FAUBOURG PARIS, KERRISDALE, FOR PINK HIGH TEA

The Pink High Tea:  Service for Two.


Faubourg’s window display from the outside.

STUART’S BAKERY, GRANVILLE ISLAND

Black Forest Cake.


Yes, it’s a little lop-sided from having been smushed against the side of the box, but it was oh so good!

New York Cheesecake.


Rich, dense cheesecake.  Very good and decadent.

QUE? QUEJOS ARE GF!

Extra Cheese Quejos (kay-joes). 

Made from manioc, these “breads” are indeed Gluten Free.

Are you finding it troublesome finding GF breads that taste like bread?  Well, Quejos are not in any way like bread texturally, but they do taste good and can be used like bread to sandwich fillings.  They remind me of a chewy scone.  Often, in recipes for the Brazilian bun, I’ve seen people use tapioca starch instead.    Manioc accounts for the squeaky chew you get when you bite into it.  Yes, the bun actually squeaks between your teeth.  When you split the quejos horizontally, you will find that often it is hollow.  All the better to house lots of fillings! Think spicy pulled pork,  jalapenos, pickled onions, cabbage, tomatoes and more!

Spinach and onion Quejos.

SWEET E’S GF CHOCOLATE SILK CAKE

Flourless Chocolate Silk Cake.

My sole  intent today was to get cake…preferably chocolate.  After the less than satisfactory burger I had at McDonald’s I decided that only chocolate cake could remedy the intestinal imbalance in my gut.  Fortunately, Sweet E’s was across the street.  Located next to the Red Onion, Sweet E’s specializes in really tall cakes and very tiny pretty treats.  The mini tarts are my favourite. 

The cakes reside in the glass showcase.  They are all taller than they are wide.  When you buy a cake, it is housed in a cakebox that is completely square and opens on the side.  It makes sense because then you pull out the cake more easily.   

LE MARCHÉ ST. GEORGE, A HIDDEN GEM

Le Marché St. George is a quaint little corner store and cafe hidden in a quiet residential neighbourhood.  At once you are struck by its rustic French charm.  The shop is located on St. George Street and E. 28th Avenue in East Vancouver (between Main and Fraser).  

The building is surrounded by potted herbs and plants.  In the back, my friend tells me that the owner has a bee hive and is growing veggies.

BAAK TONG GOH FROM NEW TOWN BAKERY

Lookit those great bubbles!

NOTTE’S BON TON PASTRY AND CONFECTIONERY

“The Progressive”, from Notte’s Bon Ton Bakery in Kitsilano.

I succumbed to the sugary nutty confection that rationalized extra caloric GF bliss.  Two shells made of meringue and ground almonds sandwiched a coffee buttercream which was decorated with sliced almonds.  Wow.  Sugar rush!  It was so good.  Very much like an obscenely obese macaron without feet.

You see, Bebe and I were just “window shopping” that day while waiting for Bib as she attended her gymnastics summer session nearby.  Bib recently was picked to be part of a competitive team and each day’s session is 2 hours in length.  That’s pretty long for a 4 year old.  However, she maintains focus because she’s having fun it seems.   Meanwhile, Bebe is bored stiff waiting with me and doesn’t feel like doing the Math workbooks I brought.  So we trekked the two blocks North to W. Broadway for a walk.  The little drag we visit is full of great shops.  There are a few antique stores featuring French decor and knick knacks that I always like to visit.  There are a few dollar stores, and tons of eateries. 

I was introducing Bebe to the term “window shopping”; indicating that sometimes you just want to stroll around and look at things and not buy…filing away in your memory something novel or nice that you would like to purchase another day.  It was like a research mission.  She got that.  She was totally into this “not buying yet or ever” thing and her attitude wasn’t of a whiny 8 year old who nags her mother and drags her feet over some coveted toy or something.  Well, Bebe never was like that ever anyway, but I’ve seen this demonstration many a time in stores from other kids.

Then we arrived at Notte’s Bon Ton Bakery.  You may recall the Diplomat birthday cake I wrote about a while ago?  No?  Ah, it is a signature cake from Notte's.

We peered through the windows at the beautiful dainty cakes.  The smell of sugar and nuts and all things sweet wafted through the air.

MIETTE PATISSERIE, FERRY BUILDING SAN FRANCISCO

Macarons from Miette Patisserie, Ferry Building SF

I purchased Lavender cookies, Vanilla marshmallows and Pink Rosettes at Miette.

I thought the Rosettes were a gorgeous pink colour and thought they would taste like meringue.

FERRY BUILDING, SAN FRANCISCO

Miette Bakery, Ferry Building, San Francisco.

In the Ferry Building in San Francisco resided the object of our desire.

Bebe's 8th birthday was coming up during our trip to San Francisco.   I have cousins living in California and the girls have not met them before.  This was a trip both for having the girls meet their relatives and for Bebe's 8th bday.

The Ferry Building Marketplace is a foodie's paradise.  Inside you will find artisanal cheeses, cured meats, handmade crafts, pastries, breads and confections galore. Sur la Table is also located in the Ferry Building.   I lingered in the Scharffen Berger and Recchiuti Confections shops and later was gifted some chocolates and confections from my cousin Sylvia.  Thanks Sylvia!  You're so sweet!  :)

I'll post my Recchiuti and Miette goodies in separate posts as they seem to have survived the plane trip back to Vancouver and deserve better photography with my hefty Nikon than the crappy point and shoot I was carrying on the trip.



We had burgers and fries from Gott's Roadside and I thorougly enjoyed my Bacon Cheeseburger (I didn't eat my bun, though was tempted because it was like challah).  The fries were really good too and we tried the garlic fries, sweet potato fries and regular fries.  The garlic and sweet potato fries (served with housemade ranch dip) were my favourites and the chocolate milkshake Bebe had ordered tasted like rich chocolate ice cream.  I shudder to think of the calories we ingested at this establishment.

The Miette Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake which you see in the slideshow is the object of Bebe's desire.  We chose to come back for it closer to her bday for pickup and you will hear that story along with seeing the rest of my Miette purchases shortly.

KREATION, CAMBIE (Via Whole Foods)

I couldn’t resist.

Ee-I ee-i oh!

CANUCKS CUPCAKES!

Canucks Cupcakes from Fratelli’s Bakery on Commercial Drive.

LEE’S DONUTS, GRANVILLE ISLAND MARKET

Lee’s Donut holes, glazed.  6/6

Who hasn’t had a Lee’s Donut?

If you haven’t been to Granville Island, and you haven’t peered through the market windows to watch the freshly made doughnuts coming out of the hot fat being dipped into their glazes; if you haven’t smelled the sweet, yeasty hot doughnuts coming fresh from the kitchen and you haven’t been tempted to buy every single different kind of doughnut in the display, then I feel a little sorry for you.

You must go.

Go see. 

Watch the doughnut man craft the doughnuts through the glass window and see him handily dip those piping hot rings of heavenly sweet fried goodness into the huge vats of sticky glaze.    You’ll salivate.    You’ll succumb, and rightfully so.

WHO’S GOT BIG BUNS? NEW TOWN BAKERY

Big Bun Identification Guide.  Above is a Pork and Veggie Bun: filling indicated by the circular red stamp on the top.

Ever buy a dozen of these of different varieties only to forget which bun has which filling once you arrived home? Don’t you just hate that?



I usually purchase a dozen freshly steamed buns, individually wrap them in plastic wrap and then put them in a freezer bag for quick lunches and snacks.  Big buns are a meal in themselves.  The New Town Bakery Steamed Big Buns are juicy and the fillings are yummy.   A frozen bun requires a couple of minutes in the microwave.  Sometimes this can dry out the bun, so I use a special “bun steamer” for my microwave.

I bought my bun-sized Microwave Steamers at Daiso and it of course was $2.00.  You put a little water in the bottom half, place the frozen bun on the plastic rack and cover.  It’s a nifty gadget if I don’t want to haul out my stovetop steamer.  However, if I have time, the stovetop wok steamer beats all for moist texture.  It just takes  a heck of a long time to get the centre warmed.  If I decide to steam in my wok, I usually nuke the frozen bun for a minute first to get the inside defrosted and finish up the heating up process in the steamer.  It works well and the results are like bakery fresh.

This is the bottom half where you place a tablespoon or so of water…not too much!

Place the plastic rack on the bottom.  It will elevate the bun above the water so you won’t have soggy buns!

Place the lid on top.   There are little steam vents on the side you can adjust.

New Town Bakery’s Special “Big Bun/Dai Bau”: two red dots indicate this Dai Bau…it has Roast Pork, Salted Duck Egg and a ground pork & veggie mixture that is not unlike siu mai in texture.  This bun has everything but the kitchen sink!

Cha Siu Bau/Barbeque Pork Bun:  plain, unmarked swirl pattern with a pinched knot at top.

My daughters love sticky rice and the ones from this bakery are our favourites.  We like the one with green mung beans.  My kids are allergic to peanuts so we never buy those ones.  There’s always a big fight over the little piece of Chinese Sausage so I solved that readily by cooking up a separate link of Chinese Sausage on the side.  Everyone gets some sausage that way…and way more than what you’d find in these thrifty carb-loading, bamboo leaf wrapped dumplings.  Actually, not too sure in what way they’re really dumplings other than the fact they’re wrapped in an inedible wrapping of bamboo leaves.  Why don’t they call the sticky rice in Lotus Leaves dumplings? Hm? Is it because they’re boiled and the Lotus Leaves dumplings are steamed? ah well.

If you need to heat up a “Dzung/Joan/zongzi” then you need to boil it.  This is how they’re initially cooked.  The glutinous rice dumplings are so dense they require a long boil to cook.  If you’re reheating already cooked dumplings, you still need a good 20-25 minutes of boiling (from refrigerator-cold) to heat it all the way through.  I like to start mine in the microwave first to warm up the centre.  If you have frozen them like I do, then you just need to nuke them first and then follow by cooking them longer in the boiling water.

After heating through, you cut the strings, unwrap and discard the bamboo leaves and eat…sometimes with some soy sauce.  If you’re in our family, you cook up some extra Chinese Sausage to make everyone happy.   This is stick-to-your-ribs sort of food.  If you’re not crazy about rice or sticky rice, it’s not for you.
Usually, these are made for the Dragon Boat/Rice Dumpling Festival which falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, but you can find them all year round at New Town Bakery.  Grandmas usually know how to make these too and the fillings vary depending on what part of Asia you are from.  I like this version because it has no icky peanuts, and instead has green mung beans, salted pork belly, salted duck egg and Chinese Sausage.  I imagine whatever filling your grandma put in the dumplings is probably what you would prefer. 

If you find yourself at the Chinatown New Town Bakery, I recommend the little puffy Apple Tarts.  They are light and delicious and remind me of the old Hong Kong Cafe that used to be across the street.  They’re round, puffy, sprinkled with sugar on the tops and have hardly any apple filling but they are so addictive!  I also like the deep fried donuts (salty or sweet) and the sugar-coated deep fried Choux puffs.  They are the size and shape of a baseball and the insides are moist…kind of like a cruller.

Unless you want to relive the ‘70s, I would order for take-out if I were you.

CUTE BUNS: STEAMED CUSTARD-FILLED BUNS SHAPED LIKE PIGS

It’s “Bun Festival” at T and T Supermarket.  I couldn’t resist buying these.  Too cute!

BON BON BAKERY’S GATEAU ST. HONORÉ

One of my favourite cakes:  Gateau St. Honoré

HIGH TEA AT FAUBOURG

A lovely cup of “Provence” Green Tea/Vert Provence


In the heart of Kerrisdale right across the street from the Starbucks, there is a relatively new little patisserie called Faubourg.   When I walked down the south side of 41st  one evening on the way to dinner a few months ago, I noticed the patisserie and took a mental note to come back for High Tea.   The display window was quite enticing.  Usually, my favourite place to have High Tea in Vancouver is at The Secret Garden, which is a hop and a skip away—located on West Boulevard.  I go to The Secret Garden at least 2 times a year and now that my daughters are older, I intend to go more often.  Often though, you’ll find nary a male in this store.  It’s very proper and very English and your pinky just automatically starts to stick right up as you sip tea from your beautiful fine bone china teacup. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME…

My birthday cake: a  6” Black Forest cake from St. Germain Bakery, Oakridge Mall, Vancouver, B.C.

Stomach is out of town on a business trip for the week and end of term is near.  I’ve got marking coming out of my ears and I have a big exam coming up (which will entail more marking afterwards)! yahoo.

My birthday comes at a time of the year when everyone’s kind of busy with their day-to-day life and at my stage of life, it’s not always a priority to celebrate.  Let’s face it, nowadays it is way more fun to celebrate a birthday when you are a kid.  I mean, what with the cool cakes your mom makes for you and the huge group of friends amassed at a play palace running around, sweating and screaming, and all those presents?  Come on.  Nothing compares to a kid’s birthday party.  An adult birthday. meh.

Though I no longer celebrate with a huge group of friends and now instead go out to dinner and lunches with each of my girlfriends…primarily to catch up, I still insist on a birthday cake, even if I don’t have time to make one for myself.

Since Stomach was away, on my birthday on Tuesday,  my mother handed me 20 bucks and said “Here, go and buy yourself a cake.”  That’s my mom.  Direct.  No nonsense.  She still gives me a bday card and a red envelope every year with 100 bucks for me to spend on whatever gift I want too.   In my parents’ household growing up, that’s how it was.  Always a cake, usually dinner out and the red envelope.  It makes so much sense.  I think I’ll have to institute the red envelope when the kiddies hit the teenage years. 

I went to St. Germain, an Asian bakery located at the Oakridge Mall shopping centre.  I knew I could get a decent cake for under $20 here.  I chose the 6inch Black Forest because it was…well, chocolate.  The 6” cake was $18.  That’s my primary motive for choosing desserts.  * Chocolate*.   The frosting is a fresh whipped cream and there’s a cherry-kirsch jelly filling that is solid to the point that it resembles an agar jelly.  It slices cleanly and is totally unlike the European cherry fillings that are more sauce-like.  Though the solid texture of the cherry filling was unsettling, it wasn’t unpleasant.    The fresh fruit and the light texture of the whipping cream was refreshing.  The sponge layers are chocolate chiffon. 

I came home with the cake, made Shake ‘n Bake, roasted brussel sprouts, gravy and mashed yukon gold potatoes (my kids’ favourites) for dinner and we had the cake for dessert.  We scarfed down almost half the cake.  The girls loved it--but not the cherry jelly, which I had to eat off of their plates.

Oh, and the ulterior motive for choosing this bakery?  I went on a shopping spree at the mall.  The red envelope was burning a hole in my pocket.  I firmly believe in buying myself a gift, or two or more! for my birthday.   Who knows better than the birthday girl what she wants?

SILENT SUNDAY

Mini Lemon Meringue Tart from sweet e’s
oh who am I kidding? I can’t keep totally silent!

A mini pastry box for the mini delights


The Mini Blueberry Cheesecake

Or the Lemon Meringue Tart?

Bebe wanted the cheesecake (and part of my chocolate cupcake)

Flourless Chocolate Cupcake for me.  Gluten-free, rich, dense, chocolatey and kind of low-carb (relatively speaking, I rationalize).  $3.95 each.