Meloty-Late-worthy "lunch" ;)

I know I know...it's been a (long) while since my last post. Reason? Very simple-because I have a bunch of tests/exams every week! But how could I waste the one-and-only Halloween sitting in front of a pile of numbers (ahem. calculus, to be precise.)?

So I first started my Halloween with a late lunch. I mean really late, like 2pm. Why so late? It's not because I woke up at 1pm or studied till 1-2am last night, no no no. So...why? I met up with EU and she suggested Meloty in Richmond.

I am no stranger to Meloty. I think it is probably the only "high-tea" place in Richmond. I have tried Secret Garden at Kerrisdale before (posts here and here) and I really like it. Honestly, who doesn't love hightea? ;D It is always great to sit down with friends, enjoying savoury and sweet goodies, and spend almost the whole day at a restaurant. So I have no reason not to give Meloty a try...

Elysian Coffee

VANCOUVERRR! This is one of the long-lost posts that are "supposed" to be posted this summer. This summer I got to go to a lot of different cafes that I've always to try, or actually I should say I will like to try any cafes that have wifi. Why? Because one of my summer vacay habits was to bring my laptop wherever I go. Aha, good memories, good memories ;)

So here it is, Elysian Coffee. It will definitely be one of my favourite cafes so far.

Bojangles Cafe in Yaletown-Seaview & Coffee

I was in Yaletown one late afternoon. When I planned to make a left turn to the Skytrain Station, the sparkling seaside just caught my sight right away. The weather was hot like crazy, but walking along the seaside was what people do during summer, right? So I changed my direction, headed to Pacfic Blvd...

There were A LOT of people when I got there; sitting outside the coffee shops, taking their dogs for a walk, cycling on the bikes, taking pictures of the wonderful seaside...As I continued to walk along the seaside, I saw Bojangles Cafe, which I've tried to look for it for a couple of times. Though I was not hungry/thirsty at all, I still decided to go in and take a look.

Arbutus Coffee-Cafe + House?

There's one small cafe caught my sight every time when I was going to W 4th Ave/Kitsilano. Its old, cottage-like outlook always seems fascinating to me. Then I told myself, I must come someday, not necessarily for their food and coffee...but definitely for their setting ;P

I woke up early one day (as usual) and felt like going for breakfast. Since I also planned to spend my day at Kitsilano that day, I decided to find a relaxing cafe there and grab a quick breakfast. Wait...Kitsilano? Isn't there a coffee shop I've always wanted to try?

So, here I came, the long-waiting Arbutus Coffee.

New Town Bakery & Restaurant-Red Bean Bun Battle Cont'd #6

Finally. I've finally finished taking all the photos I need for this post. The first time when I decided to take some final shots of their steamed buns, I couldn't wait after I got the buns and started to put them into my mouth. The second time, I successfully took the photos, but deleted them by accident. Now, these photos are here. I can finally review on one of the best and one of my favourite bakeries in town :)

To read my previous reviews on other Red Bean Buns I've tried, click here (it also has all the links to other reviews).

Red Bean Bun Battle Cont'd #5

It's gettin' there, it's gettin' there. I think this Red Bean Bun Battle is going to an end soon. I want to try as many bakeries as possible before I (officially) start my summer vacation: a trip to Hong Kong.

These are the previous reviews of all the Red Bean Bun I have tried:
Maxim's at Richmond Centre-Red Bean Bun Battle #1
Red Bean Bun Battle #2 (La Patisserie, Michele Cake Shop, Wheat Garden Bakery, Langley Farm Market Bakery)
Red Bean Bun Battle #3 (Castle Cake Shop, Kam Do Restaurant & Bakery, Pine House Bakery at Parket Place, Regent Bakery)
Red Bean Bun Battle #4 (De Fresh Bakery at Empire Supermarket, Saint Germain Bakery at Aberdeen Centre)

So, here we go again! :) The first stop is the well-known Yaohan Centre.

Cafe In at Kerrisdale

Sometimes I will like to spend the entire day sitting in a cafe and relax. Or I will finish running errands in the morning, then spend the rest of the day in a cafe. I've tried once last week at Michi Waffle & Espresso Bar (To see my previous visit, please click here), and this time, I decided to go to Kerrisdale, where has always been one of favourite places.

Instead of just walking along W 41st Ave, I went further this time. Until I saw Pastry Club Dessert Cafe and a hidden cafe, I stopped.

Red Bean Bun Battle Cont'd #4

The Red Bean Bun Battle is back! Actually I tried all these buns on the same day, but I just tried to post them separately :P To read my first three posts, pleases click here, here, and here.

In order to find the bakeries in Richmond, I, of course, rely on Urbanspoon. However, sometimes I discovered some unfamiliar bakeries that I have not heard of or seen before; De Fresh Bakery is one of the examples.

2010 Richmond Summer Night Market #2

Cont'd...

(To read my first post, please click here)

2010 Richmond Summer Night Market #1

Finally! Here comes my post of the Richmond Summer Night Market! Though it's already mid-July, I hope it's not too late for me to post all the stuff I've tried.

Bonchaz Bakery Cafe-Small buns? Yum.

I am no strange to Bonchaz and have always wanted to give it a try. Since I woke up a bit earlier this morning and felt like trying something new, I decided to take the skytrain to Waterfront and gave their little buns a try.

Red Bean Bun Battle Cont'd #3

After visiting the bakeries around Richmond Centre and Lansdowne (posts here and here), I moved forward to Alexandra Road, of course.

The first bakery I saw is Castle Cake Shop. My impression to it was from my sister's piano teacher, who once recommended my sister to try their buns. It was still early in the morning when I still arrived, so the shelves were reasonably empty. Just when I planned to leave, the owner said all the buns were ready in the kitchen; they just didn't have enough time to pack them individually. Yum, sounds fresh to me. So there I got my red bean bun (again)! ;)

Red Bean Bun Battle Cont'd #2

Right after I finished the buns from Maxim's, I went to the small mall next to the Brighouse Station (where Shanghai House Restaurant and New Town Bakery are), and got another red bean bun from La Patisserie.

Maxim's at Richmond Centre-Red Bean Bun Battle #1

I know this may sound silly because this "challenge" is all about red bean, a.k.a. the insignificant food you see after having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Yes I used hate red bean, but it has literally become one of favourite foods! Meanwhile, I have always wanted to try all (or most) bakeries in Richmond.

For that reason, I decide to merge these two things together, and turn it into a Red Bean Bun Challenge.

Your Dessert-From heaven to...disappointment

Last Sunday while having a wonderful lunch (as always) from Maple Castella (Past visits: here, here and here), EU spotted Your Dessert in the foodcourt. I've heard of it before but had never got the chance to try it. Given the fact that I'm a huge egg waffles fan, I decided to give it a try.

Ganache Patisserie-Ohh boy...♥

Again, happy birthday to me (even though I still haven't reached the legal age in Vancouver, haha). Oh, so how's your birthday some of you may ask. The simplest way to describe my pre-birthday celebration is: surprise surprise everywhere! I was mooorrrrre than pleased to see so many surprises going on last weekend :) Once again, EU has given me another unforgettable birthday.

Since my birthday was a monday, EU and I decided to start celebrating in the weekend. So, we ended up visiting different restaurants for lunches and dinners. Of course, some of my favourite restaurants were on our To-go list ;) One thing I didn't expect much was the cake. Yea, I know that sounds silly (because it's a birthday duh?), but honestly, I am not a dessert person (except for Chinese Red Bean/Green Bean Soup!).

Last sunday, I got home after dinner and, tried to calm down and get ready for my busy school work. Just when I thought everything was coming to an end, something appeared that had brought me back to the state of shock. Held by EU, smiling and saying "Happy Birthday!", it was just an ordinary paper box. Wait, I've seen that paper box somewhere before....Oh yes, it's from the well-known Ganache Patisserie.

Ganache Patisserie
1262 Homer StVancouver, BC

• Sun-Mon 11am-5pm Tue-Fri 11am-6pm Sat 11am-7pm
• Modern French pastries, chocolates, sweets, and cakes available
• One of the most well-known pastry shops in Vancouver
• Run by a Chinese pastry chef, Peter Fong
• Everything is hand-made at their Yaletown location
• Wedding cake services available

Matcha-Exotique-5.5/6

• Green tea mousse, mango-passionfruit gelée, lychees, and black sesame biscuit joconde

• It was nicely decorated with milk and white chocolates. EU and I decided to finish them before digging into the cake.

• The two layers of green tea mousse and black sesame biscuit joconde were clearly seen. I got really excited when EU was describing the cake; she KNOWS what I like ;)
• Just by looking at the black sesame biscuit joconde with those black sesame dots, I couldn't wait to give that a bite!

• The orange layer is the mango-passionfruit gelée, and the lychees are under it.
• I was surprised by the lychees because I seldom find a cake with lychees in it.
• Oh my, I just love the green tea mousse! It was very greentea-ish! Maybe some of you may find it a little bitter, but it tastes fine to me ;)
• I was also surprised by the black sesame biscuit joconde. At first, I thought it would be those heavy-tasting cake base; however, it turned out to be very light! I could taste the black sesame bits as well! I love it.
• The mango-passionfruit gelée was a bit sour in general, maybe because the other components were not too sweet, so its flavour stood out more.
• Overall, it is not a heavy cake. Most ingredients do not have a strong flavour, but is still able to satisfy your sweet tooth. Believe it or not, EU and I finished the ENTIRE CAKE! (Don't forget that we just finished dinner, haha :)

Japanese Waffle House-Ordinary name but surprising waffles

EU and I have been going to Burnaby Metrotown so often recently. However, we ususally go to Crystal Mall for lunch because they also offer a large variety of food and sometimes, we can discover something interesting, like this restaurant.

Chicco-Parfait time!

What's the best dessert place to end our dinner at Gyoza King? Yes, of course it's Chicco (which is one of their branches)! And it's right next to Gyoza King!

Hue Cafe

After having a Viet sub in Viet Sub at downtown, EU and I have been looking for the next Vietnamese restaurant to give their subs a try. There is a tiny Vietnamese cafe on No.3 Rd (near Jumbo Sushi) that has caught my sight for a couple time, but since I'm not a fan of Vietnamese food, I didn't really bother to try their food.

EU is having her final exams lately, so we decided to find a grab-and-go restaurant. The first thing that came to EU's mind was Hue Cafe.

Kolachy Co-Stuffed full of GOODNESS

EU has been praising how great Kolachy is after trying it two weeks ago. "OMG, their bread is simply awesomeeee! It's super soft! I'm not joking, you should definitely give it a try!"
Originally, we planned to go last Sunday; however, we phoned them and they said it's closed on sundays! Disappointed enough since I was pretty desperate to try their buns (but I try not to keep my hope too high after hearing EU's glorifying their bun), we ended up having Maple Castella,which is a wonderful choice, of course.

So finally, despite today's rainy day, we decided to go Kolachy Co and gave those lil' buns a bite!