McCafe – Milan

January 21, 2014December 10, 2014Leave a comment

As students on a budget, we often end up eating on a budget. Milan definitely dug a hole in our wallet as we could not resist the shopping. What ends up happening is we either don’t eat or we eat cheap. Since I don’t like to sacrifice my stomach, I choose to find alternatives for food. And yes, we end up at McCafe. I mean, McCafe isn’t exactly cheap as well, because compared to Canada, McDonalds in Europe is actually quite pricey. But it is probably one of the cheaper options in Milan. We chose to get the dessert combo deal, where you can get a small drink with a dessert for a set price. I ended up getting a Cappuccino with a Tiramisu, while my sister got the Strawberry Cake. The tiramisu was actually really good! It was moist and had a strong coffee flavour. The cake was also not bad, and for the price we paid, we were quite satisfied. It’s always interesting to check out the McCafes in Europe because each city has a different menu!

Farrgi

January 3, 2014December 10, 2014Leave a comment

Farrgi is basically around every district in Barcelona and throughout Spain. It is a chain shop, similar to Haagen Dazs pricing and offerings. Shops all sell gelato, but they also have other desserts. S and I were wondering around at the Glories mall and we decided to grab some cake. We chose the Strawberry Cheesecake. It was a pure disappointment. The cake was still frozen in the middle, although they had heated the outside. Their cakes are basically from the freezer and not freshly made. Quite disappointed for the poor quality even though it was quite expensive.

Dino Gelato Italiano – Barcelona (Sant Cugat)

November 23, 2013December 10, 2014Leave a comment

My partner school Esade isn’t situated right in city centre, but in a rich and less lively district called Sant Cugat. It takes around 30 minutes from city centre to this little town by train and therefore is something I dread of every morning. There are limited restaurants and cafes in this area, but after school, we decided to grab some gelato! Dino Gelato Italiano has a wide selection of gelatos as well as crepes. We decided to get a large tub to share.

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We chose mango, a chocolate mixed with caramel, and raspberry. My favourite was the mango as it was almost like sorbet and refreshing on the hot, sunny day.

Dino actually has a number of shops all throughout Barcelona as well as other cities in Spain.

McCafe Macarons – Valencia

November 2, 2013December 10, 2014Leave a comment

Before coming to Spain, I was told that the McCafes in Barcelona sold macarons! Pretty cool since macarons are seen as more of a luxury dessert, and who would think of McDonald’s when it comes to something like that! However, we quickly found that Valencia was also selling them! S and I decided we needed to try these out. They are around .75 euros each and come in flavours such as chocolate, caramel, strawberry, lemon, pistachio, and vanilla.

We gave the Pistachio and Chocolate a try. I would say that it is a bit more chewy than usual, but they still have the edges done nicely. The cream inside is also not as luxurious as the ones you usually find, but it is decent for the price of them! Worth trying once, but I would probably stick to paying a little more for some good quality ones. I love how the McCafes all have different items depending on which city you are in. I wish they had them in Canada since our McCafe does not have all these amazing desserts like tiramisu and such. Usually just the boring old muffins and coffee.

Anyways, we also went to Paris and saw these macarons, but they were around 1 euro each! So prices actually vary depending on which city you’re in. I guess Spain has them cheapest!

Tealips Bubble Tea & Coffee

August 23, 2013Leave a comment

J always craves shaved ice, but doing a quick Google search of shaved ice locations in Richmond, I found that most of the best ones seemed to be at food courts. And others, of course being at typical bubble tea shops, which we’ve probably all been to by now. Since most malls close by 9:00pm, the food court wasn’t really an option for me, so I ventured out to look outside of Richmond. I found Tealips, which had pretty good ratings, and although it was a 30 minute drive to Burnaby, I gave it a shot.

The place actually seems to be Korean-owned, and they offer not only shaved ice, but waffles, coffee, tea, and other bubble tea drinks. The place also has wi-fi so you will see many customers with their laptops. The environment actually reminds me of Blenz, except they serve drinks and food other than coffee. It was quite busy the Friday night we went, but we luckily still found a two-seater table.

After placing your order and paying at the cash register, you are given a buzzer, much like the one at the Cheesecake Factory down in the States. I love how Korean restaurants always know how to utilize technology to their fullest. Super convenient and efficient way and customers don’t need to stand around waiting for their orders to be called.

Matcha Shaved Ice

There were only three types of shaved ice to choose from: red bean, match, and cocoa. As usual, I suggested we get the Matcha. They say that their shaved ice is an “Authentic Korean Dessert called Bing Soo”. And they also claim that there is 100% pure Japanese green tea. And it definitely was. Because even the Ice Cream on the top was just vanilla ice cream, but covered with match powder. and the shaved ice was also mixed with matcha powder. You could definitely taste the flavour of the tea and its hint of bitterness. However, it was fine because it was balanced out with the condensed milk and sweetness of the other ingredients. There were red bean, thinly sliced almonds, mochi, and an abundant of fruits. The fruit included chopped up strawberries, bananas, and my pineapples. I really enjoyed the pineapples and it was really sweet. The mochi was green tea mochi that were orginally a big ball and they were cut up into little pieces. They also sold these mochis separately. I wish that they had more mochi in the shaved ice though.

All in all, the shaved ice was quite delicious and refreshing. It is a very large bowl, hence priced at around $9, but is perfect to share with a friend. I hear that their bubble tea is also pretty good, so I would love to come back to try some.

Bon Crepe

August 19, 2013Leave a comment

After a bike ride at the Stanley Park seawall, K and I trekked down towards the Robson area and went to take a look at Bon Crepe. It is a Japanese owned convenience store with crepes, and other desserts. Inside, you will find all kinds of Japanese snacks, candies, drinks, but even some frozen foods and rice. They also have an assortment of household products and even hair dye. Then in a corner is the fast food area. They had parfaits, crepes, and soft serve ice cream. We went for the Matcha Soft Serve Ice Cream. I’m not sure if it’s because it is real matcha powder, but I found the ice cream to be quite flavourless. The cone itself was also a typical McDonald’s cone. It was okay on a sunny day, but I probably wouldn’t get that again. The ice cream was extremely smooth and for under $3, it doesn’t break your wallet. Their parfaits or crepes may be better since they have other ingredients in it as well.

Qoola Plus (Richmond Centre)

August 14, 2013Leave a comment

Qoola opened not long ago at Richmond Centre and took over the old Carlton Cards location right next to McDonalds. The Qoola here is huge compared to the rest in Greater Vancouver, and it is actually called Qoola Plus. I think it’s because they offer more than just frozen yogurt here. Anyways, first you choose your flavour of frozen yorgurt and this is self serve, unlike Pinkberry. However, the downside is they don’t have little cups for you to taste test them, like at Menchies. You can still taste test the flavours, but you need to ask one of the employees, which becomes a hassle.

They have a large variety of toppings you can add, and it ranges from cookie crumbles, mochi, nuts, cheesecake, candies to fruits. They also have various sauces you can drizzle on.

And here is M since he wanted to get on the blog post…

Seating is also abundant here, with many couches further in the back. It makes a great place for groups to hangout, but also dates wit hseating areas for just two people. They close at 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10pm on the other days. You can enter from the outdoor entrance if the mall is closed.

So I’m guessing what makes this location a Qoola Plus is the food that they offer. So other than frozen yogurt, you can purchase sandwiches and pasta! That’s pretty cool. Their display was not shown, since I guess they were sold out by the time we went. I wonder if they’re any good.

And here is mine creation! I have some Original Yogurt, Watermelon Sorbet and Mango Tango Sorbet. It is then topped with Mochi, and Green Tea Mochi. Not a huge fan of frozen yogurt, since I’m an ice cream person, but I thought it was decent. It’s not too sweet so I like that. The mochis were definitely my favourite part though. Especially the green tea mochi. It was a huge piece, and of course weighed more, but was extremely chewy. So good!

And here’s a snapshot of all our Qoola. My friends said that the original yogurt is by far the best, and the cheesecake topping is really good. The plus side of Qoola is that no Qoola is ever the same. You can customize it however you like, whereas Pinkberry employees make it for you. I’m guessing the Pinkberry upstairs in the food court is going to have some competition!

Midam Rice Cake House

July 7, 2013July 9, 2013Leave a comment

Midam Rice Cake House is tucked away in a Korean mall in Coquitlam and you probably wouldn’t notice it at all. If it weren’t for all the instagram pictures, I’m pretty sure I would’ve never came here.

Inside, the place reminds me of bubble tea shops, but with a Korean touch to it. Maybe it’s the wooden furniture and decor. Oh and I guess pretty much all the diners were Korean too…

Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream

Midam is famous for their rice cakes of course, and especially for their rice cake desserts. Green tea, mochi, and ice cream are three of my favourite things, so of course I had to get the Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream! This was so delicious. The rice cake was chewy and the ice cream was hard so it melted in your mouth slowly. And of course, it was presented nicely too. A must get!

Green Tea Shaved Ice

And then there’s the Green Tea Shaved Ice. I’m not usually a big fan of shaved ice because after I few spoons, I usually get a brain freeze and start shivering. However, Midam seems to be famous for these, so I had to give it a try. It was bowl of shaved ice topped with red bean, almonds, green tea covered rice cakes, and a spoonful of green tea ice cream. We found it extremely bland, and the girl brought us something that tasted like condensed milk. Immediately after pouring it, it tasted much better. Still, I’m actually not a huge fan of red beans, unless it’s red bean paste, so this wasn’t exactly my favourite. I wish it was just all green tea rice cakes and ice cream! The rice cakes were decent, although I found the green tea to be a little bitter. A hint of sweetness would’ve made it better. It was still chewy and soft and I loved the texture of it. I also found the shaved ice to be pretty big chunks of ice. If it were finely ground, it would’ve been better. Overall, it was just okay.

Lastly, J got the dinner set, which I can’t remember the name of and I can’t find it on their website. We came during dinner time, but silly me decided to have desserts for dinner. J, on the other hand, wanted an actual meal. The lunch set included some appetizers, like salad, beans, kimchi, and miso soup. It also came with black rice and I think his main dish was squid with rice cakes. On the side, it also came with a bowl of steamed eggs.

Midam Rice Cake House seems to be quite popular for the Koreans. You could find different ages eating during dinner time, and many would order desserts too. I guess it’s similar to a Taiwanese bubble tea house, but this one is filled with Korean rice cake desserts. The rice cakes itself are delicious, but some items seem to be a hit or miss. I think I came in with high expectations for the shaved ice, so I left quite disappointed.