Breka Tasting

After my initial post on Breka Cafe, I was contacted by head pastry chef Ann Cao to come in for a private tasting. As a previously impressed patron, I was happy to oblige.

We met, and chatted over a lovely lunch of smoked meat paninis and fresh fruit with granola topped yogurt. The granola is actually made in house, and I'm told it's frequently asked for by customers who'd like to purchase a whole bag (which sadly, they do not offer at the moment). 

Breka Bakery & Cafe

One thing I love about Vancouver in comparison to Edmonton is the availability of 24 hours cafes and restaurants. You'd be hard pressed to find a good place for a late night snack or coffee around where I grew up. I myself am a self confessed night owl, so I was delighted to find that Vancouver has quite a few offerings for round-the-clock joints.

One that I recently discovered is the Breka Bakery & Cafe just off Robson and Thurlow.

Waffle & Berries

I have a really bad habit of buying online coupons (ie: Groupon, Social Shopper, Deal Find, etc. etc.) and then forgetting to actually use them.

I can't remember how many times I've bought deals from some absurdly obscure business in an effort to "try something new" and then just have it sit unnoticed until the expiration date is long gone.

This includes paintball tickets, scuba diving lessons, pole dancing fitness classes, circus training... ugh I mean I want to go do these things. Really, I do. It's just that I never seem to get around to actually doing it.

I mean, when am I ever going to wake up and go, "huh, I really feel like going for a scuba dive today. Yes. Today is the day.  Oh my god, didn't I get a coupon for this? Wow, yes that saves me some money. I am so clever."

No.

So I've finally come to accept that there's a great disparity between what I think I will want to do, and what I am actually going to do. Especially when it involves physical activity.

To combat this, I've decided to only buy online coupons for things I know that I will get around to using- so anything food.

I bought this coupon for Waffle and Berries, and was really excited to try it out.

It was $13 and included:

-2 Belgian Liege Waffles + up to six toppings

-2 Choice of Hot Beverages



For my waffle, I added blueberries, blackberries and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The waffle was nice and dense, with just the right hit of sweetness.

I don't usually like chocolate chips, but I found these ones really complimented the texture, adding that extra crunch. I think they were frozen beforehand maybe.

Whenever I get anything that has a myriad of ingredients kind of toppled together like this, I have to have a bit of everything in each bite. Like, I'll dissect the berries with the waffle and scoop on some ice cream with chocolate chips just so that I can taste everything together because that's how it was meant to be eaten, and I'll feel like I'm missing the experience if I don't. Does anyone else do this??



My boyfriend got his waffle with dark chocolate, whipped cream and also a scoop of ice cream. When given the option, he always like to make things as unhealthy as possible.

The whipped cream was actually really yummy, it was made fresh with a hint of strawberry.



I chose a caramel macchiato for my beverage. I liked this better than the Starbucks version as I find those too sweet.I wore my new straw hat with a fishtail braid and my dark wash denim romper.I really liked the decor and atmosphere inside. Modern but with little glimmers of charm scattered throughout.I love the little glass case with Tin Tin inside reading with Snowy. Adorable.

This was a great deal because of the coupon, but I would return in the future even at full price to sample some of the other waffle combinations.



Beautiful afternoon well spent.

Brunch at Commune

I've always thought it was a shame that most restaurants only serve brunch on the weekends. I love breakfasty foods, but can't always get to them before the lunch service begins.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Commune, a great downtown that serves brunch 7 days/week!

I love their tagline billed across the building "Those who eat together, stay together."



They have a simple, modern aesthetic. There are booths lined against the wall, but other than that there isn't much for private seating.



I wanted to try their vanilla bean latte. It was good, but I couldn't really taste the vanilla bean. Was pretty much just a plain latte.



They also have these really charming old school cola bottles. I actually really enjoyed the taste; not as sweet as your average coke, and less bite. Sometimes I feel like pepsi is burning off the lining at the back of my throat.



For the main course, my friend ordered the bacon & cheddar omelette served with roasted potatoes, fresh fruit and multi-grain toast. He enjoyed the omelette, but the toast was a bit soggy.



This is the tuna melt with split pea soup, made with aged white cheddar, tomato, cheese & herb. He said it was very tasty, with nicely dressed tuna and great creamy texture for the soup.



I decided to go with the pulled pork eggs benedict: topped with beurre noisette hollandaise served with fruit and roasted potatoes. This was very delicious. The pork was well flavored and tender, going great with the eggs. The eggs themselves could have stood to be a little less cooked though (as I like to have the yolk still a bit runny in my bennys).

Overall, we enjoyed the experience as it was pretty decent eats with a nice atmosphere.

Sneakers & Sunglasses

Hello lovlies,

Hope you are all having a great weekend so far!

I went to try this great little French cafe on Davie st. called Baguette & Co. They're fairly new, but I believe there's another location on W. Broadway.

I loved it :) they have a great cozy atmosphere, with whimsical French music playing and the smell of croissants in the air. They also have an amazing array of delicate pastries and desserts- I want to try them all!



I just went with a scone and muffin for today, but I will definitely be back to try something a little bit more fun and unique.



Wore my cat-like sunnies today :)



I can't wait for summer to get here so I can bust these out more often!