehogs are the most delicious chocolates….and most popular too

We Rate Purdy’s Chocolates:

Address:
Suite 59D 701 Georgia St W (Pacific Center)
Website:
http://www.purdys.com/StoreLocations/2/152

View Larger Map

In Bakery

Footo Delights: Did Someone Say Bacon?

April 11, 2012

Footo Delights specializes in croissants and everything is made in-store with no artificial ingredients. Since I was on my lunch break, I saw their Twitter saying they had the maple bacon croissant available. It’s not too far from my office, so I headed down in search of their croissant.

There is always a good selection of croissant. They also have a baking schedule, I made it just in time for a new batch of croissants. If you’re lucky, they may have some of their specialty croissants available too – garlic, maple bacon or apple cheddar. They also have their regular flavours too – almond, chocolate, spinach+feta, white chocolate pistachio and other ones.

Turkey Pesto Croissant Sandwich ($5.49) was freshly made and has lettuce, tomatoes, turkey, pesto and cheese in a regular butter croissant. It could have used a tad more pesto, but other than that, it was a good simple sandwich.

Maple Bacon Croissant ($2.75) is filled with maple cream with bits of bacon inside. On the outside, there is a maple syrup glaze and more bacon. I loved the large bacon chunks on top and went really well with the croissant. It wasn’t too sweet and I think it’s my 2nd favorite croissant. My favorite is still the white chocolate pistachio croissant.

Brenda was also kind enough give to a box of assorted goodies to my coworkers back at the office. There’s scottish scones, mini croissants and a few of the regular sized croissants. Let just say, at the end of the day…this box is empty.

Overall, pretty good croissants and it also makes for a quick snack.

Words of Wisdom:

Made with natural ingredients
Small, local and independently owned
Highly recommend the white chocolate pistachio croissant, maple bacon croissant and Turkey Pesto Croissant Sandwich
Closest Skytrain: Stadium or Granville

We Rate Footo Delights:

Address:
820 Homer Street
Vancouver, BC
Website:
www.footodelights.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FootoDelights

Twitter: @FootoDelights