55 Kingsway Street, Vancouver (Mount Pleasant)
Self-dubbed as "Vancouver's newest high tea", La Petite Cuillere is located on Kingsway just off of Main Street in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The space itself is very different on the outside, and quite unassuming if not for the telltale round sign with the drawing of a spoon on it (as 'la petite cuillere' means 'little spoon' in French). But once you walk in, it's almost as if every grandmother came together to design this space. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, though if you're afraid of floral print, this may not be the place for you. However, I found the whole space to be quite endearing. My sisters and I made a reservation and were seated right away at an old looking table in front of a very old looking cabinet that was filled with different floral-patterned china tea cup sets. This is probably one of my favourite parts of high tea - using the fine bone china! We each had the 'High Tea', which is $14.25 a person. This includes unlimited tea from their tea collection, two sandwiches, two sweets, and a scone complete with fruit preserves and Devonshire cream, all on the classic tiered tray. Our 'sandwiches' included a tuna salad tart and a salami, cheese and cucumber on foccacia bread, and the sweets was a miniature slice of cheesecake and a vanilla cake with lemon cream. Aside from the High Tea, we also got three macarons: an early grey, a black sesame, and a lemon flavoured one. The high tea items were not really spectacular though they all tasted great. My personal favourite was the cake: the lemon frosting was super light and not heavy like some cakes can be. The macarons were okay too, though I found them to be exceptionally chewy, which I am not used to. The entire high tea experience at La Petite Cuillere was great, and you can really tell that the family that owns it puts a lot of heart into what they do. Would recommend!
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1505 Robson Street, Vancouver (West End)
A popular Malaysian cafe franchise, PappaRoti opened its first North American store right here in Vancouver in the West End. Known for their famous coffee bun, this cute and spacious cafe is the perfect place for a sweet treat, whether with friends, with a date, or while studying on your own. I came here with Mateo and we both decided to go for their coffee buns, which are all $6.50 with the exception of "The Works" which is $8.50. I had the Maple Eh? bun with a Chai Latte and Mateo had the Strawberry Fields. Served on really cute wooden boards, the buns are technically perfect in every way, and they are remarkable: the light coffee fragance when you cut your fork through the soft pillowy texture and the presentation is really great. The Maple Eh? is the coffee bun topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce and maple syrup. I thought that iwas going to be a sugar heart attack but surprisingly, it was just the right aount of sweetness and not to sickly sweet. The coffee bun itself was amazing and I was really sad when it was finished! The Strawberry Fields is the coffee bun dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberries and a massive pile of whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. The picture above shows off my Maple Eh? bun - delicious, but unfortunately melted really quick resulting in a bit of a mess. While these coffee buns were amazing, I didn't care too much for the Chai Latte. It was ultimately flavourless, but topped with an obscene amount of cinnamon - so much so that I felt like I was taking part in the cinnamon challenge from a few years ago. I'm not sure if this was intentional or to compensate for the fact that the latte was tasteless, but overall there was too much cinnamon to the point where I choked a vew times because some powder flew down my throat a little too quickly. Latte art was neither expected or necessary, but a really poor job was done probably because of the amount of cinnamon that was on the latte itself. If only PappaRoti wasn't so out of the way, I would go there everyday to study. They offer free WiFi and the place, despite its popularity, is very quiet. I know that I would probably gain a lot of weight going there all the time and having a coffee bun every time, so it's probably for the best. However, great coffee buns - but stay away from the Chai latte. Of course this is not reflective of their wide selection of drinks - I have no doubt that their other drinks are a little better. Finally, if you are stopping by and aren't feeling a coffee bun, PappaRoti has a few pre-packed savoury options for you to choose from, as well as other gluten free treats like brownies and Nanaimo bars. They also serve the famous Vancouver based The Lemon Square in house. 534 W Pender Street, Vancouver (Gastown)
I finally got to try Cartem's Donuts for real this time. Not as a passer by or as a guest in a donut tasting event - I got to sit down and try their donuts, have their coffee, and enjoy the atmosphere. I had been in this Cartem's previously for a donut tasting event, but today I had wandered in with Mateo so that we could enjoy some warm coffee and a sweet donut along with it, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Cartem's is a very popular place that has a wide selection of donut offerings, and I was really glad that the store wasn't super busy and that we got a table to chill out at. I love the vibe of the store and everything about it. I had gotten a mocha along with a Earl Grey donut, which was a yeast donut that was glazed in this Earl Grey glaze and sprinkled what looked to be rose petal bits on them. It was a delicious donut, although cakier than those at 49th Parallel & Lucky's. However, it wasn't super sweet and it was amazing, and the mocha complimented it quite nicely. Mateo had a Strawberry Daiquiri donut with a London Fog. While we enjoyed our hot drinks and donuts, there was also a Scrabble board for us to play. I genuinely love the idea of having board games in restaurants, as it offers a different way of socializing and kind of forces you to put your phone aside and focus on not just the game, but the company and friends that you are with. It was a great game (that I ended up winning), and my victory was extra sweet with the donut! Cartem's also has another location on Main Street (2190 Main St.), and both offer lots of great activities from arts and crafts to open mics, which adds another layer of cool to it's already cool vibe. I'm a fan! 501 North Road, Coquitlam
In the corner of a tiny restaurant complex on North Road sits Choco Coo Cafe, a dessert cafe whose tiny signage says that they sell Belgian pastries and delicious cakes. I came across Choco Coo on Instagram, and was immediately drawn in by the aesthetic photos of delicate and delicious looking cakes. Flavours like chocolate and matcha were coming through the screen, and I knew immediately that I wanted to try it for myself. So I finally went, with my two friends. In retrospect, I may have overhyped it for myself, but let's just say that the word "underwhelmed" comes to mind. The restaurant is clean, open and incredibly aesthetic. There was a clear case that showed off its beautiful cakes that looked every bit as delicious as they did online. However, what surprised me was the fact that there were only four tables and a bar that could seat 5 people. And all of the tables were occupied by people who were finished their desserts and also brought their homework with them. I appreciate places that let their patrons stay as long as they want; however, it was clear that the workers at Choco Coo wanted these people out so that more people (like my friends and I) could come in. When we finally did get a spot, my friends and I shared a red velvet cake and a Oreo cheesecake. The cakes were good, and just as aesthetic as they looked on Instagram, but at the end of the day, they didn't wow me as much as I thought they would. At the same time, I had watched people walk in and out, hoping to get a seat but giving up and leaving. I don't really have any suggestions on how to get a table - it's either be patient or just try your luck. The slogan that rests on the wood block wall says "Life elsewhere, life in Choco Coo." You may be better off going elsewhere. 32 Water Street, Vancouver (Gastown)
After months of curiosity and walking past it many times, I finally got to experience the mystery that is Mosquito with Elaine. A dessert and champagne bar that is open from Wednesday to Sunday, this upscale and minimalist alcove is the epitome of romance and luxury. Since it was February, it seemed like most of the parties there that night were either on a date or on a "I have Valentine's day" protest with their girlfriends. The drink menu was pricey for a broke student, but since I was in a once in a blue moon 'treat yo-self' mood, I decided to go for a champagne cocktail and paired that with their Matcha Green Tea and Guava Opera - a fancy name for a very minimalist, Masterchef presentation-esque dessert plate. If you're looking to really woo your special somebody, look no further than Mosquito. Just make sure you don't go on a Monday or Tuesday and that you have an extra padded wallet. Sorry for the poor quality photos :( super romantic places tend to be incredibly dark and candlelit! 25 Alexander Street, Vancouver (Gastown)
Soft serve is taking over Vancouver! Soft and creamy ice cream on a waffle cone has always been one of my favourite treats, so it's awesome to see it making a comeback! One of these new soft serve places, Soft Peaks in Gastown, boasts organic soft serve ice cream with premium toppings such as local honeycomb and Australian TimTams, The flavour of the soft serve is very creamy and milky tasting - really milky. But with the various toppings and syrups, the various ice cream mixes have cute names such as Salty Himalayan (soft serve topped with Himalayan Pink Salt) and Sunrise in California (Sweet and Sour Yuzu marmalade on the Soft Peaks signature twist). A cute little shop that is right in the heart of Gastown, the soft serve combinations offered at Soft Peaks will take on a different adventure with every bite and each flavour. And new this summer - they have milkshakes available in original and chocolate! Just remember, though, Soft Peaks is not open on Tuesdays! (I made that mistake this summer haha...) 245 Union St. Vancouver (Chinatown)
Creme brulee has always been one of my favourite desserts, and when I heard about this creme brulee place on Union Street close by another foodie adventure place, I knew that it was a sign to take advantage of it. Crackle Creme is a quaint place with that is filled with character, sweet smells and a lot of passion. The creator and owner of Crackle Creme, Daniel Wong, opened the store just over a year ago, specializing in flavoured creme brulee but also serving Liege waffles, affogato and other secret menu items that can be found on Instagram. Naturally, I had to try the creme brulee - earl grey for myself and salted caramel for Marinelle. There were a host of other flavours including butterscotch bourbon to Tahitian vanilla to mango passion fruit. Watching the creme brulee being torched before my eyes was definitely an experience - and hearing my spoon crack through into the cream was something else entirely, hence the name "crackle creme". I think that i will definitely try out the Liege waffles next time, but the creme brulee was a great treat! Follow Crackle Creme on Instagram for secret menu items, and pick up a punch card on your way out! 1703 Robson St, Vancouver
Waffles are now more than breakfast foods and can be eaten with more than just syrup. Nero Belgian Waffle Bar on Robson Street is a petite little stand with a cozy interior and delicious smells of Belgian and Liege waffles made fresh to order. The waffles from Nero are definitely good ways to treat yourself. With different options and combinations and the choice of toppings either on Belgian or Liege waffles, Warm and fresh waffles with fruit and cool cream and ice cream on top made for a very delicious dessert. Despite it's popularity, Nero only has one waffle bar on Robson, making it very crowded during peak hours. The other little problem with Nero's location is how far away it is from the skytrain, so it's a bit of a walk if you don't want to get on the bus. When Eleanor and I went, we definitely lucked out and got a place to sit down and thoroughly enjoy our waffles. Even with the long waits, I have been told many times before that Nero Belgian Waffle Bar is definitely worth it, and I'm here to affirm that and definitely encourage other people to go check it out!
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