Life is like a box of chocolates.

Restaurant: XOXOLAT
Cuisine: Chocolate/Desserts
Last visited: August 10, 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano)
Address: 2391 Burrard Street (& 8th)
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Owner/Chocolatier Hodie Rondeau
• Chocolate boutique shop
• Artisan chocolates
• Local favourite
• Classic & creative chocolates
• Hand made chocolates
• Imported chocolate bars
• Largest selection of single origin chocolate imports
• Gift shop
• Chocolate Tasting Classes
• Organic/Fair trade chocolate
• Tuesday to Saturday 10:30am – 6pm
• Sunday 12pm – 5pm

**Recommendations: Pistachio Truffle, Praline Espresso Truffle, Key Lime Truffle, Mango Caramel Truffle, Maple Caramel Truffle, Sipping chocolate, Cardamom Crème Brulée, Sea Salt & Sour Cherry Bar, Lime & Tortilla Chip Bar, Bacon Chocolate Bar, 75% Madagascar Chocolate Bar

Xoxolat is one of Vancouver BC’s handcrafted artisan chocolate boutiques. Offering a wide selection of hand made chocolate truffles and chocolate bars, it is also one of the few and only chocolate shops offering affordable Chocolate 101 classes that are open to the general public.

The Chocolate 101 tasting class is led by the incredibly knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic owner and chocolatier Hodie Rondeau. I love her! I’ve actually met Hodie on a few previous occasions, but it was fabulous to see her in action in the comfort of her own “home”.

It’s an intimate and casual one hour informational session on chocolate and of course it includes little nibbles as you go along. Trust me the nibbles work and she slowly guides you through the origins, percentages, as well as a few of her signature Xoxolat flavours. At the end of the class everyone receives a box of handmade Xoxolat chocolate truffles  and 10% off any purchases made that evening.

Along with my sister I attended one of the classes and never have I been so excited to go back to school! Even the “homework” was great!

Chocolate high heel shoes! What more could a foodie like me ask for?

I love chocolate, but I love chocolatiers even more. The dedication and passion they have for one ingredient, being cocoa, astonishes me. I mentioned in my Cocoa West Chocolatier post that just like chefs, every chocolatier has their own unique style. For me the type of chocolate used is just as important as how they are used and interpreted by the chocolatier. After all, chocolate is just chocolate (I’m referring to good quality chocolate), but the art of chocolate making can change everything.

Xoxolat is one of the more well known lines of artisan chocolates in Vancouver. I’ve tried them on many occasions, but it was my first time in the actual store. The store is divided into three sections: the imported chocolates, the house made Xoxolat chocolate bars, and the handmade Xoxolat chocolate truffles.

Xoxolat actually carries the largest selection of imported single origin chocolates in Vancouver. Supporting local is great, but when it comes to chocolate, it’s almost like wine or cheese, there’s just some qualities and types that can’t be produced locally. Personally I’ve never considered imported chocolate to be a bad thing, as long as their fair trade, and these ones are organic and fair trade.

The imported chocolate bars were nice to learn about, but I was most interested in the Xoxolat hand made truffles. For me, this is most representable of the brand and what I see the most value in.

Xoxolat chocolates are incredibly Hodie in style, flavour and presentation. When a chocolate speaks of the chocolatier’s personality, that is something I look for, and to some degree it matters more than how good the chocolates really are.

The chocolates are vibrant, multi-coloured, patterned, playful, bold and fearless in flavours and presentation. The flavour combinations are sophisticated in their own unique ways and I admire Hodie for being adventurous and fun with the art. They might not be the best hand made truffles I’ve had, but I would still recommend them as a solid choice for chocolate lovers.

I have to admit, that after Cocoa West Chocolatier and this Xoxolat chocolate 101 class, I’m kind of becoming a chocolate snob. Everything just starts to taste different when you start to really get into it, and I’m getting quite specific with how I like my chocolates and what I look for now.

These are some of Xoxolat’s handmade chocolate bars, and also a couple imported ones we bought after her class.

I liked the intensity and creativity of the flavours, but some truffles worked better than others, and I actually generally enjoyed the Xoxolat chocolate bars more. The quality of ingredients used are very good, but not premium, and the focus on freshness is there, but perhaps not of most importance. They have about a one month shelf life compared to the ultimate fresh ones that last about 10 days, but it also means they’re more affordable.

They’re still made with all natural ingredients, and they’re still great chocolates, but I personally like the soft truffles that melt in your mouth with creamy centres that ooze out like the ones from Cocoa West Chocolatier (see here), but that’s just my personal tastes. The chocolate shells on these hand made truffles were just a bit uneven at times, and they have more of a hard crunch than a crispness like the chocolates from Thierry Busset or Thomas Haas might have. Chocolates are personal so I encourage you to sample chocolatiers to see whose style and personality suits your chocolate cravings best.

On the table:

Vanilla Cream – 2.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I couldn’t really taste the vanilla, except for in the very beginning. I could see some vanilla bean seeds, but I could have used more.
• The centre was slightly “artificial” for me because I was expecting a rich, creamy, milky and fresh vanilla bean cream filling.
• This one was just a bit heavy in butter and sugar, but it doesn’t taste oily, it’s just not the flavour or texture of fresh cream.
• I think a creamy rich vanilla bean white chocolate ganache in the centre would be great as well.

**Key Lime Truffle - 4/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• It definitely tasted like what it was.
• It’s more chocolate than key lime in flavour but there was a fresh zest and brightness in the very beginning from the creamy centre. It continued and finished with mostly bittersweet chocolate flavours.
• I would have loved if the filling was more of a white chocolate cream filling, but again it was a bit more of a butter and sugar filling.
• I think this one would have been great with a chocolate base that carried citrus notes.

Orange Chocolate Truffle – 2/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I’m not sure if this is what it was and I think it was a seasonal special because it wasn’t listed on the official flavours chart.
• I’m really not a fan of chocolate and orange, especially if it’s not a very fresh orange, and I think this had some Grand Marnier in it, so I’m biased.
• I have liked chocolate and orange combinations before, but this wasn’t particularly for me.

Mango Guava Truffle – 2/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• This was more like a chocolate covered fruit jelly so it had that strong candied fruit and chocolate combination.
• It was more like a candy than a chocolate truffle and it was a bit too sugary for my tastes.
• The jelly was quite tangy and bright with tropical flavours, but I wouldn’t have really guessed it was mango and guava and would have suggest lime first.
• I love the flavour combination, but I’m personally not huge on fruit jellies when it’s such a thick layer.

Pomegranate Blueberry Truffle – 3.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• It almost smelled like a raspberry sorbet and I’d say it tasted like it too.
• It was probably the brightest and most tart in flavours and the raspberry flavour was really bold. For sure I would have guessed raspberry before pomegranate or blueberry and I really think it could have been a seasonal special that got mixed in the box.

Passionfruit Matcha – 3/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I had my eye on this the moment I walked in.
• It was a bit too heavy on the white chocolate for me so it was a bit too sweet for my liking.
• I tasted a very subtle tartness from the passionfruit if I looked for it and I couldn’t taste the matcha until the very very end.
• This is ideal for white chocolate lovers and I’m more for dark chocolate although I love this combination of flavours.

**Mango Caramel Truffle -4.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I loved the buttery creamy centre which had a beautiful rich and smooth caramel that wasn’t too sweet.
• I couldn’t really taste the mango, but I think it helped to build the texture of the caramel centre.
• I didn’t even care that I couldn’t really taste the mango except for a slight tartness at the end because the caramel was so amazing on its own.

Strawberry English Breakfast Truffle – 4/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I could smell the bright and fruity strawberries before I even ate it which was great!
• It was a softer chocolate with a milk chocolate base and it was a bit gritty in texture from the ground English Breakfast Tea leaves. At times it was bit crunchy and I thought it was espresso without the espresso flavour.
• It was quite “girly” and fruity and I could taste the sweet strawberries in the beginning, but it did smell more like strawberries than it tasted.
• It was stronger with strawberry and I couldn’t really taste the English Breakfast, besides its texture, but I think an infusion of the leaves into the chocolate would have worked really well with this one.

Lavender Truffle – 4/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I could smell the lavender right away and this is definitely for people who love lavender because it was really strong and people may even consider it soapy.
• I love lavender so I like it when it’s in your face, but I could see a lot of people finding this one too strong. Even I found it strong.
• It had a creamy lavender milk chocolate ganache centre and no actual lavender leaves and I liked the infusion used in this one.

**Maple Caramel Truffle – 4.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I didn’t expect to like this one so much.
• This was super soft and it melted in your mouth. I loved the texture and I could taste the buttery rich maple flavour in the beginning.
• The filling was sweet so I’m glad it was balanced out with a dark bittersweet chocolate shell.

Hazelnut Truffle – 2.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• This was getting into my favourite combination with chocolate, the nut combination.
• This tasted much more like a buttery pecan caramel than hazelnut to me and it was a milk chocolate base so it was a bit too sweet for my liking.
• I would have preferred more hazelnut flavour and it actually didn’t taste like hazelnut to me.
• A hazelnut crunch would have been nice too instead of just the creamy filling and I think I could taste a bit of liqueur in there as well.

**Pistachio Truffle – 6/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I love pistachio so I had my eyes on this one as soon as I walked in.
• This was so obviously pistachio and it had a lovely creamy green pistachio white chocolate ganache in the centre.
• I actually could have went a notch less white chocolate and a notch higher pistachio paste, but it was still my favourite truffle.
• The colour was great and the flavour was so buttery with pistachio flavour, but not oily and the hint of bittersweet dark chocolate was the perfect accompaniment.
• Personally I like nutty textures, so even better would be the crunch of an added canided pistachio.

**Praline Espresso Truffle – 4.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• This was amazing. It was the only one that had so much texture!
• I could have used more of a nutty praline crunch and it was more of a ground espresso bean crunch, but it was still good.
• It was crispy and nutty with lots of candied roasted ground espresso beans and the flavour was extended through the whole chocolate.
• It was perfectly sweet and perfectly bitter and incredibly aromatic.
• The bitter sweet chocolate was a great match too and it just enhanced the espresso. This is definitely made for espresso lovers.

Machi Picchi Coffee Truffle – 3.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• This was actually quite sweet and it did have a finer ground crumb of espresso beans than the praline espresso.
• It was quite creamy and it had a milk chocolate base so it was sweeter and it made the coffee flavour even lighter.
• It was a very light coffee flavour so this would be great for someone who is not a major espresso lover, but enjoys the milder espresso flavours.

Chocolate Truffle – 2.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• This was a bit sweet for my liking, and personally I wasn’t keen on the round truffles and preferred the square ones.
• The filling was a creamy chocolate and caramel filling but it was heavier on chocolate flavour. It was a bit stiff for me because I like when my truffle centres pour out.

Toasted Coconut Truffle – 3/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I couldn’t smell the coconut, but I could taste it as soon as it hit my tongue, but the coconut flavour disappeared quite quickly.
• I would have preferred a creamy coconut ganache or centre, and the caramel and chocolate ganache was a bit stiff and sweet for my liking.
• I think it’s a coconut extract and then there’s toasted coconut on top too, but I would have liked a more natural coconut presence especially since I love coconut.

Champagne Truffle – 3.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I couldn’t smell the champagne, but I could taste it immediately.
• It was milk chocolate based so a bit too sweet for my liking, but it did taste like what it was and the champagne wasn’t over powering or bitter, but noticeable, fun and quite “girly”.

Rum Ball – 1.5/6

• About $1.60 each or 18 pieces for $28
• I’ve never enjoyed rum balls so I’m pretty biased with this one.
• I could definitely taste the rum, but at least there was enough bittersweet chocolate to offset the flavour.
• For some reason it had the creamiest centre out of all the round chocolate truffles though and I’m not sure if that was due to freshness or just the ingredients in this flavour.

**Cardamom Crème Brulée – 6/6

• If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one these, get one!
• They’re made exclusively for Atithi Indian Cuisine restaurant just up the block from Xoxolat. They serve a big one with your order of Galub Jamun – see here.
• It has a very thin chocolate shell and it’s filled with creamy cardamom scented custard and topped with crispy bits of caramelized sugar, which we all know as brulée.
• It’s the truffle that stands out as having that velvety smooth real cream texture and flavour that melts in your mouth. I call this a bite of India’s heaven.
• This is perhaps my favourite chocolate of all from Xoxolat.

Follow Me Foodie to Bowen Island & Cocoa West Chocolatier

It was my chocolate escape to Bowen Island, BC. I know, I’m jealous of myself! It’s not often that I want to vacation in or around Vancouver, which is a shame because there’s so much to explore, see, and experience. Being surrounded by beautiful mountains, water, nature and scenery, is something I take for granted on a daily basis. But things were about to change… and I was easily swayed by the sweet calling of chocolate. I can’t deny my sweet tooth.

My quick getaway to Bowen Island was arranged by Vancouver, Coast & Mountains British Columbia (VCMBC), and the invitation to stay at the Cocoa West Chocolatier‘s one and only chocolate suite accommodation on Bowen Island was an easy draw. I’ve never heard of this “bed and chocolate” accommodation before and it was one I was ecstatic to experience!

I’ve actually never been to Bowen Island and the assumption of it being so far away created a mental block from ever having any desire to visit it. Little did I know, it was only a 20 minute ferry ride from downtown, Vancouver. Well hey, that isn’t so bad! So with the help of BC Ferries I was off to my chocolate escape!

Cocoa West Chocolatier Cafe was a 5 minute drive from the ferry dock and I would recommend taking a car because it’s not a walkable trail or distance. For me, it would be probably impossible, and I’d need to buy a pair of runners first and learn how to pack light. I’m pretty sure there’s no taxi service on Bowen Island, however pick up arrangements with Cocoa West Chocolatier is something I’d inquire about if you need.

I approached the small family owned chocolate shop, Cocoa West Chocolatier Cafe, and was greeted by the friendly husband and wife owners Carlos and Maitre Chocolatier Joanne Mogridge. The chocolate boutique and cafe opened in 2002 and the chocolate suite was an idea they introduced in 2007.

It’s the only chocolate suite on Bowen Island and it was just around the corner from the cafe. Thank goodness there was no secret hallway connecting the cafe and the suite, because I could have possibly been found passed out on the chocolate making table the next morning from an overindulgence of chocolates.

It was certainly off to a good start with a lovely box of Cocoa West assorted chocolates which await for your arrival. This comes standard for all guests. With a chocolate coloured theme of rich and light brown shades, it kind of made me tempted to eat the furniture. If this was the house of Willy Wonka, it probably would have been possible too!

However the in room movies and entertainment provided were a bit more sophisticated than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and watching Chocolat in the Chocolate Suite while eating the finest chocolate is something I couldn’t leave without doing.

Being that I’m not so much of an outdoor girl, Bowen Island was a different experience for me. Cocoa West Chocolatier, the Chocolate Suite, and a couple restaurants were my main attraction. There are lots of beautiful hikes, scenery, kayaking and outdoor activities, but calling it in and indulging in chocolate with Johnny Depp was more suitable for my tastes, figuratively and literally.

Cocoa West Chocolatier’s Chocolate Suite is a quick and easy romantic getaway from the city. The room is quaint with chocolate themed books and romantic movies, and the bedside chocolate was also a cute initiative. The experience continues the next morning with a complimentary hot chocolate or coffee and biscotti or cookie. It can be enjoyed at the cafe or arranged to be delivered to your room.

A bedside Milk Bar (solid Belgian milk chocolate in festive foil) is placed on your night table.

I can’t deny that the foodie in me was hoping that there would be a chocolate making class or some kind of chocolate activity to enhance the chocolate experience. That just would have really made it a chocolate escape and ideal for chocoholics and food enthusiasts. I’m crossing my fingers for it to happen and hope that some day it does, because I think it would make an unbelievable local and tourist attraction.

There’s no doubt you’ll get your daily dose of chocolate during your stay, but even if you don’t stay in the Chocolate Suite, I would still suggest trying Cocoa West Chocolatier for their exquisite hand made organic chocolates. For more information, rates and availability for the Chocolate Suite at Cocoa West Chocolatier see here.

Restaurant: Cocoa West Chocolatier
Cuisine: Chocolates/Desserts/Gelato/Coffee/Organic
Last visited: August 2-3, 2011
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Address: 581c Artisan Lane
Bowen Island
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 3
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• Husband and wife operation
• Small cafe
• Handmade chocolates
• Organic, all natural
• Artisan chocolates
• Made in small batches
• Fresh, high quality ingredients
• Creative flavours
• No preservatives
• Gluten free
• Dairy free options
• Nut free options
• Local ingredients where possible
• Limited indoor/outdoor seating
• Online ordering
• Chocolate suite available

**Recommendations: Eden’s Harvest, Unbelievably Good Egg, First Place Pie, Himalayan Sea Salt Caramel, Cinnamon, Dulche de Leche, Bombay Truffle, Strawberry Black Pepper, Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Cocoa West Chocolatier specializes in one thing, and that’s chocolate. They offer a small selection of gelato from Mario’s Gelati and a few home made biscotti and cookies, but the chocolate is where the magic and passion lies.

The cafe is very small with a cottage like ambiance, however the chocolate speaks higher than the setting. I’d say it’s the finest food establishment along with fine dining restaurant Blue Eyed Mary’s on Bowen Island. It is a local favourite and although I only tried 3 of the 10 restaurants on Bowen Island, Cocoa West Chocolatier was easily my top pick.

Maitre Chocolatier and owner Joanne Mogridge trained under Maitre Chocolatier Greg Hook from Chocolate Arts in Vancouver before opening her own chocolate shop in 2002. Using raw chocolate produced in France by Cacao Barry, the chocolate is not single origin chocolate, but a blend. This isn’t a bad thing as blends often incorporate the best qualities from a variety of cocoa beans.

Joanne makes her chocolate in small batches with 100% certified organic and all natural ingredients. Therefore these chocolates expire within 10 days due to the fresh ingredients, although I’m sure they won’t even see the third day once you get your hands on a box. Some of the chocolates may contain a little alcohol to act as a natural preservative and those will last 18 days, and her dairy free chocolates will last 3 months.

Just like any chef, chocolatiers have their own unique style, and the art of chocolate making extends further than starting with good quality cocoa. She uses local organic fruits, organic herbs from her garden, home made fruit purees, and freshly ground spices to create these world class chocolates. Her style is very subtle in flavour, with a focus on the quality of the chocolate, so most of them are non-offensive and easily accepted by any age and palate.

I found them a notch less sweet and more simple than Maitre Chocolatier Thomas Haas’ chocolates. They were less intense with the flavourings of Thomas Haas, Xoxolat, and Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France chocolates, and it just depends on what you like. I liked that they were less sweet, but I do prefer them a bit stronger, but nonetheless these were not difficult to appreciate and devour.

From what I tried she seemed to use infusion as a technique rather than using the ingredients as a whole or as is. Everything was really incorporated and mild so there were no obvious fruit gelées or intense spices. At times it was hard to figure out what it was unless I knew.

The inside of a Himalayan Sea Salt Caramel

They’re clean in presentation and offered in simple solid or double layered chocolates. The double layered chocolate truffles I’d say are her signature and the creamy rich fillings, especially her caramels, are noticeably different from other chocolatiers. Her truffles are definitely some of the best I’ve had and it’s no doubt due to the freshness of the ingredients. The texture and flavour of the soft velvety creamy centres were perfect. Just look at the picture!

Photo above: The Unbelievably Good Egg (soft caramel with chocolate centre rolled in toasted organic almonds) is their signature and #1 best selling chocolate.

The chocolate ranges from simple to artisan, with creative West Coast flavours and twists like like Bombay Truffle with Chai and Strawberry Black Pepper. Personally I gravitated to more of the unique sounding chocolates, and overall I found these chocolates to be the most memorable part of my Bowen Island dining adventures.

Price List

Organic chocolates (selected) $1.70 each, Small box 7 pc $12, Med box 14 pc $24, Large Box 28 pc $44

I won’t deny that these chocolates are pricey, but it comes with the quality and labour. I was in the company of several locals who would tell me it was their favourite place on the island besides their own business, and that was without me asking or knowing my reason for being there.

If you just care to try the chocolate without making the trip to Bowen Island, you can order them online (here) for the same price, but they will come pre-selected with your choice of mostly dark, mostly milk, or assorted milk and dark chocolates.

On the table:

**Himalayan Sea Salt Caramel – 6/6

• It was the first one I started with, and I almost fainted.
• It was a soft chocolate shell and then out oozed this thick and creamy caramel filling that was buttery, not greasy, not sticky, chewy, or overly sweet.
• It would make non-caramel lovers fall in love with caramel. I’m not huge on caramel and I wanted to marry it after this.
• The crunch of sea salt on top just enhanced the caramel flavour and the caramel filling was almost like a pudding. See the filling in the image above.
• It’s one of the best chocolate caramel truffles I’ve had to date.

Left to right: Bombay Truffle, Cinnamon, Strawberry Black Pepper, Signature Truffle, Perfect Marriage, Shell

**Bombay Truffle – 4/6

• Chai & black tea-infused milk chocolate.
• It’s very aromatic in the beginning with some cardamom and cinnamon or clove flavour. It’s not sharp in spices, but very rounded out and subtle.
• It has a creamy rich centre and the tea flavour is quite light and the bitterness comes from the chocolate and not the leaves like it should be.
• My favourite Indian inspired chocolate is still Xoxolat’s Cardamom Creme Brulee Chocolate.

**Cinnamon – 5/6

• Chocolate & cinnamon liqueur, such a lovely couple!
• I like cinnamon, but I don’t love it, and this was one of my favourites.
• The cinnamon is very light, freshly ground and dusted on top.
• I couldn’t taste the cinnamon liqueur and the whole thing just melts in your mouth with a gush of cinnamon infused caramel in the centre.
• It’s aromatic and not spicy, but warm on the tongue at the end. It was amazing.

**Strawberry Black Pepper – 4.5/6

• Strawberry puree spiked with cracked black pepper.
• It was creamy and fruity and the flavour was interesting and hard to pinpoint if I didn’t know what it was.
• It’s not spicy and I couldn’t taste the texture of strawberry or crackled black pepper, but I got the aromatics of them.
• If you don’t like fruit filled chocolate, you would likely still like this because the fruit puree was lightly infused into a cream and you could hardly tell it was there.
• It wasn’t that sweet or tart, and the black pepper heat came at the end, but the flavour was not as obvious and even kids would like it.
• As good as it was, I did want the texture of the ingredients.

Signature Truffle – 3/6

• Our signature hot chocolate in a single decadent bite.
• It was a bittersweet soft ganache and I could taste the subtle hint of ginger or nutmeg and it was a bit bitter.
• It was a bit thin and tender and not as clean in presentation, but it’s the signature so I was curious.

Perfect Marriage – 3.5/6

• Blueberries, cranberries, rice crisps, almonds & hazelnuts in blissful harmony.
• This one was a bit harder and nutty without the creamy centre. I thought I would like this more.
• It was more like a nougat with a bittersweet chocolate shell and bits of dried blueberries and cranberries.
• It was more tart than fruity especially since the fruits were dried, and I tasted more cranberry than blueberry.
• I couldn’t really get that nuttiness or rice crispies and it wasn’t that chunky or as textured as the description suggested.

Shell – 3.5/6

• Rice crisps in dark chocolate in a mottled shell.
• I’m a fan of crispy rice in chocolate, and this was more chocolate focused.
• It was harder than expected and I thought it would be more delicate and crispy.
• It was reminiscent of a Crunch bar, but much thicker, harder and crunchier, like baking chocolate, and I think I would have liked it a bit thinner.

Left to right: First Place Pie, Eden’s Harvest, Unbelievably Good Egg, Lemon Fresh, Dulche De Leche, 70% Dark Solid, Heaven & Earth, Bowenberry & Espresso Bar

Lemon Fresh – 4/6

• White chocolate ganache infused with lemon and hint of thyme.
• For white chocolate it wasn’t too sweet and the centre is filled with a white chocolate ganache, but it’s only a lemon scent and not actually citrusy.
• It has a touch of alcohol, but it’s not one I could taste at all.
• I would haven’t minded a stronger lemon tang and some zest.
• I did get the wonderful aromatics of the lemony thyme in the beginning although it was quite subtle and only noticeable if you looked for it.
• If you didn’t know the flavours, it would likely take you forever to pinpoint what it was, but that “je ne sais quoi” almost made it more addicting.

**Dulche de Leche – 5/6

• Sweet liquid caramelized cream. Single bite only!
• This must be another favourite. I usually find dulche de leche too sweet and I wasn’t expecting to like this one as much as I did.
• It was ultra creamy and rich with caramel and it was sweet, but not hurt your teeth sweet.
• There was a bittersweet contrast with the dulche de leche and it wasn’t as sweet as most dulche de leches are.

70% Dark Solid – 5/6

• For the chocolate afficionado – the darker the better.
• This is actually my “chocolate test”. It’s the purest, simplest form of minimally altered cocoa and it represents the base of all the other chocolates.
• For me, the darker the better for sure.
• It was hard, dark, rich, bold, deep and earthy and the sweetness never really kicked in.
• It coats your mouth with flavour and fruity end notes and it was excellent quality of bittersweet chocolate.

Heaven on Earth – 4/6

• Raspberry dark ganache layered with vanilla dark chocolate.
• It had a mild raspberry flavour, but lots of real vanilla bean flavour and I could see the seeds.
• It had a creamy centre and I’m usually not big on raspberry and chocolate, but again this was subtle, but there.

Bowenberry – 3.5/6

• Local blackberry puree in a sugar-topped dark shell.
• It was a bit tart initially from the berries and it had a creamy ganache centre and a bold bittersweet accent.
• There were no seeds and it was an infusion of berries and the sugar crystal topping gave it some textural contrast.

Espresso Bar – 4/6

• Crushed organic espresso beans in semi-sweet dark chocolate.
• It was crunchy with good quality crunchy chopped espresso beans that were freshly toasted.
• There was enough sweetness to balance out the bitterness and the espresso was quite strong and bold.

Top row: Dulce De Leche, Lemon Fresh, Heaven on Earth
Bottom row: EmpowerMint, Domino, Starfish, Bombay Truffle

**Dulche de Leche – 5/6

• Sweet liquid caramelized cream. Single bite only!
• Described above.

Lemon Fresh – 4/6

• White chocolate ganache infused with lemon and hint of thyme.
• Described above.

Heaven on Earth – 4/6

• Raspberry dark ganache layered with vanilla dark chocolate.
• Described above.

EmpowerMint – 3/6

• A refreshing infusion of real mint leaves – just like nature intended.
• It’s a creamy ganache filled chocolate and I could only taste a little mint in the beginning and it’s quite faint.
• I’d actually barely notice it was mint, which I didn’t mind because I’m not a huge mint chocolate person anyways, but if I was, I’d want more mint.
• I love mint and chocolate when it’s fresh mint and high quality bittersweet chocolate though, so I did want more in this case.
• It finished with a bitter sweet chocolate flavour,

Domino - 4/6

• Canadian Maple caramel layered with dark ganache.
• It was another one of her caramel specialties!
• It’s rich buttery caramel that oozes out like liquid and it’s not too sweet, sticky or chewy. The Maple was actually a bit faint.
• There’s some vanilla bean flavour in it and the dark chocolate makes it less sweet and gives it the bitter after notes.

Starfish - 3/6

• A Bowen emblem in solid milk or dark Belgian chocolate.
• This was probably the most plain, and it was a milk chocolate version.
• It’s soft creamy milk chocolate and it’s less sweet than standard milk chocolate.
• There’s no waxy or greasy feel afterward and it’s not oily.

**Bombay Truffle – 4/6

• Chai & black tea-infused milk chocolate.
• Described above.

Left to right: First Place Pie, Eden’s Harvest, Unbelievably Good Egg

These were undeniably my favourites. Save the best for last. I think I had these first and last.

**First Place Pie – 5/6

• Pear & apple puree, caramel in a toasted cashew crust. A winner!
• I love pear, so I found the pear a bit faint for me and I tasted it initially, but it could have been only apple if I didn’t know.
• It was almost like an apple caramel pie in chocolate form and the cashew coating was like a pie crust. It was a bit soft than crunchy.
• The fruit was pureed into a creamy chocolate ganache surrounded by a caramel centre.

**Eden’s Harvest (on the right) – 6/6

• Apple, vanilla, toffee pecan. Seasonal special.
• This is named after her daughter and it was my favourite chocolate out of everything.
• It’s one of the best chocolates I’ve had period.
• This was even more like a caramel apple pie compared to the First Place Pie.
• It oozed out a layer of caramel and creamy chocolate ganache with an intense apple puree that was white, unlike the chocolate filling in the First Place Pie.
• It was also fruitier with stronger apple flavour and I think the vanilla bean seeds throughout really did the trick.
• It was richer and nuttier with the pecan toffee crunch on the outside and it was just the most flavourful and obvious of all.

**Unbelievably Good Egg (on the left) – 6/6

• Soft caramel and chocolate centre rolled in toasted organic almonds.
• This was my second favourite of all the chocolates I ate. It is their best seller.
• It’s not surprising because the caramel here is stellar and perfect. The almonds were a bonus!
• It was the sweetest of the three, but still not sickly sweet, and this one poured out a liquid caramel wrapped around a creamy chocolate ganache.
• It was buttery, sweet, rich, and easily melted in your mouth with the accent of vanilla bean seeds. I loved it!

Organic Hot Chocolate – Seville – 3/6

• Thick, velvety dark chocolate. Inspired by the drinking chocolate of the Spanish city. Small $4.76 Regular $5.23
• Made from solid organic Belgian chocolate, fresh organic milk, and organic spices.
• This is the hot chocolate (or coffee if you like) that comes complimentary the next morning if you stay in their chocolate suite.
• They have a few varieties of hot chocolate to select from, I went for the darkest.
• It’s not served boiling hot as to not overcook the chocolate. However it seemed cocoa based more than melted chocolate based to me and it was heavy on the milk or cream.
• This wasn’t as thick or creamy as hot chocolates in Spain and it was much lighter than many sipping chocolates I’ve tried, which are really just purely melted chocolates.
• This was very frothy and barely sweet and actually quite light in chocolate flavour.
• It was good, but I would probably make a richer more chocolatey version at home.
• It wasn’t creamy, heavy, waxy or greasy at all, and I couldn’t taste many or any spices really.
• I would have liked it more bitter and richer as their darkest hot chocolate variety, but the texture and flavour was so mild it made it easy to finish a glass.

**Cranberry & Almond Biscotti – 4.5/6

• $1.90 each
• This is the biscotti (or cookie if you like) that comes complimentary the next morning if you stay in their chocolate suite.
• Apparently this is a favourite and what most people would get in the morning with their coffee.
• It’s quite a soft biscotti and not those crunchy double baked ones. It’s very nutty with lots of ground almonds and no cornmeal and it’s quite tender and crumbly.
• They’re not dry but surprisingly quite buttery although you can’t tastes its richness.
• It was packed with lots of crushed almonds and a few cranberries and I actually really liked them.
• It’s not too sweet and very easy to eat and enjoy… and dip in hot chocolate.
• It kind of reminded me of those Dainty Two Chinese almond egg cookies.

Restaurant: Dirty Apron Delicatessen
Cuisine: Sandwiches/Deli/Soup
Last visited: December 28, 2010
Location: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 540 Beatty Street
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5 (based on 2 sandwiches)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• “Self service”
• Specializes in sandwiches
• Gourmet deli meats
• Pre-made sandwiches
• Pre-made sides
• Good quality ingredients
• Fresh ingredients
• Freshly baked bread
• Baguettes until 4pm only
• Mini gourmet foods market
• Cooking school attached
• Casual “dining room”
• Quick/casual
• Eat in/Take Out
• Mon-Fri 10am-8pm (not 6pm like website says)

**Recommendations: Prosciutto Grilled Sandwich

Sandwiches. They’re indeed making a comeback in Vancouver and it could be perhaps one of the major food trends of this year (well now last year). I’ve been meaning to hit up Meat & Bread (the other new sandwich shop in Gastown) before the new year arrived, but unfortunately they were closed until January 4, 2011. So I had to find a replacement to settle my craving for a gourmet sandwich.

I didn’t forget about the “original” sandwich places in Gastown like Brioche Urban Baking & Catering or Finch’s Tea & Coffee House, just to name a couple, but I wanted to try something new. There was hype surrounding the sandwiches at the newly opened Dirty Apron Delicatessen, and originally I wanted to hit up Meat and Bread and Dirty Apron Delicatessen on the same day, but I just couldn’t wait any longer.

Dirty Apron Delicatessen is brought to Vancouver by the owners of 2 of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver, Chambar and Cafe Medina just next door, so I was anticipating perfection. (Give them a couple more years and I think they’ll own the entire Beatty Street block.) The Dirty Apron actually triples as a cooking school, and of course now a mini gourmet specialty foods market and a delicatessen. My visit was specifically to check out the delicatessen though.

It’s actually a deli counter and I kind of wish that the sandwiches weren’t all pre-made. I was hoping to see a made upon order operation where I could select my toppings, bread and cheese, or at the very least watch them prepare it. I mean it’s not really too big of a deal, but I just prefer my sandwiches assembled upon order and not just grilled upon order. The ingredients are fresh and high quality and they’re a decent size as well. I think I was just expecting something like Salumi Artisan Cured Meats in Seattle, WA.

The baguettes are only served until 4pm because that’s when the bakery stops making them. All the bread is freshly baked on site and I had originally come to check out their baguette sandwiches. However since I came for dinner I was limited to ordering the grilled sandwiches which are available throughout the day. Considering the quality of ingredients, and also the fact that it’s part of the “Chambar” brand, the prices are quite reasonable and expected. I think it would be nice if they included sides, which can be purchased separately and vary daily from beet salad, cous cous, roasted yams, soup etc.

It sure looks like a to-go place only, but they actually have a rustic “dining room” for customers to sit and enjoy their sandwiches. It’s casual, self-service with long communal tables. I almost felt like I was in an adult cafeteria… or a prison for the privileged.

On the table:

Prosciutto Grilled Sandwich & Hummus Grilled Sandwich

**Prosciutto Grilled Sandwich – 5/6

• Prosciutto, figs, watercress, Cambozola Cheese, balsamic onions $8.99
• It was excellent, but just pricey.
• It was a great balance of salty and sweet flavours with a subtle tang from balsamic and nuttiness from the bread, which was a highlight for me.
• The bread was a fig, cranberry and walnut bread so it was nutty and sweet especially after being grilled. It was very crispy and it’s made in house, however there were only a couple walnuts in it. I actually like the amount of walnuts in the bread Creme de la Crumb uses in their Grilled Steak & Blue Cheese Sandwich for $6.95, although their walnut bread is not made in house.
• I liked the buttery prosciutto, but it actually wasn’t that salty and more meaty in flavour. It was nice with the ooey gooey strong thick slices of creamy melted Cambozola Cheese which has the texture of Brie and flavour of a medium Blue Cheese. The fresh and crispy watercresss and balsamic onions helped cut the richness of the meat and cheese.
• The sweet fig jam was good, but there wasn’t enough because although I got the hint of sweetness I didn’t get the texture or flavour of the figs.
• Other than the figs, there was a pretty decent balance of ingredients and I could taste the meatiness of the prosciutto without there being a whole lot, but considering it’s called a prosciutto sandwich and they do highlight the deli, I thought there would be more.

Hummus Grilled Sandwich – 4.5/6 (but I did like the prosciutto slightly more)

• Hummus, avocado, mint, carrots, pomegranate molasses $6.99
• This was the vegetarian sandwich and the second recommended one after the prosciutto.
• It was a delicious combination and it had nice Middle Eastern and Lebanese flavours with a bit of California from the avocado.
• It was very fresh and tangy with a zest of lemon in the hummus, but it also had some spice. It was almost a curried lemon hummus with a mild-medium heat, so it wasn’t overly spicy, but still had a kick. It’s quite herby and the accent of mint was apparent, but not overwhelming and it complemented the freshness of the lemon well.
• It was balanced with some semi-caramelized and crunchy onions which were coated in a pomegranate molasses that was syrupy with tangy and sweet notes. It almost made for another layer of sauce which was nice.
• It’s a pretty creamy sandwich with the chunk of ripe avocado and hummus and I think it would be delicious if they put some falafels or deep fried chick peas in there too for more of a crunch rather than just relying on the crunchy toasted bread and carrots, which were a bit overwhelming. I’d pay the extra $1 for that.
• It was very flavourful, but their wasn’t enough hummus. I also wish they used more avocado because there was only a couple pieces in the middle and only those few bites had the satisfaction of delicious avocado.
• It was a very good, but it was short an ingredient because it kind of seemed like a Middle Eastern cole slaw in a sandwich.

Coconut Water

• $1.99
• I love coconut water and they sell it in their Dirty Apron specialty foods mini market.
• It’s light, refreshing and slightly sweetened. It’s not as good as coconut juice from an actual coconut, but it’s still good and a lot more convenient.

Restaurant: Cafe Medina
Cuisine: Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch/Cafe/Eclectic
Last visited: September 23, 2010
Last updated: October 8, 2010 (Added 2 items)
Location: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 556 Beatty Street
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 5.5
Service: 2.5 (friendly, but slow)
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Co-owner and chef, Nico Schuermans
• Sister to Chambar Restaurant
• Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch only
• Contemporary bistro cafe
• Eclectic/innovative menu
• International/fusion food
• Gourmet style
• Fresh ingredients
• Made in house
• Known for Belgian waffles
• Coffee bar/Specialty coffees
• Imported beers/cocktails
• Local favourite/gem
• Busy at all hours/line ups
• Moderately priced
• Meter parking
• Chambar Restaurant – dinner post
• Chambar Restaurant – dessert post

Hours

• Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
• Breakfast 9am-12pm
• Brunch 9am-3pm
• Lunch 12-3pm Weekends 9am-4pm
• Weekday reservations for parties of 6+
• No weekend reservations

**Recommendations: Fricassé, Salmon Fumé, Lavender Latte, Waffle with White Chocolate Pistachio Rosewater

Cafe Medina is perhaps the most popular local favourite for breakfast and brunch in downtown Vancouver, BC. It’s one of mine for sure. It’s a constantly packed quaint cafe and local gem serving only breakfast, brunch and lunch. As for dinner you’ll have to go next door to it’s parent restaurant Chambar Restaurant, also one of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver. Co-owner and chef, Nico Schuermans operates the kitchen with pastry chef Eleanor Chow for both restaurants, so it’s no doubt that I would enjoy the food at both places. (Chow is also pastry chef for Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie)

Cafe Medina is also famous for their home made Belgian waffles that you can sometimes watch them make at the waffle station showcased in the display window facing the street. However the batter comes from Damien’s Belgian Waffles in Richmond, BC. (Creme de la Crumb also uses this window concept and has a very similar feel to Cafe Medina… they also offer waffles and lavender lattes)

I’ve been to Cafe Medina a few times and the food never disappoints me. Sure there are dishes that are better than others, but on the whole it’s delicious. Everything is made in house and the ingredients are fresh. The food is very eclectic, creative and gourmet with mainly French dishes influenced by Middle Eastern, Spanish, West Coast, Italian, Indian, Hungarian, Moroccan, Persian, Lebanese and of coarse West Coast flavours. It may sound all over the place, but it’s not. It’s very chic and contemporary food that’s generally well thought out and executed.

I may be a bit biased because this type of innovative cuisine is right up my alley. It’s not an everyday place (but I wish it was) as the prices are a bit steep for brunch, but I think it’s well worth it.

The only thing that bothers me is that the service tends to be slow and it’s understaffed for how busy the place is. This means that the food tends to take longer and sit longer before it’s served. It’s also a tiny dining room that’s quite narrow so it feels a bit cramped especially when all the tables are constantly full. Other than that, it’s everything good under one roof and it’s one of my favourites in the city.

On the table:

**Lavender Latte – 5.5/6

• 8oz. $3.60 12oz. $4.00 16oz. $4.40 Latte flavours: Lavender, vanilla, spiced or raspberry
• This is one of their most popular drinks.
• It creamy and frothy and it’s very aromatic, but I could smell more lavender than I could taste. I could still taste it, but it was a bit subtle. I think it’s because they used a lavender infused syrup rather than actual lavender leaves which also made it a bit sweeter.
• It’s not too sweet and still strong with a slight chocolaty taste.
• The old Chocoatl in Yaletown, that’s now Eataly (but same owners) does an excellent lavender hot chocolate and Creme de la Crumb is also offering lavender lattes.

White Chocolate Pistachio Mocha – 3.5/6

• 8oz. $3.60 12oz. $4.25 16oz. $4.60 Mocha flavours: Dark chocolate, milk chocolate lavender, white chocolate pistachio, rosewater
• This was sweeter and creamier than the lavender latte.
• I could taste white chocolate, but not the pistachio. I was looking for that nutty taste but couldn’t find it and I think it got overpowered by the espresso.
• It was very creamy and chocolaty and made with real Belgian chocolates. I would have liked it frothier as well.

**Fricassé (served all day) – 6/6

• 2 fried eggs, braised short ribs, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, arugula, applewood cheddar. Grilled foccacia $16
• It’s served all day for a reason, and thank god! This is one of my favourite brunch dishes ever. A must try and it’s their most popular item.

• The bottom of the skillet is covered with braised beef short ribs and it’s absolutely delicious! The gravy is savoury and tangy and I bet made with red wine. It’s so rich and intense in flavorful. It’s almost a creamy beef stew, but I don’t think they used any cream… just lots of fat and butter!
• The braised beef is so tender and juicy and just falling apart delicious and they give quite a bit.
• Traditionally the sauce in a fricassee is a white sauce and it would be made in a separate pan without the beef juices, but in this case it wasn’t. I don’t care though because it was freaking awesome as it, with the beef juices in the sauce.
• They started using cubes of raw Granny Smith apples to replace the cost of the cubes of Applewood Cheddar lol. It’s a smart move because Cheddar and apples are a match made in heaven, but the apple could be cooked a bit to take the crunchy tart edge off.

• Foodgasm! Oh god… this photo would convince a vegetarian… and yes it tastes as good as it looks!
• The eggs are nice and runny and it just oozes all over the meat and mixes in with the gravy making the dish so much richer and ever better!
• It’s savoury from the eggs and short ribs, sweet and tart with crunchy apples, creamy from the semi melted applewood cheese cubes and peppery from the fresh arugula that gets slightly cooked in the hot skillet. It’s a combination of freaking delicious! AND they give you a perfectly grilled soft and fluffy yet crispy focaccia bread to soak up all the sauciness!
• I literally can’t talk to anyone while I eat this hearty dish.
• The only thing is that the roast potatoes suck. They were so wrinkly and overcooked, dry and starchy. They should use red potatoes for a creamy buttery texture.

Paella – 4/6

• One baked egg, curried orzo, hungarian chorizo, zucchini, red pepper, roast corn, grano padano, avocado and tomato salad $12
• This was good, but not my favourite here and it’s best shared. It’s a creative twist on a Spanish paella and I could appreciate the idea, but not really the execution because everything overcooked but the veggies.
• It had tons of fresh veggies and it was quite tangy from the tomatoes with a slight spiciness from the chorizo and creamy sweetness from the avocado.
• The seasonings were unevenly distributed with some bites having noticeably more smoky cumin seasonings than others. It would be better with more grano padano cheese as well because I couldn’t taste that much.
• I also wish the corn was sweet, but it tastes old and flavourless and there isn’t much of it… canned corn would have even been better.

• I’m not sure if the poached egg in the centre was supposed to be cooked this much. My guess is that it too long while waiting to be served and it overcooked in the skillet. I also know they use brown eggs because mine included a bit of the shell… maybe it’s the Asian in me, but this would have been way better if the egg was runny.
• Orzo (pasta) has a quick cooking time as is, and since it was served in the hot skillet it was easily overcooked and too soft. The curry wasn’t obvious and I just wanted more flavour in the orzo because it’s a bit one dimensional and I didn’t want to finish eating it.

**Salmon Fumé – 5.5/6

• Open faced ciabatta sandwich. Fried egg, smoked salmon caper cream cheese, sliced avocado, arugula pepperdew and artichoke salad $12 (Served all day)
• I had so many people recommend this to me, so I had to order it on my next visit. It was indeed delicious, but I still think the Fricasse is better.
• It’s about the size of a sunny side up egg and it may seem a bit small, but the quality is there and it’s just enough for lunch without going into food coma.

• There’s generous slices of ripe creamy avocado.
• The salmon is roughly pureed right into the cream cheese and it was actually even better than having the whole slices. The capers are larger ones and they’re mixed in whole so you get nice salty bites. They give you a generous amount of this spread too.

• I loved the lightly dressed in olive oil arugula pepperdew and artichoke salad, although I’m not sure how I feel about the pepperdew.
• Pepperdew or peppadew are the things that look like cherry tomatoes and that’s what I thought they were. It tastes like a cherry tomato, but it’s sweeter rather than tangy and almost like a roasted red pepper with a floral taste at the end. It has a very unique flavour I’ve never experienced before.
• I loved how they had a generous amount of salmon spread on this half as well.

• I saw some people eating this with a knife and fork, but I say eat it like it’s meant to be… a sandwich! You need some of everything in every bite.
• It tastes like a panini and I loves how thin and crispy the Ciabatta bread was. The ingredients really stood out.
• It was a messy sandwich and I enjoyed every bit of it. It’s creamy, cheesy, sweet and floral from the peppadew, salty from the capers, tangy from the artichokes and slightly peppery from the fresh arugula. I could taste every layer of ingredients.

Les Merguez - 4/6

• Flat bread wrapped roasted merguez sausage, baba ganoush, haloumi cheese, grilled eggplant, tabbouleh $15
• Yes, I kind of wish I asked was “merguez” was before I ordered it. On the other hand, if I knew I don’t think I would have ordered it.
• Merguez is a sausage made from a mix of ground lamb and beef  and it’s supposed to be stuffed in a lamb intestine casing.
• The thing is I’m not a fan of lamb because the game taste bothers me. One bite of this and I knew it was a lamb sausage. I’ll still always try it if it’s there in hopes to find one that I’ll like. If you like lamb or merguez than this will be excellent for you.
• It’s a very clean and easy to eat wrap with lots of freshly grilled ingredients, spices and Middle Eastern flavours.

• It has a very strong lamb taste and it’s a very meaty wrap. The meat is all pureed so it’s very soft and tender with a very soft and thin casing. It was a bit oily for me though.
• The merguez is full of flavour with garlic, smoky cumin and I think some fennel seeds with a slight licorice taste. It was also slightly spicy with a kick at the end. It seems small for $15, but it’s filling with 2 large homemade gourmet sausages which is pretty much where the cost is along with the cheese.
• There is so much sausage, gamey lamb taste and with the added spiciness it just overpowered everything else for me.I was most excited for the cheese and eggplant too.
• The Haloumi cheese is a firm cheese and it’s mild and tastes like mozzarella. They fry it first but it’s doesn’t melt so the wrap doesn’t really have much of a sauce. I could see more cheese than I could taste. I couldn’t taste any baba gamoush (eggplant spread) either and the sauce came from the tangy tomatoes.
• The tabbouleh was fantastic on the other hand. I had to eat the wrap with this because it lightened the meaty flavour and took the gamey edge off. It was fresh parsley, red onions and some tomatoes.
• I also loved the home made flat bread. It was very soft and thin with lots of smoky flavour from cumin seeds. It wasn’t dry at all and it was the perfect amount.

Waffle with Milk Chocolate Lavender – 3.5/6

• $3.15 waffle + $1 per topping
• Try the waffles because they’re famous here, but they’re not the best in the city (in my opinion), although still good. They’re also small and a bit overpriced. If they were amazing I don’t mind, but there is better.
• Try the real authentic Belgian Leige waffle at Patisserie Lebeau. Besides in Belgium, the best Belgian waffle I’ve had was actually in Korea at Didi’s Gaufres (owner from Vancouver!)

Waffle – 3.5/6

• I really wish the waffles were made upon order. They really should be if they’re so well known for them. However they’re made in house in the morning and are popped in the toaster before being served.
• Therefore it has a semi crispy exterior, but only from the toasting rather than the caramelizing of the sugar crystals.
• Sugar crystals. Also known as “pearl sugar” which Patisserie Lebeau imports from Belgium! Pearl sugar are little clumps of natural sugar that are supposed to be found throughout the waffle… but these ones didn’t have them. Maybe I hit 1-2 of them, but I think it was my imagination.
• It wasn’t that fluffy, but at least it wasn’t dry and it’s better than the waffles from Michi Waffle & Espresso Bar.
• They are more eggy in flavour and not that sweet so it could be enjoyed as a meal rather than a dessert. You need at least 3 as a meal though.

Milk Chocolate Lavender Topping – 3/6

• Sexy photo. The milk chocolate lavender topping was served cold and it was pretty thick. It was made from melted Belgian milk chocolate and lavender syrup. It’s good quality chocolate and it’s quite sweet with a slight lavender taste, but slightly underwhelming.

**Waffle with White Chocolate Pistachio Rose Water – 4.5/6

• $3.15 waffle + $1 per topping
• The white chocolate pistachio rose water topping is better than the milk chocolate lavender topping. It’s just much more dynamic in flavours without having too much going on.
• It’s made from White Belgian chocolates and it’s a thinner texture than the milk chocolate. It’s sweet, nutty and aromatic and I could taste an equal balance of the chocolate, pistachio and rose water.
• It was served cold again and I think it would be even better warm and with pistachio crumbs in it… or at least to dip into afterward.
• Pastry Chef Eleanor Chow is really one of my favourite pastry chefs in Vancouver so I just have high standards for her stuff and knows it can be better than this.

Michi Waffle & Expresso Bar

Restaurant: Michi Waffle & Espresso Bar
Cuisine: Desserts/Coffee & Tea/Cafe
Last visited: June 1, 2010
Location: Vancouver, BC (West End/Robson/Downtown)
Address: 1319 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC
Price Range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 2
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3.5
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• Asian-ish/Euro-Asian coffee & tea shop
• Asian operated and owned
• Serves “authentic” Belgian waffles
• Homemade, made on site, but not upon order
• Some cheese cakes, muffins, croissants
• Clean, comfortable, casual
• Good for drinks & desserts
• Espresso bar
• Modern atmosphere
• Friendly staff
• Free Wi-fi
• Metre parking
• No bubble tea
• Sun-Thurs 7:30am-11pm
• Fri-Sat 7:30am-midnight
  

**Recommendations: n/a

Michi Waffle & Espresso Bar is a trendy Euro-Asian cafe serving waffles and some Asian inspired drinks. It is Asian operated and owned and from the outside I thought it was a bubble tea cafe (but there’s no bubble tea). It reminds me of Capstone Tea & Fondue further down towards the West End of Robson Street. In a nutshell I’m going to say it’s an Asian place trying to be ‘western’.

I came to Michi Waffle & Espresso Bar with Kim (I’m Only Here for the Food) and Sherman (Sherman’s Food Adventures) especially to try their waffles. I’ve had my fair share of Belgian waffles from Cafe Medina as well as Patisserie Lebeau in Vancouver. I’ve even tried Didi’s Gaufres, the 1st place in Korea to start the Belgian waffle craze. The owner of Didi’s Gaufres is from Belgium and lived in Vancouver before moving to Korea to make his home made 100% authentic Belgian waffles. Last, but not least, I have also tried many Belgian waffles in Belgium, so I do have rather high standards when it comes to authentic Belgian waffles.

I have to give a shout out to the staff who were very accommodating. They let us bring in outside food (a couple buns in a paper bag) and even warmed them up for us (upon my request :S) … but they were more than happy to. Thank you!

Photos compliments of Kim.

On the table:

English Earl Grey Tea

• $2.95
• This was Kim’s drink – read his thoughts on it here.

Matcha Red Bean Smoothie – 2.5/6

• $4.70
• I think this was their most indulgent and Asian drink on the menu. I really wanted to order something that showcases them as a restaurant so I decided to order this. It was also recommended.
• It tastes like a matcha or green tea ice cream smoothie bubble tea, but of course no pearls because they have none here. It was watered down in flavour and a bit in texture and had more ice than ice cream.
• The red bean is thick and and they just spoon some of it on top. I don’t like red bean so I just didn’t mix it in. When I did,  it just made the drink sweeter and pastier in flavour.
• I prefer the one from Capstone Tea & Fondue or the one from Dragon Ball Tea House better. A matcha ice cream bubble tea is better and even cheaper… WITH pearls too.
• The whipped cream is regular whipped cream and was there for presentation more than flavour.

Ice Wild Berry Tea

• $2
• This is Sherman’s drink – read his thoughts on it here.

Double Waffle Platter – 2.5/6

• We got the double waffle platter $8.57 + additional waffle ($2) – $10.57
• They served our 3 chosen waffles warmed up on a nice platter with a sliced banana, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
• The presentation exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect something so fancy, although when I think about it, it’s really quite simple and easy.

Waffles – 2/6

Original Belgian Waffle – 2.5/6

• $2
• This one was the best of the 3 and also what the staff recommended. However on the scale of authentic Belgian waffles – it wasn’t authentic.
• What makes Belgian waffles special are the sugar crystals – a sugar that’s made in Belgium. They’re little clumps of sugar that don’t melt so you can bite into them. Some of them end up melting giving the waffle a crispy exterior. This one barely had any.
• The 1/3 of the waffle I ate had maybe 2 sugar crystals.
• The outside is quite crispy and the inside is quite fluffy but still on the dry side.
• It tastes like an Asian waffle more than a European one because the batter is heavier on the egg and very light in the sugar. in this case I would rather have Chinese eggball waffles.
• On the whole I much rather have Cafe Medina Belgian waffles, or better yet Patisserie Lebeau waffles.

Matcha Belgian Waffle – 2/6

• $2
• This was their one fusion waffle I saw in the display case that got me very excited… but too bad it didn’t keep me there. Sounds and looks better than it tastes.
• I could taste the matcha but it did nothing for me. It’s not even a “is what it is” thing – it was a “just didn’t work” thing. It was a bit boring and it shouldn’t have been.
• I don’t even think I had one sugar crystal in my piece.

Chocolate Belgian Waffle – 1.5/6

• $2
• It wasn’t getting any better. The chocolate flavour was a bit bitter with dark chocolate and it wasn’t even sweet.
• It was the most dense of the 3. Mind you I ate it last so it started cooling down already. But still… it was actually quite dry and hard outside and inside. One dimensional in texture.
• More bread-like or dry donut-like. Again – barely any sugar crystals.

Ice Cream and Fruit Compote – 4/6

• They serve the platter with a side of vanilla ice cream and fruit sauce/compote of your choice: blueberry, strawberry and raspberry.
• Blueberry is recommended. It was very naturally sweet with whole blueberries in it. Very fresh and homemade and actually quite thick.
• This part was good! The ice cream was a good vanilla bean ice cream with actual vanilla beans. It made the waffles so much better too! Without them the waffles would have been dry.
• The ice cream and blueberry compote totally carried the waffles and it shouldn’t have. I should be able to eat authentic Belgian waffles alone by itself – ice cream never hurts course, but if Michi Waffles is specializing in Belgian waffles than they should be good enough to eat alone.

Restaurant: Didi’s Gaufres
Cuisine: Belgian/Desserts
Last visited: April 9, 2010
Location: Seoul, Korea
Address: 436 -19 1f (In University district. The address is on website, it’s in Korean though)
Phone: 02 322 6061 / 010 2703 8838
Price Range: $10CAD or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: n/a
Service: n/a
Ambiance: n/a
Overall: n/a
Additional comments:

• 100% Authentic Belgian Waffles
• Chef Didier Balistaire
• The original waffle shop
• Home made
• Traditional recipe
• Great for gifts
• Fresh
• Baked daily
• Made upon order

**Recommendations: Brussels Mikado, The Basic, pack of their to-go waffles

I’m going to be biased because the owner Didi is actually a friend of my cousins. Didi is born in Belgium and lived in Vancouver for a while before moving to Korea and starting his own waffle shop. Didi’s Gaufres is the 1st waffle shop that opened and since then there have been lots of copy cats in the same location.

My friend and I with Didier – the owner and chef of Didi’s Gaufres. The packs we’re holding are their take away waffles that make great gifts. They’re soft and cakey waffles that aren’t too sweet.

It’s difficult to find this place because there are so many waffle shops. I suggest calling the number and finding the exact location because it took us a while to find and I was with a local. The website has the location, but I don’t think it has the exact address. It was definitely worth our search though because the waffles here are 100% authentic, fresh, and delicious!

I’ve had Belgian waffles in Belgium before and these were the real deal. The ones in Belgium just have more whipped cream and more bananas (or whatever fruit you chose) on top…I don’t know if that characteristic counts for “authenticity” though?

On the table:

**The Basic – 5.5/6

• Powdered sugar, fresh cream, syrup (your choice of caramel/chocolate) $3.50 CAD
• I loved the plating. It reminds me of the plating from Twisted Fork in Vancouver.
• The waffle is home made and made upon order so it’s served nice and warm.
• I’m not just saying this because I know Didi, but this is possibly one of the best waffles I’ve had.

• It’s very cakey and moist with a crispy outer edge and the fresh cream just melts into the waffle. Don’t you just want to bite your computer screen right now?!
• I’m used to having this type of waffle with more sugar crystals like the ones from Patisserie Lebeau in Vancouver though.

**Brussels Mikado

• Bananas, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup $6.50 CAD
• This is their most popular item and the local favourite.
• This is a square type of waffle and reminded me of the ones I had in Brussels.
• It’s hot, fresh and made upon order with a traditional recipe.

• It’s a super moist batter. This type of waffle is more bread like then the basic waffle which is more cake like. These weren’t too sweet either.
• It’s actually quite fluffy bur the bananas and toppings weighed it down a bit.

Belgian Hot Chocolate

• $3.50CAD
• I couldn’t leave without ordering one of these.
• It’s definitely rich and super chocolaty. But again not too sweet.
• Nice and frothy they make it upon order.

Restaurant: Patisserie Lebeau
Cuisine: Bakery/Dessert/Cafe
Last visited: February 1, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Robson Street/West End/Downtown)
Address: 1728 West 2nd Avenue
Price range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: n/a
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 5
Additional comments:

• Family owned
• Famous for waffles
• Authentic Belgian waffles
• Made with butter/natural ingredients
• Unbleached flour, pure vanilla
• No additives/preservatives
• Savoury foods available: quiche/sandwiches etc
• Pay at cashier
• Fresh baked breads
• Baked daily
• Homemade/home baked
• Ready to eat or sold frozen
• Seats 20-30
• Located around industrial area
• Available for wholesale

Recommendation: Any of their Belgian waffles or Leige waffles (several flavours)

My friend had first introduced me to this bakery by bringing me some waffles from the store. However I managed to discover the actual location quite randomly. I noticed it while driving around that area and I took a quick stop to check it out. I saw the “Authentic Belgian waffle” sign outside and as soon as I walked in I noticed the display case full of them. I put one and one together and was really pleased that I had found it. It’s kind of located in a small industrial/office area on West 2nd so It’s not an obvious location people would know about. It’s one of those word or mouth places that you would feel lucky to find.

It’s a great place for a quick lunch or coffee break. They have some sweet and savoury baked goods and sandwiches and a nice café set up in the front. It was actually decently busy from local businesses during lunch but the line-up goes fast and there’s actually a lot of seats inside.

They are most known for their waffles obviously. The website claims that they’re a “healthy snack” because it’s made with natural ingredients…but I highly doubt they are healthy or recommended for a healthy diet…even if they’re all natural.

I’ve been to Brussels before so I am very lucky to have tried the real deal…these are quite close to the real deal, but they’re not as moist. I would go back to try more stuff because I believe that they can do better then what I had. Let’s go in detail…

On the table

White Chocolate Lemon (Liege) Waffle – 4/6

• $2.80
• I would give a 5.5/6 (a bit dry) to their original leige waffle, but not for this white chocolate lemon one.
• There was no white chocolate…at all. I was expecting white chocolate chips throughout the batter but there wasn’t. I’m not sure if they melted the white chocolate right into the batter but I couldn’t taste any so I doubt it.
• It smelt like lemons though and I could taste the fresh lemon zest and see it.
• The best part of these waffles is the sugar crystals which they call “pearl sugar” – a sugar that’s made in Belgium. I call them sugar crystals – they’re basically tiny clumps of sugar that’s all natural. Some of them melt into the dough and some of them stay clumped and create “crystals”. So when you eat it you bite into little clumps of sugar that are delicious! They’re not hard like rock sugar, but they’re slightly crunchy like little balls of sugar soaked in sugar syrup.
• The sugar crystals that do melt during the baking process end up coating the outside of these waffles and make them crispy.
• It sounds sweet and it is, but not overly sweet at all.
• It’s really dense and heavy and it was almost bread-like because they’re made from yeast. It was like a dense lemon cake.
• As good as these waffles are they could be better because they’re a bit dry.

Peach and Custard Waffle – 2.5/6

• Brussels waffles stuffed with peach and custard $3.55 (I think)
• I was actually pretty disappointed by this. It’s their most popular stuffed waffle so I had high expectations.
• The biggest disappointment is because they used canned peaches.

• It’s actually a pretty heavy and dense waffle. My friend had bought them that afternoon and they’re baked fresh daily. We were eating them about 6 hours later and by then they were already a bit hard, stale and quite dry. I don’t think that should have happened that quickly…I don’t know though maybe it’s because they’re “all natural” that they go stale so quickly as well.

• The custard is almost like a pastry cream. It’s super thick and almost like a pudding. It’s light tasting though because it’s not that sweet. I wanted a stronger vanilla taste though. I couldn’t see any vanilla bean seeds so I think they just use pure vanilla extract.
• There is a lot of stuffing in the waffle, but I just wish it was real peaches…it cheapened it.
• This one has no sugar crystals, it’s more bread like.

Restaurant: Chambar Restaurant – Dessert Review
Cuisine: Belgian/French
Last visited: February 12, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 562 Beatty Street
Price range: $30-50 (Closer to $50)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 6
Service: 5.5
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 6
Additional comments:

• Specializes in Belgium/French food – fusion
• Innovative/exotic/creative menu
• Going on 6th year
• Casual fine dining
• Lively atmosphere
• Busy on weekends/late nights
• Husband and wife owners
• Chef Nico Schuermans and his wife Karri
• Parent to Cafe Medina next door
• Just opened Dirty Apron Cooking school (couple stores down)
• Fixed menu available
• Event nights
• Extensive wine list
• Great for drinks/cocktails/appetizers
• 18% gratuity for groups of 8+
• Ocean Wise
• Open 5-12am daily
• Reservations recommended

Recommendation: Mushroom Soup, Mussels & Frites, Le Canard aux Epices, if you can order Stilton croquettes as a side – do it! Vanilla Pear Cake for dessert.

Chambar has always been one of my favourite restaurants…and it still is one of my favourites. I rarely ever say I have a “favourite restaurant” but this one has yet to disappointment me. I usually have certain dishes I like and that’s what I will recommend rather than the restaurant itself…however everything here is more or less amazing.

It is a Belgian restaurant, but the food is more contemporary with slight French and West Coast influences. It is more or less a fusion restaurant.

A bit steep in terms of price, but in the category of casual fine dining. The portions are reasonable although they look smaller until you start eating them.

They really let the ingredients speak for themselves here and they don’t go overboard by trying to enhance every single item with seasonings and spices. It’s simple, but tastes so complex. That’s the magic of Chambar.

To see my dinner review for Chambar Restaurant here.

On the table

Dessert Sampler – La degustation des desserts – 4/6

• Dessert Sampler: Chef’s selection tasting platter $20

Vanilla Bean Pot de Cream – 5/6

• This was the best of the sampler. It was pretty much a vanilla panna cotta. The vanilla was very strong and the texture was very rich and creamy.

• The bottom layer of this is almost pure vanilla bean seed puree. It was delicious, but I wish they had used it for the top or maybe throughout the panna cotta. I just felt like it was such a waste of vanilla bean seeds to leave them at the bottom. The bowl was square so it was hard to scrape up too.

Espresso and Kaluah Ice Cream – 3.5/6

• This was a very icy ice cream so it was almost lighter than regular ice cream. It was very refreshing and not too strong in flavour. It wasn’t too sweet and it was quite simple, but still good. No surprises here…except for it being icy in texture.

Sour Cherry Phyllo Purse – 2/6

• I’m not sure if that was the exact name, but that’s how I remember it. It’s the triangle between the chocolate mousse and the panna cotta.
• There was too much phyllo and too little cherry. I was very crispy and flaky with a sweetness and tang, but the phyllo was distracting.
• It was topped with a whipped mascarpone cheese I think…or goat’s cheese? (I don’t quite remember) It was very mild in flavour and added a creaminess that offset the tang of the cherry…I just wish they had given more cherry.

Chocolate Mousse – 4/6

• This looks A LOT sweeter than it really is. It’s not that sweet at all actually…and that’s because they’re using a dark and good quality chocolate. The texture is actually quite rich yet still frothy but the sweetness is very natural so it doesn’t tastes too heavy.
• The decor they used was a thin chocolate brittle that tastes like there was quite a bit of espresso in it. I liked it!

Truffles – 3/6

• These aren’t truffles…these are chocolates. They’re good, but just not truffles.
  • Dark chocolate truffle – 4.5/6
  • Amazing. I love dark chocolate. This was like a homemade Ferraro Rocher. There were nice big pieces of hazelnuts on the outside and then the inside was a chocolate ganache. It wasn’t that creamy and was actually quite thick.
  • White chocolate truffle – 1.5/6
  • No. I don’t like white chocolate so this was much too sweet. Even if I did like white chocolate I still think it was too sweet. Not for me.

Plateau de trois fromages – Plate of 3 Cheeses – 5/6

• Trio cheese platter with spiced blueberry compote, fruit & nut bread. $18
• Brie, Aged White Cheddar and Stilton or Blue Cheese?
• The bread is fantastic! It’s house made hazelnut and raisin bread and they give you a lot! There’s huge pieces of hazelnuts and lots of them!
• They toast them up so it’s nice and nutty.
• They serve it with a spiced blueberry jam/compote with real whole blueberries in it. It’s actually noticeably spicy and I think it’s from ginger and maybe some cinnamon.
• The cheese are generous servings and this is definitely worth it. I like the added pear and apple slices as well. It went great with the compote.

Le Gateau Poire – Vanilla Pear Cake – 6/6

• Vanilla cake baked on top of pear compote served with raspberry creme anglaise & lemongrass ice cream. $11
• I had to save the best for last. Well the best out of what we ordered.
• Delish! They changed the raspberry cream anglaise to a coffee espresso cream anglaise. I think the raspberry cream would have been even better although this was still good. You pour the coffee espresso (centre glass) in the middle of this soufflé and eat it together.

• It’s soft, warm, sweet, slightly bitter from the espresso, not too sweet and just the perfect flavour of everything. I was surprised the espresso didn’t overpower the pears.
• The pear is so ripe and yet not overcooked so you can still taste the pieces and bite into them. I loved this!

• They serve it with ice cream and a little brown sugar decor…and drool I want it right now! I don’t recall it being lemongrass though…so they either changed the recipe for that or the lemongrass flavour wasn’t as distinct and overpowered by the espresso and pears. Now I want to go back and try it again…:D

To see my dinner review for Chambar, see here.

Restaurant: Chambar Restaurant
Cuisine: Belgian/French
Last visited: February 12, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Gastown/Downtown)
Address: 562 Beatty Street
Price range: $30-50 (Closer to $50)

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 6
Service: 5
Ambiance: 4.5
Overall: 6
Additional comments:

• Specializes in Belgium/French food – fusion
• Innovative/exotic/creative menu
• Going on 6th year
• Casual fine dining
• Lively atmosphere
• Busy on weekends/late nights
• Husband and wife owners
• Chef Nico Schuermans and his wife Karri
• Parent to Cafe Medina next door
• Just opened Dirty Apron Cooking school (couple stores down)
• Fixed menu available
• Event nights
• Extensive wine list
• Great for drinks/cocktails/appetizers
• 18% gratuity for groups of 8+
• Ocean Wise
• Open 5-12am daily
• Reservations recommended

Recommendation: Mushroom Soup, Mussels & Frites, Le Canard aux Epices, if you can order Stilton croquettes as a side – do it! Vanilla Pear Cake

Chambar has always been one of my favourite restaurants…and it still is one of my favourites. The sister restaurant, Cafe Medina, next door servs breakfast, brunch and lunch is also one of my favourites. I rarely ever say I have a “favourite restaurant” but both restaurants have yet to disappointment me. I usually have certain dishes I like and that’s what I will recommend rather than the restaurant itself… However everything here is more or less amazing.

It is a Belgian restaurant, but the food is more contemporary with slight French and West Coast influences. It is more or less a fusion restaurant.

A bit steep in terms of price, but in the category of casual fine dining. The portions are reasonable although they look smaller until you start eating them.

They really let the ingredients speak for themselves here and they don’t go overboard by trying to enhance every single item with seasonings and spices. It’s simple, but tastes so complex. That’s the magic of Chambar.

My dessert review for Chambar Restaurant.

On the table

Mushroom Soup

• It’s not on the online menu but it was called “mushroom soup”. It was basically 3 kinds of mushrooms showcased in 3 different way with 3 different cooking methods. There was a mushroom soup, sauteed oyster mushrooms, and deep fried trumpet mushrooms. $17

Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms – 6/6

• These are wonderful! The stems were meaty, juicy, big, and plump. It was sautéed in lots of butter and some garlic and it was almost the texture of meat. That is all I tried from this plate, however there were no complaints coming from the person who did order it. (That’s why I can’t rate the entire appetizer)
• I did love the concept of this appetizer overall – however the soup portion of it was looking a little small. Even the sautéed oyster mushrooms were a bigger portion. If “soup” is in the title of the dish then it should be showcased the most and it wasn’t. Nonetheless I would still order this again just based on the sauteed oyster mushrooms I tried.

Le Carpaccio de Thon Grillee – (Ahi Tuna) – 4.5/6

• Charred yellowfin tuna carpaccio, celery, daikon & citrus brunoix. Pomegranate molasses, red shiso $17
• The slices were actually really nice and big and also cut quite thin and I’m surprised. I will usually only order sashimi items at Japanese restaurants…purely for the fact that it’s usually done better.
• I did miss the citrus note to this dish ever though there was still a tang to it from the pomegranate. The tang is just milder than the tang you usually get from Japanese tuna carpaccio. I also missed a little bit of heat – but maybe I’m too used to tuna carpaccio’s with wasabi. This one has mustard seeds though which was nice, but a bit masked even though there were a lot of them.

• This carpaccio carried a fruity flavour and the fish was very fresh. The diced ingredients were very subtle in all aspects and the combination of flavours were quite soft.
• There was some grapefruit which gave it a slight citrus tang, a little bitterness as well as some sweetness. It was a very fresh dish, but also a bit mellow in flavour although still delicious.

Dual Bison – 5/6

• They don’t have this on their online menu but it was basically bison done two ways. The first was a bison Prosciutto and the second was a bison shepherd’s pie. $18 (I think?)

Bison Prosciutto

• The bison prosciutto was very similar to regular prosciutto but much more rich. It was more like duck prosciutto, but more lean and less buttery and creamy.
• The slices are a bit thicker and the taste is almost a bit sweeter and it’s definitely not as salty as typical prosciutto.

Shepherd’s Pie

• The bottom meat layer of the pie was braised bison which came off as almost like “pulled pork”. It was very shredded and actually quite dry. The flavour was very simple, but it was dry because it was a lean meat not because they overcooked/baked it.
• The pulled bison was best with the gravy they served along side. It was an intense, thick and syrupy sauce. It tasted like barbeque sauce with lots of Worcestershire sauce. There was quite a kick!
• The potato topping was a very simple but good mashed potato with lots of butter. It was nothing fancy, but just simple and good.

Mussels & Frites – Vin Blanc – 3.5/6

• White wine butter cooked mussels, braised celery and leeks. Coarse black pepper. Served with frites. $22
• I could definitely taste the white wine. It wasn’t cooked out as much as I thought it would be. The wine is actually really obvious and I found it a tad distracting. It was my least favourite of the 3 although still tasty.
• It’s definitely a nice white wine they’re using and it’s something that I could easily drink, but it was a just a bit overpowering.

Mussels & Frites – Congolaise – 6/6

• Mussels cooked with a tomato coconut cream. Smoked chili and lime. Fresh cilantro. Served with frites. $22
• If you like a more exotic mussel then this is for you. This was very Indian inspired with a very aromatic broth.
• The broth was stewed with fresh tomato chunks. Big coarsely ground black peppercorns, fresh basil leaves, cardamom, cumin and coriander.
• The broth didn’t taste or look creamy, although there was coconut milk in it. I found it quite light and tangy with more of tomato based soup then a coconut cream based one.
• I wouldn’t say it was spicy, but there was a little heat.
• I could have drank the broth as a soup on its own.

Mussels & Frites – Coquotte – 5.5/6

• Mussels cooked in a white wine cream. Smoked bacon lardons, spring onions. Served with frites. $22
• If you just want a simple, good, and more traditional mussel then this is for you.
• This was just good. It’s nothing adventurous and it’s one of those gourmet dishes that appeals to the masses.
• There’s bacon…and what more do I need to say? People love bacon!
• There’s also shallots and some green onions and onions.
• If you like bacon, butter, cream and onions – then you’ll like this. It’s not that creamy, but it is still very rich – it was almost like a bacon chowder broth.

Frites – 4/6

• Served with a house made garlic aioli.
• The frites were very fried – they weren’t dark brown but they were fried until they were almost dry. I think they triple fry these. They’re very crispy and reminded my of a thicker version of the skinny fries I had at The Irish Heather.
• They are cut into 1 inch sticks which allows more surface area for them to fry up very crisp. They weren’t fluffy and not too salty too.
• The garlic aioli is wonderful! It’s very thick – almost the texture of full fat yogurt.

There’s a piece of ahi tuna carpaccio on the top right hand corner – that’s not how it’s served though…that’s just my bite

It would normally look like this.

Chevreuil aux Raisins – 5/6

• Cassis & juniper venison loin, stilton croquettes, braised belgium endive, coronation grape & aged sherry sauce. $30

• Venison tastes like a very tender and lean steak. The meat is a bit sweeter and it’s not as rough. It came with 5 pieces of venison and it was a bit overcooked for me. I could have had it a bit rarer although venison is still very tender even when cooked to medium.
• It was seared with simple salt and pepper and it was very little.
• All the little details were quite random and I didn’t think they complimented each other although they were good individually.
• The sauce could have been a bit more reduced. It wasn’t thick and sticky and it came off as a gravy thickened with corn starch.

• The Belgium endive leave was braised with maple syrup. The bitterness it naturally has was almost completely gone so I didn’t feel like it was endive. I didn’t find that it complimented the venison – I actually thought it took it over. Not that it tasted better, but the flavour was so strong I was distracted. There was a very strong clove taste and there was a bit of cardamom in it – however I though the combo of these spices was cinnamon.
• The brussel sprouts were dressed in tangy vinaigrette made with good quality olive oil you can taste.

• The stilton croquettes were amazing! They looked just like the croquettes in Spain. They were very fresh and the Stilton was used perfectly. A little goes a long way and they used the perfect amount. Stilton is very similar to Blue Cheese so it can be quite overpowering – this one was evident but not overpowering one bit.

• It was nice and crispy with a light breading and very creamy and soft inside.
• It was served on a bed of “dip” which tasted like sour cream mixed with chives. I could have eaten 4 of these as an appetizer. Yes….not a plate – but 4. Although they were good you don’t want to overdo these because they still are very rich.

Le Canard aux Epices – 6/6

• Spice rubbed duck breast, butternut squash puree, red delicious caramelized apples, whipped goats cheese & tamarind gastrique. $29

• The duck skin was very crispy and almost came off as bacon! It was nicely seasoned and there was actually very little fat yet it was still moist.

• The pieces were a bit small and I found this entrée to be the “stingiest”.

• The goat’s cheese was good, but again a bit overpowering with the duck. I think I would have liked it if they mixed the goat’s cheese with a ricotta to make it a bit lighter in flavour. I wanted to showcase the natural sweetness of the duck a bit more.
• The tamarind sauce was tangy and that suited the cheese well because it was almost like balsamic vinegar with goat’s cheese which is a great combination.

• I didn’t like how they used what tastes like a Red Delicious Apple. It was too powdery in texture especially after it was cooked. It was almost like an old apple texture.

• The apples were “glued” onto the plate with a nice caramel sauce. It was a very cooked caramel so the flavour was very intense and rich and it hardens – more like a candied hard caramel than nougat caramel .
• The butternut squash puree was one of my favourites of the night! DELISH! Seriously. I had to pass compliments to the chef because it was so good.
• It was very thick and creamy and hard to swallow and had the texture of butternut squash whipped with mascarpone cheese…although there was no mascarpone cheese or any cheese for that matter.
• The texture is beautiful and it was slightly sweet with lots of butter and subtle seasonings. The flavour was pure butternut squash, but it was so smooth and creamy you think there is a whole complex production to it – but there isn’t.

Don’t miss out on the Chambar Restaurant dessert here – there was a lot

This is Vancouver’s Best Poutine on Davie Street Part 3 of 4.

For the other posts in this Best Poutine on Davie Street series:

• La Belle Patate
• La Brasserie
• Conclusion

Please subscribe, rate & comment at my Follow Me Foodie YouTube channel. Thanks!

The following is the written review as well as more details about Fritz European Fry House that are not included in the video.

Restaurant: Fritz European Fry House
Cuisine: Belgian/European
Last visited: January 7, 2010
Area: Vancouver, BC (Downtown/West End)
Address: 718 Davie Street
Price range: $10 or less

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: Different
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Specializes in fries only
• Offers array of dips
• Potatoes fried in pure vegetable oil
• Canadian grown potatoes
• Available in cones
• Very casual, order/pay at cashier
• Seats 10 – very small wooden benche s
• More of a take out place
• Most popular munchies place
• Attracts late night crowd/line-ups after 12am ok weekends
• Open for lunch until very late
• Closed Monday
• Winner of numerous Vancouver based awards

Recommendation: Poutine (I like Mango Curry Chutney and Indonesian Peanut Sauce dip)

The Topic: Quest for Vancouver’s BEST Poutine on Davie Street

The Contestants: La Belle Patate, La Brasserie, Fritz European Fry House

4 Poutines later, the results are in!

Fritz European Fry House was my final destination for my quest for the best poutine on Davie Street (Vancouver, BC)! (It was not at a disadvantage because it was last, because I wasn’t “poutine’d out” yet!)

Fritz European Fry House is still on of the most popular places for people to get poutine in Vancouver. Along with Mega Bite Pizza, it’s common for locals to hit up Fritz for midnight munchies in downtown Vancouver. There’s always a line after 12am and I’m guessing 95% of their business is on the weekend and late night hours. It’s good even when you haven’t had a lot to drink, but it’s really really good when you have had a lot to drink.

It’s called a “European Fry House” but their most popular for their poutine – A French-Canadian specialty. I like them better as a European Fry House, and for me the highlight are the dips more so than the poutine. It really is reminiscent of places in Belgium in the choice of dips to the way it’s served in cones. It’s only if you order a poutine does it come in a styrofoam bowl.

What is Poutine?

Using the most common definition a poutine is fries, cheese and gravy. However the real authentic definition of a poutine is fries, cheese curds (specifically fresh cheddar cheese curds), and poutine sauce or “gravy”. (Some people will object to the word “gravy” – but it’s supposed to be a chicken based sauce).

On the table:

Poutine – 4/6

• Small: $4.50, Medium: $5, Large $6.50, Jumbo: $7.50
• The fries are hand cut, skins on, freshly fried in Canola oil and made with Russet Potatoes. This is the most popular and standard choice of potato for fries. It’s starchy but because they cut them a bit thinner it’s not as starchy. They were firm and slightly crispier than the other 2 poutines. The thinness actually held on to the gravy and cheese well, and it didn’t get too soggy until you got to the bottom. I actually really liked the fries here.
• What I like about Fritz is that they layer their poutine. Fries, cheese curds, gravy and repeat. Therefore you get 2 layers of well dress fries so there’s a really good ratio of ingredients.

• I’m not sure what base their gravy is, but I feel like it was thickened with cream because it was a lighter brown than the gravies offered at La Belle Patate and La Brasserie. The flavour is enhanced with black pepper and some dried herbs. I wish they used freshly cracked black pepper instead of the regular black pepper though. There was also some dried herbs in it and I think it was oregano.
• The cheese curds were the stringiest of all 3 places. That just means the cheese was a mozzarella cheese rather than an actual cheese curd. They melted almost right away so this poutine was very ooey gooey. It reminded me of mozzarella cheese stings cut into smaller pieces – it had the same texture and flavour.
• It’s not an authentic poutine because of the type of cheese. But if you like that hearty, rich, saucy and cheesy poutine…then this is it! Personally I enjoy it as a late night snack or hangover food rather than lunch.

Added note: This review is a little different because it was for my video blog. Therefore the food at Fritz European Fry House was complimentary, (although I did offer to pay) but my opinions are still honest and as non-biased as I can be. The opinions and views expressed in “The Quest for Vancouver’s Best Poutine on Davie Street” review and video are those of Follow Me Foodie/Mijune only. There is no paid advertising and as always I write for the benefit of the customers and not for the restaurants.

The following photos are paid for poutines from Fritz European Fry House.

Photos from January 1, 2010….yes, after New Year’s Eve…;)

Poutine w/Mango Curry Chutney and Indonesian Peanut Sauce – 6/6

• These are my favourite dips here.

The layering of their poutine…underneath the first layer….more fries, more gravy, and more cheese! I love how they do this!