After spending a few hours at the aquarium with Sangria and Lager, we decided to go to Sura for dinner because we’re not in this area often. But with amazing food, comes with long waits… so we decided to pop on over to PappaRoti to see what snacks there were, because we were all STARVING by the time we finished going to the aquarium! And it was going to be at least a 45 minute to 1 hour wait.
It was a great decision because we discovered their signature roti bun.
PappaRoti is located on the corner of the street across from Sura, which is how it caught Sangria’s eyes in the first place. I don’t remember the exact street but it is along Denman, where all the delicious food is at.
The inside of the cafe is pretty cute, with different styles of chairs and tables which end up matching perfectly. It’s a good place to get those Instaworthy photos.
None of us have tried Papparoti before, so we were unsure of what to get. But since the menu was mainly advertising the roti bun, the four of us decided to get two to share.
They have an original without any toppings, or you can choose from the special creations pictured above. The special creations are a few dollars more.
Original bun, $4.00: After waiting a couple of minutes for them to warm it up, a plate of heavenly goodness arrived at our table.
At first sight, it reminded me of the Chinese pineapple buns which I grew up eating and absolutely adore. Time to dig in!
The original bun was absolutely DELICIOUS. The outside is dusted with a light layer of crispy caramel and coffee. Inside, the bun is incredibly fluffy and soft and has a tiny bit of salted butter. The sweet and salty ratio go together perfectly. With the crispy caramel and coffee, it was a match made in heaven.
A month later, I was hanging out with Latte in this area again and I suggested we check it out. She was very excited to try it after I described how good the bun was.
Iced karak tea: This is a black tea with a variety of different spices and cream. I didn’t try any but Latte thoroughly enjoyed the drink.
Strawberry fields, $7.00~ish: We shared the strawberry fields, which is the original bun with a side of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It was just as delicious as the first vist and the fresh strawberries were a nice addition too.
Overall, I’m glad that we stumbled upon this place by accident. I guess we have the long lines at Sura to thank. It looks like there are a couple locations around the Lower Mainland, in Chinatown and Coquitlam. I’d highly recommend trying their original bun! You won’t regret it.
Yay!
Osprey Village is a new development in Pitt Meadows right by the river. It reminded me of a quaint little seaside village, similar to Steveston but a lot more quieter, community focused, and no salt water smell.
If you didn’t already guess by the name, Jia Plus serves Asian style beverage and snacks. All the syrups are made daily by Vicky, and the teas are brewed fresh! The price is really reasonable as well.
The cafe has five tables inside and does not feel cramped at all. There are also a couple of patio seats, which are perfect for the summer! The high ceilings and warm lights makes it feel very comfortable.
Passion fruit green tea w/ pearls: It had all the qualities that I looked for in a bubble tea, and more. The jasmine green tea and a really fragrant and floral flavour, which is my absolute favourite when it comes to green tea. I am very picky about my jasmine green tea and this one tasted absolutely perfect. In addition, the pearls had the perfect chewy consistency and tasted fresh.
Ramen: Apart from the drinks, Jia Plus also has some food items as well! The majority of us ordered the ramen. Vicky cooks the broth from scratch, and you can really taste the quality in it. The ramen also comes with a slice of tender pork, egg, and bamboo shoots. It was very comforting and filling, perfect for the cloudy day when we visited.
BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl: I know, it doesn’t look like a rice bowl right? The rice was actually underneath the greens! Sadly, I didn’t get to try this because the dressing had dairy in it. However, my friends are also all foodies and I trust their opinion when they said it was really good!
Jia Plus also offers cute little macaroons!
Although it looks pretty small on the outside, it is pretty spacious inside. It got pretty busy throughout our visit, and the line never stopped and tables were mostly full.
They also have cute, bear shape macarons with little ears on them in their display! As well, they have cake slices.
The four of us also got a drink each! Starting from top right, going clockwise:
Green tea waffle, $10.99: Cocoa and Lollipop shared this delicious waffle, topped with green tea ice cream, moci, whipped cream, almonds, kiwi, and strawberry. They both LOVED this waffle and said it was absolutely scrumptious.
Of course, I forgot to bring my allergy pills! Yes, unfortunately I’ve been allergic to cats ever since I was a child. But cats are so cute! Luckily, my allergies only get really bad after two hours, so I just dealt with a itchy nose for the time being. My bad…
Vegan & gluten-free brownie, around $5: Many of their pastries are healthy and suitable for those with alternative diets. I ordered a brownie with peanut butter icing. The brownie was a bit on the dry side and lacked a chocolate flavour, but the peanut butter on top was delicious.
Here are some of the places for the cats to play. One of their entire wall is a wooden shelf for cats to crawl around in, or sleep in the holes.
They also have cat themed board games and children’s story books as well! It truly is a cat lover’s paradise here.
Hehe, a selfie with one of the sleepy cats. The chairs are cat themed too!
All in all, I think the Catfe is a great place for cat lovers. I wouldn’t recommend coming if you aren’t a fan of cats, because you are essentially paying $5 (with purchase from cafe) or $8 (no cafe purchase, just to see the cats) to see them.
Commodity Juicery is a new juicery that opened up on Fraser Street in Vancouver, right across from Earnest Ice Cream. Since this area isn’t that busy or commercial, it is pretty easy to find parking. It is also easily accessible by bus (#8 Fraser or #25 UBC).
Upon walking in, Commodity Juicery is pretty small but seating is comfortable. They have a service counter that doubles up as a table, which seats four people comfortable. There are also two lounge chairs by the window.
Top left, going clockwise
Vegan minestrone soup: This recipe was carried on from one of the owners grandma! How sweet. Even though it did not have any meat, I found this to be really delicious and something I could have daily. It was the perfect embodiment of a heart warming soup.
Vegan coconut almond date bites: These cute little bites were delicious as well! They were very sweet due to the dates, while the coconut flakes gave it a nice crunch. These are perfect for a healthy dessert alternative and sure to satisfy those who have a sweet tooth.
Juices range from $10-12 a bottle, with food items ranging anywhere from $2-$10. If I could afford a $10 juice, I would come back here pretty often but until then, I’ll be continuously thinking of their delicious juices.