Find a café (or cafés), have a nice coffee and pastry, and read your favourite magazine ❤

In the pictures: Finch’s and Epicurean Delicatessen.

It is really easy to miss this wonderful French bistro Pied-à-Terre on Cambie because the exterior of this place is painted in all black. The restaurant has been there for 2 years, but only until a few days ago we finally had a chance to visit it. In fact, last time we popped in without a reservation, and there was just no way to get a table for the night.

We ordered two sets of TABLE D’HÔTE – a 3-course meal for $45 per person. It is actually not too bad considering a glass of wine is included. The portion size is just fine for a 3-course meal. But still, we didn’t finish the desserts and the wine (tsk tsk…). I don’t know much about French food but I’d say it was awesome!

J’adore!

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics fever will probably last for a while before it starts to fade away. People still talk about these games even though the world’s largest event has ended. I’m still checking out some footage of the games online as well. It seems that the games only started yesterday!

I feel lucky that I could be a part of the celebration and witness every wow and woe during these amazing 17 days. I feel blessed being one of the “locals,” and being able to spend most of my young adulthood here. The Olympics is definitely the experience of a lifetime. And now that I own it, I will never forget the moment when we were counting down to the opening ceremony in pouring rain, the moment when Alex Bilodeau and his brother hugged each other after he won the first gold medal for Canada, and the moment when Crosby scored the golden goal and the crowd burst into frantic cheers…. Yes, there have been too many incredible moments to describe here. Words and images are simply not enough to illustrate the whole experience.

It’s a bit sad that the Olympics is over, but I do hope that the creativity and the vibes of Vancouver will stay and grow. We all have witnessed the potential of Vancouver being an energetic city, and it feels great! I once said that Vancouver is a boring place without much going on. I hope that someday I can be proved wrong, big time.

✱ See more photos here.

I thought I wasn’t in Vancouver when I was sitting inside this nice, French-style cafe – Finch’s Tea & Coffee House.

People said that the baguette here is a must-try in Vancouver, and I have to agree with them. There are so many different kinds of baguettes that will make you wanna go back again to try a different kind. Absolutely love this place!

Irish Heather – Where the green and and Guinness meet.

And awesome yam fries.

Just before we entered Liberty Bakery on Main st., our eyes were drawn to a lovely painted shop across the street. It’s a Chocolatier! The shop is small and simple: there are only a counter on one side displaying all the chocolates and a kitchen behind it. The wall besides the counter is a blackboard with the “menu” on it. The owner Anne-Geneviève greeted us with a warm smile, and then went on explaining the ingredients she used in the chocolates. All of her chocolates are made from French Single Origin and Plantation chocolate, which is hard to find in general supermarkets. Most of the chocolates and chocolate candies on the market are made of cocoa beans from different regions around the world. Unlike these chocolates, the Single Origin and Plantation chocolate is made of cocoa beans from a single region or a specific plantation. Perhaps this is why her hand-made chocolates taste so rich and flavourful.

There are milk, bittersweet, and dark chocolates available in forms of truffles, chocolate fingers, and squares. I took 5 pieces home with me. The Earl Gray bittersweet truffle is my personal favourite. It’s like none of the chocolates I’ve ever had  before.

Chocolates made with passion and authenticity–I think we should support specialized gourmet shop like Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France.

❉ Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France: www.chocolaterienouvellefrance.ca

目前腦死無法想出更 creative 的 project title. Shannie 創意女神救救我吧!

這一次跟 Shannie 的約會距離上次已有兩年多耶! 還記得那次的約會是因為我抽到 Shannie 的春節紅包, 禮物就是 a personal guided tour! 那一天, brunch @ Main St., 小印度, commercial drive, 還有印度甜點 picnic @ the park…羨慕吧~~!

這次則是遲到數月要給 Shannie 的生日禮物, 想說這樣的 walking tour 還是要有陽光相陪才行 (ㄟ這是藉口嗎?) 想了很久, 才有這樣的 idea: Mini Instax Photography Project. 只可惜當天天氣太好, 照片有些小小曝光. 天氣太好居然也有惱人的時候…

請注意, 照片中手指 (或頭指) 的方向是為了要串連下一張照片 (希望大家有看出來…^^||) 成為一系列從 Granville Island 搭船到 Yaletown 的留影!

Love their food and down-to-earth atmosphere, and their menus that are all bound in different vintage book covers. Brilliant!

＊ Six Acres: sixacres.ca

前陣子去了 One of a Kind Show & Sale 的 sneak peak event, 只有收到 email 邀請函的媒體才能去。就是收到這樣的 email, 雖然不是署名我, 還是很厚臉皮地給它去了 (還更厚臉皮地順便幫 Poan reserve!!! 最害羞的竟然是在那裡碰到副編!!!!!!!)

這 event 是在 Gastown 的 Salt Tasting Room 地窖舉辦, 老實說我有點小失望, 因為只有幾個 designers/artists 的作品拿去展, 果真是掉人家胃口! 不過, 在那裡有 wine 喝又有 tapas 吃, 離開前還有大家都愛的 swag bag (如圖: 環保袋 + crackers + 有機乳液 & 護唇膏)!! 整個就是好害羞~~

喔對了, One of a Kind Show & Sale 是聚集加拿大和世界各地的設計師與手工藝術家作品的展覽會, 雖然沒去過, 但是應該就像是市集吧!! 從 Toronto 開始的 One of a Kind Show 今年在 Vancouver 只是第二屆…唉~次數能頻繁一點就好了。

＊ 活動詳情請按這: http://oneofakindvancouver.com/

先在 10 月份的行事曆上作記號唷~!

只經開始想念這個只有住過 8 個月的小公寓了…

沒錯, 可以有機會住在這裡真的是我之前沒有預料到的。我從小的夢想就是住在很高很高的大廈裡! 別問我為什麼…

難道我的夢想已經達成了?

No no.  一半吧。有一天我一定要擁有屬於自己的窩, 像這樣的小而巧, 再也不用在牆上鑽洞掛鏡子前還深思熟慮, 或是買傢具錢還要精打細算顧慮再次搬家的可能性。

告訴自己不是只活在夢裡, 而要讓夢活起來~