Top Patios in Vancouver Series: Altitudes Bistro at Grouse Mountain / July 5, 2016 by Jenn Chan

The Grouse Grind. Is it world famous? Or is it just a regionally known torture device? I hope everyone remembers the late, great Canuck Rick Rypien? Pound for pound, in my opinion and that of many others, the greatest pugilist in NHL history. At 5'10" and 180 LBs you might not have expected Ryp to take on men 6'7" and 260 LBs, but he did. And we beat them up. Google it! Ryp once did the Grouse Grind, with a group of Canucks prospects, in 37 minutes flat. The rest of the up and coming NHL'ers laboured across the finish line a full 13-23 minutes later with most crossing around the 50-60 minute mark. World class athletes put to shame. I did my one and only attempt at the Grind in around 90 minutes. Surely I was with a slower group and waited when maybe I could have gone on, but I was, at that time, so grateful for the water breaks and frequent stops to lament our existences.

A scenic, round trip ride on the Grouse Mountain Gondola will run you $44, a year long pass for locals $130, but a ride down, after afflicting yourself to Mother Nature's Stairmaster, is only $10. That's why when you are reclining on Altitude's amazing, absolutely amazing, patio you see yoga pants and hiking shoes to your right and left. People who just burned millions of calories are putting them back on with, a lot of the time according to our gracious server, Altitude's fantastic Caesar.

This is where our culinary experience begins; with a couple Caesars basking in the sun. It has become a must at JennChanPhotography to sample a restaurant's Caesar. We give Altitudes offering a solid 8/10 on our patent-pending Caesar Scale. As we're enjoying our second round, as I mentioned they were very good and a JCP tradition so you gotta do it, our first course came out. I got a Roasted Tomato Soup with Avacado Yogurt and Cilantro which pairs seamlessly, memorably, with a Caesar. Sweet yogurt coupled with tart notes from the roasted tomatoes and cilantro. One of my favourite childhood meals was grilled cheese and Campbell's tomato soup. Altitudes tomato soup makes Campbell's, though excellent and still an occasional indulgence, seem like garbage. Rotting garbage on a sweltering August day. That's some good soup! Jenn ordered the Szechuan Prawn Rice Bowl. The prawns were very plump and flavourful, the Jasmine rice was fresh and the dish was devoured happily.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Avocado Yogurt & Cilantro

Szechuan Prawn Rice Bowl - Stirfy Vegetables, Jasmine Rice, Cashews & Pea Shoots

Our main courses came out accompanied by a lovely Jackson-Triggs Sauvignon Blanc from the Okanagan Valley and a Granville Island IPA. An aptly name Grouse Grind Salad, mountainous, a combination of couscous, mint, tomato, cucumber, chick peas, feta, and avocado and a full order of the Altitudes BBQ Ribs with broccoli coleslaw and yam fries. The ribs were tender, the BBQ sauce was sweet and tangy and quality of the beef was excellent. I will go back for the ribs, maybe I'll see you there!

The Grouse Grind Salad - Kale, Couscous, Mint, Tomato, Cucumber, Chick Peas & Feta — The Grouse Grind Salad - Kale, Couscous, Mint, Tomato, Cucumber, Chick Peas & Feta

BBQ Ribs with Broccoli Coleslaw & Yam Fries

It is difficult to discuss Altitudes Bistro without noting it's positioning atop Grouse Mountain overlooking the beautiful City of Vancouver. The views are incredible! Absolutely world class! During the 2010 Olympics, though no events took place on Grouse, all the major news networks set up shop on Grouse because the backdrop is extraordinary. Vancouver is voted, year after year, the most liveable city in the world. It is revered the world over for its combination of mountains, which at Altitudes you find yourself perched atop, the beautiful Pacific Ocean, gleaming, modern architecture and lush green landscape. From Altitudes you can see all of it. From the green peninsula of the unique American enclave of Point Roberts in the distance, the enormous outcropping that is the University of British Columbia, the huge Vancouver airport sitting below sea level in a marshy delta and the rest of the Fraser Valley stretches out before you. If you go with an experienced Lower Mainlander you can learn the topography, history and layout of the lush valley. Altitudes is a must see for locals and tourists alike!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Top Patios in Vancouver Series: The Keefer Bar / June 27, 2016 by Jenn Chan

Slowly but surely Chinatown is becoming a hotspot in the Vancouver gastronomic scene. Leading that charge is the Keefer Bar with its self-styled 'apothecary cocktails' and Asian fusion small plates.

Our journey started, as all journeys at the Keefer do, with cocktails. We sampled the Dragonfly and the Keefer 75 first. The Dragonfly consists of dragonfruit gin, sake, lemon, ginger syrup and magnolia bark tincture, whatever the hell that is! The menu indicated it would be tart yet my beautiful Asian companion for the night, owing, I would surmise, to her deep-rooted love of ginger, found it refreshing and well balanced. I found it very tasty, tart as per the menu, but definitely one I'd order again. The Keefer 75 is the Keefer Bar take on the classic French 75. They use their dragonfruit gin, some lemon, a dash of lavender and top it off with some sparkling wine. Very fizzy and delicious, I could have had 20!

As our Peking Duck tacos, absolutely amazing, came out so too did our Wenxu and Moscow Mule. The Wenxu is made with vodka, grapefruit, lemon, the omnipresent ginger and a red ginseng tincture. Now from my limited knowledge of ginseng I know that it is supposed to relieve stress and aid in erectile distinction in men. It seemed to do both, but it may have been from the alcohol and company. I guess we'll never know! Every bar in the world, perhaps a slight hyperbole, makes a Moscow Mule. I have not, full disclosure, had one in every bar in the world, but I have had many and the Keefer Bar makes my favourite mule. Worth a visit on its own. They use Finlandia vodka, good start, make their lime juice fresh, second box ticked, and use a very high quality ginger. A near perfect 10/10!

The duck tacos were the best that I had ever had and it is not only because they were my first duck tacos of life, you don't find that on many menus, but also because the duck was lean, the tortillas mouth-watering my fresh and the vegetables were very fresh. A tear rolled down my cheek when we finished them, but happiness returned when I realized we could just order more. Moral of that story is throw money at your problems people, just throw money!

Dim sum at a bar is a gamble going in and I think most people would agree with that. I have had some surprisingly good experiences and I have had entire nights ruined. Dim sum means 'touch the heart', but it can sometimes mean 'crippling stomach pain'. The Keefer makes a mean dumpling. Their basket includes pork, shrimp and vegetable dumplings and I rank them as follows: pork, shrimp and vegetable which is really what I prefer my food to eat rather than me. I'm hoping to grow out of it one day, but for now vegetables are good for nourishing the animals which ultimately become my main source of nutrition. I will just apologize to all the onions of the world now because I hear they can be crybabies.

Dim Sum - Pork, Shrimp & Vegetable Dumplings

Afterwards we decided to grab a couple more Dragonflys and ordered the Peking Duck Sliders and the famous Keefer Shrimp Spring Rolls. Best sliders of my life. Duck is such an underrated poultry in Canada. We gotta stop people! The spring rolls didn't disappoint. Deep fried to a glorious golden brown and filled with amazingly fresh shrimp. Some of the better spring rolls I've had and I have in the past given some pretty tepid reviews of spring rolls.

The boys at Keefer are keeping the cocktails innovative, the food a very elevated Asian fusion and the ambience is still dark and sexy! Head on down to the Keefer today. Their happy hour is amongst the best in the city and runs 5-7 everyday, but Saturday. Could be a good way to dip your toe in with 2 for 1 tapas and and awesome cocktail specials!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Spot Prawn Series: Coast by Glowbal Group / June 23, 2016 by Jenn Chan

Alberni Street, between Burrard and Bute, used to be known as Lil Ginza owing to the upscale, and one time predominantly Japanese, shops and restaurants. Tourists from Europe and Asia still flock to Gucci, Prada, Hermes, Tiffany's, Louis Vuitton and Versace for low priced designer goods (relative to prices in Tokyo anyway).

Though no longer Japan-centric it is still a bastion for upscale shops, such as the handful I mentioned, and incredible, world class restaurants. Glowbal Group leads the charge in that department. They own and operate 3 restaurants on Alberni a stone's throw from each other: Coast, Black & Blue and the Italian Kitchen. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a wonderful dinner at Coast one sunny June eve.

$4,800,000. That is what it cost to open Coast. $4.8 million dollars. Cash. Money. Where did all that money go? Take a visit, you'll know within 2 feet of the door; the space is modern, opulent and tasteful! We were seated on the patio, which coincidentally is about 100 feet from the front door to our condo, and greeted by Mr. Michael Moore, a part owner of the Glowbal Group and our official host for the evening. He was gracious enough to stop for a chat and give us the scoop on Coast. He could not have been more accommodating and pleasant and I have since plugged him into all my social media and consider him a friend. He stopped in on us several more times, in between brisk jogs between Coast and Black & Blue presumably to put out fires, metaphorically of course, and his warmth was genuine and his passion for his guests palpable. There's no better feeling as a customer than to feel respected and valued by a business' management. Or is there?

Shortly after Mr. Moore left to perform some managerial duties he assured us we would be well taken care of by our waiter. He did not, however, mention that Executive Chef Mark Greenfield, a culinary ninja, would be at our table a few minutes later to let us know we needn't labour over our menus and that the feast he had planned for us wasn't on it anyway... A better feeling than an attentive management team? Yup!

Our first courses, well after a couple of Coast Decked Caesars which are near perfect 9/10's on the Caesar meter, were a sublime Spot Prawn and Ahi Tuna Ceviche and equally tasty Grilled Spot Prawn and King Crab. Ahhh the Spot Prawn. If you follow our food blog here on JennChanPhotography.com you know we have been indulging in the odd Spot Prawn, but I was not prepared, no even close to prepared, for the combination of Spot Prawns and Ahi Tuna.

Spots Prawns are incredible, Ahi Tuna is marvellous and cooking things with fruit is nothing short of magical. Can someone even give me an explanation about how cooking in the ceviche style works without mentioning magic? I humbly doubt it. This was hands down the best ceviche I had ever had. The ingredients were so fresh I thought I saw a leg move at one point. And it did. It moved in a blur towards the lovely Jenn Chan's mouth. There was no stopping it. Does anyone not like crab? Do you know anyone? I can't think of a single person in my life who doesn't and I just spent 4-5 minutes pondering in hopes of ridiculing them in this forum, but to no avail. And when you're the king of anything that probably means you're really good, right? Or at least that your family stole power somehow generations ago, but that's probably a column for a different publication. King Crab is aptly named. It was delicious and served with a delicious dish of melted butter. You can tell that he met his end mere minutes prior to being presented to us; fresh, fluffy and flavourful! The grilled Spot Prawns were equally as fresh and they compliment each other brilliantly. The ceviche was paired, at our server's recommendation, with a lovely Riesling from Quail's Gate Winery in the gorgeous Okanagan Valley of BC and the King Crab a lovely Chardonnay from the Kendal Jackson Winery in California. We could have left then and still given Coast a glowing review, but we were only getting warmed up!

Chef Mark popped out to see how we enjoyed our first course and was genuinely appreciative of the adulation we bestowed on him. He is a savvy chef, but also a humble and remarkably nice man. His new wife, herself a manager at Coast, couldn't help but overhear our praise and beamed with pride at her husband. It was a magical moment and speaks to the team Coast has built and its laid back, family-like working environment.

Our main course was a Spot Prawn sashimi platter with beautiful Ahi Tuna, Salmon and Sablefish. It isn't hard to see why Coast regularity wins "Beat Seafood in Vancouver" or some other such award from some publication or another EVERY year. Seriously. Google it. It was paired masterfully with a Sauvignon Blanc from Duckhorn Vineyards in the Napa Valley of California. This wine immediately shot to the top of my list of favourite Sauvignon Blancs, it is a must-drink! After our sashimi had been consumed the waiter whisked away with the Spot Prawn heads and returned with them deep fried in a nice, light tempura batter. I generally disregard the head, but it was so incredibly crispy and delicious we devoured the whole thing!

We were given no inkling what our dessert was to be so we sipped a lovely Port from the Burrowing Owl Winery in eager anticipation. It arrived with a flair and soon dessert was also a show! A lovely platter with Coast's famous Melting Chocolate Sphere and the equally decadent Coconut Banana Butter Cake. As they pour the molten caramel over the chocolate sphere science happens and it begins to melt and the flavours mingle and cascade down onto the lush vanilla ice cream inside. Close your eyes and visualise that for a moment. All I ask is that you please finish reading this before you go because I know you're going. I know it. Not generally a fan of coconut, but knowing Chef Mark doesn't make bad food I dove into the butter cake. Simply amazing!

Dessert Platter: Melting Chocolate Sphere & Coconut Banana Butter Cake

As our dishes were cleared we both agreed this was one of the best meals we had, had in 2016 and wracked our brains and could not come up with too many that rivalled it in our lives. Coast, while not the flagship Glowbal restaurant, is still a jewel, a bright, shiny jewel, in its crown. Go for the seafood, go for the service, go for the wine, but just go! You'll thank me!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Top Patios in Vancouver Series: Cactus Club Cafe [English Bay + Coal Harbour] / June 17, 2016 by Jenn Chan

Cactus Club. In BC if you utter these words you know precisely what you're going to get in any of their 25 locations: good food, tons of delicious drink choices, beautiful servers and a picturesque setting. When you say Cactus Club English Bay (CCEB) or Cactus Club Coal Harbour (CCCH) you get all these things except you sub out 'picturesque setting' with 'breathtaking, world class setting'. We were lucky enough to check out both the beachside English Bay location for lunch and the flagship Coal Harbour location for dinner one sunny June day.

Our taxi pulled up in front of CCEB and the sun was shining, tourists were milling about the beach and locals were either drenched in sweat having just finished running Vancouver's famous sea wall or gently glistening having just started. We were greeted at the door by Divya, the PR manager for Cactus Club, and Kellie, an outside PR pro from Talk Shop Media. With the red carpet having been rolled out we headed to the dining room with our new friends to chat and to try some appetizers and their special summer cocktail menu; amazing!

Owing to journalistic integrity we took it upon ourselves to try each summer cocktail currently on offer, it's a tough life. The Brazilian, fresh lime and kiwi with white rum and soda, is the perfect drink for a summer afternoon. It's a well proportioned cocktail and led perfectly into the Passionfruit Bellini; champagne, vodka and Passionfruit. Blended with ice it is a wonderful adaptation on the Cactus Club's staple Bellini and is so delicious I could have had 10. Would I have been able to walk after? Would I have developed diabetes? We will never know as I switched over to the equally delicious Signature Sangria. I have experimented with no less than 20 different types of sangria from dozens of different establishments in a half dozen countries and Cactus Club does it as well, and in most cases better, than anyone. The Zinfandel used is not your $3 bottle of wine as some places will try to pass off. The strawberries and raspberries added were firm and fresh and they spike it further with some lovely Apricot Brandy to liven things up. As if that weren't enough a splash of their renowned Bellini rounds out the recipe; a near perfect 9/10!

The tuna stack is their best selling appetizer and it is not difficult to see why. Albacore tuna with citrus tamari vinaigrette, nori, sesame, avocado, micro cilantro and served with wonton chips. The fish was incredibly fresh and flavourful and it seemed to pair seamlessly with each cocktail we indulged in. Worth the trip all on its own!

After our appies we switched tables and moved to the patio. It is no exaggeration to say their patio is the closest to the beach in Vancouver. Lift and Cardero's in Coal Harbour overhang the ocean, as do several on Granville Island, but not at sea level adjacent to a white sand beach where swimmers scurry in and out of the majestic Pacific Ocean. We wracked our brains, all 4 of us local Vancouverites, and could not come up with a better beach restaurant location. So why were they so lucky to set up right on the beach? Well the answer is they weren't lucky, they were tenacious. The City of Vancouver, who still owns the land, put out a request for proposals to build a restaurant on the site. Cactus won and the result is jaw dropping. One of the caveats to the winner was that they had to keep a concession stand-type food counter available to beach goers. The resulting kiosk opened the day we arrived and already had a dozen or so satisfied patrons on its lovely patio.

Where do adults meet most of their friends? The simple answer is at work. We spend a third of our day there and we grow to confide in our co-workers, depend on them and truly cherish them. As lifestyle bloggers our workplaces can vary widely. On this sunny Vancouver afternoon it was CCEB and we did make some great, new friends in Divya and Kellie. Our conversation, as conversations do after sharing cocktails in the sun for 3 hours, covered the gambit from politics to real estate to travel to celebrities to everything in between. When hiring someone to handle your public relations it's probably a good idea that they be extremely congenial and outgoing. Both Cactus and Talk Shop did well with these hires!

As our main courses arrived we were eagerly anticipating our Ravioli & Prawn Trio and Peppercorn Sirloin. The presentation was perfect! The ravioli was clearly freshly made in-house and the prawns fresh and firm. The steak came out a perfect blue rare, a good start, and the peppercorn wasn't overpowering and blended well with a nice cut of meat. Now I have had steak as thick as my arm and steak aged a million years from cows who were massaged daily and fed nothing but Gucci grains and Louis Vuitton water so I have developed an admittedly bad case of steak snobbery. While I have yet to give a steak a perfect 10/10, even when faced with $200 cuts from 5-diamond restaurants, Cactus Club's 9-ounce Angus Beef Sirloin is very flavourful, tender and well spiced; a solid 8/10!

It is safe to say that Cactus Club English Bay is a must see! Tell them the folks at Jenn Chan Photography sent you and you just might get your table a little quicker!

After a quick nap we headed to Cactus Club Coal Harbour and were delighted to be met by Divya who was gracious enough to take time out of her evening to facilitate our introduction with the General Manager, Mr. Ben Cooney. Ben is a warm, genuine person and was quick to get us some beverages and give us a quick tour of the space. It is not hard to see where they spent the tens of millions of dollars to design and built the space; modern, elegant and bright!

We were fortunate enough to get a lovely table on the patio overlooking the 2010 Olympic torches and the rest of the beautiful Jack Poole Plaza. Our host suggested a couple of appetizers and we obliged his recommendations. A Kobe Style Meatball Trio with a Signature Caesar and Thai Chicken Wings with an Epic IPA. Paired perfectly; pub food done right!

Our entrées arrived with lovely presentations. The Sablefish on a bed of Shiitake Mushrooms, potatoes and asparagus and the Double Braised Pineapple Hoisin Short Ribs lined up beautifully besides some fresh, crisp snap peas, heavenly mashed potatoes and an artful dollop of Korean chilli sauce. The Sablefish had a delightful texture, buttery and soft, and came smothered in a Peking Duck broth, simply outstanding! The short ribs, in their own right, have a very unique pineapple ginger glaze and were tender, oh so tender! They could have been cut with a spoon, a dull spoon. The meat just simply fell away from the bone. A near perfect 9/10!

Double-braised Pineapple Hoisin Short Rib

Our day at Cactus Club was incredible and we left their flagship Coal Harbour location revelling in our good fortune to not only be able to visit these great restaurants, sample their offerings and tell the world about it, but also making new friends along the way. Ben was kind enough to give us his business card and ask that we give him a heads up anytime we were coming down and he would have a table waiting for us. It's not about what you get out of life, it's what you give and the more you get the more you'll give. Pay someone a compliment today and you'll be three back in due course! Head up your local Cactus Club and do yourself a favour!

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Top Patios in Vancouver Series: Reflections - The Garden Terrace / June 12, 2016 by Jenn Chan

Hotel Georgia, an iconic Vancouver landmark, opened in 1927. It played host to some of the world's biggest celebrities in its heyday: Elvis, Princess Diana, the Beattles, John Wayne and even Queen Elizabeth. Nowadays, because of the immediacy of information and the potential for fans swarming the grounds, the guest list is kept more confidential, but it is not uncommon to see celebrities and billionaires convening at Hawksworth, their world renowned, ground-level restaurant, or Reflections, their New York inspired rooftop garden bar.

We were fortunate enough to be met at Reflections by their new Director of Sales and Marketing, Brad Simmons. To say Brad is a nice guy is like saying summer is hot and water is wet. An incredibly amiable, charming, transplanted Londoner recently moved to Vancouver to bring the Rosewood Hotel Georgia to the forefront of Vancouver's hotel scene. And why shouldn't it be?

In 2011 they re-opened after an extensive renovation that saw them consolidate their 300+ rooms into 156 luxury rooms and suites. The finishes are top notch and vacancy is scarce which means the high-end rooms are well sought after. The market has spoken and with Mr. Simmons on board to nudge it along expect to start hearing more about Hotel Georgia in the coming years. Did you know you can host your conferences there? Your charity fundraisers? A birthday party?

Reflections is an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle. It's lush foliage and babbling waterfall lend itself to a very serene experience. In the past year their kitchen and bar area has doubled, tens of thousands have been spent on a variety of beautiful trees and plants and their menu was firmed up into more concise, tapa-inspired selections.

Our experience started, as all sunny, rooftop patio experiences ought, with a couple of cocktails. We tried the Hotel Georgia which can be bought around the world under the name... The Hotel Georgia. Crafted in-house in 1945 it is a delightful mixture of gin, lemon juice, orgeat and egg white. An international award winner for a reason! We also ordered the Green Thumb Margarita which, though it hasn't won any cocktails awards yet, is destined to be on the menu for years to come!

As a lifestyle blogger sometimes you have to order a dish you wouldn't otherwise because you need a variety to photograph or maybe it's something the establishment would like to feature, but protocol went out the window when all 3 members of our party opted for the Albacore Tuna Poke for our appetizer. The tuna was of a quality that sets it apart from your chain restaurant or mom and pop spots. It was seasoned to perfection and simply melts in your mouth! Go now!

We managed to agree on 3 different entrées and went with: Lobster & Prawn Brioche, Rye Kernel Salad with Huli Huli Chicken Breast and a lovely Grilled Flat Iron Steak. The brioche was very fluffy and it was clear the lobster had been de-shelled only minutes earlier, this isn't your canned lobster that can be found on some similar sandwiches! The salad looked very fresh and, though I didn't want to impose upon our host to try it, I was told it was exquisite and the uniquely spiced chicken is worth a visit all on its own; Huli Huli y'all! The steak came out a perfect medium rare, first box ticked, was a healthy AAA grade of beef, so far so good, and was masterfully seasoned. I give it a solid A rating and I have yet to give a perfect A+ score on steak because there are simply too many variables.

Though I hesitate to mention it the majestic blue roof of Hotel Vancouver constantly drew my gaze. It is a view that I happily also enjoy from my own balcony and one that gives me a deep sense of calm and a feeling that I'm home. The lush garden setting, punctuated by some 20 foot Japanese Maple trees craned into place only months before, the unique architecture of the adjoining tower, the Residences at Hotel Georgia, and the stunning Hotel Vancouver coupled with the soothing sounds of the waterfall make the ambience second to none in the city. A perfect place to relax for lunch with colleagues, stop in for a drink after work or grab an elegant dinner. You will start to hear more and more about Reflections going forward; trust me.

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan

Eternal Summer Iced Tea Party @ The Urban Tea Merchant / June 11, 2016 by Jenn Chan

I was so excited to be invited to The Urban Tea Merchant's "Eternal Summer Iced Tea Party"! I arrived and was welcomed by these beautifully fun & colourful Iced Teas! They're unveiling their line of TWG Iced Teas, and we got to try 3 of them - Pink Flamingo, Eternal Summer, and Cocktail Hour. They all smelled delicious, and were very tasty iced cold - perfect for a hot summer day!

Next, we were treated to their new tea set, available all summer, the "Summer Westcoast Tea Set"! Here's everything that is offered on the menu for $45 per person:

TWG Tea from their extensive tea list

SAVOURIES:
Miso Maple Sablefish, “Place Vendome Tea” Black Radish
Lime and Chili BC Halibut, Alaska King Crab, “Matcha” Drawn Butter
Sea Scallops Crudo, Fresh Goji Berries, Coconut White Balsamic Splash “Passion Fruit Tea”
Uni Chawanmushi (Dashi Soup Custard), Trout Caviar, Pickled Shemiji Mushrooms

SWEETS:
Passion-Framboise Tart, “Valentine’s Breakfast Tea” Raspberry Coulis
TWG Tea Macaron
“Tokyo-Singapore Tea” Ricotta Cheesecake
White And Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberry
Mélange of Fresh Fruit

My absolutely favourite was their very unique Uni Chawanmushi! The Uni custard was so smooth, paired perfectly with the flavour & texture of the Trout Caviar. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! Thank you Chef Cliff for this amazing creation!

Of course, they included their iconic Sablefish. I was told that this item is, by far, the most popular on all their tea sets since offering a food menu, and they wouldn't dream of taking it off their menu!

Uni Chawanmushi (Dashi Soup Custard) with Trout Caviar & Pickled Shemji Mushrooms

Sea Scallops Crudo with Fresh Goji Berries & Coconut White Balsamic Splash — Sea Scallops Crudo with Fresh Goji Berries & Coconut White Balsamic Splash

Lime and Chili BC Halibut & Alaska King Crab, with “Matcha” Drawn Butter — Lime and Chili BC Halibut & Alaska King Crab, with “Matcha” Drawn Butter

Miso Maple Sablefish, with “Place Vendome Tea” Black Radish

Sweets: Passion-Framboise Tart, TWG Tea Macaron, Ricotta Cheesecake, White & Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberry & Mélange of Fresh Fruit

We were lucky enough to try 2 of their desserts, created by Pastry Chef Tom, who is new to the Urban Tea Merchant family. This is their Raspberry Tart Au Passion Ganache - look how pretty it looks! Every bite was very light & flavourful - perfect for the summer!

Raspberry Tart Au Passion Ganache - Fresh Raspberries, Passion Fruit Au White Chocolate Ganache & “Valentine Breakfast Tea” Coulis

Lastly, we tried the Jivara Chocolate Mousse, infused with French Earl Grey, and is gluten free! Most people who know me, knows that I'm not a huge dessert fan, but this mousse was so light and airy that I had to gobble up the whole thing! Each bite melted in my mouth, and the caramel added a very interesting crunch in my mouth!

Jivara Chocolate Mousse - “French Earl Grey” Classic Decadent Chocolate Cremeux Cake - Gluten Free — Jivara Chocolate Mousse - “French Earl Grey” Classic Decadent Chocolate Cremeux Cake - Gluten Free

I highly recommend heading in to The Urban Tea Merchant to pick up some Iced Teas, fill up your pitchers, and enjoy some refreshing glasses of Iced Teas this summer!

Words & Photos: Jenn Chan