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Jia Plus Fusion Cafe in Pitt Meadows

Jia Plus Fusion Cafe is located in Osprey Village Market in Pitt Meadows. I wouldn’t have known a Taiwanese Cafe was located here in this area. I had to give this a try with my friend to see how it is.

Interior

There are a few seats inside but wasn’t too busy on a weekend for lunch. Very simple interior.

Ginger Pork on Rice

The bowl has a bed of rice with thin slices of pork belly, ginger, onions and a delicious sauce that drips down into the rice. It was interesting to see the use of pork belly in this dish instead of other cuts of pork.

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

The steamed bao was soft and warm, filled with BBQ chicken, sauce and arugula. I was surprised by the amount of ingredients inside. Lots of BBQ Chicken and they did not skimp on it.

Spicy Wonton Soup with Noodle

We ordered the spicy wonton soup with noodle to give it a try. It was surprisingly good. The broth had a nice kick of spice and the wontons were yummy.

Black Milk Tea with Pearls

I couldn’t come here without ordering a bubble tea. I got the black milk tea half sweet with pearls. It was good but I wish the tea was slightly stronger.

Red Bean Wheel Cake

What is so interesting to find here are wheel cakes. This one is filled with red bean. The exterior is very crisp and the centre is soft.

Custard Wheel Cake

This wheel cake is filled with custard. It was really good and my favourite of the two flavours.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it is a good addition to Pitt Meadows as you don’t see too many Asian fusion cafes in the area. The food is good and very comforting if you want a big bowl of hot soupy noodles for the colder months of the year.

Address:
10931 Barnston View Rd #102, Pitt Meadows, BC

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

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Ganache Pâtisserie: New 2018 Seasonal Flavours for the Fall and Winter

Ganache Pâtisserie has been one of our favourite bakeries in Vancouver for a long time. Situated in Yaletown, they have been creating amazing pastries since I can remember. It’s always a treat when I go to birthday parties or some sort of celebration and someone has bought a cake from them.

For this Fall and Winter, they have crafted 4 new seasonal flavours for the holiday season. We were invited to give these cakes a taste test.

Hojicha Sake Sésame

Hojicha Sake Sésame pairs hojicha, or roasted matcha tea, parfait with a coconut sake kasu panna cotta, elderflower-soaked goji berries with a black sesame chiffon cake and hojicha chocolate glaze.

This may look sweet because of the chocolate glaze, but it wasn’t as sweet as we thought. A good balance of flavours too.

Earl Grey Chocolat

Focusing on a classic black tea,  Earl Grey Chocolat layers a moist Earl Grey chocolate cake  with a fragrant Earl Grey mousseline filling and a layer of caramel crunch while an Earl Grey ganache is drizzled over top and accented with a dark chocolate tile and gold flakes.

The earl grey flavours really translate well through the cake and the layer of caramel crunch was a good added texture.

Paris Brest au Marron

A new take on a classic French pastry, Paris Brest au Marron fills the donut-shaped creampuff with a buttery chestnut mousseline containing crushed pumpkin seed nougatine, savory chestnut pieces and a Chai-spiced chantilly cream.

Different than the other cakes due to the shape, but it’s not too sweet either and good flavours for the holiday.

Noisette Caramel Chocolat

Noisette Caramel Chocolat combines a hazelnut milk chocolate cheesecake with a layer of moist chocolate cake, a light hazelnut Zephyr Caramel chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate caramel glaçage, dusted with toasted hazelnuts and fleur de sel.

Perfect for those who have a sweet tooth and are chocolate lovers.

Final Thoughts

Overall, 4 great flavours for the holiday and any occasion in the Fall and Winter. Ganache Pâtisserie has always been knocking out amazing pastries in Yaletown and continue to do so.

Address:
1262 Homer St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.ganacheyaletown.com/

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In British Columbia

Starbucks: Juniper Latte Review

When Starbucks comes out with new items for the holidays, I get pretty excited because I love the usual suspects like gingerbread latte and peppermint mocha. This year, they launched the Juniper Latte. According to people on social media, they either love it or hate it. I had to try it out for myself.

They use their signature espresso and steamed milk with juniper syrup. Then topped with a dusting of pine-citrus sugar.

I was warned by several people to not try it, but you know me, if there is something new on the menu, I must try it. Upon the first sip, I made a face and my friend knew right away that it wasn’t for me. I tried a few more sips and for the first time in a long time, I wanted to return a beverage. Luckily, the lovely barista made me a regular latte as she wanted me to have a happy start to the day.

For me, the Juniper Latte tasted like gin due to the juniper. It has a woodsy botanical taste to it. It was really hard for my taste buds to wrap my head around this taste. They tried to balance it with the citrus, but it didn’t really do much. The juniper syrup was very potent.

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

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Starbucks Canada: New and Returning Holiday Menu Items for 2018

As Halloween comes to an end, the holidays are just beginning. As the weather cools and the holiday music starts playing in malls, it’s classic to have in hand a Starbucks holiday beverage. This year they are releasing a few new items and well as welcoming back holiday classics like the Peppermint Mocha.

Here is a sneak peek of what’s new and what’s returning on Starbucks Menu across Canada.

New Items on the menu

Holiday Cups

Starbucks is launching 4 new holiday cup designs available in Canada and the U.S. beginning November 2nd, 2018. Everyone goes crazy over those classic red cups. The holiday cups feature a suite of patterns developed from Starbucks Christmas blend coffee packaging.  Each cup gets inspiration from blending traditions and styles with the common goal of bringing people together.

Reusable Red Cups

A new, limited edition iconic Reusable Red Cup launches on November 2nd and Starbucks is giving away a FREE reusable red holiday cup to customers who purchase a handcrafted holiday beverage while supplies last.

Then, between November 2nd and January 7th, anyone who purchases a handcrafted holiday beverage using their reusable red Holiday cup after 2 p.m. will receive $0.50 off their drink order. Always good to be sustainable anyway you can be.

Juniper Latte

Holiday memories are often tied to the senses – the smell of freshly cut trees, a cold breath of winter air, the sound of footsteps, crunching on snow. The new Juniper Latte conjures up these
delightful holiday moments with its evergreen aroma combined with tingly sage. Inspired by the Seattle Roastery, the Juniper Latte is a woodsy beverage that’s handcrafted to be a lighter, but elegantly flavourful wintery beverage.

Chocolate Swirl Brioche

This has layers of dark chocolate filling and a hint of cinnamon, lightly glazed with honey syrup.

Pistachio Honey Croissant

A croissant with layers of ground pistachios and sweet honey icing.

Returning Holiday Items

Chestnut Praline Latte

Inspired by the time-honoured holiday tradition of warm roasted chestnuts, this cozy beverage features Starbucks® signature espresso combined with freshly steamed milk and flavours of caramelized chestnuts and spices. The drink is then finished with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs for crunch.

Peppermint Mocha

Experience holiday flavour in full effect with the Peppermint Mocha, a combination of espresso, steamed milk, mocha sauce and peppermint flavoured syrup. Topped with a fluffy cloud of whipped cream and dark chocolate curls, this festive beverage is just too good to resist.

My personal favourite when it’s half sweet.

Caramel Brûlée Latte

Celebrate the season with this holiday showstopper featuring a combination of espresso, steamed milk and rich caramel brûlée flavoured sauce, topped with whipped cream and caramelized crunchy caramel brûlée topping.

Gingerbread Latte

Enjoy the flavours of freshly baked gingerbread combined with espresso and steamed milk. This holiday beverage is now topped with spice-infused whipped cream prepared with cinnamon, cloves and ginger and finished with a real molasses drizzle. The Gingerbread Latte is sure to take you on a trip down memory lane to holidays past.

Eggnog Latte

Savour Starbucks wildly popular interpretation of holiday eggnog. It features a combination of espresso and rich steamed eggnog, topped with a sprinkle of ground nutmeg, this is a perfect choice for a crisp winter morning or cozy afternoon.

Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini

This has sliced turkey breast topped with cranberry-herb stuffing, savoury herbs and turkey gravy, served on warm and toasty focaccia bread.

Carved Ham & Swiss Breakfast Sandwich

This sandwich has maple ham, Swiss cheese and scrambled eggs on their signature croissant.

Cranberry Bliss Bar

A blondie cake base topped with sweet cream icing, tart dried cranberries and white orange drizzle.

Nanaimo Bar

A Canadian exclusive – soft vanilla custard filling layered on top of a chocolate and coconut graham base topped with a layer of rich chocolate.

With all the holiday spirit coming to a Starbucks near you, there’s a lot of choices you can make when grabbing a holiday beverage. All items are also highly customizable too. Whether you can it less sweet, more whipped cream, use milk alternatives, or turned into a frappuccino.

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Starbucks Canada: Witch’s Brew Frappuccino Review

While Starbucks customers have been busy sipping on their PSLs, Starbucks has been secretly mixing up a special potion to help get them in the Halloween spirit. Starting today, customers at Starbucks Canada can taste the perfect blend of “toad’s breath,” “bat warts,” and “lizard scales” in the new Witch’s Brew Frappuccino.

The Witch’s Brew Frappuccino

The Witch’s Brew Frappuccino starts with a purple blend of “toad’s breath” which tastes like swirl orange crème Frappuccino. You can see a swirl of green “bat warts” is added in the form of chia seeds. Finally, the potion is topped with vanilla whipped cream and a dusting of green “lizard scale” powder.

At first glance, it is very pretty like Krusty the Clown. A lot of people wondered what this new drink is and curious about the taste. As we took the first few sips, it definitely wasn’t desirable anymore. The orange creme is faint and was most sweet and artificial tasting. The chia seeds were a nice addition as it added texture to the drink.

You can get this drink for the Instagrammable factor, but I don’t know if you will actually like it. Our office had a clear consensus that it wasn’t good.

The Witch’s Brew Frappuccino is available at participating Starbucks stores in the Canada starting today, Oct. 25, for a limited time while supplies last, along with the Mummy Cake Pop.

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

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Hui Lau Shan: Now Open in Downtown Vancouver

It was late at night and my friends and I stumbled upon Hui Lau Shan open on Denman Street close to Robson Street. I have been anticipating their opening for a while as the first location in Kerrisdale is a bit far for me to get to.

Hui Lau Shan is a Hong Kong dessert maker that specializes in Mango desserts. If you’ve been to Hong Kong, it’s the place to cool off during the hot Summer with their mango drinks. They look like they are slowly expanding in Metro Vancouver with the next location inside the T&T Supermarket in Richmond.

Interior

The space is a decent size with a few tables for groups of 4ish. There seemed to be some people doing take out and some staying inside to eat and chit chat. My friends decided to stay a bit and enjoy the desserts while chit chatting.

After you put in your order, you get an electronic device that will signal you when your order is ready.

Menu 

Mango Romance

This is a popular item as it’s essentially a taster of 3 different dishes – mango pomelo sago, mango mochi and mango chewy ball. It’s full of mango goodness.

Mango Pomelo Sago

A classic item with mango puree, tapioca, mango pieces, and pomelo. You can devour this all yourself or share with a friend.

Final Thoughts

We got the 2 most popular items on the menu and it really took us back to Hong Kong. The mangoes were perfectly ripe with the right amount of tartness and sweetness. The size of the overall desserts could be a bit bigger for what you pay for but given the rising costs in Vancouver like rent, labour, and food costs, I can see why they charge higher prices in comparison to places in Asia.

The taste itself was good, but presentation could be a bit better as the mango chunks were hastily cut. It took then a while to create the desserts but given that it was their first day, they have some kinks to work out before they have their grand opening.

Nonetheless, they are in Vancouver and gives us more dessert options in Downtown Vancouver.

Address:
907 Denman St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://www.hlsvancouver.com/

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The Garden Strathcona: Mushroom Bowls and Lattes

The Garden Strathcona is the newest cafe and retail shop in East Vancouver. When they opened their doors a few weeks back, they were praised for their delicious food as well as the abundance of greenery and cute local products available for purchase. I knew I had to make a trip out here with friends to relax and have some food.

Interior

The space isn’t too large but there are spots for small groups. Best with pairs.

Their big glass windows gives lots of natural light into the space, which is good for the plants too.

Menu

Mushroom Bowl

They have a good amount of items on their menu, but we all ordered the same thing – The Mushroom Bowl. It is gluten-free and vegan unless you do the add on’s like pulled pork or their ramen egg.

In the bowl are mushrooms, peas, wild rice, brown rice, black kale, pickled beets, picked carrots, and pumpkin seeds. We added the Ramen Egg for $2 extra and it was worth it. It was a hearty lunch and tasted really good.

The produce is local and organic where possible and all meat and dairy are humanely sourced.

Latte

They use beans from Argo Roasters, who are also located in Strathcona. The latte is made with their Equinox Espresso blend, which has a balanced combination of beans from Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia. Fair trade and organic too.

You can also purchase Argo Roaster beans here too if you really enjoy the taste.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I had a great time spending the afternoon with my friends just catching up, eating mushrooms bowls and drinking lattes. It’s a nice addition to the neighbourhood with other delicious businesses close by like Strathcona Brewing.

Address:
868 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://thegardenstrathcona.com/

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Lot185 Cafe and Wine Bar in Downtown Vancouver

Lot185 is located inside the Vancouver Convention Centre West, closest to Jack Poole Plaza. They are a coffee bar by day and wine bar by night. They feature locally-roasted coffee by Moja Coffee, freshly baked pastries made in-house, and tapas with a full wine and beer menu.

The Vancouver Convention Centre has award-winning catering services and with similar staff, they operate out of the same kitchen using the freshest local and seasonal ingredients when possible. Whether you work in the area or are a convention attendee, you’ll have a good bite and sip here.

Cafe by Day

The cafe is great for a quick coffee and pastries in the morning. As most people are on the go, their lines go quickly. There are other cafés in the area, but sometimes it’s nice to try something different. Plus, their pastries are made in-house and are quite tasty.

Menu

Coffee and Pastries

Coffee, teas, and espresso based drinks are popular especially with the morning crowd. It’s best paired with their freshly baked daily pastries, paninis or breakfast sandwiches. You can get these items for lunch too.

Wine Bar by Night

The Wine Bar is open in the evenings from 4pm till 9pm. They have a selection of local and international wines and beers. On the menu are small tapa-style dishes to accompany the drinks. Always good to have nibbles and drinks.

Menu

Small Bites

The menu focuses on their Neapolitan-style pizza that have a thin crust with simple ingredients. They have 3 different varieties – funghi blanca, prosciutto e rucola, and margherita.

The other items are small bites that are meant for sharing like their charcuteries with different meats and cheeses.

Serrano ham and marinated olives 

Manchego cheese and roasted red pepper bikinis

They even have a few homemade dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth.  This is their Tart Au Citron with a vanilla crust, lemon curd, and toasted whipped marshmallow. They also have a few other desserts for those who are into chocolate and other fruity flavours.

Final Thoughts

As Lot185 is inside the convention centre, it is hard to spot from the outside despite the signs.

The wine bar is a great place for people finishing conferences and are looking for a comfortable and chill space to hang out.

Address:
78-1055 Canada Place
(next to Jack Poole Plaza)

Website:
http://lot185.com/

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Cafe Crepe: Sweet and Savoury Crepes in Vancouver

Cafe Crepe started out in Vancouver and currently has 4 locations in BC. There are other locations in Santa Monica, Union Station, Toronto, and even Hong Kong.

Since their humble beginnings in 1999, they have been sharing Parisian crepes with their customers. It’s what draws in most people, but they do have other savoury and sweets on the menu.

Interior

Each location is different but at the one on Robson Street, there are lots of tables inside and can get busy during peak times. There are a few people who get their crepes to go as its hand-held and easy to eat on the go.

Menu

Crepe in the Making

The best part about ordering a crepe is really watching them put it together. The way the batter is spread on the hot griddle and cooked slowly.

The combination of ingredients that get layered on top of each other to ensure each bite will have a taste of each ingredient.

Boeuf Fumé

This has Montreal smoked meat, Swiss cheese, mushroom and creamy dijon mustard. Most people gravitate towards sweet crepes, but savoury crepes are really good and shouldn’t be overlooked. You get the smokiness from the meat and the savoury mushroom and cheese combination that doesn’t disappoint.

Crepe de Crevette

This was the monthly special when we visited. It has tomato, mushroom, shrimp, parmesan cheese, garlic with lemon and capers. A good contrast of ingredients that match well with the shrimp.

Bon Enfants

This is a decadent sweet crepe with Kinder Bueno garnish, hazelnut cream, vanilla wafers, and dark chocolate sauce. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love the chocolate and hazelnut combination.

Fresh Strawberry and Banana

This has the simplicity of fresh sliced strawberries and bananas with sugar. A good combination.

Nutella

Classic Nutella crepe and you really can’t go wrong with this at all. If you can eat Nutella off a spoon, you can eat it in a crepe.

Final Thoughts

Cafe Crepe has a good selection of sweet and savoury crepes for when you’re on the go or eating in. Sometimes this simple indulgence is all you need. The price of the crepes can be seen as pricey to some but based on the neighbourhood, rent is pretty steep along this neighbourhood. You get more full with the savoury versus the sweet crepes.

Address:
1032 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://cafecrepe.com/

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Bouchon Bakery: Pastries and Coffee in Yountville

Bouchon Bakery in Yountville California is Thomas Keller’s first and original location for his bakery. This is beside Bouchon Bistro as well as French Laundry a little bit further away.

We came here for a snack in the morning before we headed off to some wineries.

Inside the bakery, there is only standing room to order. A lot of people do take out or sit outside if the weather is nice.

There are treats everywhere and getting just picking 1 item is so difficult so we got a lot to share between the 4 of us.

If you come here earlier in the day, you can see the staff making the pastries. We came later in the day, so there wasn’t much action going on.

Coffee

As everything is take out, they only have to go containers for their coffee and water. Even though we asked for our lattes for here, there are no reusable cup options offered.

The lattes were pretty average and nothing special.

Pain aux Raisins

This is packed full of raisins and they were not too dry. It had a good amount of sweetness to it.

Croissant

The croissant is a classic and it has many flaky layers but we were missing more of a crunch at the end tips of it.

Chocolate Almond Croissant

The almond chocolate croissant is decadent and filled with the almond mixture to give you a sweet kick to your day. Delicious.

Strawberry Cheesecake Croissant

The croissant-like tart has the strawberry cheesecake mixture in the centre. Fun to eat it with a knife and fork so you don’t get messy.

Lemon Tart

The lemon tart was ok but nothing too impressive about it.

Final Thoughts

Bouchon Bakery is a good option in the area, but I found it wasn’t the best bakery I’ve ever been to. There are a few other places that can do croissants better but its all up to personal preference. I thought Bouchon Bakery was ok, but it didn’t wow me.

Address:
6528 Washington St, Yountville, CA

Website:
https://www.thomaskeller.com/bouchonbakeryyountville

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Miss Lina Crepe Cakes: Pastries and Drinks in Richmond

Miss Lina Crepe Cakes in Richmond is another new addition to Alexandra Road for desserts. There have been a few dessert shops in Metro Vancouver opening up that specialize in Crepe Cakes, so it’s interesting to see the demand for them. They also have a liquor license if you want a boozy drink to go with your sweet treats.

We came here specifically for the crepe cakes but they do have other items on the menu like Afternoon Tea.

Interior

The interior is nice and has lots of tables for small to large groups. They try to make the decor look luxurious with the simple and light colours.

Menu

Matcha Crepe Cake

Matcha crepe cake is a classic flavour with 25 layers of matcha creme and crepes. It’s definitely a labour of love to create, but delicious to devour. Matcha is generally bitter, so you will have to like matcha to fully enjoy the balance of sweet and bitter tastes.

Earl Grey Crepe Cake

Earl Grey tea is infused into this crepe cake with a good balance where the earl grey shines through and overall isn’t too sweet. Pair it with some tea and it hits the spot.

Taro Crepe Cake

Have you heard of taro crepe cake yet? It’s a pretty great combination that I don’t see that often. If you are a taro fan, you’ll enjoy this. The natural colour of the taro shines through and it’s very good.

Final Thoughts

The crepe cakes that we tried were very delicious and delicate but can be pricey as you are paying over $12 per slice. Even their rainbow crepe cake has a price tag of $16. Definitely not an everyday indulgence.

Address:
1200-8580 Alexandra Rd, Richmond

Website:
https://www.misslinacrepecakes.com/

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Crackle Creme: Fall Inspired Crème Brûlée in Vancouver

Crackle Creme is a cozy cafe located in Chinatown specializing in crème brûlée, cute macarons, waffles and drinks. As the Fall is almost upon us, they are releasing 3 new crème brûlée flavours – Apple Pie, Pumpkin Spice and Malt Spice. 3 flavours that capture the Fall season.

Interior

The interior is small, so there aren’t too many seats inside. A lot of people come to get treats to- go or they sit a short little while enjoy their crème brûlée fresh.

Menu

Apple Pie Crème Brûlée

All their ingredients are made in-house and use fresh ingredients in their crème brûlée.

They torch the crème brûlée in front of you, so there is no mystery at all. Apple pie crème brûlée is topped with an apple mixture that accentuates the flavour just like an apple pie without the crust.

This was our favourite of the 3 flavours.

Pumpkin Spice Crème Brûlée

The Pumpkin Spice crème brûlée has spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to make the classic Pumpkin Spice flavour. It has an interesting combination of flavours as a crème brûlée with these warm Fall flavours. If you’re a Pumpkin Spice fan, this might be for you.

Malt Spice Crème Brûlée

The malt spice is an interesting flavour with a stronger alcohol taste compared to the other 3 flavours. If you like a boozy kick to your crème brûlée, this might be for you.

Pandan Coconut Crème Brûlée

We tried a few more crème brûlée on their menu and the pandan coconut has a subtle flavour of the pandan leaf and a stronger coconut taste. It was pretty good in my opinion if you enjoy pandan.

Thai Iced Tea Crème Brûlée

Thai Iced Tea infused in their crème brûlée is a good combination, but don’t pair it with their Thai Iced Tea or else it’s too much of the same flavour.

Thai Iced Tea and Thai Jasmine Iced Tea

If you’re looking for some beverages to go with some desserts, they have some Thai Iced Tea and Thai Jasmine Iced Tea for a limited time.

Thai Iced Tea is a classic drink, but the Thai Jasmine Iced Tea is very interesting and floral in taste. We really enjoyed it a lot.

Macarons

They have the cutest macarons available at the café with different cartoon characters. It makes for a really great gift too.

Final Thoughts

If you’re wanting to find a place with an amazing amount of crème brûlée flavours, you’ll definitely find something unique at Crackle Creme. They have so many that it’s hard to choose what to order.

Website:
https://www.cracklecreme.com/

Address:
245 Union St, Vancouver, BC

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Starbucks Canada: Cardamom Latte and New Fall Treats

Fall is around the corner and there is more to it than Pumpkin Spiced Lattes at Starbucks Canada. I’m always excited when new items are created on the Starbucks menu as it give customers more options and variety. Since the Fall is nearing, they released a few items that you might want to make part of your morning routine.

Cardamom Latte

Exclusive to just Canada, they are introducing Cardamom Lattes as cardamom spice is the new food trend to watch out for this year. It’s an interesting concept and this flavour blend is paired with Starbucks Signature Espresso. As this was created just for Canadians, they have tweaked the taste to reflect Canadian’s appetite for global flavours. Similar to other Starbucks beverages, it is fully customizable. You can have it over ice, with an extra shot of espresso or with soy milk. The options are endless.

We had the hot Cardamom Latte and upon the first few sips, we could definitely taste the spices. It reminded us of a Chai latte and is great for keeping us warm as the weather decreases in temperature.

New Fall Treats

Starbucks always has a great line up of treats that pairs well with your beverage and entices your tastebuds. They have a few classic items along with 2 new additions.

Classic Coffee Cake

This has a new look in a square shape and cinnamon sugar blended throughout, then finished with a crunchy streusel topping.

Maple Pecan Muffin

The pecans and maple syrup are blended in this muffin for a good Fall treat. It’s quite a big size, so definitely filling.

These 3 items are their new additions to the menu, so the next time you go into a Starbucks Canada store, you’ll see them on the menu and display cases.

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

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In Bakery

Tartine Bakery: Pastries in San Francisco

Tartine Bakery is a go to place in the Mission District. I asked a few people where I needed to go in San Francisco and they highly recommended Tartine Bakery. They are best known for their pastries.

There was a line up when we arrived, but it didn’t take too long to put our order in. Most people were doing take out.

Interior

The interior is small and feels that way especially when there is a long line up outside the door. What is interesting is that they always feature local art on the walls, which you can purchase if you like.

Menu

Croissant

The croissant is a classic item to get. It has a lot of crispy layers on the outside and soft pillowy layers on the inside. I noticed a few of their baked croissants looked a bit scorched, not sure if this is normal or not.

Fresh Berry Tart

The berries were very fresh on top of the tart. The crust was very thin, which is pretty difficult to achieve from watching too many baking competitions on the Food Network. The cream in the middle was a good amount of sweetness to go with the fruit and crust.

Mushroom Croque Monsieur

This has a variety of mushrooms, béchamel, gruyère, and pepper on top of their country bread. It is served with spicy pickled veggies on the side. This was a surprising combination of flavours but we were glad we got it. The mushrooms had so much flavour covered in the gooey cheese.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was good to come here for a visit to try a few of their different pastries. It’s one of the most talked about bakeries, so it was good to see how it compares. The berry tart and croque monsieur were a hit for us. We really enjoyed these items.

Address:
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco

Website:
https://www.tartinebakery.com/

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Mazarine Coffee: Lattes and Toast in San Francisco

Mazarine Coffee is a cafe on Market Street serving up delicious coffee and toast. This is my second trip to San Francisco and I had to revisit as I love a good latte and avocado toast.

It has a great location right by the Union Square area.

Interior

The cafe was busy around 11am but got busier as it got closer to noon. There are seats on the right side of the cafe as well as some patio seating.

Menu

Latte

I started off with a latte and it was delicious and strong. A good ratio of espresso and milk.

Avocado Toast

This beautiful toast is my favourite and it is made up of avocado, chèvre cheese, watermelon radish, chives, sea salt, and cracked pepper on toasted pain de mie. Absolutely stunning and delicious. I like how they layered all the avocado and radish so it looks so nice. The cheese was a good addition too.

Eggs & Avocado Toast

This has two sous vide eggs, avocado, chives, sea salt, and cracked pepper on toasted pain de mie. The sous vide egg was delicious and super gooey that it covers the whole toast. We wished there was a little bit more avocado with this one as it didn’t look as luscious.

Fig Jam and Ricotta Toast

This has a generous amount of ricotta cheese, fig jam, honey, sea salt, and cracked pepper on toasted pain de mie. A different toast than the other 2, but good if you have a morning sweet toooth.

Final Thoughts

Overall, having a coffee and toast at Mazarine Coffee was great. A good treat in the morning before heading off for the rest of the day. If you’re ever in San Francisco, definitely go here for a visit.

Address:
720 Market St, San Francisco

Website:
https://mazarinecoffee.com/

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In Cafe

SweetHoney Dessert: Now Open in Richmond

SweetHoney Dessert is a new Hong Kong style dessert restaurant in Richmond. It’s tucked away in a small plaza near Aberdeen Mall. They serve many hot and cold soup based dessert items.

SweetHoney Dessert takes pride in preparing all ingredients in-house daily. They let us know that they don’t use powdered additives, instead they grind the raw ingredients in their kitchen. This extra step makes a difference in taste, texture, and quality. The morning is spent doing prep, then they open at 3:00pm until 12:00am everyday.

SweetHoney Dessert Richmond is part of a franchise that have over 600 locations in China, over a dozen in California, and now its first location in Canada.

Interior

The interior is cute, well lit, and welcoming. It’s a large space with plenty of comfortable seating. As part of a franchise, the look and feel is consistent with other locations throughout North America.

Mango, Strawberry, and Durian Pancakes

SweetHoney Pancakes is fruit and fresh cream wrapped in surprisingly thin crepe. The wrap is so delicate, there is one dedicated staff trained to make them.

We tried mango, strawberry, and durian. My favourite was the strawberry, which had sesame flecks on its wrapper and provided a flavour contrast.

Durian and Thai Black Glutinous Rice

Fresh durian and black glutinous rice ball are served on vanilla “frost”. Frost is a semi-sweet sauce that is half liquid, half very finely shaved ice. It looks liquid but retains a slushy texture as you eat it. The durian is flown in from Thailand.

Mango with Grass Jelly in Vanilla Frost

This is one of their most popular items. It’s served with a generous amount of fresh, ripe mango. The grass jelly and their signature vanilla frost is a great combination.

Mango Pomelo Sago Tofu Pudding

These are all ingredients that I know and love together. SweetHoney makes its own tofu in-house, which was very delicate and semi-sweet. The pomelo bits were a burst of flavour. It’s cool, refreshing, and is easily my favourite item on their menu.

Sesame and Almond Soup with Glutinous Rice Balls

SweetHoney also serve warm dessert options. They toast, grind, and make all the ingredients in this dish within their kitchen. It’s tasty, comforting, and would be a perfect cold, weather treat when fall arrives.

Final Thoughts

I visited during the heatwave and the cold desserts were a perfect way to cool down. The fruits were all very fresh and juicy.

Fair warning: the portions are large, and because the warm soup can be quite filling, make sure to bring a friend or two. Treat it like dimsum, more people means more options!

SweetHoney Richmond is slightly difficult to find because of the parking lot layout, but it’s worth visiting. They offer so many ingredient variations and options, that everyone can find something they will like.

Address:
160 4200 No 3 Rd, Richmond, BC

Website:
http://www.sweethoneydessert.com/

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In Burnaby Central

Soft Peaks Ice Cream: Now Open in Burnaby

Soft Peaks Ice Cream has opened their latest location in Burnaby on Kingsway close to Crystal Mall and Metropolis at Metrotown. This popular shop got it’s start in Gastown and has finally made it’s way to Burnaby. It’s pretty exciting because it means fans don’t have to travel all the way downtown for their delicious treats.

Interior

The interior is large and spacious with lots of seating inside. It’s not your typical seating as there are benches on the side.

Menu

Strawberry Milk Tea

They even have milk tea on the menu. It is made with real strawberry puree, and you can tell the difference with the artificial ones. It’s fresh, light and milky. Great choice for the summer.

Blueberry Milkshake

They also have a blueberry milkshake on the menu. It is made with their signature organic milk soft serve, milk, and real whole blueberries. Really nice to sip on this thick milkshake and enjoy the pairing of the sweet blueberries.

They also have other rotating flavours based on seasonality.

Organic Ice Milk Bars and Swirls

Their ice milk bars are made fresh in-house with their signature organic milk soft serve recipe. You can have them as is or smothered in chocolate. They have a bunch of rotating flavours on the menu.

We tried the dipped matcha as well as the strawberry. The size of it isn’t too large, so you won’t feel too guilty eating the whole thing. They are very creamy, but we liked the matcha.

Honeycomb Soft Serve

Their handcrafted soft serve is made with Avalon organic milk, a touch of sweetness, and is then churned to smooth consistency. There is crunchy corn flakes on the bottom and its’ topped with a piece of Okanagan and Fraser Valley honeycomb. It wasn’t too sweet at all, which was very nice. It’s a classic combination, which was made popular in Korea many years ago.

Other  Soft Serve Flavours

There are a few other flavours pictured here:

  • Matcha Forest
  • Snowberry with matcha condensed milk drizzle
  • Sunrise in California (Yuzu marmalade)

There are a lot other signature flavours on the menu too like the Mudslide, which is my personal favourite with TimTams.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of delicious treats here at Soft Peaks. They have added a few new items to the menu since my last visit. From soft serve to drinks, there is something that will help you cool you down this Summer.

Address:
115-4603, Kingsway, Burnaby, BC

Website:
http://softpeaks.ca/

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In Cafe

Stuffies Pastry Cafe in North Vancouver

Stuffies Pastry Cafe is located in North Vancouver and they create delectable treats that are almost too cute to eat. We were invited to check out a few of their signature items likestuffies and cro-tai. Who knew such a cute store would be located in this area. They have only been open for a few months but it’s something unique to come to a cafe tht specializes in these pastries.

Interior

There are a few tables inside where you can enjoy your treats. You order at the counter and you can watch them create all their stuffies and cro-tai with their cool machines. If you were always curious how they were made, you can find out here as you watch them.

Menu

Cro-Tai

Cro-tai gets it’s name from being a hybrid of a croissant and a taiyaki. They comes in a bunch of different flavours depending if you like savoury or sweet tastes.

Here are all the options:

  • Bacon & Egg
  • Sausage & Egg
  • Egg & Cheese
  • Pizza
  • Thai Chicken
  • Tuna Salad
  • Ham & Cheese
  • Nutella
  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon
  • Blueberry

The exterior is crisp and not too buttery or heavy. One of of favourite flavours was the nutella. What better way to enjoy this than with the sweet hazelnut and chocolate spread.

Stuffies

Stuffies are their signature items they sell in stores. They come in fish or bear-shapped patry, also there can have a vanilla or red velvet filling inside these pastries.

If you want to be a bit more fancy, you can have them decorated with icing and sprinkles.

They hand decorate the fishies and bears and if you want to customize them for a special occasion.

His and hers bears for weddings or anniversaries.

Makes for fun gifts too and can be individually packed.

Stuffies Soft Serve

The soft serve waffle cone shaped like a fish opening its mouth is crunchy and tastes similar to corn pops. The ice cream is vegan, which was a big surprise to us, but it still had a creamy texture to it. The toppings were simple with mostly syrups, sprinklings, or cereal. We wished they used more fruit, nuts, or even bbt toppings would be a great touch.

Below were the 3 we tried.

Coco Heaven

This has a chocolate and vanilla soft serve with mini chocolate bar, chocolate dipped pretzel, dark chocolate sauce, and choco rocks.

Beary Berry

This fun version has sprinkles, strawberry syrup, gummy bears and a strawberry and blueberry skewer.

Orient Express

This last one that we had consisted of red bean paste, rice puffs and a skewer of mochi.

Iced Matcha Latte

They also have drinks too if you want a beverage to go with your pastries. This is the Iced Matcha Latte.

Final Thoughts

Overall, cute concept and I can see their stuffies as great gifts for parties or any other special occasion. Very cute characters that kids and adults would love. Also very affordable prices too.

Address:
571 Oxford St, North Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://stuffiespastries.com/

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