What I am Reading : The Tale of Genji / Genji Monogatari !

Surely there is a mutual agreement that course readings are more often than not quite dull, so when I finally got my hands on the Tale of Genji for an Asian studies course, I was appalled by the thickness of the novel. It is a translation of a story written ten centuries ago in the eleventh century, making the language and culture unimaginable: this has been a fairly challenging read. (Because of its thickness and small text, my closest friends have heard me endlessly reference it as 'the brick' implying the book's literal resemblance to a brick and the difficulty of the literature.) Luckily, class lectures have been wonderful at supplementing media and vasts amount of background information to ensure that we have some insight into the time period of Genji. I marvel at how a novel can transcend so many centuries, and I admit that I have become very curious about aristocracy during the Heian period in Japan.

Reading from the perspective of a twenty-first century female (and born in Canada for that matter), I can assure you the treatment of women in the Tale of Genji certainly will not make it a pleasant or leisurely tale. But it is captivating nonetheless, even as a translation. It was written in 54 separate books, or installments, which is sadly not incredibly suggestive of how they are pieced together. Not to mention that the number of characters introduced is endless, there must be hundreds. The lack of record for women in general, and the fact that they are not named for themselves but by location or the men they are associated with, makes tracking the characters (not to mention the true name of our author) nearly impossible. Even the men are referred to by their rank in court, which is ever changing and rising, so an overall understanding of who is being referred to might give you a headache (props to the translators of Genji). The background information required to understand Genji and the Heian period would take so long to cover that I likely will have to sit here and write a novel of my own to explain it (and there probably are novels that do just that, now that I think about it, there are even Genji scholars who devote their careers to studying the long monogatari... but this site does a quick enough summary if anyone is interested: click). We have already spent more than a month focusing on it in class and are barely half way through the chapters.

This week we began watching Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo (Tale of Genji: A Thousand Year Enigma), a film released in 2011 about the monogatari and Murasaki Shikibu (a nickname for our author with what little that we know about her) plays a role in it as well. I have discovered the discrepancy between reading the sexual violence and violation that befall women and watching it happen as censored as possible in a film. More than half the novel is left out of the film (naturally, it is a whole 54 chapters long with over a hundred characters) but I quite like this article, it captures the film really well: click. While Genji is not represented nearly the same way and they make some major plot changes, it is still really enjoyable (though not entirely accurate which is no surprise if they have to cut out so many chapters and still appeal to a twenty-first century audience). It can get a little confusing at times because we are constantly switching between Murasaki Shikibu's world and the fictional one she is creating.

At chapter twenty-six in the brick, I am still finding that understanding all of the literature rivals trying to understand Shakespeare's plays without Sparknotes haha. Thankfully the Royall Tyler translation of the text also provides a large number of foot notes to bridge the gap between the text and our modern world. I am thoroughly enjoying it and if anyone is looking for a challenge, oooh this would be the one :)



First image retrieved from: [click]
Second image retrieved from: [click]
Third image retrieved from: [click]

First Impressions : Julep Maven Subscription Service !

I posted this on Instagram around the end of April.

I received my first Julep Maven box in April 2013. I was initially drawn to their "get your first box free" promotion which I believe is ongoing, and the beautiful packaging of their polishes. But at 19.99 USD per month, it is by comparison, pricier than the ten dollar monthly fees that have been a hit since the invasion of subscription boxes. For this reason, I had skipped my boxes every month since to conserve on my super tight student budget. I forgot to skip the month of October however, so happily enough I have a box to use for this post along with the products from my first box. That being said, I do not believe that the monthly fee is unfair considering the products are full sized.

A Little About the Service. Shipping has always been quick for both of my boxes and everything in the ordering process is very straight forward. As a Maven, you begin with a style quiz (like many other subscription services) to determine which starter box suits you. They now have five different style profiles [ click. ] : (1) Modern Beauty, (2) Boho Glam, (3) Bombshell, (4) Classic with a Twist and (5) It Girl. But if you don`t like the style that the quiz has assigned you to (I was assigned to Bombshell...), you can switch your style profile (...But I already had colours like the ones in the Bombshell box so I switched to Classic with a Twist) easily. You are never fully committed to one style, you can always choose a different one for your next box. In each of (2), (3) and (4), you receive two limited edition nail polishes and a full sized beauty product. (1) will received only two full sized beauty products and (5) receives three limited edition nail polishes.

The polishes here are Molly (classic red), Maya (pearl pink) and Hoch (forest green).

The Polishes Themselves. Everything above was included in my first Julep Maven box except Hoch. Julep Maven nail polish retails for 14.00 USD each for just 8 mL of product (or 0.27 fl oz. which is barely half the amount of an OPI, China Glaze or Revlon polish), but Hoch among a selection of other polishes and beauty products, is available as an add-on to your box for 4.99 USD. The pigmentation in Molly and Maya surprised me tremendously; if you are looking for one-coater polishes, neither of these will fail to impress you. The only complaint I have is that it is a little bit frustrating to work with at first because of how full the bottles are. I have not tried Hoch yet, but I do a follow up if I discover it does not perform the same way.

The Beauty Products. In all honesty, I recognize that I own too many mascaras and eyeliners to make good use of these right now, but I will do a follow-up for these products too!

The October Classic With A Twist Julep Maven box.

My first thought when I opened this package hurriedly on my way back to the car was "canndy corn!!". Likely one of my favourite Halloween treats, I was pleased to see something for my sweet tooth in this month's Julep Maven box. I wish I had not forgotten this month, it is beautifully packaged BUT I regret to say that I already own close dupes of the polishes this time around.

The polishes here are Winona (warm gray) and Anisa (deep red).

The dupes I own are Faint of Heart (Orly) for Winona as a near exact dupe and Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ (OPI) which is a deeper version of Anisa. This box introduced some new clean packaging for the polishes too, as well as this eyeliner, sharpener and as mentioned above, CANDY CORN!

Double ended eyeliner in Brown Shimmer and Carbon Black.

And the sugar fix for the month; trick or treat!

Oh, do excuse the scratched up surface of my desk since I do all my crafting on it. I like Julep Maven, I just do not have the income for it right now, but will continue to remain subscribed despite that. I will consider this beautiful box an early birthday present for myself, the eyeliner looks promising and I am really impressed with the consistently sleek packaging :)

Check out Julep Maven here: [ click. ]
If you consider joining, here is my optional referral link: [ click. ]

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Last Stop, Gem Chocolates !

Gem Chocolates
2029 West 41st Avenue
Mon closed | T-F 10a - 6p | Sat 10a - 5p | Sun 12p - 5p

#35 - "BC BLUE BOOSTER"
Made with BC blueberries.

#36 - "BETTER THAN NUT PIE" Ground hazelnut praline-inspired.

#37 - "MONTY'S HEAT"
A spicy hot dark chocolate.

#38 - "BURN ME UP"
Inspired by the classic French dessert - creme brulee.

All flavours are made with organic, fair trade real chocolate and served with a surprise treat of a specially paired chocolate, biscotti, or nutty creation. Flavours are subject to availability or substitution, depending on supplies.
 
My last stop for the hot chocolate festival this year is revisting a vendor that Jerkface and I tried last year, and having the same exact drink we tried last year. The shop is as clean and modern as I remember it. Gem Chocolates is a chocolate shop, their chocolates having won several awards. "Gem Chocolates recently received the Four Star Award as one of the 2013 Best Chocolatiers & Confectioners in America by the International Chocolate Salon, won the Silver Award at the 2012 Canadian National Chocolate Competition, as well as a Gold Medal and two Bronze Medals at the 2012 International Chocolate Salon Caramel Competition." We went on Valentine`s day, (great quick stop for a date because they offer award-winning chocolate, gelato and hot chocolate) with the intention of trying Burn Me Up, but the drink has nuts in it. So they offered us the BC Blue Booster blueberry hot chocolate instead.

Their mouth-watering chocolate display.

The BC Blue Booster with a design of beautifully caramelized sugar as a topping at $6.15.

We were given the choice of dark or milk chocolate for the drink, and of course.. We chose milk! The caramelized sugar topping was a nice little treat, solid before it melts inside your mouth. Not to mention, it looks really pretty. While enjoyable just to eat, the overall drink tastes better with the caramelized sugar and whipped cream mixed in. You cannot escape the blueberry taste when the entire drink is blended, and it`s a yummy blend. Impressive, coming from me because I don`t even like blueberries! If you are looking for a flavourful but not too rich nor too creamy of a hot chocolate, this is the place to go :) Gem Chocolates didn`t disappoint me this year!

*Gem Chocolates main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate... *drools*

Thomas Haas Patisserie
2539 W Broadway Street
Tuesday - Saturday 8a - 530p

#59 - "THE LUMBERJACK" Bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup hot chocolate, served with a Douglas fir-infused chantilly, maple & vanilla shortbread.

#60 - "MALTEASER" Barley malt-infused hot chocolate, served with salt caramel malt truffles.

The shop gives a hustling and bustling cozy feel because the patisserie is decorated with really warm tones, which includes this amazing honeycomb fixture on the ceiling  and the use of wood furnishings. Thomas Haas (Speaking of the man himself, Thomas Haas was really friendly!) was probably the busiest location (Thierry might have been just as busy, but Thierry has more of a classy feel than a homey feel), filled with all sorts of people who wanted to try hot chocolate, have a cup of coffee or pick up some desserts for Valentine`s day. It is not hard to get to via either the 9 Broadway bus or the 99 B-line bus. I have heard of Thomas Haas before so on one of the final days of the festival, I really wanted to try it. 阿哥 and I went to the store on West Broadway, but they also have a location in North Vancouver. Check out their website (linked below) for an address.

Look at this ceiling!

The Malteaser hot chocolate at $5.95 as well as a vanilla and chocolate macaron at $1.80 ea.

The "fleur de sel truffle" surprised me by not being solid on the inside. It had an interesting taste on the inside, but perhaps I have merely overdone the sea salt caramel obsession and expected it to be like a cake pop. This malt hot chocolate reminded me of chocolate flavoured Ovaltine (one of my favourite drinks), or the inside of a Malteser chocolate if you haven`t heard of that. Suffice to say, since it resembles one of my favorite drinks, I really enjoyed this drink. We also tried a vanilla and chocolate macaron. For a chocolate lover like me, I even preferred the vanilla over the chocolate. The macarons that we had were moist, the shells were not hollow and they were surprisingly not too sweet compared to Thierry or French Made Baking for example. Thomas Haas was one of my last stops for the festival, but I will be back!

*Thomas Haas main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Chocolate Arts !

Chocolate Arts
1620 West 3rd Avenue
M-Sat 9a - 6p | Sun 10a - 5p

#19 - "WHEN PIGS FLY" Cocoa Barry “Alto El Sol” -- a single plantation chocolate, topped with maple and bacon marshmallow, and served with a peanut butter cookie.

#20 - "ARMOURY AMOUR" Cocoa Barry “Madirofolo”-- a single plantation chocolate, kissed with raspberry, and served with a mini lemon and basil ice cream sandwich.

Chocolate Arts was only three short blocks away from Beaucoup Bakery (click), so 阿哥 and I went to Chocolate Arts too. It didn`t look like much from the outside (I failed to take a photo of the outside as always), but the interior is large and spacious. The little store / cafe is decorated with both their original works of art made of chocolate, as well as the craft of artisans in the Vancouver area: a localization of local craft. There are pamphlets right by the door that promote other crafts and events in the city. There does not appear to be very much in the area surrounding Chocolate Arts, although it is still right by the bus stop at Fir St and W 4th Avenue on the 84 bus: a very residual / industrial area.

A whole wall of artistic chocolate, yumm!

Too bad it`s not the year of the pig, these would be great !

They make unique chocolates, including these piggy pops (above) and robo pops, all the letters of the alphabet and even a life sized high heel shoe made of chocolate. I will make my way back here to get a present for any chocolate loving friend... Although I don`t know if I have a friend who loves chocolate quite to the degree that I do..!

When Pigs Fly topped with maple and bacon marshmallow, $4.75.

Intrigued by the maple and bacon marshmallows, we tried the Why Pigs Fly hot chocolate. This has a strong cocoa taste. If you mean to satisfy a sweet tooth, I would recommend either mixing the marshmallows into the drink (which we did not do because we enjoyed the marshmallows by themselves) or adding some sugar. This is not to say that the hot chocolate is extremely bitter but as I said, the cocoa taste is rather strong. A milk chocolate lover like me still enjoyed this drink.

The bacon marshmallows do not melt in your mouth as fast as the store bought marshmallows that I am used to. It has a rather chewy texture instead and when the marshmallow finally melts, you are left with chunks of bacon in your mouth. YUM. And I got a thumbs up for the peanut butter cookie from 阿哥 since I don`t like peanut butter. He claims it was quite "peanut buttery," yum I guess? Not bad, I enjoyed this change from the rich and creamy drinks that I`ve had at most other participating venues.

*Chocolate Arts main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe

Couldn`t miss Beaucoup Bakery with this bold, orange sign showing the way!

Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe
2150 Fir Street
(Fir St and 6th Ave)
T-F 7a - 6p | Sat/Sun 8a - 5p

#01 - "THE SWEET OF BITTER DARK"
Bitter dark drinking chocolate served with a small edible. (Jan 19 - Feb 14)

#02 - "LOVE AT THE LIPS"
Manjari drinking chocolate with passionfruit served with a small edible. (Jan 19 - 25)

#03 - "PETAL OF A ROSE"
Vanilla bean white hot chocolate with rose, served w a small edible. (Jan 26 - Feb 1)

#04 - "JOY & SALT"
Caramel milk hot chocolate with sea salt, served with a small edible. (Feb 2 - 8)

#05 - "BURNING CLOVE"
Dark hot chocolate with smoked spices, served with a small edible. (Feb 9 - 14)

阿哥 accompanied me last Friday on yet another hot chocolate festival adventure haha. Our first destination was Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe. They were serving their Joy & Salt caramel milk hot chocolate with sea salt; I was craving more of this salty yet sweet taste after having had the sea salt caramel chocolate at Schokolade (click) and the sea salt caramel macaron at Thierry (click).

The Joy & Salt served with a small edible at $4.48 (includes tax).

The size of the drink really surprised us but after a quick sip, I was no longer surprised. It`s incredibly creamy, and rich does not begin to describe this Joy & Salt. The small edible to accompany this drink is actually a bite sized cookie that has a light cinnamon flavour. 阿哥 and I were struggling to finish this very small serving, I feel like you could easily share this between five people and it`d be just right. The taste of chocolate is very minimal, in fact I could hardly taste it. The caramel really takes the limelight. Mmm, it reminded me of the inside of a Cadbury caramel egg, except salty as well as thicker. By far the thickest drink I have tried this entire festival, you could probably use it as a sauce! I would not recommend one cup to yourself unless you really, really, REALLY like caramel. I think the term diminishing returns best describes my experience, I really enjoyed the first few sips!

A look at the counter: sorry for the glare blocking the pastries!

I am curious about the Petal of a Rose. I wonder if the taste of their other drinks are as rich and creamy as this one was! I`ll try to make it back again next year in the festival. Maybe I`ll be able to try a fruit tart too while I`m there next time!

Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe is right by the bus stop on W 4th and Fir Street on the 84 bus, you`ll see the bright orange sign as you walk down Fir St (above photo). I like the simple design of the little bakery, and I`m impressed by their menu (it is hand written in chalk in the neatest hand writing I have seen in a while). They`ve chosen a really bright space that includes a lot of the natural light that I adore, and everything looks very clean. The only comment I have is there is limited seating for guests to enjoy their drinks and pastries.  

A side note: I really like their business card, it`s actually embossed and on a nice thick card stock! The orange print is growing on me! But in conclusion, their Joy & Salt was good but I will bring more friends to share it with next time I come back to Beaucoup Bakery.

Sorry that I am busy studying away for two midterms tomorrow morning and failed to post all the hot chocolate posts before the end of the festival, but happy heart day everyone! Remember on this day to give love to important loved ones in your life including your family and most importantly yourself ♥

*Beaucoup Bakery main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe !

Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie
1059 Alberni Street
(between Burrard and Thurlow)
M-F 7a - 12a | Sat/Sun 8a - 12a

#57 - "Ohhh CANADA!"
Canadian maple syrup + pecan hot chocolate, served with a sable.
Available: Jan 19 - 29

#58 - "ONE IN A MILLION"
Hot chocolate made with Maranon (the world's rarest chocolate), served with a chocolate-dipped madeleine.
Available: Jan 30 - Feb 10

Unfortunately, Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe stopped offering these special drinks on February 10th, but they are still open for regular service if you`re looking for that romantic setting for a cup of coffee with someone. After a delicious late lunch at Miku with C and B downtown (thanks B for treating us to such yummy foood), we decided to go hot chocolate hopping. They were offering their One in a Million hot chocolate at Thierry that B really wanted to try! C and I couldn`t resist the colourful macarons, so C treated us to a macaron each: C and I both chose a salted caramel macaron and B chose a lychee macaron. (I covered the hot chocolate but thank you both for not only treating me to macarons and lunch that day, but for always treating me to delicious food!)

So many macarons! $1.95 ea, $13.45 for 7 & $21.95 for a dozen.

It was my first time trying a macaron with a buttercream filling instead of ganache, or it may just have been a more creamy filling. The one macaron that I had sated my sweet tooth, and after this festival I am pretty "macaron-ed out"! The shells of these macarons were kind of hollow, but I did not feel that that did anything to alter it`s taste or texture. A dozen of these would last me a long time..!

The One in a Million (I spilled it trying to open the door, sorry!) was $9.75 (before tax)

The hot chocolate itself, I cannot put into words. I did not find it especially sweet, nor did I find that it tasted like anything I already knew. It definitely tasted like chocolate and it was good, but it was not a kind of chocolate that I have ever had before. And I wouldn`t have, given the ingredients include "Maranon (the world's rarest chocolate)". The cup is not very large for it`s price, and considering it supposedly contains the world's rarest chocolate, it wouldn`t be. Unlike most other hot chocolate drinks I have had for the festival, one cup is not enough to share between two (let alone three) because although flavourful, it was not especially rich. I would order a cup for yourself if you are there to have a cup of hot chocolate and not just try it like B, C and I were. The chocolate-dipped madeleine was a small morsel of sweetness.. Unfortunately I felt like it was a kind of forgettable taste. Their macarons would have made a much better substitute, but maybe that`s my sweet tooth talking!

You`re probably wondering why the cup is sitting in a pool of hot chocolate. Thierry was pretty packed when we arrived, so we resorted to sitting outside. I waited inside for the drink as C and B sat outside with the macarons waiting for me, and we did not anticipate that they would give me two plates. One plate for the cup of hot chocolate, and another for the whipped cream, madeleine and small piece of chocolate. They have these wonderfully designed double doors to enter the cafe, but I failed to open the door without hands. It ended pretty miserably, as you can probably tell. We expected it to be cold in their outdoor seating area, but they actually have these massive heating lamps situated above the table and chairs so that it actually did not feel like you were outside. It was a delightful surprise considering it was cold and raining! I think Thierry is a great place to treat yourself to something special, fancy and kind of expensive every now and then: I will definitely find myself back for some of their desserts and maybe another macaron!

*Thierry`s main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Bella Gelateria & "To Die For"

Bella Gelateria
1001 W Cordova Street
M-Th 8a - 10p | F 8a - 11p | St 11a - 11p | Sn 11a - 10p

#08 - "THE GOLD MEDAL"
Salted pecan & maple syrup (gold medal winner from 2012 Gelato Competition in Italy) served w Erin Ireland's "To Die For" banana bread.

#09 -"THE ITALIAN HONEY MOON"
Honey nouget and hazelnut made with avalon organic milk and Michel Cluizel chocolate, served with Erin Ireland's "To Die For" banana bread.

#10 - "MONKEY'S CHOICE"
Caramelized banana & honey served with Erin Ireland's  "To Die For" banana bread.

(Festival bonus! "DEVILISH DARK" - a 99% dark chocolate drink.)

*all drinks available during all days of the festival.

A week or two ago, Jerkface and I hopped over to Bella Gelateria to try their hot chocolate called Monkey`s Choice which being born in the year of the monkey *wink*, we had to try. Bella Gelateria is best known for their gelato! This is one of the first places that I`ve tried that doesn`t specialize in chocolates or pastries. There is a wall of articles about their award winning pecan and maple syrup gelato, but we didn`t try their gelato that day because it was quite cold out. Come summer, we will have to revisit and try the gelato that won the title of Best Gelato in the World! Just another reason to add to the long list of reasons why I can hardly wait for summer.

The Monkey's Choice came with these adorable little spoons, at $5.25.

As in any blended drink, certain flavours come through more than others and the Monkey`s Choice definitely tasted more of banana than cocoa. The drink is perfect for any banana lover, which includes monkeys of course. (I`m kidding because I really have no idea whether or not monkeys can even have chocolate!) You can still taste chunks of banana in the drink: it is anything but artificially flavoured. It`s neither too sweet nor too rich, and I quite enjoyed this one after having had so many other extremely rich hot chocolates!

Jerkface using the tiny spoon, and avoiding the banana bread (contains nuts!).

The drink came with a slice of "To Die For" banana bread, which I took to-go instead of eating on spot because Jerkface has a nut allergy. Shortly after I took this photo (and he took a small sip of the hot chocolate), he pushed the plate of banana bread to the other side of the table :) I meant to eat the banana bread when I got home, but I forgot about it until it was much too late to try it so I had to save it for the next morning. It was a nice treat before class, but I failed to taste anything particularly amazing about it... Perhaps because banana bread is not regularly in my diet, and because I did not have the banana bread the day of.. But I feel like the banana bread along with the Monkey`s Choice may have been banana overload for me, so I am glad I had it the next day instead of with my hot chocolate :)

I like Bella Gelateria: there is plenty of natural light flowing into the shop and you can see their 'kitchen' through glass windows outside as you walk by. In fact, I saw a big bowl of bananas as I walked past with B a week before this that encouraged me to return to try this drink. And now seeing the gelato and news articles along their wall is encouraging me to return for their gelato. I definitely will!

*Bella Gelateria's main website: click.
*To Die For food's main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Cocoa Nymph

I love this old cash register they use to display their chocolate!

Cocoa Nymph
3739 W 10th Ave
(W 10th Ave and Alma)
M-St 11a - 7p | Sn 1 - 5p

#27 - "THE AYALA"
Jasmine drinking chocolate, topped with house made juniper marshmallows.
Available Jan 19 - Feb 14

#28 - "THE NOAH"
Balsamic drinking chocolate, topped with house made cherry marshmallows.
Available Jan 26 - Feb 14

#29 - "THE EMILY ROSE"
Orange drinking chocolate, topped with house made rose-coconut marshmallows.
Available Feb 2 - 14

#30 - "THE JOSIAH"
Basil drinking chocolate, topped with house made strawberry marshmallows.
Available Feb 8 - 14

*all drinking chocolates can be made dairy free

A while back, I found myself with some time after school to go try another hot chocolate for the festival, so J came with me to Cocoa Nymph. It has a good en route location on the northwest corner of W 10th and Alma, and I was pleased to find free wi-fi offered at the cozy little chocolate shop. It promises to be a good secluded study location in the future. We tried the Ayala and the Noah, and thus far.. Cocoa Nymph offers both my favourite hot chocolate of the festival this year, as well as my least favourite.

The Noah on the left and the Ayala on the right, both drinks together cost $10.08.

The Ayala had a very rich and creamy cocoa taste with a prominent but not overpowering jasmine aftertaste. I was very satisfied after I finished this drink, even though I did not appreciate the juniper marshmallows on top. J did not mind them, and Jerkface who I later came back with just to have the Ayala again liked them too. The first time I had the Ayala, they melted into the drink after I tasted them because I was busying myself snapping photos, and the second time I didn`t mix them in. I preferred my first time having the Ayala, and less the second time so perhaps I should have mixed them in the second time too. (There are many factors contributing to that though, including the contrast between the Ayala and Noah the first time and perhaps there was just more jasmine because two different people made the drinks.)

A closer look at the cherry marshmallows on the Noah.

The Noah was less to my taste nor J`s taste. This is my fault because I failed to read the list of ingredients when I ordered the drinks. (I was trying to be ambitious and just ordered the only two available drinks.) The Noah had a sweet and sour taste which was a result of a blend of cocoa and balsamic vinegar, topped with house made cherry marshmallows. The marshmallows on the Noah were preferable to the juniper marshmallows on the Ayala to me, but even then I feel the drink might have been too heavy on the vinegar. I am generally not a huge fan of balsamic vinegar in the first place, so I am likely biased. There were others in the shop who enjoyed this drink and had finished the cup long before we finished ours. I regret to say that this was the first hot chocolate I did not enjoy during this festival :(

I enjoyed the company of the employees at Cocoa Nymph, I like its location relative to my school and I like the free wi-fi offered at Cocoa Nymph that makes it the perfect study spot. It is certainly secluded enough, and quiet enough as a studying environment. I will definitely be revisiting when I have finals and exams, it really is the perfect little cozy chocolate shop!

*Cocoa Nymph`s main website: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Schokolade !

Me & Snowball in front of Schokolade last year (photo: Jerkface).

Schokolade Artisan Chocolates
2663 E Hastings Street
M Closed | T-Sat 10a - 6p | Sun Closed

#45 - "MOUNT FUJI"
36% white chocolate with fresh ginger and matcha served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.
Available: January 25 - February 9 Closed Sundays and Mondays

#46 - "BOMBAY SPICE"
Chai spice with 70% single origin dark chocolate served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.
Available: January 25 - February 9 Closed Sundays and Mondays


#47 - "SWEET N' SINFUL"
100% B.C. wild flower honey with 100% dark chocolate served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.
Available: January 25 - February 9 Closed Sundays and Mondays


#48 - "CANADIAN CLASSIC"
100% pure hazelnut with 38% milk chocolate served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.
Available: January 25 - February 9 Closed Sundays and Mondays


#49 - "ESPRESSO"
Espresso served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.
Available: January 25 - February 9 Closed Sundays and Mondays

#50 - "TEA ROSE"
Rose tea and 36% white chocolate served with four pieces of artisan chocolate.
Available: January 25 - February 9. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

After our little adventure at French Made Baking (and Kingsgate mall), we headed over to another favourite of mine, Schokolade. Their chocolates are some of my very favourites and their shop is a small and cozy one. Feeling very satisfied with the Lord of Hot Chocolate from French Made Baking, we decided to try one drink: the Canadian Classic and this is not just because we are Canadian, but because I have an adoration for hazelnut. It was quite foamy, and if you like then that`s great, but you really get that pure hazelnut taste when you sip this. I mean, you can pick up chunks of hazelnut with your spoon to give you an idea of what I mean by pure hazelnut. Another safe drink for the day because I love hazelnuts and I love milk chocolate: very little could have gone wrong and it was everything I expected: scrumptious!

The Canadian Classic with four pieces of chocolate was around $11, the chocolates are optional though.

With our drink came four pieces of chocolate that you got to pick. We chose the Mah-Jhong Orange Cream (fun fact for those who don`t know, I do in fact play mahjong, and the 红中 happens to be my lucky tile), the Mokka, the Sea Salt Caramel and the Hazelnut Crunch. All besides the Hazelnut Crunch which was made with milk chocolate, were made with 70% dark chocolate.

(CW starting on L) Hazelnut Crunch, Mah-Jhong Orange Cream, Mokka and Sea Salt Caramel.

I`m always returning to Schokolade for their chocolates, they`re delicious and quite unique. The lighting inside was not amazing, so my point-and-shoot camera did not feel like focusing for a good part of our visit... But there is a wide selection of other chocolates including chess pieces and Chinese chess pieces. All of their chocolates are made with very little to no mechanized equipment, which I think makes these quite impressive. I enjoyed the dark chocolate of the Mokka, and the orange cream in the Mah-Jhong chocolate. I would have liked the Hazelnut Crunch a little more if it didn`t taste exactly like my drink, which meant I didn`t find it standing out among the other three. My favourite chocolate of the bunch was definitely the Sea Salt Caramel, which surprises me because I don`t even like caramel. Apparently I like it with sea-salt!

Oh yum yum yummy Sea Salt Caramel!

I enjoyed my walk down memory lane, having been to both French Made Baking and Schokolade before. I do recommend them both, Schokolade in particular has a very cozy shop. French Made Baking is a little smaller which leaves less space for sitting but they always have amazing art on their windows (which I forgot to snap a photo of on my way out again, I`m sorry!) Again I wish I had had more time to sit and take nicer photos at French Made Baking (You can really tell I found parking at Schokolade because there are actually photos!) because I really do enjoy their drinks and little pastries. So far the people who are serving drinks at all the chocolate shops and cafes that I`ve been to have been extremely friendly, and willing to chat about what they do. So don`t be afraid to ask questions!

Thank you J for spending the day hot chocolate hopping with me :) We actually spent quite some time considering these really cute Korean agendas at the dollar store inside Kingsgate Mall (where I parked), and picked up a couple each before heading over to French Made Baking. I really enjoyed the day!








*Find French Made Baking on their main website here: click. 
*Find Schokolade Artisan Chocolates on their website here: click.

Hot Chocolate Festival 2013 : Leonidas - Fresh Belgian Chocolates

Belgian chocolates made with 100% cocoa butter at Leonidas*

#39 - "RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE"
White chocolate with raspberry cheesecake ripple served with a chocolate eclair or liege waffle sample.
Available: every day of the Festival.

#40 - "TOSCA"
Dark chocolate and rum served with a chocolate eclair or liege waffle sample.
Available: every day of the Festival.

#41 - "FROZEN NOISETTE"
Melted praline blended into frozen yogurt, topped with a shot of melted chocolate, and finished with crushed hazelnuts served with a chocolate eclair or liege waffle sample.
Available: every day of the Festival.

Leonidas - Fresh Belgium Chocolates
#29 - 1055 Canada Place
(Vancouver Convention Centre)
M-F 10a -7p | Sat 10a - 6p | Sun 11a - 6p

Jerkface and I tried Leonidas* around this time last year. The location can be a little bit difficult to spot at first because rather than obvious signage, they have a sleek window design for their store front (that I forgot to take a photo of on my way in and out, sorry!). I can`t remember what drink he got, I think it may have been the same drink as me (maybe, maybe not.. he`ll remind me), but I tried the Raspberry Cheesecake hot chocolate (still offered this year) with liege waffles last year which was pretty good. I recall that it was sweet, very rich and satisfying: you could really taste the raspberry in it. They have changed their cups this year, I liked the ones they had last year better, and the waffles with whipped cream have become a single waffle, but the hot chocolate does not disappoint. Unfortunately after a thorough search through my computer, laptop and many USB drives, I have misplaced the photographs!

I went with B last week to try a different cup of hot chocolate. This year, to accompany your hot chocolate you get a choice between an eclair or a liege waffle. Since I had already tried liege waffles last year, I had an eclair this year. The cup of hot chocolate that I tried, like last year`s Raspberry Cheesecake was very rich. I imagine that all non-Tim Horton's and non-Starbucks hot chocolates have this quality to them. I had the Tosca which was a blend of dark chocolate and rum. I really liked the eclair, even if the chocolate lover in me would have preferred a bigger piece. I found that the dark chocolate in the Tosca was probably too dark for my liking and I could taste the rum, but it was very complementing and not overwhelming. I couldn`t finish it for how rich it was! I had to share it!

B had the Frozen Noisette, which at the time I couldn`t catch the full list of ingredients besides hazelnut (and if you read the list of ingredients, you`ll see why), and to go with it he chose the waffle. As its name suggests, the drink is cold, but there is an option to have it hot so it was still weather appropriate (it was rather cold that day). I only tried a sip but I enjoyed the Frozen Noisette more than the Tosca, I am sheepish to say. I am sure those who enjoy the bitter taste of dark chocolate more than I do would have enjoyed the Tosca very much. I underestimated just how dark the dark chocolate would be, and the taste of it combined with rum.Oops!

Tosca with an eclair in the back at $6.50 and Frozen Noisette with a liege waffle at $6.00 up front.

A closer look of the top of the drinks, last year there was a shape of an L in the foam of my drink.

Not on the festival website for some reason, are a few other hot chocolates that Leonidas is offering for the hot chocolate festival this year. I found this list on Foodology's blog post of Leonidas posted about a week or two ago because the girl listed the drinks a little too quickly for me to catch, and will put a copy of that list here:

• TIGER MILK : Leonidas White chocolate, saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, and finished with slivered almonds
• JAMAICAN KISS: Leonidas Milk Chocolate, coconut milk and pineapple rum
• BOHO SECRET: Leonidas 72% Sao Tome dark chocolate, mint and a secret ingredient

I did not have a chance to try any of these but the Boho Secret sounds intriguing! Other than hot chocolate, Leonidas also serves many types of espresso and coffee, ice cream, macarons and other pastries, as well as chocolates that come straight from Belgium made with 100% cocoa butter. I had a sample of one of these and it has been a long time since I have had such a delicious piece of chocolate! Make sure to try one if you go :)

*Link to Leonidas` official website here: click.
*Photo of Leonidas` chocolate counter retrieved from DineHere: click.

Girls Night Brunch Night & Fondue For 4 !

Yes. That is a bowl of shredded cheese in the middle & I overfilled my omelette so I couldn`t fold it...

Last weekend the girls had a long awaited brunch night at J`s (I know we`re at the end of this weekend, but this week has been really nuts so this post is very, very late)! With our conflicting schedules, we had been talking about having a girls night for months, and within those months of discussion, a decision to have brunch for dinner and fondue for dessert was made and so... A magical night of delicious food was prepared last weekend along with lots and lots of girl chatter on a Saturday night that lasted until one in the morning on Sunday! We really need to make more time for nights like these...

We had bacon, omelettes (filled with red, yellow and green bell peppers, mushrooms, cheddar mozzarella blend/marble cheese and tomatoes) and chocolate chip waffles for our "main course." V brought over some ice wine to go with our meal (And it turns out I was the only fan of it in the end, but it wasn`t the best ice wine I`d ever had so maybe that explains it..) because she needed the bottle for a project. For most of the prep work I bow down to J, V and Y for cutting and washing all the fruits and veggies as well as making the waffle batter, therefore allowing me to study for my midterm (The midterm went really well, if I haven`t already had a chance to tell you guys!). To repay them, I had some fun of my own making the omelettes as V and Y had some adventures with the waffle maker and J made the best part of the night... the bacon! Suffice to say, everything was delicious!

We all took turns accidentally dunking our fruits, oops...

Some time during the prep work, we decided to make enough batter to make crepes as well... So as a break from food, J and I had more adventures making thin crepes for fondue while V and Y melted chocolate in the mini Crockpot. This was going pretty successfully until Y created a little nimbus cloud with the batter, hehe ;)

Fondue as always, is really filling after a few bites whether you do cheese or chocolate fondue. The chocolate taste was almost overwhelming to me after just a few slices of bananas dipped in. So I crushed one of these really cute Teddy Grahams (I`m so sorry..) and dipped a banana in chocolate, then into the graham bits and it was perfect. It was great for dessert. My first time confessing this on my blog: I don`t like strawberries *prepares to be screamed at* and barely touched the frozen mangoes. That was hilarious, the chocolate froze on the mango before it even reached your mouth. Still, I had a lot of fun and everything I had was sccrumptiouuusss! Thank you J, V and Y (oh and L for the ride home & sort of T too for saying hello) for a lovely night that we must repeat soon. Although maybe cut back on the amount of food!