Last of the Hot Chocolate Festival : Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France, French Made Baking & Happy Valentine`s Day !

Here`s to the end of the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival this year, we definitely got to all the drinks that I really wanted to try. That`s awesome because since the festival`s second run in 2012 (making this the third year for me), I`ve never managed to try all the ones on my list because I never have enough time. Hooray to only having classes on two (long) days of the week! We went to Soirette (twice), Bella Gelateria (twice), Thomas Haas, Schokolade, Leonidas, French Made Baking... And on Valentine`s day, we finished off with Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France and a final trip to French Made Baking.

I really liked these fake wax seals for their chocolates.

In 2012, I went to this little chocolate shop on the corner of Main St and 21st Avenue to try a hotcho.. And was really unimpressed with Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France`s store hours. After the trouble of commuting there, they were closed.. Contrary to the information on CityFoods, on their store website, and heck! Even on the little sign on their door that told me they would be open. But two years later, K took interest in the iced drinking chocolates they were offering and having tried an iced hot chocolate in Vegas (Serendipity 3 at Caesar`s Palace by the way, if anyone is interested), I really like the idea of them.. Thankfully, their hours were accurate this time and we entered the door to find a cozy and very small French chocolate shop... That was very crowded with people coming in to pick up chocolates for their loved ones on Valentine`s day, how sweet!

We shared a Chocolat Glace a la Rose, a rose flavored iced drinking chocolate that was served with a liege waffle with a choice between a chocolate hazelnut spread or a fleur de sel (sea salt) caramel spread to go with the waffle. If you know how much I love chocolate and hazelnut, then you already know which spread we picked. But I was actually worried that the spread might be too sweet, since liege waffles tend to lean towards the sweet side for me even by themselves, but no such thing. The waffle was just right, toasted so the chocolate spread melted just a little bit as you ate it. Delicious, I would definitely come back for another.

The rose iced drinking chocolate itself.... I would recommend for people who absolutely adore rose water. The taste of rose and cocoa (and I mean cocoa, not milk chocolate) almost compete with each other. I really have to say that it was as if my taste buds were struggling to decide which flavor stood out more. Neither necessarily overpowered the other, though I can`t say they complimented each other either. Meh, but with a very friendly francophone owner, I am hopeful to be back next year to try a different flavor. Plus, their chocolates were really a hit; the place remained full of people for our entire duration there!

Chocolat Glace de la Rose, with a really cute cardboard straw and waffle! ($5)

Yummmy! Gaufre de liege waffle with a chocolate hazelnut spread :)

Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France
198 East 21st Avenue, Vancouver
Weekdays : 12p to 630p
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Saturday : 11a to 6p
Sunday : 12p to 5p

Back to Soirette & in line for Thomas Hass !

Our first stop this year for the festival, we had already tried Soirette's 9 O`Clock Gun, which was a really good cedar flavored hot chocolate inspired by Stanley Park. Our last time there, it was too packed to really sit down and get some photos or enjoy our hot chocolate. But this time, it emptied as we ordered!

We went back on Saturday for their Hot Toddy Float inspired by Grouse Mountain, not offered on the same day as the 9 O`Clock Gun. The description for the Hot Toddy Float was this: "You`d stay warm and cozy even in the peaks of Grouse Mountain with this buttered rum hot chocolate blended with wild mountain honey ice cream." We could definitely taste the liquor in this drink, but like any other hotcho that has had honey in it, the honey was sadly lost amongst the other flavors.

Hot Toddy Float served with a "Grouse Grind Reward Cluster" at Soirette Macarons & Tea.

I surprised K with this heart shaped strawberry butter macaron ($2) when he went to fill up our parking meter :)

Naturally, there was only meter parking available in the Coal Harbour area so we did not fill our meter all the way, just in case it ended up being packed again and we were forced to get our drinks to go again. So while K went to fill the meter some more when we discovered seats, I ordered our hot chocolate and this heart shaped macaron to surprise him. I am no fan of strawberry myself, but he seemed to enjoy it :)

Google maps estimated a 10-12 minute drive from Soirette to Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie, yet another beloved macaron stop for me. Here the aromas were amazing, and the line was out the door of the little cafe. Once I reached that door in line, I was once again fascinated by their amazing ceiling as I was last year. I took another photo of that ceiling and I am sure I will get another next year when I return... Please note that there is underground parking (we paid for meter parking again without knowing they offer parking!)

I love the Thomas Haas saucers!

Another photo of their amazing ceiling a year later (see previous year Thomas Haas blog post).

A colorful assortment of macarons offered that day ($10 for 6).

I wanted to get a shot of this crazy line up that only got longer after we got in line!

Too packed to get our drinks in one of their nice mugs, but I love these!

The Passionista (left) and the Campfire (right) at $5.95 each.

And I really loved the cocoa flower that`s on their to-go cups!

The line and lack of seating forced us to grab our drinks to-go, instead of being seated to enjoy them... But you still get that heart and the decoration of the drinks even in to-go cups, how nice! K had the Passionista, a "fresh passion fruit-infused hot chocolate with Grand Marnier chantilly" and it was served with a passion fruit pate de fruit. A Google search revealed that this was a chewy candy with an intense fruit flavor made from the purees of fresh fruit. I had the Campfire, "a classic hot chocolate, only with smoky caramel, smoked Hawaiian sea salt" and this was served with marshmallows and another little pastry that I haven`t any clue the name of. I am a huge fan of sea salt caramel flavored things, and was pleased to say that this tasted like the 9 O`Clock Gun with the addition of that sea salty, caramel flavor. It definitely had many layers to the taste and I really liked it! Both of these drinks are offered everyday through until Valentine`s Day, and I really recommend Thomas Haas` macarons :)

Soirette Macarons & Tea
1433 West Pender Street, Vancouver
Monday - Wednesday : 10a to 6p
Thursday - Friday : 10a to 7p
Saturday - Sunday : 11a to 6p

Thomas Haas (Kitsilano)
2539 West Broadway, Vancouver
Tuesday - Saturday : 8a to 530p
Sunday & Monday : closed

Schokolade Artisan Chocolates & Cafe !

The Winter Comfort (upper) and Snow White (lower) at Schokolade Cafe ($10 ea).

Schokolade has been one of my favorites for a long time, partially because it used to be super close by (before I moved, that is) but also because it is incredibly cozy and the owner is always in. And they have chocolate shaped like mahjong tiles that I love to give as gifts. Rushing from school, and K from work, to make it to Schokolade Artisan Chocolates & Cafe before the closed at 5 on Tuesday, forced us to get their hot chocolate in to-go cups. The little dusting of powder still makes them look presentable though! I should note that CityFoods actually has the wrong hours for Schokolade. They are open from 9a to 5p, not 10a to 6p.

Now while I always go in for their Squirrel Special, they were offering some intriguing drinks for the Hot Chocolate Festival this year that brought us there this week. K had the Winter Comfort, a "100% pure hazelnut butter blended with milk chocolate" hotcho, served with a chocolate-dipped hazelnut biscotti; both the drink and what little I had of the biscotti were delicious. Hazelnut is very likely my favorite flavor in combination with chocolate. I had the Snow White, a "white chocolate and steamed milk, flavoured with peppermint and rose" hotcho, served with four pieces of chocolates.. This was delicious, even though it was pretty difficult to taste the rose.

The hazelnut biscotti, and chocolates in flavors of Earl Grey, orange, jasmine, pomegranate, caramel and raspberry.

But the kind owner decided we could each have four chocolates per hot chocolate (we did not know that the Winter Comfort did not come with four pieces of chocolate until we came home and took a better look at the menu, how nice of her!). K picked all the fruity flavors, haha. And they were all delicious, suffice to say. One of my favorite times for hot chocolate is at the end of a long day at school or work, which is exactly what this was :)

Schokolade Artisan Chocolates
2263 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Tuesday - Saturday : 9a to 5p
Sunday & Mondays : Closed

Five Sails Restaurant & Back to Bella Gelateria !

My friend J told me that he originally had Dine Out plans at the Five Sails Restaurant that were cancelled several weeks ago when we caught up over bubble tea. Hearing his disappointment about how much he had anticipated the lobster on their menu, and considering how much I adore lobster, we made reservations for four last Wednesday to try this much talked about lobster.

The feel of the restaurant is quite elegant and the ocean view makes for a rather intimate vibe, which is likely the reason they are usually a wedding banquet venue pick. Our servers and waiters were not only friendly but were fairly occupied with ensuring that we enjoyed our meal, cracking the odd joke here and there, which made the overall experience enjoyable. Now onto the food... I loved the tuna tartar; the sesame and avocado were delicious together, but one criticism I had was that I didn`t really taste the tuna. It was still a scrumptious appetizer, I was just surprised at how hard it was to distinguish the taste of tuna. Then in the main course, the fish in the lobster dish overtook a lot of the flavors for me. The sauce that normally accompanies this course likely masks that... but since the sauce contains onions, I don`t have an opinion on it. I`m sure with the sauce to complete the dish, it was really quite yummy. I did enjoy the dessert immensely too, so essentially the other courses on the menu made up for this one... But while the menu itself looked and tasted delicious, I admit to a larger appetite and the proportions were a lot smaller than I like... But oh well.

Here are the pictures that will finish off my thoughts on this $38 Dine Out experience:

A complimentary sampling of their lobster salad.

An assortment of complimentary bread.

Roasted Vegetable Terrine: Chef's salad of organic & seasonal greens.

Ahi Tuna Tartar: Crispy wontons, avocado & ginger scented sesame oil dressing.

Catch! : 1/2 Atlantic lobster, weathervane scallop and daily fresh catch.

A closer view of my lobster.

Banana & Chocolate Tango: Chocolate ganache, banana infused vanilla mousse w homemade vanilla bean ice cream.

Luxe Lemon Mille-Feuilles: Delicate layers of phyllo pastry and lemon cream, lemon parfait and fresh berry puree.

Following our meal at Five Sails, we realized how close we were to Bella Gelateria. And I had been meaning to return for another hot chocolate, so there was no better opportunity. Rushing to beat their closing time (we had a late reservation at Five Sails due to the high volumes of people wanting to try their menu), we hurried across the street and down the block to grab ourselves some hot chocolate and gelatooo.

Back to Bella Gelateria for their London Foggy ($7.50).

We really did not need to worry because while they do close at ten, they struggled to turn away customers for long after we had arrived and purchased our hot chocolate. This time, I got the London Foggy to go. It is their Earl Grey hot chocolate. I found that the dark chocolate in combination with what must be their Earl Grey gelato was a nice blend. They separate the gelato bar by putting it in a separate cup for you when you get your drink to go: this was nice compared to the previous post where the gelato bar was placed on the saucer right next to the warm cup of hot chocolate (melting it). It was just the thing to finish off my downtown experience that night! Did I mention that I actually really like their to go cups? Yummy. I hope they bring this back next year :)

Ro Sushi & French Made Baking on a Sunday !

Yesterday, we decided to try this sushi place that had caught my eye because it shared its name with a sushi place that used to be on Broadway (between Cambie and Ash St), on a block that is now entirely under construction. Ro Sushi has relocated to a block down from its previous location, right across from the Michael`s Craft Store. We went there right after we picked up Project Life by Becky Higgins from Michael`s, which is a really cool scrap-booking project that I`ve wanted to start for months now. (Give this a Google if you`ve never seen it and there are a lot of great examples on YouTube if you`re really curious! It is unlikely that I will be blogging about it much because it is a way of keeping more personal life events.) They`ve re-designed their store front and redecorated. I really like the new interior, it feels cleaner and I especially like the smaller size of the restaurant.

Tray E on their menu, called the Passion Sushi Tray for  $30 before tax.

K and I got a tray to share between the both of us, yumm. It`s not Minami or Miku for sure, but it`s decent sushi that is fairly affordable at a pretty populated intersection and area. Good stop for lunch break if you`re near by or on the way to somewhere, considering it is a mere two blocks from Cambie and Broadway. Not to mention, their waitress was all smiles, and my cup of tea was never empty! After sushi lunch, K and I were off to find ourselves something sweet..

French Made Baking is not a new stop for me, because their macarons were the first that I had ever tried two years ago now. The beauty of it all is the variety of macarons every time that I go into a macaron shop are different. This box here contains caramelia, le noisette (hazelnut), le jasmin (jasmine), matcha, le cassis (blackcurrant ganache) and marron glacé (chestnut white chocolate), and was K's purchase. Despite how delicious these are, our intent was not for macarons but for another stop of the hot chocolate festival...

Six macarons for $10 including tax at French Made Baking!

Beyond the Milky Way at French Made Baking for $4, tax inclusive.

French Made Baking was offering their Beyond the Milky Way: a pear, almond milk and 72% dark chocolate hotcho (dairy free). Unfortunately, I have taken ill and perhaps did not get the full experience of this drink, but there is a strong pear aftertaste that lingers with a stronger dark chocolate taste. I quite liked this, but K (who is also at the onset of being sick) found that he couldn`t taste much of the pear himself. This drink will be offered again on January 31st, February 5th and 10th if you`re interested in trying it for yourself, I thought it was a great way to wrap up my weekend :)

French Made Baking
81 Kingsway St, Vancouver
Monday : 12p to 630p
Tuesday - Saturday : 10a to 630p
Sunday : 11a to 430p

Leonidas Chocolates, Hapa Izakaya & Bella Gelateria !

More hot chocolate hopping with K, as well as sampling Hapa Izakaya`s Dine Out menu along the way because the three locations today were all no more than a block away from each other. How convenient, right?

Leonidas Chocolates, right by the Convention Centre!

Our first stop today was my first stop last year, at Leonidas Chocolates [click]. Now in the dark I did not see much of a point in attempting to get a photo of the store front with my point-and-shoot, but Leonidas has one point that is kind annoying for first-time-goers which is their lack of outdoor signage (they are between the "EzeeRiders" and the Subway, which both have super bright signs).

Jamaican Kiss with Liege waffle ($7.35) & Boho Secret with Marron chocolate ($7.35).

Interestingly enough, their festival hot chocolate menu (like last year) had more drink options than the list on Cityfood [click]. Not that I`m complaining. Each drink came with a choice of a macaron, Liege waffle, cheesecake, scoop of ice cream or a piece of chocolate. I had the Boho Secret hot chocolate, described on the menu as a "72% dark Belgian chocolate flavoured with peppermint, turmeric, honey and pepper." It was definitely dark chocolate alright and I could taste the peppermint in the aftertaste. The honey was visible in the cup but perhaps I could have mixed it better because I really couldn`t taste it as I drank it. Though it looks small, I picked a chocolate because Leonidas is a chocolate shop and I really liked the Marron which is a praline and coffee chocolate. Delicious but it will unsurprisingly alter the taste of your hot chocolate if you eat it before you drink your hotcho.

Closer look at the Jamaican Kiss hot chocolate at Leonidas.

K had the Jamaican Kiss hot chocolate, which was said to be "Belgian milk chocolate flavoured with coconut, pineapple and rum" with a Liege waffle. We agreed that we could taste the pineapple (along with bits of the fruit itself) and of course the chocolate and I might have detected a hint of rum, but the coconut taste was either missing or completely overpowered. Both drinks were not too thick, not too sweet, nor too strange of a combination of flavours and enjoyable. The guy behind the counter was very polite and friendly, and even offered us a tasting of their raspberry macaron, how sweet! You can still try these, and all the drinks at Leonidas because they are offered daily through until Valentine`s day :)

Hapa Izakaya at their Coal Harbour location.

Having meant to try Hapa Izakaya for years since I`ve had a number of missed events there, I was delighted to see it on the list of restaurants participating in Dine Out Vancouver. They are offering, rather than a three course menu, a four course menu [click] for $28. Here`s what we had, without further text needed really. Everything was delicious, and the proportions were just right (actually the beef tataki was a little on the small side, just a little).

First course! Beef Tataki: lightly seared AAA beef with sesame-chili sauce (we both had this).

Second course! Oyster tempura served with miso-vinegar and shiso (I did not have the pickled red onion that K did).

Third course! I had the bacon wrapped scallops: BC scallops, bacon, soy-butter sauce with mixed greens.

K`s third course! Grilled chuck steak: Shiyo-Kouji marinated AAA chuck steak, fresh cucumbers and chili oil.

Fourth course! K`s arrived first, yaki udon with stir-fried chicken and vegetables.

And my final course! The seafood ishiyaki with scallops, halibut, ika, soy stock, cheese, shiso and yuzu skin.

One thing that I definitely learned at Hapa Izakaya is that most of their dishes had some form of onions. It is unlikely I have ever mentioned the allergy so I will allow my friends who know me well to laugh as they imagine my pain as I picked them out carefully. I admit I gave up on the last dish. On a final note, I enjoyed the progressive increase in the size of proportion they gave per course, it was a very satisfying meal. 

Monkey`s Uncle ($7.50) and Black Magic ($7.50) with To Die For banana bread at Bella Gelateria.

Our final stop for the night, Bella Gelateria [click] was a block away. Since my discovery of this gelato shop last year for this festival, I have been back for their gelato several times. This year, they had these gBars to accompany their hot chocolates. The 'g' presumably standing for gelato, because they are frozen gelato bars that you mix into your hot chocolate (I don`t know if you can tell, but they`re served right next to the hot chocolate which melts them pretty quick so mix mix mix!). K had the Black Magic which was a black sesame and matcha gBar with an 85% dark hot chocolate and white hot chocolate mix. I had the Monkey`s Uncle which was a banana bread flavoured gBar with a 64% dark hot chocolate. The gBars were actually quite delectable by themselves and make these hot chocolates a little more unique than just a drink that is entirely prepared for you. The To Die For banana bread was super moist and I got a progression of flavours, beginning with cinnamon, salt, a nutty flavour followed by banana of course, that just melted in my mouth. Good as always! I am very tempted to be back to Bella Gelateria if I get the chance. Oh they do serve all their drinks through to Valentine`s day as well, and you can have just the hot chocolate without the gBars if that is what you prefer.

Leonidas Chocolates (Vancouver Convention Centre)
#29-1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
Monday - Friday : 10a to 7p
Saturday : 10a to 6p
Sunday : 11a to 6p

Bella Gelateria

1001 West Cordova Street, Vancouver

Monday - Thursday : 8a to 10p

Friday : 8a to 11p

Saturday : 11a to 11p

Sunday : 11a to 10p

I had a great night tonight in this small three block radius downtown. Definitely going to return to Bella Gelateria, just a matter of when and hope to get better photos next time ;) Good night everybody, and happy hot chocolate hopping!

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.