likebyregina I was invited to a media tasting event, hosted by ChiHuo (@chihuoinvan), a WeChat media company. There were ten participating food vendors, including Baker & Table Cafe, Snowbear Bakery, Butter Mere, 45° Bubble Tea House, Moment Dessert House, Ran’s Deli Food, L’OTUS Cake Boutique, TeaTure Tea Lounge, Choco Coo Desserts, and Cha Le Tea Cafe.
When I saw this event posted on Instagram, I was so excited because the vendors are all some of the infamous local and online dessert stores in Vancouver. And some of them have always been on my to-go list, but I haven’t had a chance until now!
Butter Mere (@butter.mere)
Pillow Cakes are their signature desserts, and each piece is handmade with love. You can see how delicate and colourful they are. Sadly they are here only for display. Instead, I have the opportunity to try their roll cakes – Dairy Cow Roll Cake (back). I called it the “moo moo cake”, because of its cute black and white cow pattern. The toasted milk ganache is so light and not too sweet, but the strong milk flavour definitely remains. This becomes one of my favourite cakes at the event.
Choco Coo Desserts (@chococoo.live)
Choco Coo Desserts, a cute and photogenic cafe located in Coquitlam, is famous for its matcha desserts, which are made with premium matcha from Japan. At the event, they are featuring Red Velvet cake, Oreo Cheesecake, and Strawberry Napoleon.
L’OTUS Cake Boutique (@lotuscakeboutique)
Most of you must know this popular Mille Crêpe from all the Instagram feeds. I decided to try the L’OTUS Signature Cake Roll, but I personally did not like the flavour of the vanilla cream. I think there is a very unique spice in the cream, but the cake is very fluffy and soft. So if it has other flavours I would definitely order in-store again.
Matcha is one of the classics in the world of Mille Crêpe. I found that I love this one-bite size cake more, so I can try all of the flavours without getting too stuffed. The matcha cream is light, and the flavour is well-balanced with the matcha crêpe. But I was hoping that the cream is slightly thicker, otherwise, it gets quite dry after a few bites.
Green Apple Mille Crêpe is a new flavour, which they have not had in store yet. The flavour is very refreshing, and you just want more from it. Instead of the usual sweet and heavy flavour from mille crêpes, the green apple brings some acidity and a kick to the flavour. Between each layer, I can taste some actual fruit meats, which adds a different texture to the cake. I really hope they will sell this flavour in the store in the near future.
Watermelon cake is another recent new product. It is vanilla cake-based, with an actual piece of watermelon in it, and finished off with strawberry and some dried rose petals as decors. It has a funny and unique texture to it. When you bite through it, first it has a soft and fluffy cake layer, then a creamy texture, and all of a sudden it is the crunchy watermelon layer. My friend did not like it as much, but I think if the watermelon were sweeter, then the cake would taste better.
Snowbear Bakery (@snowbear_bakery)
Looking at the buns makes me want to bite through them immediately. This is my first time trying Snowbear Bakery, and I am amazed by their products. They are featuring two types of bread in the event, which include Golden Egg Yolk (left) and Multigrain Nut & Seed Bun (right – I am not sure what the actual name is?). The charcoal bun has a very light flavour of egg yolk inside, and it is mostly hollow. As for the other one, it is kind of dry. If it has more dried cranberry or sweetness to it, the bread would taste better.
Moment Dessert House (@momentdesserthouse)
I tried this place once, but the service and drinks left me with a bad impression. In this event, I think they have such a big improvement. Although I do not get to try their beautiful pastel macarons, their Matcha Mousse Cake and Durian Mousse Cake (back) are my friend’s favourites. Although it is a one-bite size cake, the details and layers inside the cake are perfect and impressive. My friend said that it is one of the best durian cakes she has ever tried. Both mousse cakes have a very smooth and light texture, and they are not too sweet. I would definitely go back to the store and try other desserts again.
Although I did not take pictures from other vendors, I would highly recommend the Fresh Fruit Green Tea from 45° Bubble Tea House (@45degreebubbletea) and the Osmanthus Earl Grey Infused Panna Cotta from Teature Tea Lounge (@teature_lounge).
Overall, this event is a great success. And I get to meet many of my foodie friends around. I am very looking forward to a similar event next year.
