Our first stop after registering at Rocanini Roasters for Tasting Plates Vancouver “Ultimate Desserts” was to head to BETA5 Chocolates as it seemed close by. Unfortunately, both me and my friend had no sense of direction and we ended up taking an hour to get to the location when it easily could have taken 15 minutes. Nonetheless, we were eager to sample the creations of BETA5.
These were the Cream Puffs offered at BETA5 Chocolates. I believe the flavours were salted caramel, vanilla, and passionfruit. They were definitely a crowd favourite as all the flavours were apparently exceptional. I couldn’t stop drooling over the consistency of the mousse-like centre and the crisp exterior of my salted caramel. Each bite was definitely savoured. My friend had the vanilla flavour and her inside seemed to be more custard like, but she still couldn’t stop raving about it.
Also offered to participants were pieces of their Specialty Dark Chocolate and Caramels. The chocolate was definitely plain and I didn’t find it to be anything special, but I enjoyed that there was a bit of crunch (due to nuts?) to add texture.
I sampled the Campfire Treat and taste wise, the consistency of the chocolate mousse was spot on. For something mass-produced, they definitely managed to maintain their standards in terms of being a high-quality chocolate and pastry shop. I would have loved the addition of pieces of of graham crackers for both colour and texture. The other components worked well with the pot de creme but it was a very simple concept that did not win me over like the cream puff. I regret not choosing one of the fruitier options though as all the choices I picked were fairly similar, which made it difficult to differentiate the flavours. As well, looking back, the other two flavours were much more unique and there were lots of of great feedback on them too.
I adored the presentation from The Pie Shoppe because even though the knew they would be serving numerous amounts of people, they managed to exhibit their desserts in a manner where it looked visually appealing and orderly. The pies were situated nicely on top of a wooden board and I found that it really enhanced the tasting experience overall. I liked the concept of the Maple French Toast Bacon Pie but I am generally not a fan of bacon in any form of sweets so I would not order this again. The Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Pie was phenomenal as I could really pick up the individual flavours. The Key Lime Pie was pretty standard but definitely delicious. The portions were perfect and I’m glad that they were selected to be part of it because I’ve been meaning to check them out.
The Bibo was the next stop for us. We bumped into a couple while leaving Industrial Ave., and they basically led us to all the other locations which my friend and I were extremely grateful for. There was no way we would have hit all the spots otherwise. I loved the interior of this restaurant! However, me being nit-picky, the desserts presented on my plate looked like a slop, causing my initial impression to be slightly disappointed and quite unenthusiastic to try them. I had high hopes for the Tiramisu, but I honestly did not enjoy it. It was extremely soggy and I would even say that the ones at Safeway are better. This may have been a bad batch, but it was unpleasant for me. The Chocolate Pizza was also a miss for me because it could easily be created at home. If they had made the chocolate spread in-house, I would have definitely appreciated it more, but because it was nutella, I was just unimpressed. The Chocolate Biscuit was really sweet and nothing unique.
At Trees Organic, they were serving New York Cheesecake and Marzipan Cheesecake. I’ve had their cheesecakes before so I knew what to expect – an incredibly light and aromatic bite with a perfect crunch due to the buttery crust. I wish they served some freshly whipped cream alongside because it is the perfect compliment to such a rich dish.
I had no expectations set for Bob Likes Thai Food because frankly, I wasn’t too eager to stop at this location. The above is a picture of Tub Tim Krob and it contains: water chestnut, jackfruit, shredded coconut, tapioca flour, pomegranate, palm sugar, coconut milk, and thai traditional smoke bee hive. The coconut flavour was really potent and the pink jelly substance at the bottom reminded me of mochi but with water chestnut on the inside. The drink had a variety of textures and it was very refreshing for me because of the heat that day and lack of water in my system. Unfortunately, I am not the biggest fan of coconut and especially when it comes with coconut shreds. So, even though I had this, I wasn’t head over heels for it; it was simply to quench my thirst for the meantime.
Oh, how excited I was to try out what James was going to give us to sample on this tour. I was bursting with joy when I discovered we were given three flavours! The container was filled to the brim, each a different flavour I had not tried so I was ready to dig right in to see how I would like it. The Limoncello is was like cheesecake and I could pick up the lemon zest infused. This was a great balance of flavours. The brown-coloured gelato was Toasted Pecan, and it was personally my favourite. There were bits of crushed up pecans in the batter and it reminded me of a lighter version of pecan pie. The Chocolate Scotch tasted like straight up chocolate ice cream you can get from the grocery store. I know it was made with high-quality ingredients, but it wasn’t anything spectacular compared to the other items on his menu.
Our last stop was WE. Coffee where they were offering power cookies and drinks. They were originally serving slices of their waffles in flavours like mango and strawberry, but as it was close to the end of the event, they ran out when we got there. We were definitely bummed out but we managed to bump into the organizer of the event, Richard. An incredibly nice guy, I am looking forward to what he has planned next.
Long Live Feasts 