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Inside the New Milk Bar at Nordstrom Vancouver

Posted in Baked Goods, Bakery, Dessert, Downtown Vancouver, Joyce, News, Pop-up, Vancouver, tagged All About Cookies, Cereal Milk, Christina Tosi, Compost Cookie, cookies, Granville Street, Milk Bar, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Pacific Centre, Pacific Centre on November 18, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Canada’s first-ever, full-service Milk Bar is now open at Nordstrom CF Pacific Centre! I was one of the few lucky ones to get the first look.

Located on level one near the Vancouver City Centre Skytrain station, Milk Bar will delight customers with their full menu, including the beloved Compost Cookie®, Cereal Milk® Soft Serve, Birthday Cake, Cake Truffles and Pie. In addition to the grab and go offering, the shop will also offer cookie deals, cookie tins and Christina Tosi’s brand-new cookbook titled All About Cookies.

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2021 Where to Buy Mooncakes in Vancouver

Posted in Baked Goods, Bakery, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delivery, Joyce, Lower Mainland, News, Richmond, Roundup, Special Occasion, Surrey, Take-Out, Tea, Vancouver, tagged Buttermere Patisserie, Delivery, Maxim's Bakery, Mid Autumn Festival, Mooncake, Saint Germain Bakery, Soirette, Teapurin, To-go, TWG Tea on August 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Being Chinese, we celebrate Mid Autumn Festival 中秋節 every year. It is always on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, promising the roundest, fullest full moon of the year. Part of the tradition is to eat mooncakes月餅, a baked pastry with fillings. The most popular versions we used to get in HK are with lotus seed paste or mixed nuts filling, plus salted egg yolk(s). Over the years, mooncakes have evolved. Bakeries have introduced other flavours of fillings such as red bean and lava custard; and some places sell a version called “snow skin” where the exterior is not baked and is made with glutinous rice flour.

Origin of Mooncakes

Do you know the origin of mooncakes? The one version that is forever stuck in my head is that it was created by rebellions in the Yuan Dynasty, who hid secret messages inside baked pastries, and distributed them to plan a revolt to overthrow the ruling Mongols, leading to the fall of Yuan and the rise of Ming Dynasty.

Buying Mooncakes in Vancouver

This year, Mid Autumn Festival lands on September 21, 2021. If you are interested in making your own mooncakes, check out Mama Lam’s recipe for Baked Chinese Mooncake with Salted Egg Yolk Custard Filling that I shared last year. Otherwise, if you are looking to support local businesses and buy some at a store, here are some ideas for you.

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[Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2021] Mon Paris Patisserie

Posted in Bakery, Beverage, Burnaby, Cafe, Chocolate, Culinary Events, Hot Chocolate Festival, Joyce, Lower Mainland, Restaurants, Take-Out, tagged Burnaby, hot chocolate, Hot Chocolate Festival, Mon Paris, Ruby Chocolate, Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival on January 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is back! Given the global COVID-19 pandemic and Public Health Order restrictions in BC, most participating vendors not only offer dine-in hot chocolates, but also to-go options and DIY kits. On the top of my list to try was Mon Paris Patisserie because both flavours on the menu sound so good!

On an almost snow day this weekend, we went to Mon Paris for a taste. I was hoping to sit inside the patisserie actually, but both tables were occupied so we could only take them to-go and enjoy them in our car ride.

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Kouign Cafe – Follow the White Rabbit to Chinatown

Posted in Baked Goods, Bakery, Cafe, Chinatown, Dessert, Joyce, Restaurants, Vancouver, tagged Chinatown, cookies, IG Worthy, Kouign Amann, Kouign Cafe, pastries, White Rabbit Candy on September 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Last year, a pop-up bakery took Vancouver by the storm with a cookie made with the Asian White Rabbit candy. This summer, Chef Andrew Han turned his pop-up into a cafe. Kouign Cafe is now open in Chinatown.

Since its opening, many have followed the white rabbit and tried the various cookies and pastries Kouign Cafe has to offer. The original vision for the cafe was to offer dine-in options with the addition of sandwiches and beverages. At this point, they are only offering pastries to go. I suspect Chef Han’s plan, like many others, was disrupted by COVID-19. The shop has been very popular, though, and some items would even be sold out before closing. While I was in the area, I swung by and purchased one of everything that was available at that time. I’ve never bought pastries from their pop-up shop before so this would be my first time trying them.

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[Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2020] Chez Christophe

Posted in Bakery, Beverage, Burnaby, Cafe, Chocolate, Dessert, Hot Chocolate Festival, Joyce, Neighbourhood Gem, tagged Burnaby Heights, Chez Christophe, hot chocolate, Hot Chocolate Festival, Macaron, Ruby Chocolate, Tumeric on February 7, 2020|

Another hot chocolate stop I’ve made was Chez Christophe in Burnaby. I remember meeting Christophe at a work conference years ago when he was doing cooking demonstration. That was before he opened his shop in Burnaby. Since then, I’ve been there a few times for pastries, but this was my first time trying their hot chocolate fest creations.

Both of Chez Christophe’s creations are inspired by popular fantasy stories. First, the Ruby Slippers was true to its name, donning a pretty hue of pink thanks to the use of ruby chocolate. I could taste the fruity, acidic note in ruby, combined with the fragrant, floral note of rose water. The two notes actually complemented each other very well. The ruby covered macadamia nuts were a nice combo of sweet and salty.