Bell’s Bake Shop

Red Velvet Giant Cupcake

Did I make this myself? Nope…but it sure looks like one after a really disappointing cake fail story! I got my friend a giant cupcake for her birthday at Bell’s Bake Shop in Steveston Village, and by giant, I mean it’s supposed to be equivalent to around 20 cupcakes, so it feeds around 10 people. This one was red velvet with buttercream frosting. So I picked it up at the store, and they showed me how it looked inside the box, and I went back into the car carrying it on my lap while I was driven to the restaurant for dinner. I was told to just put it at room temperature so I handed it over to my waitress. Around 15 minutes into dinner, my waitress comes over and tells me that I should take a look at my cake. The manager was also there and said that he had opened it and the cake had fell. Basically the whole top half had toppled to one side. I was extremely disappointed and asked if they could do anything to fix it up. And this is what they came up with. Pretty good compared to what a mess it had looked like…The red colouring is from the birthday message I had paid to get written, and I told the chef to just smother it around since the message was ruined anyways.  I had paid $35 for the cake with $2 extra for the birthday message. I don’t know if it was my own fault from the way I carried it, or the cake shop themselves, but I am definitely not going back there again – at least not for a giant cupcake. Yes, the giant cupcake looks really cool and presentable at the table, but if it is so unstable and just topples over, I really don’t think it’s worth it. I might as well just buy 20 different cupcakes.

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Damien’s Belgian Waffles

White Chocolate Belgian Waffle

Always heard about Damien’s Belgian Waffles in Steveston Village but never got a chance to try it! Took me a while to even find the place since it’s not exactly near the wharf area. Place was quiet and small, but there were a variety of waffles to choose from. I decided to go for the white chocolate flavour. It started to melt really quickly when I began eating it though. It’s also cold, which is kind of weird for a waffle. I guess I had too high of an expectation coming in, so I only left with a “It’s alright”. I do want to give the matcha belgian waffle a try though since I love green tea flavoured food!

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Cheesecake Etc.

Cheesecake with Strawberries

Everyone has always been raving about Cheesecake Etc, but I had never been there despite me being a dessert junkie! So I finally got to on a Friday night, and the place was packed! The place was pretty big though, so we were able to grab a seat after waiting for about 5 minutes. To my surprise though, they barely had any varieties to choose from. It was either, Original Cheesecake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Cheesecake with Strawberries, Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberries or Gourmet Special. So I decided to try the Cheesecake with Strawberries. It’s pretty good, but I didn’t think it was the best thing ever. I probably would prefer going to the Cheesecake Factory in the states and ordering a variety of different cheesecakes instead. Maybe I just like to try more unique desserts, but if you’re someone who likes the original cheesecake, then this is the place to go, at least in Vancouver!

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Waves Coffee House (Steveston)

I usually go to Blenz or Starbucks for coffee-type drinks, but decided to try out Waves instead. Went to the one in Steveston Village and found that the place is really cozy and comfy! A great place to have a nice chat or just to chill at night. Not a huge coffee drinker, and was craving some desserts as usual, so decided to try their brownie! I was surprised that it wasn’t at all as sweet as I had imagined it to be though! Quite good! I really want to try the huge assortment of paninis and sandwiches they have for lunch next time though!

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Pearl Castle

Fried Pork Chop with Noodle Soup

Chicken with Three Spices

Seafood Udon Soup with Sliced Pork

Pearl Castle is one of my favourite go to places for Taiwanese food or bubble tea. There is always a large variety of food and drinks to choose from and they all taste great! This Pearl Castle is the Richmond Centre location and I found that their food did not taste as great as the one on Capstan. Perhaps it is a franchise? Not too sure. Service also took a little longer. Overall, still decent food.

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Trees Organic

Mango Cheesecake

Trees Organic is an European style cafe with many locations. This one is take-out from the downtown location. They serve 100% Organic & Fair Trade Coffee, decadent cheesecakes, fresh pastries, sandwiches, vegan treats and more. I tried the featured special – Mango Cheesecake! It actually had bits of mangoes in it which was a surprise. Quite delicious! I would love to try their blueberry cheesecake next!

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Urban Tea Merchant

Mango Sorbet with Strawberries

Petite Afternoon Tea – macaroon, chocolate dipped strawberry, cinnamon chocolate tart, scone, curry sandwich, cucumber sandwich, tuna in crepe.

Creme Brulee Green Tea – subtle bouquets of red fruits and strawberries

Urban Tea Merchant was offering a great deal for a petite afternoon tea so my friends and I decided to go. At a regular price of $25, the afternoon tea was offered for  $19 for a specific time from 12-2pm. This set also included $5 that went towards your choice of tea. We were quickly greeted and seated by our server and he had a great knowledge of the teas, helping us figure out what we would like based on our personal tastes. My favourite was the mango sorbet as the strawberries and hint of mint complimented it very well. It was refreshing on a hot, sunny day and was great to start the meal off with. And although the high tea set looked very small, it was plentiful and filled me up by the end. The creme brulee tea was also nice as it had a hint of fruits. Ambiance was wonderful with the sound of water and soothing music in the atmosphere. They are also offering chilled teas for the summer which sound delicious! A great place to have some tea as they have such a large variety to choose from!

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La Cuisson

Tiramisu

La Cuisson is a coffee shop located in Richmond. It offers a variety of cold and hot drinks and is famous for their freshly roasted coffee. As you step in the restaurant, the aroma of coffee will surround you and the small coffee shop has an antique feeling to it. Wooden tables and decor gives the shop a unique feeling. They also offer a variety of snacks, like sandwiches and waffles, as well as desserts, including an assortment of daily homemade cakes.

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