Dessert Archives | Page 3 of 16

EAT! Vancouver: EAT! Pastry 2018 Event Recap

November 14, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

The sugar high was real from attending this year’s EAT! Vancouver EAT! Pastry event. 15 award-winning pastry chefs and chocolatiers from Vancouver and beyond, including guest chefs Brett Roy from Sweet Lollapalooza of Edmonton, and Patrice Demers from Patrice Patissier of Montreal were featured at the event. Proceeds from this event supported Project CHEF, an elementary school educational program focused on healthy food and cooking.

Here are just some of the treats I managed to forage at the event for the photo above:

Patrice Demers (Patrice Patissier): black sesame seed financier, araguani and coffee ganache
Julian Helman (Karat Chocolate): ganache and caramel filled chocolates
Steve Hodge (Temper Chocolate Pastry): charcoal pavlova with passion fruit cremeux
Nicolas Botomisy (Valrhona): dark chocolate and pear dessert
Adam Chandler (Beta5): apple pie cream puffs
Rebecca Chen (Ancora): dark chocolate tasting trio
Jeffry Kahle (Fairmont Pacific Rim): mini raspberry cake bar
Betty Hung (Beaucoup Bakery): mini almond chocolate croissant, coconut citrus passionfruit macaron
Glenn Knowles (Gem Chocolates): “P2” chocolate: passion fruit + peach ganache
Brett Roy (Sweet Lollapalooza): Asian-citrus inspired chocolate bonbons
Ricardo Rosas (Faubourg): lavender and earl grey mousse, almond cake, strawberry and vanilla glaze; dark chocolate cremeux, blackberry gelee, sable breton, and chocolate mirror glaze
Wayne Kozinko (Hawksworth): chocolate raspberry savarin; caramelized honey apple financier; bonbons
Eddy Yee (Pinnacle Hotel): vegan pumpkin hazelnut cheesecake, macadamia white chocolate truffle, coconut caramel, pumpkin jelly
Mark Burton (PICA): smoke milk chocolate budino with candied walnuts and fleur de sel

Homestyle Pumpkin Pie by M&M Food Market

November 14, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Do you like hot or cold pie better? I pulled out my M&M Food Market homestyle pumpkin pie from the freezer and let it thaw at room temp for 3 hours. Made some fresh whipped cream and voila, pumpkin pie delight! The other way would be to make from frozen and eat with a side of ice cream. Either way would still be delish!

Disclosure: I received a media kit from M&M Food Market.

The M&M Homestyle Pumpkin Pie has a very rich flavour where you can taste the spices. The filling is very smooth and has just enough sweetness to balance some spice. The crust is also very nicely buttery and flaky. You can find out more about it here.

Find out How to host a Friendsgiving: Tips, Tricks, Meal Ideas

How to host a Friendsgiving: Tips, Tricks, Meal Ideas

Rememberance Day Poppyseed Macarons

November 11, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Lest we forget…remembering and honouring our heroes. I went into Faubourg Bakery this morning to pick up a few limited edition poppyseed macarons. Faubourg is donating $1 for every poppyseed macaron sold this weekend to Royal Canadian Legion. They were available on November 10 and 11th only.

Lavender Cakes & Lattes at Faubourg Bakery

August 7, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

New this summer for a limited time only at Faubourg is their line of lavender flavoured treats. I had previously enjoyed some of the items at a media event. This time around, a friend and I met up for an afternoon date at their Park Royal location to try the full-size versions of some of their lavender cakes.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. None of the food and drinks were complimentary. This review is done anonymously.

faubourg bakery vancouver: lavender cake and lattes

Blueberry Earl Grey Lavender Operette ($6.60)

This pastry was a blueberry sponge cake with caramel biscuit crunch and an Earl Grey lavender ganache. I loved the textural contrast from the caramel biscuit. It was a nicely complex and tasty with blueberry, caramel and lavender flavours.

Lavender Latte + Lavender Macaron

The lavender latte was very smooth and had a nice lavender flavour (without tasting like soap). We also tried their lavender macaron which was perfect as usual. It had a meringue-like texture with an eggshell-like outer crust.

Pastry of the Month ($6.95)

The highlight was the pastry of the month: lavender honey sage mousse, strawberry gelee, lavender sponge cake with a vanilla glaze. It was a beautifully crafted treat that was complex with different layers: the cake layer was at the bottom; the strawberry gelee was in the middle and the mousse was the outer layer. Very moist and not overly rich yet very satisfying.

I recommend giving Faubourg’s lavender items a try before they are gone. To find out what else is available, visit my post here.

The lavender treats are available at all Faubourg locations:

Downtown: 769 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC
Kerrisdale: 2156 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC
Park Royal: 792 Main Street, Park Royal, West Vancouver, BC
Le Café: 175-628 East Kent South Avenue, Vancouver, BC=

Dream Pops: Vegan, 3D Printed Ice Cream Popsicles

July 26, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

On my trip to Los Angeles, I took the opportunity to try out Dream Pops: vegan, 3D printed ice cream popsicles that have been an Instagram sensation. Starbucks was offering Dream Pops as part of a special collaboration at select locations in LA and I visited the Third Street Promenade store in Santa Monica to try them out.

Note: This post is not sponsored. This review was done anonymously.

What are Dream Pops?

Dream Pops were created out of an LA startup and they are plant-based ice cream popsicles that are made with fruit and superfoods (depends on the flavour). Geared towards the health conscious, Dream Pops are coconut-milk based and are dairy, gluten and soy free. They are under 100 calories with no artificial additives or stabilizers. Their futuristic shape comes from being made out of 3D printed molds and apparently their design has an ergonomic touch to prevent sticky fingers. In addition, their recipes were developed in collaboration with a three-star Michelin chef. Quite the story for a clean, plant-based popsicle!

Starbucks Kiosks

Inside Starbucks, a Dream Pops kiosk was set up at the back of the store. You can select the Dream Pop(s) you want and pay at the front.

Dream Pops Flavours

At the time of my visit, the following flavours were available: Berry Dreams, Chocolate Lion, Coconut Latte, and Vanilla Matcha. Priced at $3.95.

The popsicles were individually wrapped and came in colourful packages with geometric patterns on the front.

What I Tried

The Vanilla Matcha ran out so I went with two other flavours: the Berry Dreams and Coconut Latte.

To start, I quite enjoyed the creamy consistency of the pops. The Berry Dreams is essentially a fruit medley (strawberry, raspberry, passionfruit) and had a texture quite like a sorbet. It had a very nice sweet and tangy flavour. The Coconut Latte was very smooth and tasted just like a coffee with coconut milk.

Dream Pops at Starbucks

Dream Pops are now available at five Starbucks locations in the greater Los Angeles area from 2 -5 pm until Oct. 5. The five LA locations selling Dream Pops are at La Brea and 4th, Melrose and Stanley, Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, Wilshire and Santa Monica, and San Vincente and Barrington.

Overall Impression

I general, I liked the concept and novelty behind Dream Pops as a clean, plant-based treat with a futuristic twist. It seems an ideal collaboration for Starbucks as they tap into the health-conscious market with products that are guilt-free but also have an aesthetic appeal. I enjoyed the flavours of the popsicles and would definitely love to have them again. In terms of pricing, they are a bit of a premium compared to a “cheap” popsicle due to the ingredients and unique process behind making them. Rating: 4/5

Newly Opened: Castella Cheesecake on Robson St

July 10, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

If you love Japanese cheesecake and tarts, you’ll be excited to know that there is a new purveyor in Downtown Vancouver. Castella Cheesecake opened up for business last Friday at 1190 Robson Street. I was in the neighbourhood today and stumbled upon Castella as I was walking by. Here’s a look at what Castella Cheesecake is offering.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. None of the food in this review were complimentary.

Castella Cheesecake Menu

Castella offers both Japanese-style souffle cheesecakes ($10.85) and cheese tarts ($3.25 each or $15 for 6). They also have a few beverage options including Nitro Cold Brew ($3.65), Iced Cold Brew with Sweet Mousse ($3.25) and Fresh Fruit Tea ($3.85). They also offer the perfect summer treat: cheesecake with ice cream which is $5.65 regularly but only $2 from 1 – 3 pm.

I noticed the nitro cold brew on tap at the counter.

Cheesecake Boxes

The cheesecakes come in branded boxes. The store does not offer plastic bags in order to be ecofriendly.

Cafe Environment

The interior of Castella Cheesecake is spacious and has a counter and a few dining tables for you to enjoy the food.

What I Tried

I ordered their Japanese souffle cake ($10.85) as well as their ice cream + cheesecake dessert ($2). I asked the girl working at the counter as to how their cheesecakes differ compared to Uncle Tetsu and she noted that they add more cream cheese to their cakes. Castella’s cheesecakes are 7″ which is bigger than the 6″ cheesecakes from Uncle Tetsu. I’m not sure about whether there is any difference in thickness. I found Castella’s cheesecake texture to be on point: sponge-like, moist and fluffy. The flavour did seem a bit more richer from having more cream cheese. The one thing I feel they need to work on is perfecting the appearance of the cheesecake as some of the edges were not quite smooth.

The cheesecake + vanilla ice cream treat had raspberry sauce and powdered cheese topping. The cheesecake with ice cream were the perfect pairing and I liked the sweet and tartness from the raspberry sauce.

I didn’t try the Japanese tarts as they seem to be a bit slow right in terms of making them. However, here are ones that were just made for the customer ahead of me.

Overall Impression of Castella Cheesecake

Castella is currently in their soft opening mode and I can see they are still working out the kinks in terms of operations. The cheesecake I tried was good but I really liked the cheesecake + ice cream treat. I think they might be able to perhaps get some creative options for that if they wanted to. Mr. Osmad which is located across the street is a great place to get a cheesecake in the same area but I’d be interested in revisiting Castella in the future. Find out where else to get Japanese cheesecake in Vancouver here. Rating: 3.5/5

Castella Cheesecake
Address: 1190 Robson St, Vancouver, BC
Instagram: @castellacheesecake

New Zenq Matcha Tofu Pudding Parfaits and Drinks

June 8, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

ZenQ BC recently introduced Matcha Tofu Pudding Parfaits and drinks to their menu. Both the parfaits and drinks are available with a soy or brown sugar base.

Disclosure: The food and drinks in this review were complimentary. Opinions are my own.

Matcha Tofu Pudding Parfaits

The Matcha Tofu Pudding Parfaits ($8.90) feature the new purple sweet potato Q ball. It also comes with candied peanuts, pearls, red bean and sweet potato Q balls. The matcha tofu pudding had a nice matcha flavour with a slightly bitter aftertaste; it was also wonderfully smooth and silky. The candied peanuts gave the dessert a nice crunch while the other toppings were nicely chewy.

Matcha Tofu Pudding Drinks

The Matcha Tofu Pudding drinks were also enjoyable. For toppings, these drinks also include red bean and pearls. Priced at $5.30 for a regular size.

Overall Impression

I definitely recommend giving these new Matcha Tofu Pudding beverages and drinks a try. I enjoyed the soy-based versions the most for a more creamier texture. My favourite item was the soy-based Matcha Tofu Pudding Parfait. Rating: 4.5/5

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Sulmida Downtown Vancouver | Dessert Cafe

May 5, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

One of the sweet additions to the West End neighbourhood is Sulmida Korean Dessert Cafe. This is Sulmida’s third location in Metro Vancouver with two other ones in Richmond and Burnaby. The cafe specializes in bingsu (variants “patbingsu,” “bingsoo”) which are shaved milk-ice desserts.

I had been to Sulmida’s locations before and liked the experiences there. The incentive to visit was particularly sweetened when I bought their Groupon deal of 2 bingsu for $21. Here’s a look at my experience at Sulmida Downtown Vancouver.

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

Modern, Spacious Interior

I like Sulmida’s bright, modern spacious interior which is definitely a lot bigger than the Burnaby one but comparable in size to the Richmond location.

Sulmida Menu

Sulmida Downtown has 12 different options of bingsu like Green Tea, Mango Cheese, Nutella Banana and more. The bingsu come in either a cup ($6.50 – $7.50) or a bowl ($10.85 – $16). For beverages, they offer hot and cold espresso-based drinks, fruit ades, frappes and so forth. Other dessert options include lava bread and dessert toasts.

What I Tried

The Groupon deal was $21 for 2 bingsu and I went with the Mango Banana (regular $14.25) and the Honey Dew Melon (regular $16). In both cases, the shaved mik-ice were light, fluffy and had a nice milky taste. The portions of fruit offered were reasonable as well. Based on the size of the desserts, these bowls are definitely meant to be shared.

I thought the vanilla ice cream was creamy and not overly sweet and the sliced almonds added a fun textural contrast. The mango used was just a bit tart but the syrup seemed to balance it out nicely.

Overall Impression of Sulmida Downtown Vancouver

It was another solid dessert experience at Sulmida. Snowy Village is just about a block away and I think their bingsu are comparable. However, I like Sulmida Downtown’s more spacious and inviting environment. Rating: 4/5

Sulmida
Address: 780 Denman St, Vancouver, BC
Facebook: @sulmida.canada/‎

San Francisco Dessert Shop: Powder Shaved Snow

April 24, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

One of the dessert shops that I visited last month in San Francisco was Powder Shaved Snow – San Francisco’s first shop dedicated to Taiwanese shaved snow. The shop was founded by David Chung and Mimi Hanley, two former tech workers, who saw an opportunity when they noticed a lack of shaved snow shops in the city. While I have had quite a bit of shaved snow like at Snowy Village, ZenQ and IcePik in Vancouver, I was intrigued by some of the flavours and options available at Powder Shaved Show.

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

Powder Shaved Snow Menu

Shaved snow is sort of a hybrid of shaved ice and ice cream. At Powder Shaved Snow, the snow is created by mixing local organic dairy with flavoured filter water like Matcha and Black Sesame. The mixtures are frozen into ice blocks which are then shaved-to-order into ribbons by machines.

The build-your-own options start at $4.50 for regular or $5.50 for large. Available flavours include Mango, Horchata, Vietnamese Coffee and so forth. The shaved snow also come with a waffle cookie. What I like is that they have some toppings to go with the shaved snow like Fruity Pebbles, Oreos, Sliced Almonds and more. Regular toppings are $0.50 or $0.75 for premium. If you’re feeling up to creating your own, there are two signature options: Valencia and Cereal Killer.

What I Tried

I went with a regular size Ube shaved snow with mochi toppings ($5.25) and regular size Matcha Green Tea shaved snow with sliced almonds ($5.25). The shaved snow had very nice light, fluffy textures and they tasted like their flavours with a bit of milkiness. Refreshing and not too sweet. The toppings were pretty good as well.

Divisadero Location

Located at Divisadero and Haight, Powder Shaved Snow is a really small shop with just one bench for seating inside. However, they have some tables outside. A nice place to enjoy these treats under the sunshine!

Overall Impression of Powder Shaved Show

The flavours, toppings, quality, and portions of the desserts were on point. I find their flavours and toppings more unique and interesting. I’d love to revisit them again sometime and try other flavours. Rating: 4/5

Powder Shaved Snow
Address: 260 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA
Website: www.powdershavedsnow.com/‎

Abbotsford Dessert Spot: Popbar Highstreet Mall

April 12, 2018 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

I have been a fan of popbar ever since they expanded into the Metro Vancouver. Their natural, preservative free and made fresh daily gelato treats are very tasty in my books. I had already been to popbar at Metrotown and Tsawwassen Mills so I was excited to visit their Fraser Valley location at Highstreet Mall in Abbotsford.

Disclosure: I visited this location as media and received complimentary products to try.

Highstreet Location

Compared to the other BC locations which are small outlets within malls, popbar Abbotsford is more of a stand-alone store. They have their own dining table area.

I also noticed that popbar Abbotsford has quite a few products for sale. There are popspreads (like almond crunch and almond spread) and poppings to go (including chocolate espresso beans, white chocolate almonds and more).

popbar Abbotsford menu

Like other popbar locations, the Abbotsford store offers a tasty array of treats include the popSorbetto, popGelato, yogurtPop, ultimate double shake, hot chocolate on a stick, frozen hot chocolate, popaccino and more.

You can customize each treat with unlimited dippings or poppings for $0.50 each. You can also make it a popwich (a gelato sandwich) for $0.50. Also on the menu are a few espresso-based drinks like cappuccino, latte, and so forth.

What I Tried

I tried the strawberry yogurt pop ($4.49) with a white chocolate dip ($0.50) and waffle cone topping ($0.50).

I also enjoyed the dulce de leche gelato ($4.49) popwich (+$0.50) with chocolate sprinkles (+$0.50), white chocolate dip ($+0.50) and a green tea drizzle (+$0.50). I’ve enjoyed the popwich in the past and this did not disappoint. I absolutely love the cookies that they use because they are absolutely crunchy.

Overall Impression of popbar Abbotsford

I really enjoy how popbar Abbotsford has its own dining area where you can sit down and enjoy the treats with friends. The treats are made with quality ingredients and have a very nice flavour. I would recommend giving them a try.

Popbar Abbotsford
Address: 3122 Mount Lehman Rd G115, Abbotsford, BC
Website: ‎www.pop-bar.com/abbotsford/

Find out How to host a Friendsgiving: Tips, Tricks, Meal Ideas

Blueberry Earl Grey Lavender Operette ($6.60)

Lavender Latte + Lavender Macaron

Pastry of the Month ($6.95)

What are Dream Pops?

Starbucks Kiosks

Dream Pops Flavours

What I Tried

Dream Pops at Starbucks

Overall Impression

Castella Cheesecake Menu

Cheesecake Boxes

Cafe Environment

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Castella Cheesecake

Matcha Tofu Pudding Parfaits

Matcha Tofu Pudding Drinks

Overall Impression

Modern, Spacious Interior

Sulmida Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Sulmida Downtown Vancouver

Powder Shaved Snow Menu

What I Tried

Divisadero Location

Overall Impression of Powder Shaved Show

Highstreet Location

popbar Abbotsford menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of popbar Abbotsford

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