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BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Richmond 黑丸嫩仙草

June 21, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Another international Taiwanese dessert chain has made its way to Metro Vancouver. Blackball Taiwanese Dessert has a new outpost in Richmond at 1061-8300 Capstan Way. The dessert chain is known for their award-winning grass jelly, “Xian Cao.” The grand opening date of their Richmond location is by the end of June.

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Richmond Vancouver — Credit: Blackball Taiwanese Dessert

Founded in 2006 in Taipei, Taiwan by the Tang brothers, BlackBall has been rapidly expanding and franchising. The chain has over 100 locations around the world, including Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the U.S., and Canada. Earlier this year, Blackball made its way to Toronto at 472 Yonge Street and there are plans for more locations.

What is Grass Jelly?

Grass jelly, which isn’t made from grass at all, is a popular dessert ingredient in China, Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia. It comes from the plants of Chinese mesona – a member of the mint family – which is boiled to prepare a liquid that turns into a black gem-like jelly once it has cooled. Its cool temperature and silky and smooth texture make it an ideal dessert to help beat the heat during the hot, summer weather.

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Richmond Menu

Blackball has elevated the classic grass jelly dessert by pairing it with toppings like boba, Taro Q, Yam Q, and red beans. Taro Q and Yam Q are little mochi-like balls made with taro and yam respectively. Each dessert can be served hot, warm, cold or iced.

Classic dessert bases at BlackBall include Matcha (premium green tea powder) and Aiyu Jelly – made from the seeds of a type of fig. In addition, BlackBall offers crushed ice desserts, waffles, and a variety of Taiwanese tea beverages.

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Richmond
8300 Capstan Way Unit 1061, Richmond, BC
www.facebook.com/BlackBall.Richmond

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar: New English Bay Restaurant

June 20, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Newly open in the West End at 1193 Denman Street is Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, offering casual, seafood-focused dishes as well as cocktails, wine and craft beer. Papi’s is open for lunch, happy hour and dinner seven days a week and weekend brunch.

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar Vancouver West End English Bay

Occupying the space that was formerly Beach Bay Café and Patio, Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar is the latest project for the Viaggio Hospitality Group, which also owns and operates Cibo Trattoria, UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar and Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio.

I was invited to a media event recently and had the opportunity to sample some of their offerings and see the space.

Patio & Panaromic Views

The restaurant features a spacious dining room, oyster bar and outdoor patio offering panoramic views of English Bay.

The inspiration for the restaurant is derived from Poseidon, mythical Greek god of the sea and waters, and is reflected in the monochromatic colour palette as well as the use of trident motifs throughout the space.

The centerpiece is a full-wall mural depicting the Greek sea goddess Amphitrite that was painted by local artists Arden Marow Ross and Peter Ricq.

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar: New English Bay Restaurant

Papi’s Seafood Menu

Papi’s oyster bar offers as many as a dozen daily varieties on the half shell. A half-dozen oysters are also featured as part of Papi’s seafood platter that includes a prawn cocktail, ceviche (lime, red onion, cilantro), crudo (soy vinaigrette, fresh cucumber, radish) and mussel escabeche.

Other highlights of Papi’s menus include Papi’s chowder, crab cakes, kale salad, Papi’s burger featuring Beyond Meat, fish n’ chip, and steamed mussels (aromatic curry or white wine broths).

Papi’s Bar Menu

At the bar, Papi’s features summer-friendly signature cocktails such as charred peach bellinis, honey water margaritas, sea wall bangers, Papi’s Caesars and mermaid sours.

The bar program also offers Champagne and sparkling wine, mimosas, craft beer on tap, and oyster shooters available in single shots with a choice of tequila, vodka or whisky or all three in a Papi’s ‘Oyster Trident’.

Papi’s front-of-house team is led by General Manager and Sommelier Alessandro De Pieri, a veteran of the European hospitality industry and luxury hotel circuit. Max Straczek, who appeared on The Food Network Canada’s latest season of Top Chef Canada and was a mainstay at Fable Kitchen and Fable Diner for five years, takes the back-of-house helm as Head Chef.

Hours and Address

Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Weekend Brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Happy Hour daily 2 to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close

Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar
1193 Denman St., Vancouver BC
www.papisoysterbar.com/

Spring Menu 2019 at CinCin Ristorante

June 4, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Cincin Ristorante on Robson Street to try out a few of their spring features. Leading the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Andrea Alridge as Executive Chef Andrew Richardson splits his duties between Cincin and and Elisa.

Spring/Summer Dinner Menu 2019 at CinCin Ristorante

To start, we enjoyed a pair of sweet and succulent spot prawns.

The first course was burrata from Puglia with grilled red fife bread topped with crushed garbanzo beans and lemon, mint and arugula.

We also enjoyed a very bright and refreshing organics green salad with raw shaved vegetables, edible blossoms and elderflower dressing.

Next was the pasta course: stinging nettle and ricotta tortellini topped with marcona almonds, grana padano, summer truffle and dressed in a smoked citrus vinaigrette.

The seafood main was Pacific halibut with pea tip brodo English peas and Hannah Brooke farms asparagus.

Cincin is known for their wood-fired cooking and the fourth course featured a wood grilled tenderloin of beef accompanied by potatoes, prosciutto, parmesan collard greens in a tangy, buttery salmoriglio sauce.

To finish off the amazing meal was the Black Forest – a beet chocolate sponge cake with cherry and amadei chocolate cremeux, tonka bean chantilly, and griotte cherries.

The evening featured delightful wine pairings by Wine Directors Shane Taylor and Michael Littleford.

Thank you to the Chef Alridge, Restaurant Director Richard Luxton, Restaurant Manager Elle Boutilier, Wine Director Shane Taylor, Assistant Wine Director Michael Littleford and Bar Manager Shion Fujita for a wonderful evening of food, wine and company.

For more information, visit cincin.net

Vancouver All-Day Breakfast: OEB Breakfast Co. Vancouver

May 18, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

There’s a new all-day breakfast restaurant in town! Calgary-based OEB Breakfast Co. has now opened a location in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood at 1137 Marinaside Crescent. Founded in 2009, OEB has restaurants in Calgary and Edmonton and soon-to-be in Saskatoon and Scottsdale, Arizona.

OEB prides itself in being a Chef-driven and locally-owned concept with menu items that simply can’t be made at home, balanced by lighter fare and vegan options.

I was invited to a media tasting recently. Here’s a look at my experience.

Modern & Inviting

The modern, vibrant and inviting interior of OEB’s new location features a breakfast appropriate pallette (ie, yellow), high top communal tables, smaller dining tables and bar seating.

The broken egg-shell overhanging lights are a fun touch.

OEB Breakfast Co. Vancouver Menu

OEB’s menu is divided into Farm Fresh Classics, Blue Plate Specials, Breakfast Poutines, Benny’s, Omelettes, Sandwiches, Sweet and Sides. The entrees generally run around $15 – $20.

Some of their Signature items include Eggs & Caviar (farm fresh scrambled eggs, bourbon, sour cream, green onions, sevruga caviar, pumpernickel rye), Fresh Toast Trifle (Meyer lemon curd, market berries, Sicilian pistachio, torched French meringue), and Canadian Eh! (Canadian back bacon, dark maple syrup or brown butter hollandaise).

Some other interesting offerings that caught my eye are Wild Boar Spalla (free run hen eggs over easy, cured wild boar shoulder, smoked chipotle aioli, arugula, aged Manchego, artisan brioche), Indian Inspired Avocado Bagel (Haas avocado, semi-dried tomatoes, dill, chickpeas, braised onions, turmeric), and Hogs & Scallops Breakfast Poutine (poached eggs, seared digby scallops, bacon lardons, Saint Cyrille cheese curds, brown butter hollandaise).

For drinks, OEB offers fresh juices, fruit smoothies, espresso-based drinks. Those who prefer a boozier breakfast can enjoy hot or cold coffee cocktails, prosecco cocktails, beer (on tap or bottled/canned), wines (by the glass or bottle).

Local Producers

OEB takes pride in sourcing high-quality ingredients and working with local producers wherever possible. Here are are the producers that the Yaletown location is working with:

Fully-organic and Canadian what bread from A Bread Affair (Langley, BC)
Pierogies from A Taste of Ukraine (Port Moody, BC)
Herbs and produce from Barnston Island Herbs (Barnston Island, BC) and Ponderosa Mushrooms (Maple Ridge, BC)
Butery from Arctic Meats and Sausage (Port Coquitlam, BC), Drakes Meats (Lanigan, SK), Brome Lake Duck Farm (Knowlton, QC), and Albion Farms and Fisheries (BC)
Salmon from Wolveshead Smoked Salmon (NB)
Coffee from Caffe Umbria (Seattle, WA)

Waitlist System

OEB Breakfast has a waitlist (not reservation) system via Yelp. Be sure to join the waitlist ahead of time and check out the live wait time.

What We Tried

At the media tasting, I was able to try three entrees along with a few sides.

The Waffle & Laks ($21) features dill cured laks, crisp buttermilk waffle, tzatziki, Spanish capers, pickled red onions, and micro herbs.

The Soul in Bowl ($17) was a hearty, comforting dish with poached eggs, duck fat fried herb potatoes, Saint Cyrille curds, slow cooked bacon lardons and brown butter hollandaise.

The Threesome ($19) is one of OEB’s Farm Fresh Classics. It comes with two free run eggs any style, duck fat fried herb potatoes and your choice of double smoked bacon, Canadian bacon, rosemary ham, blueberry chicken bangers, or maple pork bangers and choice of toast. I went with French Toast and blueberry chicken bangers.

Not to be missed are OEB’s duck fat fried herb potatoes. Perfectly golden, crispy and delicious. Some of OEB’s dishes incorporate them as part of the entree but you can have them as a side as well.

We also enjoyed a few sides of fruit and coffee by Cafe Umbria.

Overall Impression

I enjoyed all the dishes that we tried from OEB and would love to return in the future. With such an extensive menu and so many inventive dishes, breakfast or brunch at OEB doesn’t get boring.

OEB Breakfast Co. Vancouver
1137 Marinaside Avenue, Vancouver, BC
www.eatoeb.com

Asaka Ramen and TMix in Richmond: Ramen, Mochi Donuts & BBT

May 15, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

If you love ramen, gourmet ice cream and bubble tea, there’s a place in Richmond where you can enjoy all of these at the same time. Asaka Ramen and TMix Bubble Tea and Dessert Bar are co-located at 2780 No. 3 Road, just about a 5 minute walk from the River Rock Casino.

Asaka Ramen TMix Bubble Tea Dessert Bar Richmond: Ramen, Mochi Donuts & BBT

The joint venture between Asaka Ramen and TMix opened up last summer by Kathy Tung. However, you might have been familiar with TMix before as the dessert spot formerly had a few standalone locations in Metro Vancouver. Kathy had mentioned to me that she had decided to close TMix locations and focus her efforts on one restaurant only.

I was recently invited for a media tasting. Here’s a look at my experience.

Modern Interior

Asaka Ramen/TMix boasts a contemporary, clean and inviting interior with a mix of cozy banquettes and dining tables.

The restaurant also has a cozy outdoor patio which make it the ideal place to enjoy a cold drink or dessert on a warm day.

Asaka Ramen/TMix Menu

Asaka Ramen’s offers 6 types of ramen ($13 – $15) (Shio, Shoyu, Miso, Roasted Black Garlic Tonkotsu, Vegetarian and Spicy Black Sesame Dan Dan). They use pork-based broth for their non-vegatarian ramens. Add-ons include chashu, corn, spinach, bamboo shoots, green onion, dried seaweed, crispy fried onions, spicy sauce and so forth.

Also on the menu are rice bowls ($11) including chicken curry don, pork chashu don, and oyakodon. For side dishes, they have chicken karaage, pork gyoza, takoyaki, agedashi tofu and so forth. Small sides are $5.30 while large are $7.50.

Diners can enjoy special valued combos where you can add a side dish ($3.30 – $5.30), select drinks ($3.30), bubble waffle ($3.30), ice cream ($2.30), or donut ($1.90) to your ramen or rice bowl. There is currently a great deal where you can enjoy 4-courses for $20.80 (see photo below).

On the TMIX menu, you’ll find Milk Teas, Black or Green Teas, Soda or Fruit Slush, Gourmet Frappes, Lattes and other Dessert Drinks ($6 – $7). TMix also offer basic bubble waffles ($5 – $6) and bubble waffle sundaes ($10.50 – $12.50). There is also a gourmet ice cream bar (1 scoop for $3.50 or 2 scoops for $5.80) and mochi donuts available ($2.80 each or 6 for $14).

The full menu can be found online.

What I Tried

During my media tasting, I tried the following:

4-Course Combo deal
- Agedashi Tofu
- Chicken Karaage
- Shoyu Ramen
- 1 Scoop Gourmet Ice Cream (Strawberry)
Edamame
Vegetarian Ramen
Ultimate Mango Frappe
Romantic Sunset drink
Mochi Donuts: Rose Tea, White Chocolate Lavender, Chocolate, Matcha

The agedashi tofu was delicious with a slightly crispy exterior and pillowy, hot inside.

The chicken karaage was juicy and nicely crispy on the outside.

The Shoyu Ramen had a tasty pork-based broth, al dente noodles and tender chashu.

I love my chashu ramen but with the trend towards more plant-based eating vegetarian ramens are catching my eye. I decided to try the Asaka’s Vegetarian Ramen made with spinach noodles (first time having that!), sweet soya inari tofu, corn, bamboo shoots, spinach, green onions, dried seaweed in a creamy vegetarian broth. The spinach noodles definitely had a taste of spinach and had a natural green color.

For drinks, we enjoyed two of their most popular drinks, the Mango Frappe and Romantic Sunset (featuring iced butterflypea flower and passionfruit green tea).

Last but not the least were their Mochi Donuts, which has taken local social media by storm. These donuts, which are a hybrid of Western donuts and Japanese mochi, are handmade by the owner everyday and are available while supplies last. One batch is available around noon and the other in the early evening around 5 pm.

The donuts are made with sweet glutinous rice and are fried like Western-style donuts. The result is a crispy exterior but chewy inside. The mochi donuts are coated in different flavour icing; the ones I had were Rose Tea, White Chocolate Lavender, Chocolate, and Matcha.

Overall Impression

Asaka Ramen/TMix presents as a unique eatery where you can enjoy a hearty bowl of ramen and followup with a gourmet desserts. With the extensive menu, I’d be interested in revisiting in the future to try different combinations.

Asaka Ramen and TMix Bubble Tea & Dessert Bar
2780 No 3 Rd, Richmond, BC
www.asakaramen.com/

Ganache Patisserie Mother’s Day Cake 2019

May 4, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

For Mother’s Day this year, Ganache Patisserie in Yaletown is offering a Pistache Rose Framboise.

This dreamy creation features a limoncello cream center with a fragrant pistachio mousseline filling and layers of tender raspberry chiffon cake.

The entire cake is finished in a white chocolate velvet with a rose water diplomat cream on top, crowned by vanilla chantilly cream and fresh raspberries.

Available as a 6″ cake, Pistache Rose Framboise ($47.95) will feed 6-8 people easily and be available for a limited time in the store’s showcase starting Friday, May 10 through to the Mother’s Day weekend. Pre-orders are recommended for any cake pickups on May 12 for Mother’s Day.

Disclosure: I attended a media tasting at Ganache Patisserie.

Related posts:

Mother’s Day Brunch, Lunch & Dinner in Vancouver 2019

Mother’s Day Gift Guide Metro Vancouver 2019

Dinesty Dumpling House Gilbert in Richmond [Review]

April 20, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

I’ve been a fan of Dinesty Dumpling House for their good Chinese food that is affordable and generally consistent in terms of quality and taste. They’re one of the largest Chinese restaurant chains in Metro Vancouver with 5 locations.

Dinesty Dumpling House Gilbert Road Richmond

Their newest location which opened last winter on Gilbert Road in the Richmond Olympic Oval district. I recently ventured to check out the new location.

Bright and Airy Space

Dinesty’s newest restaurant features a clean, elegant contemporary design with floor-to-ceiling windows. In this bright and airy space, you’ll find charming booth seating, tables for larger groups and smaller dining tables.

There are also two open-concept kitchens: one that appears to be dedicated for making dumplings and the other for preparing fried-type of entrees.

Dinesty Dumpling House Gilbert Menu

The menu and pricing can be found online here. They offer a vast array of dishes including dumplings, delicacies, rice and noodle entrees, soups and so forth.

This Dinesty location is neighbours with YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea. They have a partnership where you can order YiFang drinks to accompany your meal at Dinesty. It is nice that Dinesty’s YiFang menu is the same price as the regular YiFang menu. See photo below.

What We Tried

We ordered the following for lunch:

Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings x 2 ($7.95 each)
Shrimp & Pork Shaomai ($8.50)
Deep Fried Crab with Basil in Triple Sauce ($16.95)
Stewed Eggplant with Shredded Pork in Hot Sauce ($13.95)
Stir-Fried Scallop with Asparagus ($17.95)
Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns ($4.25)
YiFang Signature Fruit Tea ($6.50)

Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings

A must-try at Dinesty are their xiao long baos ($7.95 each) (or Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings). These housemade dumplings had thin, delicate wrappers that held together all of the contents. The broth was hot and flavourful and not too salty while the filling was bouncy and tender.

Shrimp & Pork Shaomai

The Shrimp and Pork Shaomai ($8.50) was quite good with a thin wrapper and bouncy filling. I thought the filling had a good proportion of shrimp and pork.

Deep Fried Crab with Basil in Triple Sauce

The Deep Fried Crab ($16.95) had a flavourful savoury sauce but the size of the crab was small (although in line with what you are paying for the dish at $16.95). It takes a lot of patience to work for the meat! I personally would not order this again as it is a bit impractical to enjoy at a restaurant.

Stewed Eggplant with Shredded Pork in Hot Sauce

The Stewed Eggplant ($13.95) was had bold, sweet and sour flavours. I think it would have tasted better if the sweetness was toned down a bit.

Stir-Fried Scallops with Asparagus

The stir-fried scallops ($17.95) were OK with crisp vegetables and tender scallops.

Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns

The Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns ($4.25) were absolutely delicious being light and fluffy and having a red bean filling with a good level of sweetness.

YiFang Signature Fruit Tea

I ordered the Signature YiFang Fruit Tea ($6.50) which has fruit slices (apple, oranges, passionfruit) and pineapple jam. The featured tea is Songbailing jade tea, which supposedly brings out the sweet and sour flavours of the fruits. It’s a super refreshing drink which went well with my meal at Dinesty.

Service

Service at Dinesty was a bit spotty during my visit and I had to flag servers down to take my order and bring the bill. It seems like they don’t have enough servers to cater to the number of diners in the restaurant. My friend and fellow food blogger, David at pickydiners.com, also experienced this during his meal at Dinesty Gilbert (see his post here).

Parking

Underground parking is free for first 90 minutes.

Overall Impression of Dinesty Gilbert

I really enjoyed the modern, clean space at the new Dinesty location on Gilbert Road. I would have the Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings, Shrimp & Pork Shaomai, and Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns again. It was nice to be able to enjoy YiFang Fruit Tea with my meal. The restaurant seemed a bit understaffed. I would still gladly return to try more dishes from their large menu. Rating: 4/5

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Robson in Downtown Vancouver

April 20, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

YiFang Fruit Tea is a popular Taiwanese-based bubble tea and fruit tea chain with locations worldwide. YiFang has expanded quite quickly within Metro Vancouver with 13 locations (some opened while some are in the works). One of their first locations in town is at 1725 Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver.

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea Robson Downtown Vancouver

Yifang Robson Street

The Robson Street location is fairly small with limited indoor seating. It seems more like a takeaway place so that you can continue enjoying the sights and sounds of the Downtown Core while having a drink. They accept CASH OR DEBIT ONLY.

YiFang Robson Street Menu

Yifang’s menu is divided into Teas, Tea Lattes, Fruit Tea, Cane-based drinks, Cream Lattes, and Black Sugar Pearl. Extra toppings include Pearls, Aiyu Jelly and Grass Jelly. They are best known for their Fruit Teas and Black Sugar Pearl drinks.

Most drinks can be customized for sweetness (30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%) and ice (0%, 30%, 70%, or 100%). Their drinks are typically priced between $4.50 – $8.

All their ingredients are imported from Taiwan while the juices they use are fresh and cold-pressed. The brand prides itself on using natural ingredients rather than artificial flavours and powders.

At YiFang Robson, their famous Black Sugar Pearl drinks are freshly made by 3 pm and 7 pm daily.

BEST YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS | TOP YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS 一芳水果茶

Want to know which are the best drinks to order at YiFang? Here are the recommended drinks named by YiFang Canada.

Jinfeng Roselle Lemon Slice Juice
Pearl Black Tea Latte
Grass Jelly Tea Latte
Mashed Taro Milk
YiFang Fruit Tea
Pineapple Green Tea
Ilan Kumquat Green Tea
Xijgyi Green Plum Green Tea
Luye Ginger Tea (Winter Special)
Longan and Red Date Tea
Shikou Cane Jade Tea
Oolong Tea Cream Latte
Black Sugar Pearl Milk
Black Sugar Pearl Tea Latte

What I Tried

When I visited the store, they were offering samples of another one of their popular drinks, the Jinfeng Roselle Lemon Slice Juice. Based on the sample I tried, I thought it was pretty good and decided to get the full version ($5.50) with 30% ice.

Unfortunately, the sweetness is fixed and when I had the full version I found the drink to be too sweet! I went home and diluted my drink with water to make it more drinkable for me. In terms of flavours, it’s tart, sweet and pretty refreshing. However, I prefer their signature Fruit Tea more.

Get your YiFang drinks delivered

foodora.ca can deliver you drinks from YiFang Robson. With my referral link, you can receive $10 off your first foodora order with a minimum order of $20. Using your mobile device, click here to receive the deal: https://bnc.lt/YR5e/KBFpLDf9XV. The link directs you to the download the app. New customers only.

Overall Impression

YiFang’s Robson location is more of a takeaway sort of counter rather than a sit down place. I continue to be a fan of YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea. Rating: 4/5

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea Robson Street
1725 Robson St, Vancouver, BC
www.instagram.com/yifangtea.canada

Related posts:

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Gilbert Road in Richmond

Best YiFang Fruit Tea Drinks | Top YiFang Fruit Tea Drinks

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea Locations in Metro Vancouver

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Gilbert Road in Richmond

April 19, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

YiFang Fruit Tea is a popular Taiwanese-based bubble tea and fruit tea chain with locations worldwide. YiFang has expanded quite quickly within Metro Vancouver with 13 locations (some opened while some are in the works). One of their newer locations is at 150-5555 Gilbert Road in Richmond’s Olympic Oval district.

Yifang Gilbert Road

The Gilbert Road location is very spacious, brightly lit and has numerous dining tables for guests.

YiFang Gilbert Road Menu

Most drinks can be customized for sweetness (30%, 50%, 70%, or 100%) and ice (0%, 30%, 70%, or 100%). Their drinks are typically priced between $4.50 – $8.

All their ingredients are imported from Taiwan while the juices they use are fresh and cold-pressed. The brand prides itself on using natural ingredients rather than artificial flavours and powders.

BEST YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS | TOP YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS 一芳水果茶

Want to know which are the best drinks to order at YiFang? Here are the recommended drinks named by YiFang Canada.

Jinfeng Roselle Lemon Slice Juice
Pearl Black Tea Latte
Grass Jelly Tea Latte
Mashed Taro Milk
YiFang Fruit Tea
Pineapple Green Tea
Ilan Kumquat Green Tea
Xijgyi Green Plum Green Tea
Luye Ginger Tea (Winter Special)
Longan and Red Date Tea
Shikou Cane Jade Tea
Oolong Tea Cream Latte
Black Sugar Pearl Milk
Black Sugar Pearl Tea Latte

Partnership with Dinesty

YiFang has partnered with their neighbour, Dinesty Dumpling House, such when you dine at Dinesty Gilbert Road you can order YiFang drinks to be delivered to your table.

I ordered the signature YiFang Fruit Tea ($6.50) while I dined at Dinesty Gilbert. This classic drink has fruit slices (apple, oranges, passionfruit) and pineapple jam. The featured tea is Songbailing jade tea, which supposedly brings out the sweet and sour flavours of the fruits. It’s a super refreshing drink which went well with my meal at Dinesty.

Best Yifang Fruit Tea Drinks | Top Yifang Fruit Tea Drinks 一芳水果茶

Dinesty’s YiFang menu is the same price as the regular YiFang menu.

Overall Impression

YiFang’s Gilbert location is very inviting and spacious with lots of seating. I appreciate the ability to order their drinks while I dine at Dinesty. It’s great that Dinesty does not markup YiFang drinks as well. I continue to be a fan of YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea.Rating: 4/5

Yifang Taiwan Fruit Tea Gilbert Road
5555 Gilbert Rd #150, Richmond, BC
www.instagram.com/yifangtea.canada

Related post:

Best YiFang Fruit Tea Drinks | Top YiFang Fruit Tea Drinks

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea on Robson in Downtown Vancouver

YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea Locations in Metro Vancouver

Le Cassis Pâtisserie & Cooking School [Review]

April 17, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

I love my French pastries and desserts, so I had to check out the newly opened Le Cassis Pâtisserie in Downtown Vancouver. Le Cassis opened just two weeks ago at 910 Beatty St and is part-bakery cafe as well as a cooking school.

Le Cassis Pâtisserie & Cooking School Vancouver Beatty Review

According to their website, Le Cassis is chef-owned and operated by Chef Hoda Shoghi who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Le Cassis Interior

The interior of Le Cassis certainly coasts a touch of Paris with pastel colours, colorful armchairs, an overhanging chandelier and a banquette at the back the shop.

The space along the window showcased many of their macaron towers with delicate, beautiful and intricately designed macarons.

Le Cassis Menu

On the menu at Le Cassis are French pastries, freshly baked baguettes, viennoiseries, croissants, danishes, macarons and so forth. They also offer espresso-based drinks and teas to accompany your treat. The coffee they coffee is from Mogiana Coffee.

In terms of pricing, I did find their pastries a bit on the expensive side for the size but perhaps fair for being in the Downtown core. For example, their regular croissant is $3.95 (versus ~$3.25 elsewhere), Pain Au Chocolate is $5.00 (versus ~$4.00) and Almond Croissant is $5.00 (versus ~$4.00). The desserts are priced at $6.50.

Around the shop, you’ll also notice that they sell a variety of confections like nuts, candies, and madeleines.

What I Tried

I picked up a few items to go including a regular croissant ($3.95), Lemon Meringue Tart ($6.50), Matcha Opera Cake ($6.50), Cassis Cheese Cake with BlackCurrants ($6.50) and two macarons ($3.25 each).

The Cassis Cheese Cake is apparently their signature dessert with a blackcurrant shell, cheesecake on the inside and a blackcurrant filling. I found it to be not to sweet, very moist, and had very nice fruity notes.

Le Cassis makes these charming Hello Kitty and Chicken macarons. They had a nice, thin egg-shell like crust and a smooth, light but not sticky filling.

The regular croissant was a little denser and not as light and fluffy as I would like but still OK. I personally would still drive to L’Atelier Patisserie on Main and East 5th for their croissants.

The Matcha Opera Cake was pretty good with alternating layers of chocolate, buttercream, matcha and almond sponge. I did find a bit on the sweeter side and would have liked to have more of a stronger, bitter matcha taste to balance it a bit more.

The Lemon Meringue Tart was quite good as well and had a nice buttery crust and zesty lemon filling.

Overall Impression of Le Cassis

In terms of selection, pricing and quality, I don’t think Le Cassis would be go-to place for croissants or vienoiserries. However, their desserts and macarons are quite good and I’d be interested trying more of them. Rating: 3.5/5

Le Cassis Pâtisserie & Cooking School
910 Beatty St, Vancouver, BC
www.lecassis.com

What is Grass Jelly?

BlackBall Taiwanese Dessert Richmond Menu

Patio & Panaromic Views

Papi’s Seafood Menu

Papi’s Bar Menu

Hours and Address

Modern & Inviting

OEB Breakfast Co. Vancouver Menu

Local Producers

Waitlist System

What We Tried

Overall Impression

Modern Interior

Asaka Ramen/TMix Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression

Bright and Airy Space

Dinesty Dumpling House Gilbert Menu

What We Tried

Steamed Pork Soup Dumplings

Shrimp & Pork Shaomai

Deep Fried Crab with Basil in Triple Sauce

Stewed Eggplant with Shredded Pork in Hot Sauce

Stir-Fried Scallops with Asparagus

Steamed Red Bean Paste Buns

YiFang Signature Fruit Tea

Service

Parking

Overall Impression of Dinesty Gilbert

Yifang Robson Street

YiFang Robson Street Menu

BEST YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS | TOP YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS 一芳水果茶

What I Tried

Get your YiFang drinks delivered

Overall Impression

Yifang Gilbert Road

YiFang Gilbert Road Menu

BEST YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS | TOP YIFANG FRUIT TEA DRINKS 一芳水果茶

Partnership with Dinesty

Overall Impression

Le Cassis Interior

Le Cassis Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Le Cassis

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