Passionfruit Hot Chocolate and Cookies & Creme from Caffe Artigiano | 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival

It's the last day of the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival! Since it's also Valentine's Day, hubby treated me to hot chocolates at Caffe Artigiano at their Cambie Village location.

#09 Cookies & Creme and #10 Passionfruit Hot Chocolate from Caffe Artigiano

#09 Cookies & Creme

Available: January 14 - February 14, 2023

A blend of dark and white chocolate sauce, house made syrup, fresh whipped cream and dark chocolate cookie crumble.

Served with a chocolate cookie with white and dark chocolate chips.

#09 Cookies & Creme from Caffe Artigiano

#10 Passionfruit Hot Chocolate

Available: January 14 to February 14, 2023

A luscious blend of dark chocolate and house made passionfruit syrup carefully blended with oat milk, topped with a passionfruit cheesecake whipped cream.

Served with a sugar dusted passionfruit crinkle cookie.

#10 Passionfruit Hot Chocolate from Caffe Artigiano

Below is a list of all the hot chocolate flavours we have tried so far.

1. #02 Florals and Slice from 49th Parallel Coffee + Lucky's Doughnuts
2. #09 Cookies & Creme from Caffe Artigiano
3. #10 Passionfruit Hot Chocolate from Caffe Artigiano
4. #12 Afternoon Tea Set 2 from Beaucoup Bakery and Cafe
5. #69 Mandorlata Calda from Giovane Caffè
6. #70 Amerena Calda from Giovane Caffè
7. #73 Plus de Cerises, Mon Chérie from The GOOD Chocolatier
8. #74 My Fat Vegan Dream from The GOOD Chocolatier
9. #122 Fat Elvis from The Pie Hole
10. #132 Le Cent from Thierry Chocolaterie, Patisserie, Cafe
11. #136 The Drink of Kings from Uno Gelato
12. #137 Vancouver Sunny Rush from Uno Gelato

Black Pepper Beef Poutine from FryWay 87 | La Poutine Week 2023

FryWay 87 has its unique fried menu and shares a kitchen and store with Chirpyhut Fried Chicken in Cambie Village.

Black Pepper Beef Poutine from FryWay 87
A juicy and tender chunk of beef with crispy fries and cheese curds served with our special black pepper gravy.

First, the black pepper gravy is so delicious and quite unique. I daresay it's the best one of the five poutines in Vancouver we tried. Then, the fries were hot and crispy, but the real winner was the chunk of beef. It's too tender, juicy, and fatty. I'll be happy to eat that on its own or on top of rice (my Filipino-ness is coming out again).

Black Pepper Beef Poutine from FryWay 87

Popcorn Chicken Poutine from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken | La Poutine Week 2023

It's the last day of La Poutine Week 2023 and also Valentine's Day, so we decided to visit two places that are part of the event. The first is the Popcorn Chicken Poutine from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken along Cambie Street.

Popcorn Chicken Poutine from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken

My attempt to get a perfect bite of popcorn chicken, fries, and cheese curds soaked in gravy.

They have delicious fried chicken: lightly breaded, deep-fried, crispy skin and juicy meat. The fries were hot and crisp, and the gravy was warm and had a nice consistency. Overall good poutine.

Couple's Combo

Since it was Valentine's Day, I felt greedy (which I regretted the following morning when the weighing scale showed my weight) and ordered the Couple's Combo. It came with 1 pistol leg, 2 drumsticks, 4 chicken wings, a snack platter, fries, corn, and two drinks.

Imagine having all that food and two poutine! Sheesh. We ate the pistol leg and finished our drinks, but everything else we were bringing home.

1 Pistol Leg from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken

Juicy inside and crunchy outside. Yum!

Chicken Wings and Drumsticks underneath

Lightly breaded and juicy inside

Snack Platter from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken

Such a food coma evening!

Meatless Monday: North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous from HelloFresh

It always makes me happy when we successfully do meatless Monday. We had pancakes for breakfast, grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and the North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous from our HelloFresh box for dinner.

North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous with Blistered Veggies and Creamy Harissa Sauce

I love all the vegetables included in this dish! From the crunchy peppers and zucchini to the sweet onions and juicy tomatoes - they work so well together,   spiced up by the harissa spice blend. The couscous is soft and tender, while the falafel is crispy. Lastly, mayo-based harissa sauce adds a creamy deliciousness to the dish.

North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous with Blistered Veggies and Creamy Harissa Sauce

HelloFresh Description

Fresh, vibrant and colourful; this dish is inspired by the flavours of the Moroccan souq! With crunchy falafel, fresh lemony couscous, sweet peppers and a zippy harissa spice drizzle, tonight's meatless dinner is sure to become a new fam fave!

North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous with Blistered Veggies and Creamy Harissa Sauce

Sunday Soup: Carb Smart Pork and Mushroom Soup from HelloFresh

After visiting Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe, we checked out Value Village Boutique on Granville Street. Then, I got angry at my hubby, so we stayed home instead of visiting Fufú Café. I took an hour's nap then we prepared the Carb Smart Pork & Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallow from our HelloFresh Canada.

Carb Smart Pork and Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallots from HelloFresh Canada

It's so hearty and warm, perfect for this rainy day.

Carb Smart Pork and Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallots

Description on HelloFresh website:

You won't miss the potatoes in this porky mushroom soup! This meal is filled to the brim with autumn veggies and topped with crispy shallots for a salty punch! Carb Smart is based on a per serving calculation of the recipe's carbohydrate amount.

Carb Smart Pork and Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallots from HelloFresh Canada

Afternoon Tea Set 2 at Beaucoup Bakery and Cafe | 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival

Happy Sunday! After Mass, we grabbed breakfast at Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe to try their Afternoon Tea Set 2 hot chocolate flavour. It's drink number 12 of the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.

It's a unique hot chocolate that tastes like milk tea. Unusually good. 🤤

#12 Afternoon Tea Set 2

Description on the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival website:

Inspired by Hong Kong-style afternoon tea sets. This spiced milk tea and coffee milk hot chocolate uses Valrhona Caramélia 36% milk chocolate which is known for its soft, rich and voluptuous undertones of rich, milky flavour and salted butter caramel. Served with a crunchy egg tart.

#12 Afternoon Tea Set 2 from Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe

We enjoyed it with flaky buttery Bacon & Onion scroll and Ham & Cheese scroll.

Bacon & Onion Scroll from Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe

Ham & Cheese Scroll from Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe

Below is a list of all the hot chocolate flavours we have tried so far.

1. #02 Florals and Slice from 49th Parallel Coffee + Lucky's Doughnuts
2. #12 Afternoon Tea Set 2 from Beaucoup Bakery and Cafe
3. #69 Mandorlata Calda from Giovane Caffè
4. #70 Amerena Calda from Giovane Caffè
5. #73 Plus de Cerises, Mon Chérie from The GOOD Chocolatier
6. #74 My Fat Vegan Dream from The GOOD Chocolatier
7. #122 Fat Elvis from The Pie Hole
8. #132 Le Cent from Thierry Chocolaterie, Patisserie, Cafe
9. #136 The Drink of Kings from Uno Gelato
10. #137 Vancouver Sunny Rush from Uno Gelato