REVIEW | THE MOTH CAFE | EDMONTON

Like moths to a flame, vegans and hip Edmontonians alike have been flocking to this newly opened cafe in the Quarters, aptly named The Moth Cafe. Opened by the same family behind Cafe Mosaics on Whyte Ave, the Moth Cafe shares some DNA with its big sister, offering plant-based food and drinks.

The Moth Cafe took over the space vacated by Trang Tien, a Vietnamese restaurant that my family frequented quite a lot when I was younger. (They were known for their bun bo hue and I especially loved their banh bot loc.)

Stepping into the wooden doorway (entrance is now on the right of the restaurant building), it's amazing to think that it was even the same space as before. Natural light pours in, but the space retains a cozy charm with its brick walls and wooden ceiling beams.

There is a long communal table in front of the bar counter, but most other tables are suitable for groups of two or four. On the left side of the restaurant sits a cozy elevated nook with comfy chairs and poufs.

Lunch on a Wednesday was quite busy, and the place was full by the time we left. Considering the location and the fact that it was a weekday, it's encouraging to see an honest business thrive in such an area.

A cute mini clipboard holds the menu together, with six of the nine pages dedicated to just drinks. Coffee, tea lattes, kombucha, medicinal tea, fresh ice blends, and (coming soon) gin and tonics. It's to be noted that all coffee and tea lattes are made with the mylk of your choice: almond, soy, coconut, or cashew. It's a refreshing change of pace, not just for vegans, but for those with lactose intolerance (you poor unfortunate souls), to not have to pay extra for a milk substitute. However, I will say that the prices (especially the tea lattes) are a bit more expensive than your average Starbucks.

Closer to the back of the menu, you'll finally reach the food, split into small bites, breakfast, noodle soups, and mains. Small bites are an eclectic mix of items, some suitable as appetizers for sharing and others suitable as light meals for one. Breakfast includes smoothie bowls, gluten-free pancakes, and tofu scrambles. Mains and noodle soups are heartier fares, with noodles and pasta being the main focus. They also carry a changing selection of vegan desserts at the counter.

Although the Moth Cafe is sister restaurant to Cafe Mosaics, it's nice to see that they didn't just copy and paste the menu. If you wanted to take a good look at their offerings, the full menu is posted on their Instagram.

Choosing a drink from the extensive list was not an easy task, but both MH and I settled on a tea latte. I ordered the happiness ginger chai ($7.00) with chai, mylk (I chose soy), and happiness elixir. MH got the cardamom rose latte ($7.50) with rosemary cardamom syrup, almond mylk, rose oil and graviola. With all these elixirs and ingredients I haven't even heard of, you might think we were ordering potions. But if you were actually interested in learning their health benefits, the menu also has an appendix for your reading pleasure.

I had a sip of MH's latte and found it strong on the cardamom flavour, similar to mine which had a distinct ginger kick. The flavour actually mellowed out a bit as the drink cooled down and more sips were taken. 

For food, MH chose the pulled jackfruit enchilada ($17.00) with mole sauce and "sour cream". Inside the whole wheat tortilla wrap was pulled jackfruit, mushrooms, onions, and garlic. I believe the "sour cream" (the white spread) is made up of the rest of the listed ingredients, those being tofu, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and sesame. Pulled jackfruit has become quite trendy as of late, as a vegan alternative that mimics the texture of pulled pork. MH cleared her plate, but may have found the "sour cream" to be a bit much, as she wiped off some of it by the end.

Instead of choosing one main, I decided to get two small bites instead. The first being the GF jackfruit crab cakes ($12.00) with citrus cream. The breading on the crab cakes had good flavour and crunch, but I did find them to be quite crumbly as they came apart pretty easily. There was also a *spicy* warning listed beside it on the menu but I didn't find the crab cakes or the accompanying sauce to be spicy at all. In fact, the dish could probably do without the citrus cream. It was a bit watery and thin.

Although it may seem like I'm listening more negatives than positives here, I actually really liked the dish and recommend trying it when you visit. I think I was amazed at the texture of the jackfruit and how closely it resembled meat!

For my second small bite (which wasn't small at all), I chose the curry potato pot pie ($8.00). Almost resembling a pizza pocket, the filling was a mixture of curried potatoes, mushrooms, and onions. I found the crust hard and dry but the filling actually lived up to its *spicy* warning. Good flavour but it could do with a better vehicle.


As a whole, I actually might have enjoyed my experience at the Moth more than my previous visit to Cafe Mosaics. The general vibe is definitely more chill and relaxed. Also, I think the highest compliment for any vegan restaurant is when even non-vegans enjoy the food, so my hats off to them.

P.S. Can I hire their designer/interior decorator to do my place?

The Moth Cafe

https://www.themothcafe.com/

 9449 Jasper Ave
Edmonton, AB

(780) 244-9702

- CT

REVIEW | DOUGHNUT PARTY | EDMONTON

Considering that Doughnut Party opened at the beginning of this year, I might as well be the last person to arrive to the party. I suppose it's better to be fashionably late than to not show up at all.

In a city that loves its Timmies, Doughnut Party is here to revolutionize the familiar office treat. Arguably the first gourmet doughnuterie in town, Doughnut Party offers a unique and quirky take on the hole-y treat. They operate out of Holland Plaza, home to the likes of Cafe Linnea and The Local Omnivore. They're open early 7 days a week, a bit later on the weekend, until they sell out. Their advice? Go early.

If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard of Doughnut Party before, perhaps you're more familiar with Moonshine Doughnuts, the owners' first entrepreneurial project that started in 2012. Moonshine Doughnuts are all vegan and sold exclusively in the farmer's market circuit (although you can now pick up a box 7 days a week at their stand in RAAS at West Edmonton Mall). I tried Moonshine Doughnuts a couple years ago and wouldn't call myself a fan. Cake doughnuts aren't my favourite in general and I found the doughnuts to be really dry. Although also vegan, I thought it wasn't fair to completely write off Doughnut Party without trying them first.

And I was right. Doughnut Party and Moonshine Doughnuts are completely different animals. For one, Doughnut Party utilizes a yeast dough and the doughnuts are deep fried. The base dough is completely vegan, but the toppings might not be. If you have a vegan restriction, the store does point out which ones are your safe choices.

Speaking of the store, they have the cutest branding, complete with a hot pink doughnut mascot and a neon sign lit on the back wall. Doughnuts are all laid out behind a glass counter, a total of six flavours available. Fritters are a mainstay, but flavours change daily, with some repeated throughout the week. Some flavours of the past include pumpkin spice, cookie butter, birthday cake, even a dill pickle doughnut! Although I really appreciate their creativity with their flavours, one annoyance I have is that they don't consistently list the flavours they have for the day even though they're pretty active on social media.

I bought a box of six ($16/half dozen; $3 individually) that included (left to right, top to bottom):

• Pomegranate cheesecake: pomegranate glaze, cheesecake drizzle, cookie crumb
• Jelly filled: sugar dusted, jam filling
• Apple cheddar fritter: pieces of apple and cheddar, vanilla glaze
• Gingerbread twist: gingerbread glaze, twist design
• After Eight: chocolate glaze, peppermint drizzle
• Holiday sprinkle: vanilla glaze, colored sprinkles

I cut a small piece from each doughnut so I was able to try every flavour. The pomegranate cheesecake doughnut was slightly tart, although I wasn't sure if it was because of the pomegranate or the cheesecake. I could've done without the cookie crumb because it made it quite messy to eat and tasted a bit uncooked in that salty, flour-y way. The jelly-filled was your classic doughnut with jam in the middle. Sour cherry maybe? It was quite tart. The apple cheddar fritter was probably my favourite even though it was the heaviest one. There wasn't much apple or cheddar in the dough, but the crunchy texture and fluffy inside won me over. The gingerbread twist smelled amazing from just opening the box, and it was heavy on the spice which I loved. The After Eight was your standard chocolate-mint combo and LT's favourite of the bunch (surprise, surprise). The holiday sprinkle was also a classic and a nod to the festive season. Is it just me or do sprinkles just make you happy?

In terms of texture, the doughnuts are quite thick and bready, but they definitely are fluffy! I think the doughnuts would benefit if they weren't made so big because even one is hard to finish on your own (in both size and sugar content).

I do have to commend Doughnut Party though, for executing such a fun concept and coming up with so many creative flavours on the daily. I think I'm even more impressed because it's hard to tell that the doughnuts are vegan!

I'd say skip the Timmies box next time for a hot pink one. Be that office hero.

Doughnut Party

https://www.doughnutparty.ca/

10938 119 ST

Edmonton, AB

  

- CT

SNAPSHOTS | JAPAN + KOREA 2017 | KYOTO | DAY 9

Our last full day in Japan! We started the morning off with a quick onigiri breakfast from the convenience store. The last bucket list item to check off on our Kyoto itinerary was to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine while wearing kimonos! Since we also had to check out of our Airbnb, we decided to drop off our luggage at a storage centre in Kyoto station. That way, we would still be free to explore for the day. 

We rented kimonos from Wargo, a company that has multiple locations in Kyoto and other cities. We went to the one located right across from Kyoto station on the third floor of Kyoto Tower.

We went for the standard kimono, and though we were limited to a smaller section of the store, there was still a wide variety of designs to choose from. Once we made our selection, including the obi, we were guided to the back where workers help to dress you. Let me tell you, putting on a kimono is an art form. So many intricate folds!

We also opted to get our hair done and to complete the look, they let you borrow a hair accessory, bag, and shoes.

After we were finished dressing up, we took a quick taxi ride over to Fushimi Inari since it was easier than taking the train in our full get-up. Can you imagine all the weird looks and stares we'd get? Also, it was actually quite difficult walking around in the kimono. Everything is tied really tight so it was a struggle to waddle around in the sandals, let alone to breathe.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of the most important Shinto shrines in Kyoto. The shrine is dedicated to Inari, the god of rice, sake, and prosperity. Foxes are said to be the messengers of Inari, so you'll see many fox statues, motifs, and souvenirs around the area.

Perhaps the most famous part of Fushimi Inari Taisha are the thousands of vermilion torii gates that line the trails of Mount Inari.

The torii gates are donated by individuals or companies, with inscriptions of their names and date of donation carved into the back of each gate. 

Ema in the shape of miniature torii ...

and foxes!

If you wanted to hike up the entire summit of the mountain, the entire journey takes about 2-3 hours. However, most people turn back after the first break in the trail.  

Lots of street food stands around the area. We took a small break from taking pictures and got some takoyaki.

There was a shop near the entrance of Fushimi Inari that sold fresh senbei, or Japanese rice crackers. Mine was brushed with soy sauce and sprinkled with some seaweed.

A couple hours later, we decided to head back to Kyoto Tower to return our kimonos. Such a relief taking all the layers off. Literally a weight off our shoulders.

Afterwards, we decided to have a proper lunch at Kyo-ryori Manshige, one of the restaurants in PORTA, Kyoto Station's underground dining area.

We actually didn't have much sushi while in Japan (regret!) so we definitely were overdue for some raw fish. Manshige actually serves a style of Kyo-ryori, or Kyoto cuisine. We ordered a sushi or sashimi set each, which came with a variety of tempura and side dishes.

Such pretty presentation!

After our late lunch, we picked up our luggage and headed back to Tokyo. We were going to spend the night in Tokyo before departing for the airport early the next day. The shinkansen trip almost seemed longer going back -- no doubt because we were sad to be leaving.

The Airbnb we booked was located a few blocks away from Tokyo station. The apartment (if you can call it that) was tiiiny with only tatami mats for sleeping but we knew that going in. We figured it was only for one night and we didn't need anything fancy. 

Though we were exhausted after settling in, we decided to head out in search of nearby eats. We found Nakau, a 24-hour Japanese fast food restaurant chain that specializes in donburi (rice bowls) and udon. A very casual place where ordering was done via vending machine. It seemed like a popular spot for solo diners and businessmen who just got off work.

I ordered a katsudon while my sister got a katsu curry. LT enjoyed her dish a lot but I was a bit indifferent. It did the job of filling us up though.

Since we were leaving Japan the next day, we decided to spend the remaining money on our Suica cards at the 7-11 across from the apartment. You could technically get the money refunded back but we thought it wasn't worth the trouble. Plus, who doesn't like snacks?

Obligatory ice cream to cap off the night. Pretty sure I had ice cream every day on our trip. No regrets there.

And that concludes our last full day in Japan! We accomplished and seen a lot in the nine days that we were there but I know we barely scratched the surface. I'm definitely planning to go back one day! 

Until then, off to Korea next ~

- CT

REVIEW | CACAO 70 | EDMONTON

It may be the dead of winter in Edmonton but I'm of the mindset that it's never too cold for ice cream. And when it's gourmet chocolate-dipped soft serve from Cacao 70... well, everyone should agree.

I first heard of Cacao 70, a Montreal-based chocolate company, while I was researching restaurants and eateries for my next trip to Vancouver. (Research includes reading endless food blogs and the painstaking task of scrolling through Instagram tags.) Turns out I can check off one my bookmarked spots without even having to fly there!   

Since their conception in 2011, Cacao 70 has evolved and expanded their brand quite a bit. With 14 franchises nationwide, their concept ranges from bistro to sweet house to ice cream shop. Their first ice cream parlour concept opened up early September in Vancouver's Gastown and has been trending and popular ever since.

From that success, Cacao 70 has now opened up the cutest little ice cream cart in Kingsway Mall, as part of #CommunityKingsway, a revolving showcase of "local" retailers. (I put local in quotations since Cacao 70 is based out of Montreal.) Other food retailers you'll find in the shared space include Whisk Dessert Co., Milk Milk Lemonade, and the Cookie Dough Stand. Because it's a pop up, Cacao 70 will only be open until January of next year. (Perhaps it's a test run for a more permanent location in Edmonton? Fingers crossed!)

With their ice cream concept, Cacao 70 serves vanilla soft serve cones dipped in a variety of chocolate flavours. Think fancy, gourmet version of Dairy Queen's chocolate dipped cone!

There are 11 flavours of dips to choose from, including the classic dark, milk or white chocolate. More unique flavour options include praline, peanut butter, earl grey, black sesame, chai, maple, matcha, and coffee. 

Cacao 70 does sell other things like chocolate bars and chocolate fondue pots, but I was too distracted and focused on the ice cream to take a closer look. 

When ordering, you can choose between a regular ($4.75) or large ($5.50) size. Soft serve vanilla ice cream is swirled into a waffle cone (or cup) and then carefully dipped into the melted chocolate fondue of your choice. Before handing the cone over to me, the worker said it would take about 20 seconds for the chocolate to fully harden and set.

My sister got a dark chocolate dipped cone (pictured at the start, on the right) while I went for a regular-sized black sesame dip. The ice cream melts pretty quickly so it's definitely a race against the clock when trying to take photos and devour the ice cream afterwards!

Because I was relying on my past memories of DQ chocolate dipped cones, I found the chocolate dip here to be too thick (which could be a good thing for some people!). For me, I prefer having a thin layer of chocolate that crackles when you bite into it. Because the coating was so thick, I found the texture of the chocolate to be too soft and almost chewy in a way. As for the chocolate itself, it had a slight hint of black sesame flavour, but it was very sweet (again, personal preference). I assume the black sesame, among the other unique flavours, are white chocolate-based and white chocolate will always be very sweet. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, I'd suggest sticking to the dark chocolate dip!

In general, I love the ice cream concept that Cacao 70 is pushing but I do think their formulation needs to be tweaked somewhat in order for me to fully love the execution.

Do give them a try though, especially since they won't be here for long! You can find Cacao 70 as well as other dessert retailers in the Community space at Kingsway Mall, located kitty-corner from H&M in the new renovated wing. Sugar coma, here I come!

Cacao 70

https://cacao70.com/en

1 Kingsway Garden Mall NW

Edmonton, AB

- CT

SNAPSHOTS | JAPAN + KOREA 2017 | OSAKA | DAY 8

On one of our last few days in Japan, we decided to take a day trip out to Osaka! After Tokyo, Osaka is considered Japan's second largest city. Comparing the city to Kyoto, which had a more traditional feel, Osaka definitely takes after Tokyo, based on its modern architecture and bustling nightlife.

Before we reserved our shinkansen tickets, we grabbed some donuts and breakfast pastries at Mister Donut located on the second floor of Kyoto station.

Think of Mister Donut as your Japanese Dunkin' Donuts. They serve coffee, muffins, pastries, and of course, donuts. It's the largest donut franchise in Japan that actually originated in the States. Their most popular item is the "Pon de Ring," a unique donut-mochi hybrid.

The Pon de Ring comes in a variety of different flavours but I just stuck with the regular glaze. Seriously one of the best donuts I've ever had! The texture is very interesting as it's both fluffy and chewy at the same time. The glaze also had just the right amount of sweetness. Wish I was able to try more! 

Attached to the Mister Donuts was a Cafe du Monde. For those out of the food circuit loop, Cafe du Monde is a renowned coffee shop from New Orleans known for its beignets and cafe au lait. I thought it was interesting that they had a location all the way out in Japan, but apparently it's the only country with franchises outside of the city of New Orleans itself.

Sadly they didn't serve beignets -- only coffee and drinks -- so LT got an iced coffee while my mom got an iced matcha latte. 

Once we got our tickets from the JR office, we headed out to the platform to wait for the shinkansen. From Kyoto station to Shin-Osaka station, the entire trip takes less than 30 minutes! It seriously takes me 30 minutes to drive from north to south Edmonton so imagine being in a completely different city in that time!

When we arrived in Osaka, we transferred trains and headed to our first sight of the day -- Osaka Castle, arguably Osaka's most famous tourist attraction. The original castle was built in 1583 but today's castle is a complete reconstruction of it, as it had been attacked and destroyed several times throughout history.

You can enter the castle which houses a museum for ¥600 but we were content with just walking around the castle grounds and admiring its exterior.

Since we were getting a pit peckish, we decided to check out some of the food trucks situated on the castle grounds. A french fry truck caught my eye first simply because they were the longest french fries I've ever seen! Before you think they grow humongous potatoes in Japan, they're actually mashed potatoes extruded into long strands before being deep fried. You had a choice of different seasonings and sauces (including chocolate!) but we just stuck with the classic ketchup. 

We also got a beef skewer from another food truck for ¥800. I have no idea what type or cut of beef it was but the beef was seriously amazing. Tender beyond belief and melt-in-your-mouth. We quickly ordered two more.

We also capped off our street food snack with some orange kakigori, which tasted more like a snowcone due to the crunchy ice. Super refreshing in the heat.

Once we were finished at the castle, we headed out to Dotonbori, another famous Osaka attraction. Dotonbori is an entertainment district filled with neon lights, a ton of shopping, and hundreds of restaurants and street food stands.

Before we reached the main Dotonbori area, we found Rikuro Ojisan, a famous bakery known for its fluffy Japanese cheesecake. Luck was on our side as there was literally nobody in line and they were just hauling out a fresh tray. I purchased a whole cake for only ¥675 and they packaged it piping hot. When we left, a line had formed behind me at least ten people deep.

We ate the cheesecake later that night. Japanese cheesecakes are unlike traditional North American cheesecakes. They're more of a sponge cake if anything. Uncle Rikuro's cheesecake had an amazing texture. Super soft and fluffy, almost cloud-like, with a bottom studded with raisins. Although the texture was great, I didn't find the taste anything too special. Although it might've tasted better hot, I found it a bit bland.  

Another must-see in Dotonbori is the Glico running man! This sign is an iconic symbol of Dotonbori, and here you'll find many tourists imitating the pose for pictures.

Dotonbori canal. They have boat tours that go along the river every hour or so. I think it'd be an amazing sight to see in the evening when all the signs and lights are lit up.

The ferris wheel you see in the background is part of the Don Quijote store there, although it's no longer in function.  

One of the things I loved about Dotonbori was the extravagant 3D signs. So easy to see and check out what a restaurant serves. Craving gyoza? Come here!

Takoyaki and sushi. I'm seriously regretting that we didn't save enough stomach space to eat takoyaki while in Osaka! Something to look forward to next time I guess.

You'll find a lot of souvenir shops in Dotonbori. Understandable since it's filled with tourists. Takoyaki branded everything and the PPAP man! *I have a pen, I have an apple. Uh, apple pen.* If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just search it on Youtube. Japanese humour is something else.

Pretty realistic food model keychains.

For an early dinner (does 3:00 count?), we decided on having okonomiyaki. There's a ton of famous okonomiyaki restaurants on the strip but we settled on one called Chibo. Unlike some other restaurants, they don't make the okonomiyaki in front of you but they do serve it on a flat griddle so that the food stays nice and hot. We ordered a yakisoba with pork, squid, and shrimp and added on a fried egg.

We also ordered two okonomiyaki's for the table, with pork, squid, and shrimp as well. The okonomiyaki comes pre-sauced, but the server does a cool tableside show by squirting the mayonaisse super fast. Additional toppings such as bonito flakes and seaweed are self-serve at the table. I've made okonomiyaki at home before but this was 100x better. To me, okonomiyaki is almost like a thicker, pancake version of takoyaki. And you know how I feel about takoyaki...

This type of okonomiyaki is Osaka-style, meaning that it's more of a pancake with all of the ingredients mixed into a single batter. Another version is the Hiroshima style, where ingredients are layered on top of each other. I don't know many restaurants in Edmonton that serve okonomiyaki (only Seorak comes to mind) but I wish more did!

The only thing that brought down our experience a bit was the table who came in beside us and started smoking. It's a bit of a culture shock to me that people are still allowed to smoke indoors.

After we finished eating, we continued to stroll down Shinsaibashi shopping arcade. We were getting pretty tired though so we decided to head back home to Kyoto after it got dark. This is Kyoto Tower, located right across from Kyoto station.

Since we ate in the late afternoon, we were getting a bit hungry when we finally got back to the apartment. Unfortunately a lot of restaurants in Kyoto close pretty early unlike Tokyo or Osaka. Our mission was to walk to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant before they closed but we got lost along the way. When we finally found the restaurant, they were just flipping over the closed sign. Sad times. Oh well, 24h convenience stores to the rescue! Tuna mayo onigiri ♥.

- CT