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You are here: Home / Archives for coal harbour

QQ Gelato – A Small Gelateria in Coal Harbour

August 4, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

On Canada Day, my family and I decided headed down to Canada Place like so many others to partake in the local celebrations.  Since it was hot that day, I was very in the mood for some ice cream.  We went to Bella Gelateria, known as having the one of the best gelato’s in the world, located on West Cordova and Burrard.  There was a line up *obviously* but we decided to turn away when the line appeared to move too slowly for our liking.

I was a bit disappointed (no gelato makes me sad) but then we stumbled upon QQ Gelato, a small gelateria on the east side of Vancouver Convention Centre.

QQ-Gelato-Canada-Place-Vancouver-Front

It’s A Small, Small Shop

QQ Gelato is a small shop: after you enter the door, you pretty much arrive right at the ordering counter.  There is no seating inside QQ Gelato, but there are lots of outdoor sitting areas around the convention centre.  QQ Gelato is also the sister store of QQ Bubble Tea and Coffee in Richmond.

QQ Gelato Menu

QQ Gelato has 12 different flavours of gelato available at once including green tea, black sesame, espresso flake and pistachio.  There are two sorbetto (lactose-free) flavours : raspberry and lemon.  A single cup or regular cone costs $4.25  and a double costs $7.50.  A waffle cone costs an extra $0.50 for the single serving and $1.00 for the double serving.  QQ Gelato also has fresh juice slush and milk tea slush ($5.25 – $6.00) with optional add-ons.  Although there are a limited number of flavours in the display case, they do have *all* the flavours that are on the list.  They take cash or credit only. 

QQ-Gelato-Canada-Place-Vancouver-Menu

QQ-Gelato-Canada-Place-Vancouver-Front-Display

What I Tried

On Canada Day, I tried the raspberry sorbetto in a waffle cone ($4.75) which had a nice and intense raspberry flavour.

Cooled off with a raspberry sorbetto on Canada Day ?? #canadaday #canadaplace @aircanada #CelebrateCanadaDay

A photo posted by Foodgressing ? (@foodgressing) on Jul 1, 2015 at 9:56pm PDT

I returned yesterday on BC Day and had the mint chocolate cookies in a waffle cone ($4.75).  This gelato flavour was surprisingly good: the mint taste was not too overpowering while the chocolate cookies added a fun crunchy texture.  The waffle cone was perfectly crispy with a delicious sweet flavour.  It was also fun to see a Disney cruise ship docked and it even played “It’s A Small World” with the ship horns.

QQ-Gelato-Vancouver-Convention-Centre

Overall Impression

QQ Gelato is fine in my opinion as the next-best choice to Bella Gelateria for gelato around Canada Place.  On the times I went to QQ Gelato, there was just a small line-up which pales to compare the massive one at Bella Gelateria.  QQ Gelato is not considered world-class or anything too *fancy*, but they do a reasonable job of satisfying your gelato craving.  Rating: 3.5/5

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/icravegelato

Click to add a blog post for QQ Gelato on Zomato

Filed Under: Coal Harbour, Dessert Tagged With: canada day, coal harbour, Gelato, Vancouver

De Dutch Vancouver Convention Centre

April 1, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

De Dutch Vancouver Coal Harbour

De Dutch at the Vancouver Convention Centre offers breakfast and lunch food with magnificent views of the harbour.  You might even see the seaplanes landing.  Every time I visit, the dining experience is quiet and almost serene.  It is a place for comfort eats while enjoying the beautiful scenery.  I have dined there on several occasions and this post reflects my experiences from those visits.

I dined at De Dutch during the winter, but I could see that the patio would be great during sunny and warm days.  The inside dining space is clean and bright; it has a mainly orange color scheme with yellow and brown accents.

De Dutch Vancouver Coal Harbour Inside

De Dutch Pannekoeken

The De Dutch pannekoek (or simply *pancake*) is the signature menu item.  With a circumference of 37” and a diameter of 12,” it is essentially one extremely large crepe.  Offered in both sweet and savoury varieties, the pannekoek recipe is *top secret* since De Dutch first opened in 1975.

In general, I find that the food quality at De Dutch is good.  It is in line with what you would expect from a franchise restaurant chain.  However, I feel that the crepes can be a bit greasy and dense at times.

De Dutch Vancouver Menu

One savoury pannekoek I tried was the Abby Perogie.  It has hash browns, with debakon and onion inside, then topped with cheddar and sour cream.

De Dutch Vancouver Abby Perogie

Are you a meat lover?  The meat lovers pannekoek has debakon, ham, sausage, turkey bacon and edam, with tomato garnish.

De Dutch Vancouver Meat Lovers

For something sweet, there is the peach melba and whip cream.

De Dutch Vancouver Peach Melba and Whip

I found that the mixed fresh fruit and whip cream is a conservative and delicious choice.

De Dutch Pannekoeken

During the fall, I also tried their pumpkin spice latte.  It was standard in my opinion.

De Dutch Vancouver Pumpkin Spice Latte

My husband ordered the dutch omelettes during two visits.  They are served with toast, hashbrowns and with a bowl of salad or fruit.  The meat lovers has debakon, ham, sausage, turkey bacon and cheese.

De Dutch Vancouver Meat Lovers Omlettes

The smoked wild BC salmon dutch omelette was standard as well.

De Dutch

A holiday offering that I indulged in was the peach cobbler French toast topped with cinnamon sugar, peach, granola and fresh whipped cream.  I think I would consider it more of dessert because it was so sweet. 

De Dutch Vancouver French Toast

Loyalty Rewards

I also am a member of the De Club rewards program.  You pay a one-time $5 membership fee, but you get a $10 gift certificate afterwards.  You earn 1 point for every dollar you send.  For every 125 points, you get a $10 reward certificate.

Overall Impression

De Dutch at Vancouver Convention Centre has good food in line with the expectations from a franchise chain.  The price point is a bit higher but fair for the area.  The lovely scenery is what makes it more of a unique dining experience.

Website: www.dedutch.ca

De Dutch on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Breakfast, Coal Harbour, European Tagged With: breakfast, coal harbour, de dutch, Vancouver

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

February 16, 2015 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

I came to know Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique through their Social Shopper deal for afternoon tea for two people.  The voucher cost was $33, but the value of the afternoon tea for two people was $60.  I made a reservation over the phone to try out their afternoon tea with a friend.

The cafe is located on West Pender in the Coal Harbour area of Downtown Vancouver.  It is owned and operated by a couple.  After we entered the cafe, I checked in at the counter where the owner took down my Social Shopper voucher code.  The owner then asked us to choose our own tea bag from a selection of tea cans along the wall.  I was a bit surprised that there was no loose leaf tea as this is what I normally would expect and experience at afternoon tea.  My friend and I chose Zhena’s Double Vanilla White Tea.  The owner then showed us our table which had a small reservation sign on it.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

We were first presented with a small bowl of chicken noodle soup, which had good flavour to it.  This is the first time where I have started an afternoon tea with soup.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

The smoked chicken almond cranberry sandwich was pretty good.  I liked the texture that the almonds added to the sandwich.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

The lemon macaron was one of the favorite items from the afternoon tea.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

The toasted baguette with brie and cranberry was okay.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

The lemon tart and focaccia with tomato, pickle, and cheese were standard in my opinion.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

The smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese, capers, and lettuce was refreshing.  I think the croissant could have been toasted a bit more for more crispiness.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

The tiramisu was okay, but the presentation was a little off as it was presented on a spoon.

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique

My friend later pointed out that the afternoon tea menu items differed than what was advertised on the Social Shopper deal.  The deal stated that it includes “Greek yoghurt, butter vanilla tart with organic lemon curd, butter vanilla tart with ganache, black forest cake, macaron of choice (8 flavours to choose from), piece of Bernard Noir chocolate or truffle (dozens to choose from), cranberry orange scone with devonshire cream and orange jam, 2 pieces of quiche, plus savouries: 6 oz gourmet soup, smoked chicken almond cranberry sandwich, smoked wild sockeye salmon sandwich with cream cheese and cucumber, small assortment of cheese and fruits.”

We did not have the butter vanilla tart with ganache, Bernard Noir chocolate or truffle, cranberry scone with devonshire cream and orange jam, black forest cake, and small assortment of cheese and fruits.  However, we had some items that were not advertised on the deal : tiramisu and the toasted baguette with brie and cranberry.  We were also not offered the choice of macaron flavor.  I understand that menu offerings can change depending on what is available, but I would have appreciated being told upfront regarding what is being substituted rather than figuring it out later.

The voucher indicated that the afternoon tea does not include tax and gratuity.  At the end of the afternoon tea, we went to the counter to pay for the tax.  The owner then suggested to us that we tip 10% of the value of the meal ($60).  I found it a bit weird to be asked in-person to tip.  I think a more comfortable way of doing this would be if they brought bill to the table.  I paid for the tax and tip in cash and the owner collected the money.

The afternoon tea menu items tasted good on average but it seems a bit overvalued at $30 per person.  However, some other aspects like not having loose leaf tea available, missing menu items and being asked to tip dampened the overall experience.

For more places on where to have afternoon tea in Vancouver, see here: https://foodgressing.com/2014/12/afternoon-tea-in-vancouver/

Bernard Noir Chocolate Boutique - Patisserie - Cafe on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Afternoon Tea Tagged With: afternoon tea, coal harbour, Vancouver

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