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Curiously Carmen

My Frosty Dessert Cafe

August 20, 2018

A new Korean dessert cafe opened up in First Avenue Marketplace, which is a pretty convenient location for me so I added it to my list! In true fashion, it took many months before I actually came to try this place. I wish I tried it sooner because it was delicious!

There is plenty of free parking in the marketplace and also on the street. My Frosty is a bit small so I would predict that it gets cramped during peak hours.

Choco bingsoo, sharing size: If you’re a huge chocolate lover, I would recommend giving this one a try! The shaved ice is fluffy and slightly creamy. Although chocolate is a pretty standard flavour for bingsoo, each cafe varies on the toppings.

At My Frosty, they had moist chocolatey brownies, Kinder surprise chocolate bar, ice cream, and a fudge bar on top. It sounds very fattening but the shaved ice is very light.

An unique addition at My Frosty is the use is Frosted Flakes cereal! Texture wise, it kept the bingsoo interesting and was a nice, simple touch.

Mango bing soo, single size: The single size is served in an extra large mug. The shaved ice is very light and does not have much flavour, so you have to rely on the fresh fruit (or which other toppings you have) for the flavour.

There was a very generous amount of mango on top, and it was also very ripe and sweet! With the condensed milk, it was even sweeter which balanced the shaved ice. On the bottom, there was another layer of mango syrup.

I enjoyed My Frosty, and would definitely come back when I’m craving some bingsoo. Compared to Passion8, I like both places and think they rank quite closely with each other!

Yay!

My Frosty - Korean Dessert Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: dessert, food & drink

Sugar Lab

August 16, 2018

Matcha and I both had matching days off, so we decided to meet up for dessert! She suggested Sugar Lab in Burnaby by Royal Oak, which we both never went to before.

We got there right when it opened at 2pm. There were other people who came right at 2pm so the spots at the small cafe filled up pretty quickly. I would imagine it’s even busier during peak times such as weekend evenings!

Mango crepe cake, $8.95: This was the second time that I’ve had crepe cake, which seems to be quite popular these days. Compared to the crepe cake at L’Otus Cake Boutique, the slice at Sugar Lab was a tad sweeter and creamier. There was a lot of fresh mango in each layer which was great too.

Strawberry with ice cream shaved ice, $8.75: Shaved ice is a good alternative to ice cream because it is less fattening and sugary. Just like the mango crepe cake, there was a generous portion of fresh strawberries. It came with vanilla ice cream and was drizzled with some condensed milk too.

I prefer the Korean style shaved ice that has some milk in it (such as at Passion8 or My Frosty), because the one at Sugar Lab is literally just ice and it is not creamy. Good thing there was a lot of fresh strawberries to make up for it. The portion size was pretty big and we left some ice because we were starting to get full and a bit cold from it.

Sugar Lab is a good option for Asian desserts. They put a generous portion of fresh fruit in their desserts and the service was quick and friendly too.

Yay!

Sugar Lab Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: dessert, food & drink

St. Germain Bakery

August 7, 2018

After working in the Oakridge area for awhile, I completely forgot that St. Germain Bakery existed inside the mall, and regrettably so. There were a few times over the months where I wanted a snack and settled for something mediocre at Safeway… When I could have had a freshly baked, delicious bun from St. Germain instead!

One thing to note is that it is quite busy here. You take a ticket number and wait for them to call you. If you are ordering a cake or a special order, you can go straight to the cake counter and bypass the line. I found this out after I waited in line for 15 minutes. =___=”

Chocolate mousse cake: It seemed like chocolate was quite popular among my coworkers so I went with this one! It was not your typical chocolate mousse cake. It had some Asian components to it, which isn’t surprising since it is an Asian bakery after all.

The inside had hints of orange flavour and some coconut flakes too. It kept the cake exciting and was unlike any chocolate mousse cake I have had.

Passion fruit cheesecake: On another occasion, we tried the passion fruit cheesecake. The cheesecake was not super heavy and thick. It still had the lightness that Asian cakes are known to have. The passion fruit flavour was delicious and there were some fresh fruit on top too! It was a great quality cake and I wouldn’t hesitate to get it again for a special occasion.

Pineapple bun: A Chinese classic, grew up eating these so it is very comforting! There actually isn’t any pineapple in it though. It’s named pineapple bun due to the shape of the top.

The pineapple bun was delicious. It was light and fluffy and tasted very fresh.

Tuna bun: I got this for the boyfriend to eat after work. This bun is savory instead of sweet.  He enjoyed it, the tuna bun was light and fluffy as well.

Hot dog bun: Another one of my favorites! On top of the fluffy bun is cut up sausages and a mix of mayo/cheese and green onion which is baked again for the cheese to melt. There was a generous portion of sausage and the sauce ratio was very satisfying.

There’s no doubt I will be back again for the buns, and maybe also a cake for special occasions!

Yay!

Saint Germain Bakery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: chinese, dessert, food & drink

Food: PappaRoti – Two Visits

June 21, 2018

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!

PappaRoti Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: coffee and tea, dessert, food & drink

Food: Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie

June 14, 2018

A couple of months ago, I had scheduled a RMT appointment. After the appointment, I was feeling quite relaxed and when going back home, I noticed that Chez Christophe was closeby! I have been hearing really great things about this place so I thought it was a nice day to treat myself.
I believe this is their new location, their old cafe used to be a couple blocks down or maybe even on the same block? I can’t remember. Anyways, the cafe was nice inside and was super clean. They had a plethora of assorted chocolates, as well as a bunch of seasonal goodies (It was right before Easter when I went). All of their desserts looked very yummy.

Hot chocolate, $4.75: Since I don’t drink caffeine, I went with the hot chocolate. It was made with steamed milk and Swiss chocolate and lightly dusted with cocoa powder on top. The hot chocolate was the perfect amount of sweetness for me. The cocoa powder on top was bitter and unsweetened, so it helped to balance the richness.

Hazelnut croissant, $4.00 (approx): Mmmm, this was so delicious! The croissant was light, soft, and flaky. The chocolate hazelnut filling inside was delicious as well!

Chez Christophe is a great place to get your chocolate fix. You won’t be disappointed with their quality or selection. It’s a good place to come hang out or meet with friends too!

Yay!

Chez Christophe Chocolaterie Patisserie Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Filed Under: dessert, food & drink

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Hi and welcome to Curiously Carmen! I am Carmen, the girl behind the blog. You can read more about me here!

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