Edible Obsessions | International Waffle Day!

WAFFLES! I love waffles; therefore, I was not about to miss the day which celebrates my favourite treat! There are some pretty amazing waffles available in Vancouver, but it would have felt like cheating if I did not spend the day at my favourite waffle bar, NERO. So on Saturday, March 25th, I dragged my friends with me to Nero's Seymour location.

I ordered my favourite from Nero, The Heaven. On a fluffy freshly baked Brussels waffle comes thinly sliced fresh strawberries, the most airy whip cream ever, a dusting of powdered sugar and a delicious house made strawberry mint sauce. Since I was feeling extra indulgent, I asked for orange slices on the side which I then artfully sprinkled over my waffle. 

What keeps me coming back to Nero is their focus on flavour and not the sugar. Their waffles are never overpoweringly sweet and sticky. Even the whip cream is unsweetened and you can taste that it is real cream and not the canned kind from the grocery store. 

The downside was learning my favourite waitress and friend will be returning back home to South Korea in two weeks time :( I always looked forward to seeing her at Nero, so I am going to miss seeing her run over to give me a big hug. 

If you prefer something a little more savoury, there are some really amazing savoury waffles in Vancouver too. Nero has a fabulous savoury menu, but for a complete list of restaurants and suggestions, check out the article I did for the Daily Hive! It is my first article for the Daily Hive and I am so excited to share it with you all! Especially since it is on waffles! 
7 places to get savoury waffles in Vancouver 

Where did you go for International waffle day? Let me know in the comments below as well if there is a waffle in Vancouver that you think I need to try!

BYES

Latte Moment | Pink Tea Latte is TWO!

I am so excited that Pink Tea Latte has hit the two year mark! So much has happened in this past year, some good, some bad, and a whole lot of adventures. Just taking a glance back on the year, Pink Tea Latte has grown a tremendous amount and in the process, I have undergone a huge transformation too! Thank you for taking the few minutes of your busy daily lives to read Pink Tea Latte as well as checking out my instagram. 

In celebration of Pink Tea Latte's second birthday, here is a list of a few exciting highlights from the past year:

Coach Pre-Spring 2017
I literally cried when the courier dropped off a box with shipping label addressed from Coach Handbags. I was in such disbelief because Pink Tea Latte is still a baby to me so I was astonished to learn that Coach PR considered me to be a part of the launch of their Dinky bag. A definite highlight of my year and I hope to work with Coach again soon!

Photo Shoot with Sara Brynn Creative Co
Another first this year was my photoshoot with the lovely Sara Brynn! She is absolutely wonderful behind the lens and made my first photoshoot experience amazing. Sara made me feel beautiful and so we set up a second one which turned out to be a ridiculously cold morning. Despite the frigid temperatures, Sara brought a lot of energy to the shoot making it a fun morning. 

Photography Course
Pink Tea Latte has kept my writing skills sharp, but also fostered a love for photography in me. I purchased my Nikon D5500 over a year ago, but I felt google and youtube alone were not giving me the structure to learn and improve my photography skills. I ended up enrolling and completing the DSLR Basics course at Langara College and in those three months, my photos improved ten-fold. I also picked up skills in Lightroom which is now my primary photo program.

Planning My First Event - My 23rd Birthday!
I have started to develop an interest in planning events as I love floral arrangements, delicious pastries and finding the perfect accent pieces to pull together the decor. What better time than to plan my own 23rd Birthday Brunch Bash! I had some stunning floral arrangements done up by the ladies at Garden Party Flowers and did not have one, but two birthday cakes from two different amazing bakeries. Lastly, gorgeous wood rounds from Pacific Design Labs to tie in with the rustic decor at Belgard Kitchen. 

Attending the Beta 5 Ice Cream Socials
Visiting Beta 5 on Saturdays for the Ice Cream Socials has become somewhat of a tradition for me and my friend. Together, we managed to devour 9 of the 15 sundae flavours from their 2016 summer Ice Cream Socials. However, the Harry Potter sundae will always be the one that got away! I will literally camp out overnight to get one if Beta 5 decides to do the Harry Potter sundae again. 

Attending the Disney Fireworks Display
Disney is my childhood, my life and my future. When I heard the Disney Imagineers were flying in from Walt Disney Florida to put on a Disney Fireworks show at English Bay, I made it my priority to attend the show at all costs. It was probably the most magical night of Summer 2016 and only makes me yearn to visit the Disney Theme Parks even more! 

I am so ecstatic for the exciting adventures that await in the year ahead for Pink Tea Latte. I already have some exciting posts in the works! A few more days and I will be revealing one of the exciting series that I have been working on. 

I also would love to do a casual meet-up at a local Vancouver cafe. I want to know if there is any interest, so leave me a comment below or comment on my Instagram picture. I really would love to meet some of you in person, so if there is even a hint of interest, I will organize something for the coming weekend. 

Where to find some of the goodies in my pictures:
Noms by Mon - Chiffon Cake Layered with Fresh Strawberries and Chantilly Creme
Garden Party Flowers - Two arrangements. One tall, one small featuring a variety of fresh roses, peonies and greens.
Pacific Design Lab - Wood rounds

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Local Love | Celebrating Pi Day with the Pie Shoppe

Happy Pi Day everyone! For those of you who are confused, Pi day is the celebration of the mathematical constant pi which is 3.14... a non-repeating number. Therefore, every March 14th, is the best excuse ever to indulge in scrumptious fruity or custardy pies! 

I headed over this morning to the Pie Shoppe on Powell street to catch the magnificent sister duo, Stephanie and Andy French. I caught them busy packaging their delicious pies for a huge last minute 100 pie order! Despite being up all night preparing and baking pies, Stephanie was so sweet and amazing. Gosh, if I was up the entire night filling a 100 pie order, I would be exhausted and frankly a little cranky, so I admire Stephanie's customer service. 

I decided to be good and not get an entire pie for myself, only a slice. I went with a fruit pie of theirs, a apple and nectarine pie topped with a delicious nutty crumble. There was also a hint of alcohol in the fruit filling, but the name of the local distillery escapes my name. 

Next time, I want to try one of their cream and custard pies, particularly their Matcha Custard Pie! You know I love some good matcha; therefore, I must try a slice of that pie at the soonest date possible. 

Let me know in the comments below what slice of pie you had to celebrate Pi Day! 

BYES

Chic Finds | K Beauty Pop-In at NordstromVan Haul

Pop-In NordstromVan K Beauty Haul!

Nordstrom Vancouver has some of the coolest Pop-In shops, so when I heard that the next Pop-In was going to be K Beauty, I made a point to drop by on opening day. I headed over before work on Friday February 17th and allowed myself to splurge on anything and everything I wanted! I generally am very strict with myself when it comes to shopping, so this was a special and rare treat where I allowed myself to buy everything that ended up in my shopping basket.

I am really glad that I went on opening day as shoppers were going crazy over the products! Probably half the customers in the little Pop-in space were Nordstrom employees because there is not a lot of back stock of the products. The sales associates were advising shoppers to get the items they wanted because they suspect many of the items will sell out very fast.

I walked away with a bag of 10 products for $200 which is a steal! Considering that a lot of these products are not even available in Canada, I would say the products are very reasonably priced. Plus they give you a super cute clear pouch to store all your new products in!

As I have not had a chance to really try out the products yet, I will do a review on them in a few weeks, so do keep an eye out for that. I do however suggest grabbing the items you like soon as I am certain they will sell out fast!

Here are the items I picked up!

1. Pig Collagen 3 Step Nose Pack | Me Factory
I have heard so many great things about these three step pore strips and how they work wonders in cleaning your nose pores, so I purchased to packs! It does sound a little gross that the pore strips are made with pig collagen, but if you are unfamiliar with Korean Beauty products, they use ingredients that we usually not see in North American products.

2. Pumpkin Sleeping Pack Overnight Facial Mask | Too Cool for School
I love face masks; however, I have yet to try an overnight facial mask, so I decided it now was a good time to pick one up. The pumpkin sleeping mask is super cute and thankfully it does not have a strong pumpkin scent. Otherwise, I probably would not be able to sleep with it on because I am very sensitive to smells.

3. Coconut Milky Mist | Too Cool For School
I was not planning on getting a facial mist because I have never ever understood the need for one, but the sales associates completely convinced me that I needed it. It also smells really nice haha so who knows, maybe once the weather warms up, I will really appreciate this coconut milky mist to cool me down!

My Favourite Pop-In at NordstromVan!

4. Egg Cream Microfibre Sheet Mask | Too Cool For School
I have heard a lot of positive things about the Egg line by Too Cool for School so I could not resist picking up a few of the items. I have never really been a huge sheet mask lover, but girls were snapping up these particular masks, so I said why not. I grabbed the 5-pack and am crossing my fingers for great results.

5. Egg Mellow Body Butter | Too Cool For School
The Egg Mellow Body Butter smelled so amazing and I am a sucker for body butters and lotions, so in it went into my shopping basket. The moment I got home, I moisturised my legs with it. The body butter soaks in to your skin and almost reminds me of Khiel's Whipped Milk & Honey Body Butter, but a little more dense.

6. Sukoo Sukoo Bag Charm
So I did not necessarily need the Sukoo Sukoo Bag charm, but YOLO! It was so cute, so there was no way that I was going to walk away without one. My shopping spree would have been incomplete without it! You can pick out your own Sukoo Sukoo from an array of colours.

The big pink Sukoo Sukoo is the bath scrubber accompanied by a mini Sukoo Sukoo Bag Charm.
I wanted this package, but I could not justify spending $45 on a pretty loofah! 

7. Dinoplatz Dear Brachiosaurus Blotting Paper | Too Cool For School
I have a greasy T-Zone, so me and blotting papers are best of friends! Aside from the adorable design featuring dinosaurs and a city skyline, these blotting papers are infused with green tea.

8. Soft Foot 30 Minute Peeling Socks | A'Pieu
This was an intriguingly packaged item and I actually did not even know what exactly it was until after I purchased it. So they are these "socks" that you wear on your feet for 30 minutes and then over the next few days, all the dry dead skin on your feet fall off. Sort of gross, but super cool at the same time. Clearly I was not the only one who was curious about the Soft Foot 30 Minute Peeling Socks because they were sold out when I went back the day after.

9. Milk Whipping Body Wash | A'Pieu
This purchase was purely based on the packaging being too cute to pass up. This body wash has an adorable cow called MILK on it! I do not think this body wash is anything special, but sometimes you just need cutely packaged shower products.

A lot of these items are already on back order online, so if there is something you really like and want, I highly recommend ordering it soon! I will post my thoughts on the products in a few weeks as I want a chance to really try them out before giving you all my opinion.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of my crazy K Beauty splurge? Think I snagged some good items? Also, please let me know if you think there is something I really should try.

BYES

7 Lattes + Wishes | Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Sometimes technology just does not like me very much because this entire blogpost disappeared on me as I was doing my final grammar edits. So this is me starting from scratch at 10PM at night, but I am going to get it done and published before I head to bed....I did not manage to finish last night, so the post is a day late :( I am sorry!

Valentine's Day for me is about sharing how much you love and care for the people in your life. It does not necessarily need to be your significant other because I personally deeply care and love my besties and they too deserve to feel special on February 14th! Therefore, Valentine's Day for me is like Friend Appreciation Day too or popularly termed - GALENTINE'S Day! Hehe also, no one is going to turn down sweets and beautiful flowers, am I right? Lastly, I really do not feel it is necessary to splurge on lavish gifts because it is about making the other person feel special, not about spoiling them with materialistic items. 

Flowers | Garden Party Flowers

I love fresh cut flowers; therefore, it is no surprise that flowers are on the top of my Valentine's Day gift guide! For me, flowers are always associated with a special occasion and generally makes the receiver feel very special. Vancouver has some very amazing florists, but I tend to always return to Garden Party Flowers. Ask for a floral arrangement instead of a bouquet so it is ready to displayed in your home. 

Lovers Lock & Key 

How cute is this copper toned lock and key from Urban Outfitters?! The lovers lock has an engraved heart in which you write your initials before hanging it at a popular lover's lock spot.I know there is a bridge in New Westminster and cannot wait to put my lock on it. 

I Like You, I Love You By Carissa Potter

I spotted this book in Urban Outfitters' Valentine's Day display and decided to take a quick flip through it. The book is so adorable and sort of just sums up truly the difference between like and love. Just a fun gift to give that will also bring a smile to both your faces. 

Laduree Macarons
Last spring, Vancouver finally received its first Laduree boutique! I know it is a bit of a splurge and I hate to admit to be the one to admit that the overly hyped Laduree macarons truly deserve the praise. I have had macarons from various patisseries, but none have come near to achieving the depth of flavour Laduree's macarons. Most importantly for me, unlike the other macarons I have tasted, only Laduree macarons are NOT overtly sweet! Lastly, I am a sucker for cute packaging and limited edition Valentines macaron boxes are ridiculously cute. Did I mention you can record a cute 15 second message that will play when the box is opened.

A Cute Card
Write them an adorable Galentine's day card. Just make sure the card is quirky and cute because picking the perfect card is what will make this gift AWESOME. I am into the silly pun cards, but I am also a sucker for cute graphics. I picked up the Pugs & Kisses card from the stationary shop in Oakridge named Papyrus.

Pictures + Photo Clips String Set
Sometimes we you just need to assert your love for them and give them the best gift of all, pictures of you and a string with clips to hang them up in their room. Ideally pictures of you both on your favourite adventures together; however, nothing wrong with only giving pictures of yourself. Haha 

An Activity That You Both Love
Sometimes the best gifts are not objects, but the memories you make doing something you both love. There are some really fun activities you can do in the Lower Mainland like attending a 4Cats craft class together or if you both enjoy cooking, then reserve a spot in one of The Dirty Apron's cooking classes. Be sure to take lots of pictures so you can look back on the fun times you had together!

I hope this list gives you some fun ideas to show your lover or your bestie how much you love them! Spread the love dolls!

BYES

Edible Obsessions | Torafuku 2017 DineOut

Dy-No-Mite Roll - Torafuku 2017 DineOut

Torafuku is a contemporary Pan Asian restaurant that is just on the cusp of Chinatown. Many of us pass by it without even a second glance, but this hole in the wall is far larger and bursting with amazing energy. I was appalled by how full this restaurant was and it is only a testament of their delicious menu items.

Their menu is set up slightly different from other Dineout Restaurant participants. The Torafuku menu is set up to be shared family style; however, it also means you can only choose one dish from each category. For those of you who know me, I am not a big seafood eater, but my friend really wanted to try Torafuku and since I always end up choosing the places we dine at, it only seemed fair to let her have one pick.

Rye So Messy Chicken Wings - Torafuku 2017 DineOut

We went with the Dy-No-Mite roll as our first appetizer. The roll contained prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber, steelhead, fresh mango and togo aioli. I picked out the prawn tempura and steelhead and gave it to my friend, but the remaining parts of the roll were delicious! Also, when it comes to me, you can never go wrong with fresh mango.

For the second appetizer, we ordered the Rye So Messy Chicken Wings - literally finger licking delicious ramen crumble coated, Rye and Korean chilli marinade finished with mango glaze (yes mango) and kfc sauce. The chicken wings were crispy and full of flavour, with a bit of sweetness from the mango glaze to balance the spice from the marinade. The meat practically fell off the bone. Probably some of the best chicken wings I have ever had and also the fanciest!

Fresh Off the Boat - Torafuku 2017 DineOut

Torafuku also earns some bonus points from me as they served some complimentary dishes in addition to the menu items. From what I could observe, all diners also received garlic popcorn and a big bowl of kale salad! I have never had kale salad before, so this was a first for me. I know, I live in Vancouver and I have not had a kale salad?! Just think of spinach, but requiring three times more chewing due to it being far more fibrous. So definitely a bit of a mandible workout.

As I mentioned earlier, my friend really wanted to try Torafuku, so I wanted her to choose the menu items and even if it meant choosing something more seafood focused. We had the FOB (Fresh off the Boat) as our entree. Sitting in a bowl of "fuku" style Laksa was artfully arranged crab, scallops, prawns, clams, salmon, market veggies and a flakey puff pastry. Laksa is a Malaysian Chinese full of flavour soup that I sopped up with the puff pastry. My friend ate all of the seafood and said it was perfectly cooked and bursting of flavour. I am going to take her word for it as we both are huge foodies!

The Milk & Cookie - Torafuku 2017 DineOut

Of course, when you are with me, no meal is complete unless it involves dessert!!! Torafuku must have known I was coming because they did not limit us to only one dessert between the two of us. I wish all restaurants could follow in Torafuku's exemplary dessert rule. The Milk & Cookie was a refreshing vanilla panna cotta with a layer of yuzu gelee and a garnish of raspberry coulis and an almond black sesame shortbread. Astonishingly I was so full from the meal that I could not finish the panna cotta. The oddly named "magic stick," was a creamy chocolate ganache sitting atop of a hazelnut feuilletine and matcha crumble and a scoop of condensed milk ice cream. I tend to not like ganache heavy torte like chocolate desserts as they tend to be just a big piece of dense chocolate. However, the condemned milk ice cream was divine and the matcha crumble was a great textural addition to this dessert. Between the two desserts, I would probably go with he panna cotta unless you really like chocolate tortes, then choose the magic stick.

The Magic Stick - Torafuku 2017 DineOut

This was a great dine out experience and I highly recommend Torafuku if you are still planning on doing a dine out. You could taste the freshness of the ingredients they used and the staff was alert and attentive regardless of how insanely packed the restaurant was. I even fell a little ill during the dinner, I vomited the first course, but the staff were so sweet and checked on me throughout the night.

Let me know in the comments below what Dine Out 2017 restaurants you have visited.

BYES

Latte Moment | Happy Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year everyone! I usually do not get so excited about the Lunar New Year; however, this year, happens to be my year - the year of the ROOSTER! Ca-cka-dee Ca-cka-doo! Which also means I will be turning 24 this year... the years are just flying by!

I try to find any excuse I can to have delicious treats, so I put in an order at Beta 5 Chocolates for their Lunar New Year Mandarin Cream Puffs. These adorable creampuffs contained fresh mandarin orange curd, rice pudding mousse and a piece of almond-butter cake. The puffs were decorated to look like a freshly picked mandarin orange with still its stem and leaf intact.

Flavour wise, the mandarin curd was phenomenal and complimented the more subtle creamy rice pudding mousse. Being Indian, I am very familiar with the dessert rice pudding, so personally, I think it could have had more aromatic spices as it was a little one note. However, again that is coming from someone who has had a lot of rice pudding in their life. One thing I liked about this cream puff is that it was not as heavy as it did not feature a large amount of chantilly creme as their other cream puffs.

Fingers crossed for a fun and exciting year ahead for me! It is my year, and I am going to live it up!

BYES