Laduree – Printemps Paris

January 29, 2014Leave a comment

The famous Laduree of Paris! You’ve probably seen these macarons in their little pastel green boxes. I’ve been dreading to try these because people say they are the absolute best! We had saw the Laduree store in Milan, but we knew we were going to Paris, so of course get it from it’s home city! There are several Ladurees in Paris, with the one on Champs Elysees being quite famous. That one has a sit down cafe and is always packed with tourists. We found a Laduree pop up shop inside Printemps, which is another department store situated right next to Lafayette. Other than the pop up store on the first floor, they also have a sit down cafe on the upper floor. They offered breakfast there and had a specific time for customers who wanted to just dine on desserts.

Anyways, by the end of our shopping trip, we were kind of broke again… But i insisted we had to try these little macarons! I believe they are around 1.7 euros for each, which is decent if you think about the price of macarons in Vancouver.

We ended up only getting two, since we didn’t want to carry them home. If you get less than 6, then they put them into a little bag.

I got the Rose and Orange Blossom flavour. Okay, seriously, they are so delicious! When you bite into them, the outer layer is so airy! And the other thing is that I find macarons in Vancouver to be too sweet, but these ones have just a subtle sweetness. The orange blossom is a must try! I haven’t seen this flavour elsewhere before. It’s got a hint of orange flavour and is so fresh! Absolutely love it. These little guys are a bit smaller than the macarons back in Vancouver, but I understand why people go crazy over them now!

Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki – Lafayette Paris

January 28, 2014Leave a comment

Galeries Lafayette is seriously one of the most beautiful department stores I have seen! It’s an upscale department store selling luxury brands like no other. I swear they have colours and styles that I’ve never seen in Vancouver, because…well you’re in Paris… Anyways, the cool thing about these luxury department stores is that most of them have a floor dedicated to food. And if you think it’s like a food court, think again. It’s like luxury food court! They have sections of food products like chocolate, candy, cookies, but they also have an area with luxury cooked food and pastries. Prices are quite expensive, but just imagine yourself at Thomas Haas or Thierry, and it’ll make you feel more like at home… Wandering through all the gourmet stalls, my eyes caught Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki!

It was interesting because I didn’t expect to see a Japanese patisserie shop in Paris. You need to remember that I’ve been away from Vancouver for some time now, and my green tea craving was really kicking in… When I saw Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki serving all these Japanese flavours, I felt like I was home again! They specialize in macarons and cakes, but with a Japanese twist. Matcha flavoured macarons? YES! I’ve always wanted the Vancouver dessert shops to make that flavour… I chose the Matcha and Redbean Cake, which is a cake with alternating layers of green tea, cream, and red bean. It’s then topped with some matcha powder and a matcha flavoured macaron! I absolutely loved this! The layers gave the cake so much texture. Some of it was crunchy, as they used something similar to rice krispies, and the red bean also gave it another texture. This pastry stall is a must try! If you enjoy Asian flavours, this will be perfect for you. They also specialize in macarons and chocolates with very interesting flavours! If only they were less pricey, I would’ve tried so many others!

I believe they also have their own boutique in Paris, but Lafayette is great as you can try other gourmet restaurants while you are there!

Picnic by the Eiffel Tower!

January 26, 2014Leave a comment

A trip to Paris is not the same without a picnic by the Eiffel Tower. For those of you who are traveling in Paris during the warmer months, this is a must! It’s just nice to take a break from intense traveling and get a feel of how the Parisians relax. And with a view so spectacular, this is the perfect place to do so. I would suggest bringing pastries and sandwiches from cafes near your hotel if you see them, since it can be quite difficult to look for food after you arrive at the Eiffel Tower. The park itself is huge and therefore requires a lot of walking to get to the other side. Anyways, we did not think of ahead, and ended up having to wander around looking for pastry shops. Luckily, we found Boulangerie Pâtisserie Felice Lapelosa. It is on Avenue Rapp, and offers a wide selection of pastries, sandwiches, and bread. There is always a constant in and out of customers, and most are locals. We ended up getting a chestnut eclair, which was so fluffy and delicious! It wasn’t too sweet too! Then we got a quiche, which is pictured on the bottom right. This was alright as it wasn’t heated up enough. Lastly, we got a pineapple tart. This was quite good! The custard was smooth, and the hint of sweet and sour from the pineapple made it appetizing. We also wandered around and found a shop called Les Paris Gourmands. They have lots of chocolates, jams, and other sweets. We chose a mango macaron, which was a large size. This wasn’t the best macaron I’ve had, but the flavour was definitely interesting. My sister also picked up a jar of jam with rose petals. Unfortunately, this was confiscated in her carry on, and months later, I would have to head back here to purchase her jam again. Anyways, that happened, and now we currently have the jar in our fridge half full. It was definitely worth it as it surprisingly isn’t too sweet, and there are actually rose petals in it! The brand is called Favols, for those of you who enjoy jams, and apparently it can be found in many other stores that sell jam in Paris. Lastly, we picked up a bottle of rose in the grocery store. It was extremely cheap, and probably why it tasted pretty bad… Yea, maybe pick up a nice bottle of wine next time ; )

Look at that view! We were lucky enough for it to be sunny that day, since it was rainy all the other days. After having a picnic, take a stroll in the park. Such a relaxing environment. Oh, but do beware that there are lots of people who are trying to scam you in this park. They ask if you would like to donate for some sort of cause, and they will ask you to sign a piece of paper. If you see these people around, just ignore them. They’ll ask if you speak English, so just pretend you don’t or else they will continue approaching you! Many are young adults or even children. I’m not sure exactly how they will scam you, but just beware! Better to be safe than sorry. Don’t let these people ruin your picnic! Enjoy 🙂

Luzia – Barcelona

December 1, 2013December 10, 2014Leave a comment

I apologize for getting behind again! I’ve been traveling a lot this month and with school almost finished, I had tons of projects to finish up! Anyways, this post goes way back to September, when school just began. After school, U and I met up with her dad and we headed along La Rambla, which is one of the busiest streets in Barcelona. It’s filled with tourists and pickpocketers, so you always need to be cautious around here. We looked around for food, worrying that there may be lots of tourist traps, but luckily we ended up at Luzia which is located right on the street corner. The inside looks quite fancy, but the prices are actually decent and there are many families eating there.

Ravioli con salsa de setas ( Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce)

I chose the Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce and although there are only a few pieces of ravioli, it really fills you up. The mushroom sauce was extremely rich and other than mushrooms, there were also some sort of nuts or grains in the sauce. I couldn’t figure it out. The filling was a cheese filling and went very well with the mushrooms.

Pollo de corral, pimientos y puré trufado (Free Range Chicken, Peppers and Truffle)

U had the Chicken with Peppers and Truffle. It was nicely presented on a wooden board with a skillet on top. She said the chicken was tender and the flavours worked well with each other. Extremely delicious she said!

Our meal came with some bread as well. We also ordered some white wine. U’s dad got the Steak tartar y patatas fritas (Steak Tartar and French Fries). He said it was cooked perfectly.

Tiramisu

Last but not least, U and I shared a slice of Tiramisu. It was filled with chocolate and coffee goodness. A slight hint of alcohol and filled with cream and mascarpone cheese. So good!

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!

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.