Foodology
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Dessert

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In Dessert

The Praguery: Chimney Cake Truck in Vancouver

I have a HUGE sweet tooth so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out the chimney cakes at The Praguery. It was the perfect treat after a day of writing exams (as I was wrapping up my program at RED Academy). The truck was parked in the heart of Olympic Village Square, near the giant birds. I brought along my classmate and friend, Vanessa Shakespeare, and she took the awesome photos you’ll see in this post. Thanks girl!

Upon arrival of the food truck, we were greeted by friendly staff and Jaro (short for Jaroslav), the President and Owner of The Praguery. I could quickly see his passion for his food truck, as he started to explain how the chimney cakes (also know as “Trdelnik”, a popular Czech dessert) they make in the truck are baked fresh daily. He showed us as he started to bake a chimney cake, and we watched in anticipation as the raw, yellow dough turned a perfect golden brown. The chimney cake is then dusted and covered with cinnamon sugar.

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We watched patiently as one of his staff members filled the chimney cake with premium soft-serve vanilla ice cream, and topped it off with strawberry compote and premium strawberry sauce. The chimney cake has now become a Strawberry Prague’s Cone. The size of this treat is quite substantial and makes it perfect for sharing, unless you’re the type that doesn’t like to share dessert!

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I obviously shared this with Vanessa, and we both enjoyed it! The Prague’s Cone was slightly crisp on the outside, but perfectly doughy on the inside. The cone had a hint of lemon flavour, which was complemented by the cinnamon sugar coating. The premium soft-serve vanilla ice cream was very smooth and creamy. The strawberry compote and sauce added a slightly tart contrast to the overall sweetness of the Prague’s Cone. I made sure I ate enough of the vanilla ice cream before taking bites of the cone, which came of in the direction of the cone’s spiral. This made it really fun to eat!

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Jaro also offered me a simple chimney cake with a lemon curd filling. The lemon curd had a bright citrus flavour, which is a good option for people whose sweet tooth isn’t as big as mine.

I asked Jaro how long he The Praguery has been in business, and he stated that it has been a year, with the truck in operation a little over a month now. He started out with a chimney cake booth at the Vancouver Christmas Market at Jack Poole Plaza. After customers tried the chimney cakes and enjoyed them, people told Jaro that he should consider having a truck, and here he is today! Jaro is proud to offer this unique and delicious treats, and a Prague’s Cone is perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.

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Lookout for Jaro and The Praguery, which is his eye-catching aqua blue food truck. You can find out where the food truck will be located next on the Street Food App.

Location: Varies

Website: http://praguery.com/

The Praguery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Dessert

BETA5 Chocolates’ Summer Ice Cream Socials Returns for 2017

BETA5 Chocolates Ice Cream Socials are back. It is Vancouver’s best kept secret to enjoy hand-crafted unique sundaes. The talented BETA5 team creates a new sundae every week. It happens every Saturday until September 30, 2017 from 1 – 5pm. With the hot weather in Vancouver, I’m always looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth. We were given a sneak peek of what some of these sundaes look like.

The planned ice cream sundae line-up may include – Mimosa, Green Tea Latte, S’more, Melon Fro-yo, Black Sesame & Grape, Apple Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Earl Grey, Peach Cobbler and more. Their quirky sundae ideas, like Mango Bubble Tea. Not only are all the ice creams and toppings made in-house, each weekly sundae is crafted with special attention to flavour, contrasting textures, and nostalgia.

Sparkling Mimosa Sundae

This sundae is comprised of mimosa sorbet, grapefruit sorbet, grapefruit + campari curd, orange cotton candy, orange madeleines, and sparkling manadarin chocolate. So refreshing for the summer with the sorbet and I would definitely recommend this.

S’more Sundae

This decadent sundae is made with dark chocolate ice cream, ceylon cinnamon ice cream, graham cracker macarons, toasted marshmallows, chocolate sauce, vanilla chantilly. If you are a chocolate lover, you will enjoy this. The macarons were also excellent.

Matcha Latte Sundae

We lastly tried the Matcha Latte Sundae, which has matcha ice cream, tahitian vanilla ice cream, matcha milk jam, vanilla mochi, red bean chiffon cake, and vanilla chantilly. This Japanese twist to a traditional sundae might tingle your taste buds if you love matcha.

Instagram It

BETA5 is bringing back their ‘weekly repost’ Instagram contest too.
To enter snap a picture at a weekly ice cream social and post to Instagram by the following Thursday, tagged with #beta5icecreamsocial (or DM direct to BETA5Chocolates). Weekly winners will be announced every Friday and will receive a $25 gift card and the chance to win the end-of-the-season grand prize.

How will you know what flavour they will have for the week? Check out their Facebook page a day before to find out. They will also be planning BETA5 pop-up ice cream socials  at different spots in the lower mainland. If you are a local or a tourist, you’ll love their ice cream sundae, but they also have cream puffs and chocolates too.

Address:
413 Industrial Ave, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.beta-5.com/

BETA5 Chocolates Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Burnaby Central

Sugar Lab: Cafe in Burnaby

Sugar Lab is a new dessert cafe in Burnaby and they specialize in Mille Crepes. A few other cafes in Richmond have them, but now it’s closer to the suburbs of Burnaby. It’s a bit hard to find but keep your eyes open. It’s on Grimmer Street and Kingsway.

Interior

The place is small an cozy with one large communal table and 4 other smaller tables. Some people do take out to avoid the lines.

Menu

Green Tea Crepe Cake with Red Bean

The layers of all the crepes and cream were pretty good. The red bean is a bit sweet, so it over powers the subtle green tea crepes.

Tiramisu Mille Crepe Cake

The chocolate and coffee taste is stronger in this crepe cake. Good texture and it was delicious.

Mango Pancake

Mango Pancakes come 2 pieces per order. Inside the square crepes is whipped cream and a chunk of mango. I always enjoy this kind of dessert.

Serradura Pudding Plant

There are layers of pudding, cream and crushed up graham crackers. It was a decent dessert. Not too sweet either.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s a cute new cafe with great desserts. It’s pretty unique when it comes to Burnaby. Always great to have more variety of desserts here.

We Rate Sugar Lab: 

Address:
5376 Grimmer Street, Burnaby

Sugar Lab Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Flying Rose: Asian Dessert on Robson Street

Flying Rose is an Asian dessert cafe on Robson Street. I was passing by and noticed it since they serve things like mango desserts. I came with a few friends to give it a try since all other cafes were super busy.

Interior

The interior is bright, colourful and has large tables for big groups. We came around 8pm, so it was still early in the evening. You order and pay up at the counter instead of at the table.

Sago, coconut milk, mango puree, fresh mango and pomelo

We were looking forward to this, but it was pricey for what we got. There was barely any mango and pomelo in this and it was super gritty tasting from the coconut milk. Very disappointing.

Fresh Mango Crepe

Each order has one piece and for some reason came out separately even when we ordered 2. It took a long time for them to put this together. There was about a ten minute gap between each crepe arriving at the table.

Once we got both, it was delicious. The crepe was thin and had the right texture. The fresh mango and the whipped cream were great, but still pricey.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the experience was pretty meh as the service and execution was pretty poor. Desserts from the kitchen came out really slowly and I’m sure one of our desserts were made incorrectly. They definitely have some kinks to work out.

We Rate Flying Rose: 

Address:
1517 Robson Street, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.flyingrose.ca/

The Flying Rose Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Passion8 Dessert Cafe: Shaved Ice in Vancouver

Passion8 Dessert Cafe on Cambie Street is a hot spot for shaved ice, drinks and other treats. I came here after dinner with some foodie friends to give this a try since they all heard that I haven’t been here yet. We were 10 minutes away and we called ahead to see how busy it was here. It wasn’t too busy yet, so they were able to set aside a table for 5. Definitely nice of them to do so.

Interior

You order up at the counter and then you find a seat. There are a few tables in the cafe, but when it’s super busy, you’ll be waiting a little bit. The interior is nice and a good place to chill with friends over desserts.

Maldive Latte

There are 3 distinct layers to this drink – espresso, milk, and some blue liquid. You then stir it up and enjoy.

Honey Cream Cheese Toastery

We got the Honey Cream Cheese Toastery. it has delicious flakey layers like a croissant. Very buttery but super delicious. Very unique kinda like a cronut on toast.

Real Tiramisu Milk Shaved Ice

This has a slab of tiramisu on top of the milk shaved ice topped with cocoa powder and chocolate bits. There is also a container of espresso to pour over all of it. I really like this and would order again to share with friends.

Matchacha Milk Shaved Ice

The milk shaved ice is topped with Japanese matcha powder, mochi, red bean, almonds and a dehydrated orange. This is another one of their popular flavours. It was good, but since I love chocolate, I naturally gravitated towards to tiramisu instead.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there’s a good variety of desserts and drinks here. You definitely want to come early or call ahead to see if there is a line up. The shaved ice is delicious.

We Rate Passion8: 

Address:
3010 Cambie Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.passion8cafe.com

Passion8 Dessert Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Yama Cafe: Japanese Cafe in Vancouver

Yama Cafe has taken over Basho Cafe a few months ago. Everyone was so sad that Basho closed their doors, but Yama has kept the essence of Basho and put his spin on the menu. I came here with a few foodie friends to check out the space and have a treat. They serve up drinks, rice bowls, salad bowls, bread, and soup.

Interior

The interior is still the same with their wooden rustic look and bunting spread across the room. There were lots of people inside here, but if you come at off-times, there are tables.

Treats

They have a selection of treats like brownies, moffins (made with mochi), and other treats. You can’t go wrong with any of them as they are very well made. They are delicious and it’s just the right amount of sweetness to go with their drinks.

Matcha Latte

Their matcha lattes can be sweet or unsweetened, I went with the unsweetened kind as I don’t like to much sugar in my drinks. It was delicious and they did a very pretty latte art on top.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love this space. It’s so cozy and great for hanging out with friends. Their drinks and baked goods are delicious too. I’ll definitely be back.

We Rate Yama Cafe: 

Address:
2007 E Hastings Street, Vancouver

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Yama-Cafe-699753386865794/

Yama Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

L’Éclair de Génie Canada is Now Open in Vancouver

L’Éclair de Génie has officially opened their first location in Canada. It is located on Robson Street in Vancouver. L’Éclair de Génie is a pastry concept started by renowned chef Christophe Adam. Christophe has dedicated the last 14 years to creating a chic snacking version of the French pastry landmark, the éclair, and the store now offers over 250 flavours. L’Éclair de Génie is adored worldwide with 25 boutiques throughout France, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, and now here in Canada.

They specialize in eye-catching eclairs. There are also other treats and beverages here. I was invited for a sneak peek to try a few different items. Paris-trained, Vancouver-based local chef, Melanie Patricio is behind this magic to keep Christophe Adam’s concept to standard.

Vanille Framboise

This has vanilla cream, raspberry confit, fresh raspberries and white chocolate. Very refreshing with the raspberry on top.

Chocolat Grand Cru

This is filled with chocolate cream inside and topped with chocolate on top. Great for chocolate lovers.

Vanille Pecan

This is stuffed with vanilla cream and topped with caramelized pecans. I really like the vanilla cream in the centre and those crunchy pecans.

Framboise Passion

This is filled with passionfruit cream, raspberry confit and topped fresh raspberries and a passion fruit jelly.

Pistache Framboise

This eclair is stuffed with raspberry confit, then pistachio chantilly, fresh raspberries and roasted pistachios.

Caramel Beurre Salé

This has salted caramel and mascarpone cream. It’s really delicious and I love the shiny top to this eclair. One of my favourites.

Praline Noisette

This is stuffed with caramelized mascarpone cream, hazelnut praline and topped with caramelized hazelnuts. So good. I love the contrasting texture of the hazelnuts. I would recommend this too.

Matcha Bambou

This is stuffed with matcha cream and white chocolate. It has a sweet white chocolate that dominates the matcha.

Siroup D’erable

This is made just for their Canadian store and it is stuffed with maple cream and its surprisingly not that sweet at all. A good balance. On top, I <3 Vancouver is written on top.

Citron Yuzu

This has lemon yuzu cream inside and topped with crispy meringue dots.

Anastasia Tea

This is a blend of earl grey, lemon and orange blossom. You can also get this as a hot beverage too.

Detox

The detox is a blend of maté, green tea and lemon grass.

Cappuccino

If you want something a bit stronger, they have espresso-based beverages. I got a cappuccino with a strong espresso topped with light airy foam. Goes well with eclairs too.

Iced Caffé Latte

They also have iced cold espresso drinks too. With hotter days coming to Vancouver, a good iced beverage perfect for the Summer.                         

If you aren’t into eclairs, they also have pastries and chocolates.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the eclairs are delicious. They will costs you between$5.85 – $6.75 depending on which kind you get. The price point is good for a few bites of decadent eclairs. I’m really excited to see L’Éclair de Génie opening up in Vancouver and giving us a taste of Parisian eclairs by chef Christophe Adam.

We rate L’Éclair de Génie Canada: 

Address:
1210 Robson St, Vancouver

Website:
http://leclairdegenie.ca/

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In Bubble Tea

Shiny Tea: Bubble Tea Ice Cream in International Village

Shiny Tea inside International Village is serving up soft serve ice cream. They still have their classic milk teas and other drinks. After work, I came with a few friends to begin the long weekend and to enjoy some ice cream. It was close to the office, so we thought it would be great for a visit. It got busy later into the evening.

Interior

There are about 14 seat inside, so it’s not great for really large groups. But, the food court is a few steps away, so you can go there instead to sit and eat.

Soft Serve Ice Cream “Italian Gelato”

They have 2 flavours on rotation – Peach Mango Green Tea and their Sri Lankan Black Tea. You get 1 sauce and toppings are extra. The flavours change every week, but they usually have one tea-based flavour and a fruity one. They let you taste the flavours before you purchase, which is nice.

There is only one size, so it’s still good for individual consumption or sharing.

Yaaassss…condensed  milk.

I got the Sri Lankan Black Tea with white pearls, black pearls and condensed milk.

They did have suggested toppings and sauces, but I wasn’t feeling it, so I crafted my own and it turned out delicious.

My friend got the Peach Mango Green Tea with brown sugar honey and it was a bit on the sweet side.

Milk tea

There are lots of drinks on the menu to choose from, but my favourites are the milk teas.

My friend got the 3Q milk tea. It has black pearls, white pearls and coconut jelly.

Overall,

We Rate Shiny Tea: 

Address:
88 W Pender St,Unit 2113, Vancouver

Website:
http://www.shinytea.ca/

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In Dessert

Wild Sweets: Cocoa Bean To Chocolate Afternoon Tea

Wild Sweets just introduced their Cocoa Bean To Chocolate Afternoon Tea experience at their retail store in Richmond. The session lasts approximately 75 to 90-minutes and each guest is served a multi-course set menu of about 13 chocolate-based items for $39.99.

Chocolate Tea

You start off with their chocolate tea infusion made with whole cocoa beans and can potentially be aromatized with fresh elements like citrus zest. Their chocolate tea is delicious and quite unique.

Cucumber

Each bite is very interactive, so you get to play with your food and design how you want it to look like.

This dish has Cocoa nibs bread, Goat cheese gelée,  Pickled cucumber, Puffed peas crunch, and Mint oil.

Biscuit

The biscuit has Tuscany ham, Jarlsberg cheese, cocoa nibs & Kalamata dried figs. It is also served with Mustard oil, pickled red onions and Crème fraîche. The biscuit was pretty dry.

Coco-Air

This has Dark chocolate & hazelnut praliné ‘Air’,  Foamed Chantilly cream and Puffed rice crunch. I loved this item! I love porous the item is and the texture was awesome.

Egg Salad

Put this item together with Cocoa nibs bread,  Sous Vide egg shavings, crispy shallots, Salsa Verde and Chives oil. It was so cute and reminded me of a mini breakfast sandwich.

Interlude

The vials has a Citrus chocolate consommé with the Lemon Vodka and Semi-candied Kalamata olives. On the left, you have Olive Madeleine.

This definitely wasn’t for me.

Tomato

This has Cocoa nibs bread, Grape tomato confit, Pesto pulled Mozzarella, and 2 pieces of Crispy back bacon. It was delicious especially the back bacon.

Cream Puff

This has Textured pâte à choux,  Crispy praliné , Orange caramel compote,  Milk chocolate Chantilly, and Orange zest oil. It was absolutely delicious.

Cheese and Fruit

On the bottom, you have Biscuit sablé, Pear panna cotta, Pear vanilla bean confit, and a Crunchy cheese chip. It was ok, but that cheese chip was delicious.

Merveilleux

You will find Crispy meringue, Dark chocolate thin, White chocolate Chantilly, Caramel banana, and Almond banana crunch. A nice combination of textures.

Tarte

On the plate was a Almond streusel cookie, Créme brûlèe, Baked apple shavings, French Brandy mist and Apple chips crunch.

Scone

You will find a Chocolate & dried cherry scone, Red fruit confit, Crème fraîche Chantilly,  Kirsch mist, and Lemon zest oil. This was delicious as well.

Truffe du jour’ in vintage origin dark hot chocolate

This was a nice way of ending the meal.

Chocolates

A great way of ending the 13 course session with chocolates.

Final Thoughts

It was a fun interactive meal if you are looking for something different than the regular afternoon tea. The items I had will probably be different based on seasonality. For $39.99, it’s a good price and you’ll be full by the end of it.

We Rate Wild Sweets: 35rating

Address:
2145 – 12191 Hammersmith Way, Richmond, BC

Website:
http://dcduby.com/

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In Burnaby Central

Moment Dessert House: Cafe in Burnaby

Moment Dessert House is a another cafe in South Burnaby for coffee, tea and cakes. It is a bit hidden as it is just off Kingsway. I came on a weekend when all the other cafes in the area were super busy. We came here as it was a place we haven’t been to before and it wasn’t as busy.

Interior

There were white walls and then accents of wood all over the cafe. There are lots of tables to sit and chat with friends or study.

Apparently it’s exam time, so there were a few people studying here. Even though it was busy, there were always still tables available for smaller groups.

One odd thing we did notice is that we order up at the counter and we can pay later. I’m use to paying up front as its easy to forget to pay.

Coffee

Some coffee is a requirement when hanging with my friends. They had a coffee and an americano.

I got a cappuccino and it had lots of foam on top. I felt it was a bit on the weaker side with a bit too much milk under it.

Cake

Strawberry Chiffon Cake is what we had to share It wasn’t sweet, which makes it a great asian cake. It looks pretty but it was mostly whipped cream, cake and some strawberries. It was decent, but it was pricey for what it you get.

They also have other types of cakes written on the walls too if you want to know what they are. This place looks cute, but the coffee and cakes weren’t as memorable.

We Rate Moment Dessert House: 

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

Address:
7-4300 Kingsway, Burnaby

Moment Dessert House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Cactus Club Cafe: Lunch and Dessert in Coal Harbour

Cactus Club Cafe in Coal Harbour near the Vancouver Convention Centre is their most beautiful location. It’s always packed and has a great view if you reserve a table near their window overlooking Coal Harbour.

I came here for lunch with a few friends to food and of course dessert.

All the Cactus Club Cafe locations across Canada from April 4 – 10, they will be donating $1 from every dessert sold to Make a Wish Foundation. They help support children living with life threatening conditions. The Sweet Dreams Dessert week will be helping 13 year old Morgan to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with her family.

Rain Coast Greens

This has fresh greens, grilled chicken breast, avocado, tomatoes, feta, spicy pecans, cucumber, egg, and a lemon-thyme vinaigrette.

Baja Fish Tacos

It has beer battered ocean wise lingcod, shredded cabbage, chipotle aioli, fire roasted tomato salsa, pickled red onions, and jalapeño peppers. Instead of fries, I substituted it with a salad. This was a filling meal and the beer battered lingcod was a good size.

Grilled Tuna Club

This has ocean wise rare-seared albacore, tarragon tartar, bacon, cilantro, pickled ginger, and ciabatta. It is served with fries on the side.

Chicken Tacos

These have mexican-style braised chicken, avocado, lettuce, pickled radish, onions and jalapeños, feta, sour cream, cilantro, and sea salted fries. There are 3 tacos that come with this dish.

Key Lime Pie

Has lots of freshly squeezed key limes in the pie with a graham cracker crust and hand whipped cream. It was very good and had the right amount of tang.

Chocolate Lava Cake

The delicious molten dark chocolate cake is served with raspberry coulis, and tahitian vanilla ice cream.

This was my favourite dessert as it is so gooey and rich. It hits the spot for those chocolate lovers out there. We gobbled this up so quickly.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

The crunch bar is served with tahitian vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and a few crunchy chocolate pearls. It was pretty sweet and dense. It’s a very popular dessert, but I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole thing. Sharing is great with this dessert.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was a good lunch with friends and trying their different desserts. The food is solid and consistent.

We Rate Cactus Club: 

Address:
1085 Canada Place, Vancouver

Website:
https://www.cactusclubcafe.com

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In Commercial Drive / Grandview

77K Freeze: Nitrogen Ice Cream on Commercial Drive

77k Freeze is a new nitrogen ice cream shop that just opened on Commercial Drive. I came with a friend for a sneak peek of their shop before their grand opening. They are named after the low boiling point of liquid nitrogen – 77 Kelvins.

The owners, which are scientists discovered the joy of using liquid nitrogen to make frozen desserts while doing cryogenic experiments. They created a Cryogenic Control Unit to control the liquid nitrogen for making ice cream.

Interior

The interior is all white with snowflake decorations and blue accents to give the space a cool atmosphere.

There are seats out front, but they also have this lounge area that can be booked for events.

It’s great if you want to host an ice cream party or some gathering.

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

You can create your own ice cream selecting the base, flavours, toppings and sweeteners. Or, they also have a few creations of their own creations like Snowflake, Oh Canada, Blueberry Pine, and Vancouver Red Velvet.

When you choose what you want, they start mixing it up and thats when the liquid nitrogen works its magic.

I tried a few of their flavours but I really enjoyed the Oh Canada with the milk base, a bit of maple to sweeten it and it has crunchy bacon bits and poppy seeds. I loved the crunchy texture of the whole ice cream, but at $8 for their signature flavours, the price needs a bit of work as it’s very expensive compared to the other shops in town.

As they just opened, they have some kinks to work out, but hopefully with more customers giving feedback, they will improve.

Website:
http://www.77kfreeze.ca/

Address:
2240 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

77K Freeze Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Black Milk Water: Coffee Shop in Coquitlam

Black Milk Water Coffee and Dessert is a new cafe that opened up on North Road between Burnaby and Coquitlam. This cafe is located on the bottom floor hidden in the left corner of the plaza.

Interior

The interior has an industrial look to it with the cement, steel and wood textures. Lots of seats and the space is quite open.

It wasn’t too busy here, so it was easy to find a seat in the middle of the day on a weekend.

Matcha Frapp

Matcha Frapps come in a plastic cup, but if you want it in a glass jar, you can ask them ahead of time.

The matcha frapp was good and a great treat. Very cold, but it is a bit icy once you drink most of the liquid.

Duo Cups

They have these duo cups where you can have 2 different iced coffees. I had a iced vanilla latte and mocha. When you need 2 boosts of caffeine, this is for you.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino hit the spot and it’s made with Timbertrain coffee beans. A taste of the downtown coffee shop in the subburbs.

Final Thoughts

It’s a pretty solid coffee shop, but their dessert selection could be a bit larger. With other desserts and coffee shops in the same plaza, there’s definitely some competition. I find that most coffee shops are super crowded on the weekends, so if you are looking for an alternative, this might be the place for you.

We Rate Black Milk Water: 

Address:
4501 N Road, Burnaby

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

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In Cafe

Temper: Pastries, Desserts, and Hot Chocolate in West Vancouver

Temper Chocolate & Pastry is located in West Vancouver in the Dundarave neighbourhood. Owner and chef, Steven Hodge grew up in this neighbourhood and decided to put his years of experience to use by opening up his own shop. He has a plethora of experience working with world renowned restaurants.

Foodgressing brought me along to give a few of their delicious treats a try. I couldn’t say no as I have a little sweet tooth.

Interior

Their interior has beautiful marble on their counters and wood surrounding the shop. Very sleek, modern and beautiful.

In their display cases are their pastries, cakes, chocolates, sandwiches, and other sweet and savoury treats.

Individual Desserts

We started off with a few desserts. All the desserts looked really good, so it was hard decide where start. Some of these have large full cake sizes available.

Coconut Lime Tart

The tart has a coconut mousse, lime curd, chocolate coconut dacquoise on an almond sable crust. Very beautiful tart with it nice colour. The crust was crisp and I love the tartness from the lime curd.

Mango Caramel

I love the look of this cake as it has a galaxy-look to the exterior. I liked the combination of mango and caramel.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake

All those layers of chocolate ganache cake and buttercream. It is even topped with a but a gold flakes.

Cheesy Bite

Cheesy Bite was one of my favourite items here. It’s so cheesy and I am so in love with this item. I would definitely get this again.

Hot Chocolate

They are also participating in the Hot Chocolate Festival until February 14th. They have 3 different types of hot chocolate available:

  • Smoking Bullet
  • Princess and the Frog
  • Memoirs of a Geisha

 Memoirs of a Geisha

It has Valrhona white chocolate blended with raspberry matcha. It is also served with a matcha shortbread cookie. The chocolate with dried raspberries that sits on top of the hot chocolate. I love the contrast between the raspberries and matcha. Very nice combination.

Princess and the Frog

This uses Valrhona milk chocolate steamed with pistachio butter. It is served with a rose macaron. This hot chocolate is slightly more traditional and has the rich body of a hot chocolate with the subtle hints of pistachio.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it was great to discover another awesome cafe in our city. We are definitely very lucky to have such talented pastry chefs in Vancouver. If you’re in the area, definitely stop by for a coffee, cake or pastry.

We rate Temper Pastry:

Address:
2409 Marine Drive, West Vancouver

Website:
http://www.temperpastry.com/

Temper Chocolate & Pastry Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Cafe

Trees Organic Coffee & Roasting House: Cheese Cake in Vancouver

Trees Coffee is also known as Trees Organic that is popular for their cheese cakes. I came here with my mother in law over the holidays for some coffee and cheese cake. It was on her list of places to hit up while it town, so we just had to have an afternoon coffee and share a slice of cheese cake.

Coffee

I got a cappuccino while my mother in law had a mocha. Both very delicious and go very well with cheesecake.

Cheesecake

The Sin is their Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake made with real Belgian chocolate and sour cherries.

The texture of the cheesecake was dense, but very delicious. The consistency was smooth and we really liked it.

A nice treat for the afternoon. Perfect for us to take a break, enjoy some coffee and cheesecake.

We Rate Trees Coffee:

Address:
1598 W Broadway, Vancouver

Website:
http://treescoffee.com/

Tree's Organic Coffee Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Brunch

Cacao 70: Chocolate Brunch in the West End

Cacao 70 is a new restaurant in the West End in Downtown Vancouver serving up decadent chocolate treats for brunch or even late into the evening. They have other locations across Canada in Ontario, Montreal and Quebec.

We were invited to come try their brunch items as well as other things on their menu.

Interior

There are a lot of tables that can accommodate small to large groups.

Beverages

Moka has espresso with semi-sweet Cacao 70 classic hot chocolate. You can also get it with milk or dark chocolate.

American-style Hot Chocolate is Cacao 70’s classic hot chocolate served with marshmallows and drizzled with melting chocolate You can have it drizzled with milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate.

A great item to get for hot chocolate lovers or kids.

Drinking Chocolate

You can get varying degrees of drinking chocolate on their menu. The chocolate is pretty rich and you can add an alcohol shot for a few dollars extra.

Europa Pressed Crepe Sandwiches

Europa Pressed Crepe Sandwiches has ham, swiss cheese, and a Parisienne sauce. It is served with a green salad on the side. One of the better items on the savoury brunch menu.

Meat Lover Omelet

Meat Lover Omelet has 3 eggs cooked with bacon, ham, Italian sausage, folded over a layer of melted cheddar cheese. You get a side of potatoes, whole-wheat toast, and fresh fruits and melted chocolates. It was big and full of food, but it didn’t taste amazing.

Crepe Morning Crepe Special – Spinach and Egg

Spinach and Egg Crepe Morning Crepe Special comes with 2 fried eggs with a buckwheat base French style crêpe stuffed with baby spinach and feta cheese. It is also served with fruit and melted chocolate. The crêpe was very bland and needed more feta and some salt.

Illegal Chocolate Waffle

Illegal Chocolate Waffle has a classic waffle topped with pure melted milk Belgian chocolate, milk chocolate shavings, caramelized bananas, crunchy chocolate wafer balls, melted chocolate and whipped cream on the side.

Marshmallow Chocolate Pizza

Chocolate Marshmallow Pizza has a warm pizza crust topped with melted chocolate chunks and roasted marshmallows. It is then served with strawberries, bananas and melted chocolate on the side.

It is a fun item to share with friends and super decadent, but you can really only eat so much of this. The first few bites were good but then once I finished a slice, I didn’t want anymore.

Grilled Marshmallows

Grilled Marshmallows comes with graham crackers, bananas, peanut butter sauce, whipped cream and 5 marshmallows for roasting.

What a fun item to eat with friends. It’s easy to burn the marshmallows, so hold it further away from the flame as it’s pretty powerful. S’mores is super delicious and fun to make.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are a few misses in their savoury brunch menu, but a lot of people come here for the chocolate. Where else can you indulge yourself in everything sweet and chocolaty.

We Rate Cacao 70: 

Address:
1047 Denman Street, Vancouver

Website:
https://cacao70.ca/en/

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In Bakery

Honey Donuts: Sweet Treat in Deep Cove

Honey Donuts is a popular spot in Deep Cove to indulge on their donuts and coffee. They serve up home cooked and freshly prepared wholesome food.

The small beautiful village of Deep Cove is 20 minutes away from Vancouver and is popular for kayaking, paddle boarding, boating and of course hiking. The downside is that parking is super tough to find when it’s busy. Also, use debit cards or cash when coming here.

Interior

There are a decent amount of seats inside and outside, but if it’s raining, most people prefer a seat inside where its warm and dry.

We came here over the holidays and it seemed like most people at Deep Cove was here getting lunch.

All the coffee is self-serve. So, you pay at the counter and they serve yourself. Refills are not free.

Coffee and Donuts

We managed to find a seat quickly as another party just left. We had our donuts and coffee ready for our afternoon snack. There were 4 types of drip coffee available, but I just chose the Honey Blend.

Classic Donut was huge and had a light cake-like texture inside. It seemed like it was soaked in honey and I didn’t feel like it was too sweet.

Chocolate Donut is like their classic donut dipped in chocolate. M didn’t really like this as the texture of the donut wasn’t what he expected. Different texture than a traditional donut as it was a bit oilier.

Overall, it’s a nice place to have a snack in the afternoon. It is very popular, so it can get very very busy at peak hours.

We Rate Honey Donuts: 

Address:
4373 Gallant Avenue, North Vancouver

Website:
http://www.honeydoughnuts.com/

Honey Doughnuts and Goodies Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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In Bakery

Chez Christophe: Pastries, Sandwiches and Holiday Treats

Chez Christophe is located in North Burnaby and they recently moved locations to a larger venue. There’s more seating and a lot more treats to be had. Since I live pretty close by, I was invited with a few other bloggers to check out a few of their new holiday items as well as their other items on the menu.

Sweet Treats

They have lots of delicious treats at the counter. Small cakes to larger ones for parties.

Freshly baked pastries are in basket that fill the aroma of the shop.

Their decadent chocolates are lined row by row.

Behind the Scenes

There is a huge window where you can see Chez Christophe work on some of his chocolate sculptures. It’s pretty fascinating.

Holiday Showpieces

All sculptures are created onsite with their award-winning Swiss chocolate Carma, which is unique to Canada. The pieces are completely edible and consists of hollow chocolate in its entirety, airbrushed with cocoa butter.

Sliding Penguin was my favourite. He looks so cute with the little santa hat on.

Abstract Santa is bright a red just like the big man.

Holiday Bear is probably really popular with the kids.

Santa’s Boot is decorated with a few chocolate treats.

Large Acorn is pretty cool, there are hidden chocolates inside. All you need to do is crack it open.

Lunch Time

We sat down to enjoy a few of their items on their menu to give more of a more thorough review.

Hazelnut Pain au Chocolate was flakey on the outside with a lot of layers. There was a good amount of chocolate in the centre too.

Creme Salee was an interesting pastry. I didn’t like the crust, but the filling was like a delicious custard.

Croissant Sandwich was pretty good here if you want a savoury lunch crossed with their croissants. You have Irish ham, provolone, arugula and aioli in this. Simple but delicious.

Beef Brisket Multigrain Croissant was put in a panini press, so the exterior. The grilled onions, mustard and that flavourful brisket was even better than the croissant sandwich.

Kalamansi Chocolate Tart has a bright orange centre covered in 70% dark chocolate ganache.

Paris-Brest has a choux pastry with almond hazelnut praline buttercream and kalamansi gel. I wasn’t a fan of the tart kalamansi gel.

Chocolate Bar Trio has:

  • Honey Ganache and Gingerbread Caramel
  • Eggnog Ganache and Marzipan
  • Mandarin ganache and Mandarin Jelly

He also has macarons at the store too. I didn’t end up trying these as I was so full eating all the other things here.

Hot Chocolate was really good and rich. They also topped it off with cocoa that is shaped like a heart.

Overall, a few good items to pick up at Chez Christophe. What they are best known for are the chocolates and some pastries.

We Rate Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie: 

Address:
4717 Hastings St
Burnaby, BC

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

Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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