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有香 Sweet Memory Dessert 甜點輕食 in Richmond

February 24, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Richmond is a hotspot for Asian dessert cafes and 有香 Sweet Memory Dessert 甜點輕食 is one that specializes in Taiwanese desserts. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because they are the sister restaurant of Sweet Memory Corner, an award-winning restaurant on Three Road that serves authentic Taiwanese cuisine. After having a media dinner at Beijiang Restaurant, a group of us decided to finish off the evening on a sweeter note. We ventured across the street to Sweet Memory Dessert – a recommendation by Picky Diner.

Disclosure: None of the food and drinks in this review were complimentary. This review is done anonymously. Opinions are my own.

Retro Charming Interior

The interior of Sweet Memory Dessert exudes a Taiwanese retro charm with overhanging red lanterns, concrete covered brick walls, and vintage posters. It felt very much like an old Chinese Village setting where people are dining al fresco. For seating, there are many 2 – 4 people wooden tables with wooden stools.

Sweet Memory Dessert Menu

For dessert options, Sweet Memory offers Tofu Pudding Dessert, Traditional Shaved Ice, Grass Jelly, Coffee Jelly, Jasmine Jelly and more. They also have a wide selection of Bubble Tea Drinks including Milk Tea, Slushies, Milk Caps and so forth. Aside from desserts, they also have savoury Taiwanese snacks like Taiwanese Meat Sauce on Rice, Pork Intestine Thin Noodles, Meat Ball in Rice Wrap and more. They accept cash for payment only.

I have compiled a pdf of their menu using menu photos posted on Facebook. To see the Sweet Memory Dessert menu, click here. Items and prices subject to change.

What We Tried

In general, the desserts and drinks seem reasonably priced and the quality seemed decent. Here’a look at what was ordered:

Passion fruit Shaved Ice($5.75)

We were surprised by the size of the shaved ice. It’s certainly a dessert that can be shared between two people. The shaved ice had a subtle milky flavour but the the passion fruit syrup was too sweet for my liking.

Tofu Pudding with Pearls ($5.25)

I found the house-made tofu very silky, smooth and delicate. The pearls were soft and smooth on the outside but gradually more chewy towards the centre. Very refreshing.

Tofu Pudding with Three Coloured Taro and Yam Balls ($6.50)

Pro Tip: Don’t panic! All the add-ons are hidden underneath the tofu.

Bubble Tea

Overall Impression of Sweet Memory Dessert

Sweet Memory Dessert seems like a popular place for simple yet refreshing Taiwanese desserts. Prices and portions were reasonable. I personally don’t really go for desserts that don’t have much of appeal in terms of presentation so I wouldn’t return to the cafe because of that. Rating: 3.5/5

Dinner recommendation in the same area, try Beijiang Restaurant. See review here.

有香 Sweet Memory Dessert 甜點輕食
Address: 130-8080 Leslie Rd, Richmond, BC
Facebook: Link‎

New Korean Dessert Cafe: Milk Cow Cafe

January 25, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly opened in Richmond is Milk Cow Cafe, a South Korean-based dessert cafe specializing in organic soft serve with creative toppings. Located within the Richmond Olympic Oval district, this is currently the only Canadian location for the Korean chain which has over 50 locations worldwide including USA, Australia, UAE and more. This store is owned and operated by two brothers which I found out after talking to one brother who was working at the time. I visited Milk Cow Cafe earlier today to try some of their soft serve offerings.

Note: None of the food in this review were complimentary. This review is done anonymously.

Milk Cow Cafe Menu

On the menu at Milk Cow are 12 options for organic soft serve ice cream. The Milky Way is their base soft serve with no toppings. All their desserts have the same natural milk organic soft serve but differ in toppings such as Cotton Candy, Jelly Beans, Apple Syrup, Chocolate Rocks and more. The soft serve are priced between $4.75 – $6.50. You can also order other toppings for an additional cost. Also available are espresso-based drinks made with organic coffee (like latte, cappuccino, macchiato and more). They currently accept cash or debit only.

In terms of process, the desserts are assembled on order. The soft serve itself is dispensed from a machine. The Cotton Candy is also made to order.

Minimal, Modern Interior

Milk Cow’s location in Richmond is modern, clean but minimal with a few small dining tables. I liked that they have self-serve water pitchers for customers.

What I Tried

Going in with my family, we tried two soft serves: the Santorini and the Milky Cube.

The Santorini

The Santorini with its vibrant blue hues and whimsical cotton candy on the side is probably the most Instagrammable of all their offerings. The owner mentioned to me that it is on the sweeter side so I asked him to tone down the amount of syrup (just like I do at Starbucks). This soft serve came with Oreo Crumble, Tropical Blue Syrup, Pistachio Crumble and Cotton Candy.

To start, Milk Cow’s organic soft serve was very good. I enjoyed its smooth and creamy nature although the taste seemed more like milk powder to me than regular milk. I usually assume that syrups that look “unnatural” probably taste very artificial but the Tropical Blue Syrup wasn’t too bad. The Pistachio Crumble was perhaps too fine as I thought the pistachio taste didn’t really come through. I’d probably prefer some large pistachio pieces instead of a crumble.

The Cotton Candy was a worthy attempt but I think 720 Sweets does it better with their Cloud 9 dessert. I think they give out more Cotton Candy which results in a thicker product that looks better in terms presentation. The one from Milk Cow seemed a bit “weak.”

Milky Cube

A more simple option that we tried was the Milky Cube which had a Natural Honeycomb on the side. In terms of taste, I thought that this one was more natural tasting and hence better in my opinion. The honeycomb was a nice touch as it had a beautiful honey taste and offered some fun sticky texture to the dessert.

Service

There was just one person (one of the owners) who was working the front and he was taking orders and making the desserts. There was a bit of a wait as a result but perhaps things will move more quickly when they hire more staff (they are hiring by the way!).

Overall Impression

The toppings from the Santorini didn’t really add any excitement for me in terms of flavour and presentation. However, I really enjoyed Milk Cow’s organic soft serve and would have it again on its own or with some honey. Prices seemed more or less OK for what you get. Rating: 3.5/5

Milk Cow Cafe
Address: 105-5668 Hollybridge Way, Richmond, British Columbia
Website: ‎https://milkcowcafe.ca

New Vancouver Dessert Spot: ZenQ Marine Drive

January 12, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

There’s a new reason to head to Marine Gateway to satisfy your sweet tooth craving. Originating from Taiwan, ZenQ is an international dessert chain that specializes in Taiwanese desserts and they opened their second Metro Vancouver location at 95 SW Marine Drive. The other location in operation is in Port Coquitlam and upcoming restaurants are planned for Richmond and Burnaby. At ZenQ, you’ll find a range of sweet offerings ranging from their signature collagen-riched grass jelly series to glutinous rice desserts and shaved ice series. I recently visited ZenQ ahead of their official Grand Opening. Here’s a look at what you can expect from this new dessert stop.

Disclosure: I was invited to a media tasting. All food and drinks were complimentary. Opinions are my own.

Modern & Shiny

The interior of the new ZenQ location is modern, shiny and clean with a few dining tables. The setup is good for grab-and-go and small group while the space would be less accommodating for larger groups.

ZenQ Menu

On the menu at ZenQ are a variety of Taiwanese-style drinks and desserts. Drink series include ZenQ Tea Time Collection (like Original Milk Tea and Wintermelon Tea); Handmade Tea (like Jasmine, Black and Blue Mountain Green); and Special Drinks (like Grass Jelly Latte and Mango Refresher). For desserts, there are Tofu Puddings, Grass Jellys, Creamy Frappes, Royal Sweet Soups, Black Glutinous Rice, Hot Grass Jelly and Waffles. Additional toppings are available at an extra charge.

What I Tried

Drinks

ZenQ is Chatime’s sister brand so you can expect similar flavour and quality for drinks. I tried three of their drinks: the ZenQ Milk Tea with Grass Jelly ($5.00), Original Milk Tea with Pearl ($5), and Oreo Cocoa Diamond ($5.30). For milk teas, the strength of the tea flavour and the texture of the jellys/pearls were on point. The grass jelly was soft yet firm and slightly sweetened. The pearls were soft and smooth on the outside but gradually more chewy towards the centre. The Oreo Cocoa Diamond was a chocolaty-slushy type of drink that was interesting the first couple of sips but perhaps too indulgent to finish in one sitting.

Desserts

Waffles are made-to-order at ZenQ and I tried their Matcha Red bean Waffle ($7.90). The waffles were perfectly crispy on the outside, light and tender on the inside and were topped with a sprinkle of icing sugar. The red beans came in a ramekin and were slightly sweetened. The green tea flavour for the dessert came from the ice cream while the waffle was plain.

For a soft and smooth dessert, there was also the Tofu Pudding with sweet potato, peanuts, Q balls and pearls ($8.40). The quality of the ingredients were pretty good starting with the tofu pudding being silky; the peanuts being crunchy; the Q balls and pearls being chewy but soft on the inside; and the sweet potato being soft and sweet. Check out the video on how they put this dish together.

@zenqbc @zenqvancouver dessert cafe now open in Vancouver! A sister brand to @chatimebc @zenqvancouver specializes in ‘Q’ balls and grass jelly while serving Taiwanese desserts/drinks. ——— 🍴Hot ZenQ Grass Jelly 📍495 SW Marine Drive Dr, Vancouver BC 🇨🇦 #Foodgressing #Media #ChineseBites @chinesebites . #vancouverfood #goodeats #yvreats #lovefood #noleftovers #forkyeah #thrillist #zenq #vancouverfoodblogger #videography #instayum #videos #foodie #foodvideo #vancouver #besteats #myfab5 #thedailybite #igvideo #foodpornshare #cheatdayeats #foodandwine #chatime #yahoofood #eater #yvr

A post shared by FOODGRESSING.COM | Areta (@foodgressing) on Jan 5, 2018 at 4:20pm PST

One of the desserts that was recommended to me was the Taro Creamy Frappe with Q balls and vanilla ice cream ($9.70). The shaved ice had quite a prominent taro flavour which was impressive. Below is a video of how the dessert is assembled.

Overall Impression of ZenQ Marine Drive

In general, I enjoyed the desserts and drinks that I tried at ZenQ Marine Drive. I found more appreciation for them after I watched them be assembled by staff. The desserts were nicely satisfying without being too indulging as they were not too sweet. The staff seemed to pay a lot of attention to how they put together the desserts so they might take a bit of time for your order. My favourite was the Taro Creamy Frappe but I would order all three desserts that I tried again. As for drinks, the milk teas were conservative but solid choices. Rating: 4/5

ZenQ Marine Drive
Address: 495 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC
Website: ‎http://zenqbc.com/

House Made Chocolates & Macarons by CinCin

December 11, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

CinCin is one long-standing restaurant in Vancouver serving upscale Italian dishes, handmade pasta along with an extensive wine menu. But in case you want to take a bit of the dining experience home after a delightful meal at CinCin, you might consider one of their delectable Take Home dessert boxes. Last week, I attended a small media gathering at CinCin and at the end we were presented with box full of goodies prepared by CinCin’s Pastry Chef, Lewis Birch.

Our box contained a variety of housemade sweets including Passionfruit Jelly, Peppermint Bonbon (pink and white), Lime and Mint Bonbon (dark green), Raspberry Truffle and Brandy Truffle. There were also some very unique macaron flavours: Duck Fat Caramel (blue), Orange and Clove (orange), Pecan and Black Truffle (white). While all the treats were very tasty, it was love at first bite with the Orange and Clove macaron. I absolutely loved the mild citrusy flavour.

For more information in CinCin, visit cincin.net.

Where to Find Rainbow Cake in Vancouver

November 5, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

One of my fun eats from the summer was a Rainbow Layer Cake from Tartine Bakery on Davie in Vancouver. This cake was created to celebrate Vancouver Pride 2017. It had 6 layers (purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red) and sprinkles on top and on the side. It was not overly sweet, light, fluffy and delicious!

Note: None of the cakes in this post were complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Tartine Bakery
Address: 1069 Davie St and 770 Beach Ave, Vancouver, BC
Facebook: www.tartine.ca/‎

Another place that sells Rainbow Cake is Stuart’s on Granville Island. I believe Stuart’s created these for Vancouver Pride but kept them on the regular menu as they had become so popular.

Stuart’s Bakery
Address: 1689 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC
Facebook: www.facebook.com/www.stuartsgranvillemarket.ca/‎

L’Eclair De Genie Halloween Eclair Tasting Party

November 2, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

This past week, L’Eclair De Genie on Robson held a Halloween Eclair Tasting Party. This ticketed event featured tastings of 10 eclair flavours plus 3 special eclairs with your choice of champagne or any of their new French teas. Chef Christophe Adam, who was in Vancouver for just 24 hours, was in attendance as the special guest.

Our tasting menu included Chantilly Fraise, Cheesecake Mangue, Vanille Pecan, Yuzu and more. The eclair that stood out to me the most was the Day of the Dead designed Maple Cream eclair. I’m a fan of Day of the Dead art so this particular eclair appealed to me. And of course, the Maple Cream was delicious, not too decadent and fresh tasting.

Black Ice Cream Now Available in Vancouver

August 13, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

What is this summer’s hottest food trend you might ask? Black ice cream! Yes, black ice cream and all it’s Instagram-worthiness is all the rage. Yaletown nitrogen ice cream maker, Mister, is the first to bring black ice cream to Vancouver.

Disclosure: None of the food in this review was complimentary by the business. Thanks Maggi (vieamaggi.com) for the treat!

How it is Made

The flavour is actually black Coconut Ash ice cream and it is made from pieces of coconut that have been burnt and then ground into a fine, edible activated charcoal powder. The activated charcoal is then mixed with coconut bits, coconut milk and cream. The flavour also comes in a vegan variety which uses coconut milk instead of dairy. To complement the black ice cream, Mister has created a black waffle cone that is coloured black from coconut ash activated charcoal.

How does it taste?

I found the primary flavour of the ice cream to be coconut. It was ultra refreshing and not overly sweet at all. As for the texture, the ice cream was smooth and creamy due to the liquid nitrogen process. I didn’t find any dominant flavours with the black waffle cone; it tasted like a standard waffle flavour at best. A cautionary note: you will get a black tongue from eating the ice cream.

Bottom Line

I have quite enjoyed many of Mister’s products and the Coconut Ash flavour is probably now one of my favourites. If only they would make it as a pint as I would gladly take it home. I recommend trying the Coconut Ash flavour while supplies last.

Made by Mister
Address: 1141 Mainland Street, Vancouver BC
Facebook: www.madebymister.com

New Korean Dessert Cafe in East Van: My Frosty

August 12, 2017 by foodgressing 1 Comment

‘Tis the season for shaved ice desserts and a new Korean dessert cafe opened in East Vancouver a few months ago. New to the dessert scene is My Frosty which specializes in shaved ice dessert or bingsoo (also known as “patbingsu” or “bingsu”). Looking to cool off from a warm summer day, I visited My Frosty with my family to try a few of their desserts.

Disclosure: None of the food in this review was complimentary. The review was done anonymously.

Modern, Clean & Welcoming

My Frosty is located on the second level of First Avenue Marketplace (East 1st and Renfrew). The interior of My Frosty seemed modern, clean and bright. There are tables to accommodate groups of 2 or more and even a sofa.

My Frosty Menu

My Frosty offers bingsoo in single ($7-$10)or full sizes ($10-$13). Flavours offered include mango, strawberry, blueberry, red bean, injeolmi (rice cake), cookies and choco. They also have brick toast, fresh ade, coffee and tea available.

What We Tried

We ordered a single Choco bingsoo ($10) as well as a single Mango bingsoo ($10). For both desserts, the shaved ice was textured as well as light and fluffy. There were cornflakes at the bottom which added a pleasant crunchy texture. I thought the portions were very reasonable for the price and two people could easily share a single size.

The Choco bingsoo had a few different toppings include Twix bars, brownie bites, vanilla ice cream and a chocolate bar with marshmallows and chocolate drizzle. I thought the brownie bites were pretty good being soft and not overly sweet. Twix is not really a favourite of mine and I didn’t want to eat the marshmallow bar either. But otherwise, the Choco bingsoo was satisfying and I would have it again.

The Mango bingsoo didn’t disappoint and had a good amount of mango pieces. The mango was reasonably sweet and not too tart. The dessert also came with a scoop of ice cream and two Pocky (?) sticks.

I ran into Maggi (vieamaggi.com) who had also decided to visit My Frosty coincidentally. I sampled a bit of her Strawberry bingsoo and thought it was pretty good. I prefer mango flavour personally but for a fresh fruit bingsoo the strawberry version was OK. The strawberry one came with two chocolate Pocky sticks.

Overall Impression of My Frosty

I thought the bingsoos served at My Frosty were well-priced, had reasonable portions of shaved iced versus other ingredients, and were generally satisfying. It was a solid experience and I would return to their cafe to try other desserts or just order the same ones. Rating: 4/5

My Frosty
Address: 220 2800 E1st ave, Vancouver, BC
Facebook: @MyFrosty

First Look: La Glace Ice Cream in Vancouver

August 3, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

There is no stopping to Vancouver’s love for artisanal ice cream. Opening this Friday, August 4th is Vancouver’s newest and most romantic ice cream parlour, La Glace Ice Cream. Founded by pastry chef Mark Tagulao, La Glace started out three years ago as a pop-up ice cream cart for special events with clients like Holt Renfrew and Williams-Sonoma. Now at its bricks and mortar location at 2785 West 16th Ave (16th and Macdonald), La Glace is an elegant ice cream parlour and salon de thé serving ice cream and pastries meticulously handcrafted in the French method. I was invited to their media event this week. Here’s a look at what you can expect at La Glace Ice Cream.

Disclosure: All food in this review was complimentary. Opinions are my own.

Video Recap

Here’s a recap of the tasty treats doled out at the media event.

La Glace Ice Cream Menu

On the menu at La Glace is premium French ice cream with dreamy flavours like Cafe à La Lavande (coffee cream with lavender); Chocolat à la Menthe (mint ice cream and dark chocolate flecks); Matcha Noir (green tea cream with black sesame swirl) and more. La Glace ice cream is made in the French method with cream, egg yolks, and sugar using minimal aeration.

The parlour is also vegan-friendly with speciality vegan flavours made with house-made cashew milk or coconut milk. made with house-made cashew milk or coconut milk. Vegan flavours include Coco Pandan (pandan infused coconut cream); Chocohuète (peanut butter and dark chocolate flecks); and Chocolat à la Menthe (mint cream and dark chocolate flecks). Customers can enjoy a single scoop ($5.50), two ($7.50) or three ($8.50). Vegan flavours are an extra ($0.50) and waffle cones are ($1.50).

For an even more elevated experience, La Glace has a selection of parfaits topped with seasonal local fruit and house-made marshmallows and meringues. Delightful pastry pairings will include regularly rotating flavours of cookies, macarons, and profiteroles. Parfaits range between $9 – $12.

Elegant Interior

Designed by Arithmetic, La Glace’s interior space was inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Deco eras. The space incorporates elements such as brass, marble, a curved bar and, most of all, the colour mint the nostalgia of those eras of art. The custom banquette and hand-painted gold-leafed mural integrating Chinoiserie elements with the La Glace mascots—a pair of peacocks—add Paris-inspired elegance to this space.

What I Tried

At the media event, I tried a variety of their flavours including Ganache (dark Valrhona Chocolate), Crème de la Crème (vanilla bean), Pretzel Crémeux (sweet and salty pretzel cream), Matcha Noir (green tea cream with black sesame swirl), and Cafe à La Lavande (coffee cream with lavender), and Vegan Coco Pandan (pandan infused coconut cream). I was enthralled by rich and ultra creamy style of La Glace’s premium French ice cream; it’s a melt-in-your-mouth sort of deliciousness that soothes your palate. The ice creams were not overly sweet with elevated flavours, richness, eye-yolkiness if you will and creativeness to match the overall elegant experience. Stand-outs to me were the Pretzel Crémeux with a beautiful balance of sweet and saltiness and the heavenly flavours of the Vegan Coco Pandan (I highly recommend it).

I also sampled the Gourmandise parfait which has 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 1 scoop chocolate, chocolate ganache, Valrhona chocolate chips, feuilletine and topped with fresh whipped cream.

I enjoyed one of their affogatos featuring a scoop of vanilla ice cream doused in espresso and grated tonka. Very delicious with a lovely balance of espresso and vanilla flavours.

And to make the ice cream extra Instagram-worthy, La Glace has a variety of toppings like puffed rice infused with pandan, hibiscus, marshmallows and meringue kisses. I can attest to the deliciousness of the marshmallows and meringues.

Overall Impression of La Glace Ice Cream

The neighbourhood looks to have embraced the opening of La Glace Ice Cream and rightfully so. Their French-style ice cream is certainly worth the drive from wherever you are and their elegant atmosphere makes it a lovely place to gather with friends and family. La Glace has certainly got me lingering for more.

La Glace Ice Cream
Address: 2785 W 16th Ave, Vancouver, BC
Website: www.laglace.ca

The Praguery Food Truck Serves Chimney Cakes

July 16, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

A new food truck on the Vancouver scene is The Praguery which specializes in fresh-baked Chimney Cakes inspired by the popular Czech dessert “trdelnik.” Though new in food truck form, The Praguery could previously be seen at the Panda Night Market (now Illumination Summer Night Market). The owner and operator of The Praguery is Jaroslav Mestka. Originally from Prague, he moved to Vancouver in 2014 and decided to share the deliciousness of Chimney Cakes – a favorite childhood treat – with the Vancouver community. I was recently invited to try out to try out their Chimney Cake and based the line-ups it seems other foodies are enthused about them as well.

Disclosure: All of the food in this review was complimentary. Opinions are my own.

The Praguery Menu

The Praguery currently offers summer-inspired Prague’s Cones which are cinnamon and sugar coated cones, with sweet inside coatings, and then topped with vanilla soft-serve. Prague’s Cones are $9-$10 each and are available in Chocolate, Strawberry or Original. Also on the menu are Chimney Cakes with cinnamon and sugar coating or with shredded almonds (both $7). Compared to the cones, the Chimney Cakes are hollow. Optional fillings include Nutella and lemon curd. Vegan items are clearly labeled.

The truck smells amazing as you pass by it. It’s because all the Chimney Cakes are made-to-order and freshly at the truck. Their dough is vegan-friendly and made from scratch every morning using quality, local ingredients so it always has a home-style taste. It is then wrapped around a wooden cylinder and baked rotisserie-style. While I was standing in line, I could see the process in which the cakes are made.

The cakes are so fresh and hot that sometimes you need to wait as they need to cool down before being served.

For the Prague’s cones, the soft serve is dispensed from a machine.

I had a Chocolate Prague cone which had Nutella coating on the inside, cinnamon and sugar coating on the outside, vanilla soft serve and chocolate sauce drizzle. The dough was lemon-flavoured and was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The vanilla soft serve was standard but complimented the chimney cone well.

Overall Impression

I thought that The Praguery’s Prague Cone was a fun, Instagrammable treat that’s great for cooling off from the summer heat. I think there is a lot of potential and I’d like to see more daring and creative flavours in the future. I also found their setup for making and baking the dough right inside the food truck very impressive. To find out where The Praguery will be located next, visit the Street Food App. Rating: 3.5/5

Website: www.praguery.com

Retro Charming Interior

Sweet Memory Dessert Menu

What We Tried

Passion fruit Shaved Ice($5.75)

Tofu Pudding with Pearls ($5.25)

Tofu Pudding with Three Coloured Taro and Yam Balls ($6.50)

Bubble Tea

Overall Impression of Sweet Memory Dessert

Milk Cow Cafe Menu

Minimal, Modern Interior

What I Tried

The Santorini

Milky Cube

Service

Overall Impression

Modern & Shiny

ZenQ Menu

What I Tried

Drinks

Desserts

Overall Impression of ZenQ Marine Drive

How it is Made

How does it taste?

Bottom Line

Modern, Clean & Welcoming

My Frosty Menu

What We Tried

Overall Impression of My Frosty

Video Recap

La Glace Ice Cream Menu

Elegant Interior

What I Tried

Overall Impression of La Glace Ice Cream

The Praguery Menu

Overall Impression

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