Powered by Blogger.

hot chocolate festival: final recap! (2015)

So terribly sad that this is my last hot chocolate fest recap for the year- it's been a sweeeeet month! Managed to round up my fr...



So terribly sad that this is my last hot chocolate fest recap for the year- it's been a sweeeeet month!

Managed to round up my friends for a small after-school date at Bella Gelateria...which is an excellent excuse to order everything on the menu ;D (technically, they were kinda coerced into this decision.... "you can't order the same thing as me!!!! roz needs pictures for her blog!!!!)





Matt chose 'Erin Gone Bananas', I had the 'James Brown', Anna had 'Earl Goes Boom', and Christina had 'La Dolce Vita'. Of the bunch, 'La Dolce Vita' was definitely the best! You can't go wrong with dulce de leche.  'James Brown' was very rich, and the addition of spices is definitely an acquired taste and not for everyone. On my instagram post, I wrote about anise and nutmeg....and on second thought I'm not quite sure where I got the info that these were the spices in the hot chocolate? Did I make that up? I have no idea, haha. Anna and I weren't terribly excited by the cookie- Anna doesn't like ladyfingers, and while I don't mind 'em, the ones we had were a bit dry with not enough fior di latte gelato inside. Super sadface about it, since fior di latte is one of my favourite gelato flavours. I was hoping it'd be the same gBARs as last year :(

This is the same day I got a shout out from Cityfood Magazine- thank you!


As a result, here are some choice quotes from my friends regarding their drinks:
"I really like mine."- Christina

"It's quite sweet but not diabetes sweet."- Anna 
"A few sips would be fine, but like...the whole thing is a bit much, you know?"- Matthew Henderson, connoisseur of life

Moving on! I returned to Gem Chocolates twice for 'Miss Scarlett's Pecan Pie' & 'Cocoa Van Gogh'. I really enjoyed the former- it was a creamy and comforting drink which reminded me slightly of almond milk, thanks to a hint of the fragrant pecans mixed in with caramel. The pecan praline included was sticky & sweet, but delicious nonetheless! 



As for the latter, a Speculaas drink, it brought back all my Christmas feels- the gingerbread & cinnamon make it such a cozy winter drink! With every sip, there's always a slight cinnamon kick at the end that just spiceed it up a bit and made it so unique. The Speculaas chocolate was also quite different- a lovely caramel inside with a hint of gingerbread & cinnamon? Its appearance is so pretty as well. 



Last but not least, I had to end the festival with a bang of course (and on the last day itself, no less.) Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionary is yet another place I've wanted to try since I first heard it was opening, but due to their location, I've never been able to make the trip. As I had Saturday free, and it finally decided to stop raining, I hopped on the bus and made my way out to Burnaby.



It was every bit as cute as I imagined- the shelves filled with candy from my childhood was one of my favourite touches, and of course, the interior itself was precisely what you imagine when you think of retro diners. Not to age myself (haha), but soda fountains and diners always remind me of the Archie comics that I used to read in elementary school!




My verdict? Delicious & faultless. Just a classic vanilla ice cream with a simple dark hot chocolate (which reminded me of Thierry's Ampomakia, but not as sweet, and definitely not as heavy!) The ice cream is good, and while I don't usually order waffle cones, theirs is crunchy and thick. I will without a doubt be returning in the summer for a milkshake or a sundae (which I should've done ages ago anyway...) 

I got so distracted while taking pictures that I didn't think of the obvious problem: how quickly ice cream will melt near a hot drink....oops.




To close off the festival, here are my top 5 favourites from this year:

  1. French Made Baking
  2. Butter Baked Goods
  3. Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionary
  4. Gem Chocolates
  5. Koko Monk Chocolates


Hope you all enjoyed the hot chocolate fest posts- it really is one of my favourite food events in Vancouver :)

hot choc fest locations

By Rosalind Chow

  • french made baking

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Thomas Haas

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Gem Chocolates

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Butter Baked Goods

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Bella Gelateria

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionery

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Koko Monk Chocolates

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Bel Café

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France

    By Rosalind Chow

  • Lucky's Doughnuts

    By Rosalind Chow




Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor Aenean massa.Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor Aenean massa.

You Might Also Like

0 comments

instagram!