MISS VANCOUVER PIGGY
After having dinner at Shanghai House, we headed to Mango Yummy to try their Mango Sago for the Chinese Restaurant Awards. Like many dessert restaurants, Mango Yummy is fairly small restaurant and the seating arrangements are cramped. There are a couple of tables and a few chairs outside for when the weather permits however.
Blossom Teas is situated in a residential area in North Burnaby, next to Mountain Shadow Pub. Most people only know of Blossom Teas if they live in North Burnaby or by word of mouth. The bubble tea establishment offers an extensive menu from real fruit smoothies, ice cream and yogurt shakes, ice shave, coffee and tea lattes to dessert.
The atmosphere at Blossom Teas is very homey and non-rushed (although the place was not busy when we arrived). There is a fair amount of tables, a sofa, and even a couple of Japanese dart machines. The only reason I chose to visit Blossom Teas is because they offer shaved frozen yogurt! I am not a fan of shaved ice at all because shaved milk/snow ice is way better. Way. Better!
Every time I pass by Pekoe Tea Lounge on the corner of West Broadway and Laurel street, the words "home made gourmet pies" scream to me. Literally. Every. Single. Time. So after literally half a year of contemplating whether I should make the visit, I finally decided to make a move and juggled a few things around my schedule.
When I walked in, it was fairly awkward because the cashier and manager were standing behind the counter but no one greeted me. The staff were not even talking to each other, just literally staring at me. So after greeting the staff myself, I ordered a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of pie. When I finished ordering, the barista mumbled "it will take a while because I have to…", have to what?! 
My sister was surprised to hear from me and more ecstatic when she found out I would be visiting her at work. But little does she know, the only reason is because I wanted her to come with me to ManCakes LOL. I do like visiting her at work occasionally though because the building reminds me of the show Suits, but their Harvey Specter is already married and has a family. Back to the cupcakes… there are a few cupcake speciality stores in Vancouver, where the most known business is Cupcakes by Heather and Lori.
As for ManCakes however, I consider their cupcakes "gourmet". From the quality and consistency to the fun and innovate flavours, ManCakes does not offer basic cupcakes such as yellow, carrot cake or chocolate topped with a variety of buttercream icings. Instead, ManCakes provides a variety of basic bases with the addition of a filling and then the buttercream icing. The filling is what makes a big difference for me because I can easily bake cupcakes at home, but how often will I bother making a filling if I am short on time? Let alone unique fillings such as theirs!
With regards to the name ManCakes, the story behind the business is that three gentleman friends united to make boring and overly sweet cupcakes fun, unique and better. The store is small but spacious, and there are comfortable seating arrangements along with a few stool seats facing the window for people watching. ManCakes is also known for their DeathWish coffee, which is 200% stronger than any other on the market. I do not drink coffee but probably should have tried it, just for the heck of it on my three visits.
A few weeks ago, Baguette & Co kept popping up on my Instagram feed so I figured I must have been missing out. There are currently four locations (Davie Street, Kitsilano, Main Street and Marine Drive) and the patisserie offers fresh pastries as well as dessert. The cafe also offers mini sized pastries ($1.25/each or 3/$2.95) and dessert ($1.50/each or 3/$4.00) which provide an opportunity to sample a bit of everything before deciding on a whole size purchase.
I came here on two separate occasions because my first visit was nothing special so I wanted to give Baguette & Co another try. There are around five tables in the cafe and the seating arrangements are not too tight. A self serve station is also set up where cocoa, honey, cutlery and water is available.
As C'est la vie a Maggi and I were about to go our separate ways after a short food date, I shamelessly mentioned that we have to make another stop because I was not satisfied. I needed to kill a craving for something delicious in order for my stomach to feel full, so we searched the available eateries in Chinatown. And as it turns out, The Pie Shoppe has been on my wish list without me even knowing!
The Pie Shoppe is run by two ladies, who I presume are sisters because of an overheard phone call of one saying, "I love you too, mom!" as the other lady was about to end the call. The small shop serves housemade and fresh pies daily, with a focus on locally sourced and seasonal fruit. The pies are also made on site!
When we walked in, we headed straight towards the pie display. There are no tags in the display because the selection can change daily so a chalkboard menu is conveniently located high up and at the back of the shop. Our our visit, the selection included Caramel Apple, Chocolate Pecan, Rashberry Rubarb and Blueberry Apple Crumble. The prices range from $5.00-$7.00 per slice and $20.00-$30.00 as a whole.
After getting our pies, we grabbed the only table that was available. I will admit, I was a bit uneasy having the pie here rather than to go because the interior does not look very clean. Maggi calls this the "grungy" atmosphere however, and is supposedly sort of popular nowadays… But to me, the decor resembles a thrift store. There are stained stools and the atmosphere is not my cup of tea. I even felt uncomfortable with the idea of sitting on the stools too and preferred a seat on the short wooden coffee table, which I confirmed if I could sit on just in case it broke LOL.
Crackle Creme is a one man operated dessert shop that is located in Chinatown, serving creme brûlée and waffles. I only know of Crackle Creme because a few months ago, photos from the dessert shop were popping up on my Instagram feed almost every day! I was more interested in trying their waffles than the creme brûlée though. So after finishing up at The Fish Counter with C'est la vie a Maggi, we decided to make a dessert stop and headed to Crackle Creme.
The interior of Crackle Creme looks clean, tidy as well as simple, and the space is properly maximized. There are seating arrangements along the walls and a few seats outside of the shop. During our visit in the middle of the afternoon, the shop was not busy so fortunately we had no issues grabbing a seat. If the shop is full however, Crackle Creme offers creme brûlée to go in disposable tin cups.
On our visit, the flavours of creme brûlée included Bailey's, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Cream of Earl Grey, Salted Caramel, Black Sesame, Pandan Coconut and Durian. In addition, there was some sort of event(?) that the shop created more flavours for which included Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Matcha Green Tea, Ferrero Rocher, Honey Lavender, Lemon Basil, Guinness Espresso, Maple Topped with Walnuts, Bourbon Butter and Chai Tea. Basically, there is a large variety of flavours available! 
Belgium Place is one of the newer cafes that serves authentic liege waffles; the ones with pearl crystals throughout the dough which caramelizes the exterior and results in a nice golden color. Walking in, one of the cashiers was having lunch and he immediately got up to greet us and take our order. We were very pleased with his friendliness along with his patience as we browsed through the four screen television menu.
The cafe is very spacious and there is a fair amount of seating arrangements along with a few patio seats. I like the spaciousness because during busier times, both the ordering and picking up line ups would not be cramped. There is nothing worse than bumping and nudging the next person beside you when in a long line up!
Other than waffles, Belgium Place offers croissants, quiches, panini and baguette sandwiches. About the waffles though, there are sweet as well as savoury choices and everything is housemade. There is also a choice of almond, chocolate, as well as chocolate and almond waffles for those who want to skip on the plain ones.
As for the accompaniments, there are fruit compotes which include apple, apricot, blueberry and strawberry. On top of that, gelato (vanilla or chocolate), sauce (chocolate, caramel, maple syrup) and caramelized nuts (almond or walnuts) are also available as toppings.
Frappe Bliss is one of the very few (as in perhaps less than five) dessert shops in Vancouver that offers shaved milk rather than ice shave. Shaved milk originated from Taiwan and has a very light, fluffy and feathery texture. There are plenty of flavours such as mango, matcha, milk, strawberry and peanut, compared to a generic "snow cone" which is just plain ice.
The thing is, the service here is disgusting. On a rainy day with no customers, we walked up to a miserable looking owner who did not even bother saying "hello" or acknowledging us. I am always more understanding if a business is busy and the staff is tired out, but when there is not one single person in line? And it is the owners? If it was not for our craving, we would have walked away. On top of that, the presentation is sloppy, the ingredients are not fresh and she even tossed the bill along with the stamp card at us. Who does that? When is there ever a need to toss something? Oh yeah, the price ain't cheap.
Zestea is a bubble tea restaurant and the newest addition to join the Lonsdale strip in North Vancouver. The restaurant offers both Belgium and Hong Kong style bubble waffles, bubble tea, fresh fruit juice, milk and yogurt smoothies as well as slushes. Walking in, the waitress asked if we were looking for something to go or for here. For those grabbing take out, there is a menu posted at the counter.
The restaurant is newly renovated, clean, looks bright and has a welcoming atmosphere. There are comfortable seating arrangements and although another table could have been squeezed in (which would be too tight), I am glad the restaurant chose not to. Also, there are a few seats outside as well. As for the service, the people here are friendly. Every one of them.
Qoola is a Canadian frozen yogurt franchise and there are over ten locations in B.C. The frozen yogurt stands are usually located in shopping centres and are completely self serve.
Consumers select their choice(s) of frozen yogurt along with toppings and have control of the portion. This year, Qoola launched an organic selection and the flavours on my visit includes banana split, blood orange passionfruit, green tea, peach lychee, vanilla, lemon, original and blackberry. Asides from frozen yogurt, Qoola offers smoothies, "Q2GO" take home froyo or sorbet, and waffles.
There are plenty of popular bakeries that offer cake, tarts, pies, macarons etc. However, Tarts Bakery specializes in only tarts. The bakery is located on West Broadway in Vancouver and is founded by two sisters who share the passion of baking.
Walking in on a weekday afternoon, the store was empty and the owner sat by the counter. As I approached the display of tarts, she immediately stood up but did not say a word. So to break the silence, I mentioned I was browsing in case I was keeping her from something. However, my weak attempt to break the silence did not work because she did not say a word to me and I felt even more awkward. Perhaps I should have asked her about the tarts...
Tarts Bakery offers mini tartlets which is a great way to sample all the flavours and runs from $1.75 to $1.85, or 3 for $4.95. As for the regular sized tarts, the prices range from $4.98 to $5.95. In addition, soup, salad, cold drinks and hot drinks such as tea, coffee, along with hot chocolate are available.
I went for the raspberry macaroon as well as the lemon tart, which is when the owner broke the silence and asked if I wanted to select a third because one tart costs $1.75. At the time, I was not sure how much I was saving but decided why not? So rather than going for the chocolate mousse for a variety, I played it safe and chose something I would like, the butter pecan.
This where my OCD kicks in. For a business to declare themselves as two sisters who share the passion of starting a business and creating a product because the quality or selection was not what either of them craved for, I expected an inviting atmosphere and a cute dainty interior (the shop is cute though). But instead, I walk into an unenthusiastic owner and the sink as well as the preparation area was filled with dirty plates. I even felt guilty for being the cause of her having to wash the dishes because I ordered my meal for here rather than to go.
I have a question; in general, are customers allowed to sample ice cream or gelato? Before, as in just up to half a year ago, I never asked for samples because I was shy. In addition, even when offered, I would decline! I just have this weird tendency to feel obligated to purchase something just because I have a sample. But, after purchasing many flavours before and sometimes not really enjoying a few, occasionally I like to ask for samples. Well, more like wait for someone to ask for a sample and follow LOL.
Having said that, I was wondering if Timothy's even allows samples? When I asked to sample the pistachio gelato, the cashier seemed very annoyed and almost rolled his eyes. Also, there was no one else behind us at the time. Perhaps because there was a small line up earlier on? Anyway, as if his negative attitude was not uncomfortable enough, the sample was the size of only two corn niblets (no exaggeration) so I really did not understand what the big deal was. Furthermore, BF never asks for samples and if he does not like the flavour, he tosses the food out which I find very wasteful. So, I asked him to grab a sample this time. When it was his turn, the cashier snapped. 
His face changed to what I did not know could even be more unfriendly, he let out a loud sigh and said, "just to let you guys know I can't give you anymore samples, thats it." At the time, I felt guilty like I shoplifted or did something wrong and was startled; so I played it safe, ordered a blackberry yogurt and got the heck out of there. Fortunately, we left there fast because someone else came up behind us and we did not want to annoy the cashier even more. I even hesitated to go back for a spoon or napkin! Geezus. As for BF, he went to an ice cream truck nearby because he was not happy with the customer service here.
Whole Foods has a gelato bar? How come I never noticed? After receiving strict rules from a friend to not grab a snack before meeting her for dinner because my “snacks” are usually a meal, I decided to try out some gelato before grocery shopping. The gelato comes from the Salt Spring Island and is completely organic.
The available flavours are maple, hazelnut, vanilla bean, strawberry and cream, as well as chocolate bliss. Before ordering, I sampled the maple and found the gelato to be extremely sweet, to the point that I did not want to finish the sample. The cashier was not very surprised and mentioned all the flavours are pretty much sweet and pointed towards the trash for me to toss the sample out. So, feeling obligated to purchase something because I asked for a sample, I went for the hazelnut along with the vanilla bean.
After finishing our donairs and grabbing my freshly tuned up bicycle, we cycled to UBC and headed back to Kitsilano. About the tune up, I was pretty pissed and not happy. Denman Bike Shop has disappointed me more than once and with their rude customer service every single time, I am done with them. For my tune up, the shop did not even check my brakes and adjusted my seat four inches higher than what it was originally. Furthermore, when I mentioned my brakes still screeched, the owner/manager's response was "did you tell us?". Uhh… what is a bike tune up then? So they did not even check the brakes at all? My brakes were pretty bad and even with the slightest use of them, they caused a loud screech. 
When the bike shop did end up adjusting my brakes, they did a crap job. The brakes were crooked and pressed against the tire, which I was too dumb to realize until after an hour of riding. At a professional bike shop? From mentioning they will give me a call when my bike is ready (which they never did!), my seat changed and not adjusted back, and plain messing up my brakes, why support this business? This was not even during a busy time too! I am always more understanding if a business is busy, but when it is not? Seriously? Note - this is only for the location on Denman, I have never been to the shop on Main Street but I hope the staff are certainly friendlier and do not make careless mistakes. The brakes are a goddamn main component of a bike.
After having to cut our ride short because of my brakes, we cycled through Kitsilano and decided to try out Aphrodite's Organic Cafe and Pie Shop. The cafe has an organized, colourful and easy to read chalkboard menu. There are generic cafe offerings such as drinks, sandwiches, pot pies, quiche and puddings. As for the highlight, there is a separate chalkboard menu for Aphrodite's organic pies and quiches!
Whaaaat unlimited mix ins at Marble Slab? For one price? After grabbing lunch at Five Guys, we headed a few doors down for some ice cream. Walking in, there was no one in site which I did not mind since I took the opportunity to snap some photos without any weird stares.
Marble Slab is a chain restaurant that serves ice cream, ice cream cakes, milkshakes, malts, smoothies, ice cream soda and floats. Furthermore, there is a variety of mix ins to be added to any ice cream. 
While dropping by Safeway at Kensington Plaza, there happened to be a birthday celebration for Cobs Bread. What did that mean? Free ice cream from Rocky Point!
The available flavours were salted caramel, mint flake, espresso flake, rocky point road, maple walnut, cotton candy, vanilla as well as strawberry, and a sorbet such as mixed berry. Furthermore, there was a special flavour which was made especially for Cobs, lemon blueberry scone.
Tre Galli Gelato Caffe is located at the River Market in New Westminster Quay, and after an unpleasant meal at Re-Up, we headed across to the shop. I believe this is the only gelato shop in New West too. The prices include tax and are $3.50/child, $4.10/single, $5.15/double and $6.50/triple. Furthermore, there are take home containers available as well. Some of the flavours include amaretto, passion fruit, chocolate chip mint, blood orange, stracciatella, lemon, french vanilla, pear, kiwi lime, greek yogurt, blueberry, banana chocolate chip, pineapple, black sesame, panna cotta and tiramisu.
Before grabbing some gelato, we came here for a frappe while having a meal at Re-Up. Surprisingly, despite sitting right in front of the caffe with no line up (at the moment), the male cashier dropped our drink to the other side (presumably where the drink pick up area is) without mentioning it to us. Comparing the customer service to Re-Up, it was pretty… not welcoming or friendly. 
When heading back to the car after having dinner at Noma, I noticed a little cafe that serves ice cream from Island Farms. Mattu's Coffee & Tea is located in Willoughby Town Centre which is not to be confused with Willowbrook Centre (although they have a location there as well), and is the coffee shops' second location. 
The cafe not only offers coffee, but tea, frappes, milkshakes and alcoholic beverages as well such as beer, coolers, and martini. Asides from the drinks, the cafe offers generic goodies such as soup, pastries (lemon, cranberry, apple crumble, triple berry and date bars), quiche and biscotti. In addition, there is even a heart shaped Barbie cookie! Although I am not sure if the baked goodies are housemade. 
