Everybody’s trying to make a mark these days – take a classic treat and make it gourmet. Something desirable. In such a food-swooning city, it’s important to create a product that sets you apart from the rest. Let’s take SoftPeaks, Nero Belgian Waffles, Crackle Creme, and the recent burst of fresh-churned ice cream shops as examples. They all serve one thing (no pun intended), but it’s artisanal. That’s what gives them their edge. Using simple quality ingredients to advertise is key, and if it’s sourced-locally, you’ve certainly won their hearts.
BBT Shop is the newest assertion into the market, tucked underneath Richmond’s Superstore. It’s located farthest from the underground parking and is in a good neighbourhood of some local favourite mom and pop shops. It was quiet when we went, but we knew it had been busy since its instagram account has stirred quite the attention.
The wait for the waffles wasn’t long, with the bubble tea arriving first. Despite loving the concept of the store, I left with mixed feelings. It’s gourmet to a certain extent. You have your fun flavour combinations, a plethora of items to top your waffle with, but not everything is made in house. In fact, there are quite a few short cuts – powdered milk, store-bought whip cream, etc.
Milk Bubble Tea Slush
They weren’t quite sure how to make this at first (as they are new) but they figured it out after a while. It’s good, but you can definitely tell it’s not as creamy as one made with real milk. I’m so happy they put some many pearls in though. It’s the best part!
Matcha Red Bean Waffle
I saw this on instagram and it was why I had to visit so quickly. My stomach just couldn’t go on without coming soon. I accidentally ordered the wrong one because I had expected ice cream on it! Oh well, I was really content with how crispy the bubble waffle was. They are on their A-game with the timing for this stuff, as each shell breaks apart seamlessly with still some dough inside to chew on. It seems like they don’t just rely on white flour as the basis because the batter had a nutty aftertaste to it (perhaps whole wheat blend). I wasn’t a fan of the red bean on top. It didn’t go well being cold and just sprinkled on top (definitely from a can). If it was blended into the batter, that might have been something memorable.
Green Tea Waffle
Just the same as mine, minus the red bean. Little J really liked hers.
Long Live Feasts 