Blueberry Smoothie at My Tea

Blueberry bubble tea smoothie. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 8, 2017 at 5:18pm PDT

I love bubble tea, as anyone who knows me is aware. I have passed My Tea (10728 82 Avenue) countless times on my Whyte Avenue journies. Last weekend, during the Art Walk, it was so hot out that I just had to stop in and get some bubble tea. It's a very small, clean place with a solid menu of different kinds of hot teas, and cold bubble teas made with fresh fruit or as smoothies with milk. I had a blueberry smoothie and it was fantastic. It had an abundant blueberry flavour and the ice did not separate from the juice as it often does with these kinds of drinks. Love, love, love - I will be back!

Folk Fest Food - Version 2014

I spent most of this past weekend at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. In addition to enjoying some great music, I also enjoyed some great food. In some ways, I find the Folk Fest has the best selection of festival food. Here is a look at what I consumed.

I was thrilled to find out that Padmanadi had a booth at the Folk Fest. I had a plate of vegan ginger beef with rice, and added the lemon prawns. This was a very satisfying lunch.

Although I pack plenty of water with me, other cold beverages are very welcome, like this refreshing lemonade from Lemon Heaven. I don't find it too sweet (someone contemplating buying some asked me) and you get plenty of ice which melts down into cold water.

Another Folk Fest regular item for me is the veggie Pad Thai from Numchok Wilai. The tangy sauce is not too spicy at all, although I could have done with some more tofu.

A frozen treat that I can rationalize as bring somewhat healthy is this chocolate covered frozen banana. I added chocolate chips as my topping. Chocolate comes from a bean. Therefore this was a serving of fruit and vegetables. Right? Right?!?!?

My ascension to the top of the hill required me to get some caffeine to keep me going. This iced cappuccino, with two shots, did the trick.

There was also a popcorn truck at the top of the hill. Sometimes, some salty popcorn is the only thing that will do. The kernels were nice and large.

I have never tried a bannock burger, so I leapt at the chance to have a veggie version from Native Delights. The patty was a rather plain soy burger, with some lettuce and tomato. The bun was the main attraction, of course - a crispy, greasy, fluffy affair that totally filled me up and removed the craving I had for French fries.

Back to Numchok Wilai, this time I tried the green tofu curry. This was definitely my culinary discovery of the weekend. Lots of tofu in a spicy, rich green curry sauce on top of a generous portion of rice, adorned with bamboo shoot slices. I could have shared - but I didn't!

Finally, from the same place as the frozen bananas, came a slice of cheesecake on a stick to which I added - you guessed it! - chocolate chips. It was quite a decadent dessert. The cheesecake was vanilla and chocolate swirl, and was as large a piece as one would get for dessert in a restaurant.

Salad Drink and Tamales at Mamenche's

I had a working lunch at Mamenche's this week and tried a beverage called a salad drink. As soon as it was served to me I knew why it was called that. It was an actual fruit salad floating atop a sea of fresh fruit juice. The fruit was also adorned with cilantro. It was refreshing and felt like summer in a glass.

I have never before had a tamale. I ordered two chicken tamales and was absolutely impressed. Loads of marinated chicken, potatoes, and chickpeas were encased in corn. They were steamed in banana leaves, and fork tender. A couple of these were literally enough for a light lunch on their own.

Coffee Break - Chocolate Chai

Chocolate chai #yegcoffee, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

When I want a hot drink and don't want coffee, I usually go for chai. On my last visit to Wild Earth Bakery I decided to try the chocolate chai - it had the warmth and spice of chai with an overtone of chocolate that did not dominate. A really great winter drink.

Orange Omsicle at Noorish

Orange Omsicle at Noorish #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I don't usually buy a non-alcoholic beverage that costs more than a few dollars when I have a meal out, I decided to try one of the superfood elixirs. The Orange Omsicle is touted as being packed with vitamin C and other immune-boosting agents. As I was fighting a cold, I decided it would be worth a try.

Although I did not find that it tasted like a Creamsicle (as the description stated), this drink had a quite unique, refreshing flavour. It was creamy, with an underlying orange taste, with earthy elements.

I can't say for sure if there was any effect on my health, but it certainly did not hurt.

Iced Bevvies at Viphalay

Iced coffee and tea at Viphalay's original location on 95 street! #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I discovered this week that the original location of Viphalay on 107 Avenue and 95 Street is open after a long hiatus. This location is mere block away from my downtown office, so I had supper there with a co-worker on Wednesday.

For drinks, she had the iced coffee and I had the iced tea, Thai style. The coffee was like Vietnamese coffee, but already stirred into the condensed milk. My tea was rich and creamy, but still full of tea flavour. It's a red tea that is used (it gets orange from the cream). So tasty and delicious even on a cold winter's evening.

Ice Cream Float at Wild Earth

Ice Cream Float, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

After a day of riding my bike around town, I was thirsty but also craving ice cream. How fortunate that one of my favourite neighbourhood coffee spots also sells ice cream floats.

The floats at Wild Earth Cafe (142 Street and 85 Avenue) are quite sophisticated. First, you pick which flavour of Italian soda you want. I opted for vanilla. Then, you pick your ice cream from the four flavours available. I chose chocolate.

The results were sweet and very refreshing. The chocolate ice cream blended perfectly with the vanilla syrup. The key here are quality ingredients, and making the right choice for flavour combination. My barrista said that sometimes kids come in and pick mango syrup with coffee ice cream - well, maybe that would work for some people, but sticking with basics like vanilla and chocolate tends to work best for me.

Iced Grapefruit Mate Tea

Iced Grapefruit Mate Tea, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I wandered away from the Fringe grounds for a bit during my shift to get one of Cha Island's large iced teas. The mate tea had grapefruit puree. I love mate (a drink popular in Argentina) so I went for it. The grapfruit really did not add much, only a bitterness. The smokiness of the mate cut through that fortunately.

Cherry Slush Puppy

Cherry Slush Puppy, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

This brought me back to my childhood. A sweet cherry Slush Poppy drink sure was refreshing during a hot shift at the Fringe.

Coffee Break: Iced Chai Latte at Wild Earth Cafe

Iced Chai Latte, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I wanted something cool this afternoon while riding my bicycle around the neigbourhood on errands. However, I did not want coffee. I opted for an iced chai latte at Wild Earth Cafe on 85 Avenue and 142 Street.

It certainly was cold and refreshing. The chai flavour was not overwhelmingly strong and I could perhaps done with a little more of it, but it was better than being bitter which I often experience elsewhere. Perhaps next time I will try the chocolate chai.

Folk Fest Food: Saskatoon Berry "Lemonade" from Culina

Culina, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Many top notch restaurants have food stands at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. One of them is Culina, which offered some salads and finger foods. I had a Saskatoon Berry "Lemonade" which was a tart, thirst-quenching treat.

Folk Fest Food: Lemon Heaven

Lemon Heaven, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I always pack plenty of water for the Folk Fest, but sometimes I need something else to cut through the thirst. Lemon Heaven makes delicious, fresh, just sweet enough lemonade that comes in a huge size and is very refreshing.

Heritage Festival 2012: Non-Alcohol Beer at Germany

Heritage Festival 2012, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I was down to my last six tickets, it was getting hot (again), and I wanted something to drink. As the oompah band was getting ready on the stage at Germany, I got myself a non-alcoholic beer. Krombacher is a popular German brand. It was quite smooth, with a slightly sweet finish. I particularly enjoyed the looks I got when I wandered away from the German pavilion, drinking my "beer." Oh, Heritage Festival, how I love you.

Heritage Festival 2012: Lime Slush at Indonesia

Heritage Festival 2012, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Indonesia's selection of fruit slushes saved the day. As the temperature went up, so did our thirst. At only four tickets, these slushes really hit the spot. My "Liplock Lime" was just tart enough. Other flavours included Strawberry Daquiri, Pina Colada, and Orange Mango.

Coffee Break: Italian Soda at Jeffrey's Cafe

Italian Soda, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I was still thirsty from the heat and riding my bike this afternoon, so I stopped in to Jeffrey's Cafe (9640 142 Street) on the way home.

My lime Italian soda was large (for the $3.50 price tag, I expected as much). Most of the syrup settled to the bottom of the cup, and no matter how much I stirred with my straw or wooden coffee stir stick, I could not get it to rise. As a result, I drank mostly soda water before hitting the very, very sweet bottom.

Coffee Break: Affogato at Cococo

Affogato, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Cococo Chocolatiers is the company that got Bernard Callebaut Chocolatiers out of receivership. The new Cococo Chocolatiers shop at 10103 124 Street sells Callebaut chocolate, decadent desserts, coffee, gelato, and some Cococo branded items too.

This afternoon, I was hot and wanted some gelato but also needed a mid-afternoon caffeine fix. The solution? Affogato! My vanilla gelato was so frozen the hot espresso did not totally melt it, and there was still plenty to drink after I made my way to the bottom of the cup.

Coffee Break: Green Cap Milk Tea

Green Cap Milk Tea, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have been loving bubble tea for years now, so when I learned there was a Taiwanese version of the drink, and only one place in Edmonton that sells it, I knew a trip to the Gama Store was in order (10418 82 Avenue).

Basically, the Green Cap Milk Tea is bubble tea - without the bubbles. There is a topping of liquid cheese foam, with green tea powder on top. The milk tea is smooth and creamy, and the cheese adds another level of refreshment.

The store's owner told me that Gama gets is tea directly from Taiwan and it is considered to be a healthier drink than bubble tea (with its tapioca balls). As well, I got a lesson in how to drink it properly - the cheese and powder is supposed to be mixed in with the tea itself. Personally, I enjoyed moving my straw around and sipping a bit from the top and bottom exclusively before giving in and mixing it together.

I can definitely see myself drinking more of these when the weather gets hotter.

Coffee Break: French Press at Three Bananas

French Press Coffee, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I haven't had French Press coffee in a long time, and decided to indulge at Three Bananas (Churchill Square) this afternoon where I was meeting up with a friend. Fourteen ounces of fresh, fragrant coffee was enough to keep me bouncing off the walls for the rest of the afternoon.

Boba Island

Boba Island, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I love bubble tea, and was thrilled to discover Boba Island (10588 100 Street).

Formerly known as The Tea Cottage, the new owner has made a radical transformation of the space. It is much brighter than before (with many different sets of lights), very clean, and has a small seating area.

Of course, the main reason to come to Boba Island is the drinks. There is a selection of bubble milk with flavours and sago (tapioca pearls), as well as ones made with fresh fruit. Most drinks are under $5, and there is a small menu of snacks on the wall, like onion cakes and pork balls.

I had a fresh avocado bubble milk ("boba," by the way, is another term for bubble tea). Often, the drink is ruined by using avocados that are over-ripe. I was happy to discover that my drink tasted fresh and perfect. Even the tapioca balls had a fresh, sweet taste to them (they are often flavourless and sometimes soggy).

If you love bubble tea, get to Boba Island. It's a delicious value.

More Than a Latte

Latte, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is a place of decadence. For me, it is a place to revist a number of memories while enjoying the beautiful view of the River Valley on the patio.

The latte at the Hotel Macdonald is as decadent as its $6 price tag. It is a tall, frothy, layered beverage of espresso and steamed milk, served with a small biscotti and sugar on a stick. Oh, how I love to stir that sugar stick and lick the latte from its crystals. I think I feel a song coming on.

But I digress. I know it is a lot more expensive than lattes in regular cafes, but sometimes you just have to treat yourself. It's worth it. You're worth it. After all, you only live once. And that was what I was commemorating and celebrating with a visit to the Hotel Macdonald.