Lamoon Thai Cafe

Lamoon is also famously known as Nam Wan, and you could get their famous drinks in a bag at various food festivals. They were always the stall with the crazy line ups but so worth the wait. Not only are their drinks refreshing with fun and unique flavours, the drink bags are just too cute!

Needless to say, when they opened an actual storefront, I became a regular. The owners are lovely and so kind. It’s been a positive experience each time. The cafe itself is adorable and aesthetically pleasing (perfect for getting those IG lifestyle shots). There are lots of cozy spots to enjoy the food/beverage and hang out, including a super nice patio in the back to enjoy the sunshine.

They offer an amazing menu with lots of authentic items you’d find in Thailand (beverages, pastries and savoury dishes) and added their own unique twists. Since I’m all about my desserts, I will focus on the pastries and beverages that blew my mind.

Vanilla butter cake with strawberry jam

These bunnies first caught my eyes because of how cute they are. But once I’ve had a taste, I was hooked. The cake is soft and buttery, and the burst of fruity strawberry filling in the centre goes perfectly with the vanilla flavour.

There are also little pandan bunnies. For the pandan fans out there, it’s a must try!

Cookies, cookies, cookies!

All of their cookies are fresh and baked in-house (so talented!). If you’re like me and love a good soft and doughy cookie, these are the cookies for you. They are so soft and have almost a cakey texture because of how bubbly they are. As usual, the flavours are amazing. Pictured below are the: pandan with toasted coconuts on top, Thai tea with macadamia nuts, purple yam with pistachios, and taro.

Yes, I did eat these cookies all by myself. I love the soft chewy texture of the cookies and the flavours are on point. If I must pick a favourite, I’d say that the taro and pandan are tied for first place. The Thai tea and purple yam are a very, very close second. I recommend trying them all!

Coconut Biscuits with pineapple jam

I can not get enough of these cookies. I won’t get into how many bags I’ve already gone through (too many to count).

These authentic cookies are made in Thailand and imported here based on availability. Since this may not always be available, I stock up whenever I see them. They are the perfect finger food for snacking. It’s so easy to finish a bag in one sitting (or maybe it’s just my porky appetite).

The coconut biscuits are crunchy and buttery. The generous pineapple filling inside is chewy with that sweet/tartness from the pineapple. I love that they use fresh pineapple and you can actually taste the tiny strands from the pineapple chunks. The texture of the cookie and filling combined is pure perfection *chef’s kiss*

One of the reasons I am so obsessed with this particular cookie is because the filling reminds me of the Taiwanese pineapple cakes I used to eat as a child. There’s a nostalgic feeling whenever I eat them.

Sidebar: Lamoon also supports local businesses in Thailand by using their handmade rope handles for the to-go drinks, as well as introducing products such as tote bags and scarves that use pa kao ma (Thai fabric). I always love seeings locals supporting locals and this also extend our to other small businesses in all the countries that have been impacted.

Cheers!

You may have noticed the beautiful drinks in each of the photos. After all, these popular drinks are what launched this incredible cafe. Their origin story, so to speak. Below are the drinks that are shown in the pictures above:

• Lychee butterfly - lychee, soda, butterfly pea flower (this is the colorful purple drink)

• Iced matcha latte

• Pandan latte (my favourite) - this is sweetened with condensed milk but you can request to adjust the sweetness level. I personally like it less sweet so it’s more refreshing.

*Substitutions are available for the milky beverages such as oat, soy, and almond.

Lamoon Location 📍

713 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Y5

Home “sweet” home - My favourite Vancouver desserts

I’m so happy I was able to go home for a visit this year. It’s been years since my last visit.

It was definitely a pleasant surprise to see how some of my favourite bakeries not only survived the pandemic, but have branched out with multiple locations now.

Initially I planned on listing just my top 5 favourite desserts in Vancouver. However, after a LONG deliberation, I decided that since I still can’t narrow it down to just 5 places, I should just list all the places that really wowed me! Below are my 8 favourite dessert experiences while I was in Vancouver. I mean… there’s no such thing as too many dessert options (especially when the craving hits). I broke them down to 2 categories:

1. The oldie but a goodie - I’m a repeat customer at all these bakeries when I still lived here. These are my favourite places and I visit them every time I’m back. They never let me down!

2. My new loves - I visited these places for the first time and it was love at first bite.

Category 1 - oldie but goodie

1. Thierry 📍1059 Alberni St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1A1

I can go on and on about all the amazing pastries here and their hot chocolate, but the thing that keeps bringing me back is the Passion Fruit Cake. It’s an airy mousse cake with the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

The new item on their repertoire gives me even MORE reason to come back. The chocolate succè (hazelnut meringue, dense chocolate mousse, tempered dark, milk and white chocolate). It’s got the chocolate, the crunch, and the creamy mousse all in one bite.

2. Beta 5 📍409 Industrial Ave, Vancouver, BC V6A 2P8

Even with new bakeries serving up some legit cream puffs, Beta 5 continues to be my favourite and my go to happy place. Not only are their cream puffs so aesthetically pleasing with creative finishing touches, they taste like perfection. The choux pastry is light and airy with the perfect crunchy shell. These cream puffs are filled with amazing combination of flavoured creams, custards and mousse.

3. Nero waffles

📍1002 Seymour St, Vancouver, BC V6B 3M6

📍1703 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C8

These bad boys are right up there with the liège waffles (aka Belgium waffles) from Cafe Medina. I personally prefer Nero over Cafe Medina because they have a variety of flavours from sweet to savory and some of them even have delicious filling inside. These waffles are made with a brioche like dough, mixed with pearl sugar that gets caramelized when cooked. I love how they have a nice crunch on the outside and it’s soft and chewy on the inside.

4. Mister Artisan Ice Cream 📍1141 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P2

I was lucky enough to try this place when they first opened in Yaletown. It makes me so happy to see that they’re still doing well after all these years, and the quality of their ice cream is still top notch! I have a really weird fear of getting my hands dirty when I eat, that’s why I never get my ice cream in a cone. These ice cream bars are easy to eat without ending up with sticky fingers.

The ice cream here are made with liquid nitrogen. It’s fun to watch and the result is a rich, creamy ice cream. They offer rotational flavours based on the ingredients in season.

I highly recommend trying out the s’mores bar and the Nanaimo bar. I got the half bars so I could try different flavours, but they are also available in full size bars and they are significantly bigger.

Category 2 - My new loves

1. Nemesis Coffee 📍SO many locations!

This isn’t just your typical coffee shop. They have an amazing breakfast menu, and the most important thing (for me) is their pastries from Dope Bakehouse. This in house bakery offers the best cruffin I’ve ever had. I came here multiple times during my trip because I just couldn’t get enough of their pastries.

Crossiant + muffin = cruffin love child.

The cruffin is light, flaky and buttery. It’s also filled with just the right amount of filling inside for the perfect bite ratio. As a matcha addict, the matcha raspberry cruffin was my favourite. I highly recommend this to any matcha/cruffin lovers!

2. H Tasting Lounge 📍1601 Bayshore Dr., Vancouver, BC V6G 2V4

The desserts here blew my mind. It’s located in the Westin hotel along the Seawall so it’s perfect for a nice stroll after a meal.

Each item is beautifully crafted and tastes just as good as it looks. The cotton candy and cream puffs are so creative and so much fun to eat.

They also offer an amazing brunch menu, but make sure you make your reservation ahead of time because they book up fast!

3. Angus T Bakery and Cafe 📍1036 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2T4

This newly opened bakery is already famous for their buttery croissants. They offer both savory and sweet croissants with a variety of unique flavours and fillings.

Their cinnamon buns are also top notch and worth trying at least one (or in my case it was more like 10). The sweet yeasty dough is perfectly rolled so you can actually peel it like a fruit roll up! I love how generous they are with the cinnamon. The cinnamon buns also have a variety of flavours to choose from.

4. Their there 📍2042 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M9

These mochi doughnuts got me doing my happy food dance. A mochi doughnut is a doughnut and mochi hybrid. It’s got the best of both worlds.

The size of these doughnuts may seem intimidating, but they are actually very light and airy. I polished off both of these in one sitting! It’s crazy how texturally satisfying these mochi doughnuts are. It’s got a nice fried crispy outer doughnut shell with a soft and chewy mochi centre.

There’s also a large variety of fun flavours to pick from. I tried the cereal milk mochi doughnut and the raspberry cheesecake mochi doughnut. Both were so amazing I had to order extra to take home!

I was blown away by these mochi doughnuts but they also offer savory items for breakfast and lunch. The matcha latte here is definitely worth ordering too! There’s just so much to love about this place.

Roselle

Definitely one of my favourite bakeries in Toronto since it opened in 2015. Whenever I have friends visiting from out of town, this is always one of the spots I take them to as a must try.

Roselle offers a variety of cakes, eclairs, cookies, chocolates, pavlova and so much more! They work with fresh and quality ingredients, this includes working with fruits from our Ontario farms. They often have rotational treats depending on the seasonal fruits. Strawberry season is my favourite!

It was love at first bite with their earl grey “shorties”. The smooth and silky ganache with pieces of candied orange is sandwiched between earl grey shortbread cookies. Who knew the secret to making shortbread cookies even better is to turn it into a shortbread sandwich!

I never leave Roselle without at least a few madeleines. These buttery cakes are the perfect little treats. There are a few flavours to pick from:

• Lemon glazed

• Earl grey peach glazed

• Strawberry lemonade (seasonal)

The earl grey soft serve is definitely a must try for all earl grey lovers out there. This creamy and fragrant soft serve is so light and refreshing.

The “next level” soft serve includes: white chocolate crispy pearls, injected with house made lemon cream and a mini earl grey shortie.

Location: 362 King St. E, Toronto, ON, M5A 1K9

New York City

I was in New York City for the long weekend and quickly realized that 5 days is simply not enough time to see all that the city has to offer. I managed to explore a good chunk of Manhattan on foot and put together this list of my favorite places.

Brooklyn Bridge 

The Brooklyn Bridge is a nice short walk with a good view of the World Trade Center, Statue of Liberty, Manhattan Bridge and the Empire State Building. The best time to go is early mornings before it gets too crowded. It took me about 15 minutes to walk to the other side of the bridge. 

Fun fact: Doubts about the stability of the Brooklyn Bridge was put to rest when 21 elephants marched across the bridge in 1884. Such brave and helpful elephants!

I love Central Park

Central Park is the perfect escape from the busy streets and I love everything about it. It's amazing how this beautiful park in the middle of the city is able to block out the traffic sounds. 

Still buzzing from the magnolia cupcakes (4 to be exact), I explored Central Park while replaying the Sex and the City theme song in my head. New York may be known as the city that never sleeps but I feel like it's also such a romantic city. The plaques on the park benches in Central Park each had a story to tell. Some were declarations of love, some were reminders of happy memories, and some revealed their hopes for the future. I found a romantic proposal bench where a person engraved the question "will you marry me?" on the plaque. I don't know who this Michael is, but well done sir!

I went to New York to visit family but a vacation wouldn't be complete without some food adventures! Besides, families that eat together stay together! Here are a couple of the dessert places that really stood out.

Favorite dessert place: Spot Dessert Bar

The Big Orange is only a seasonal item on the menu and I highly recommend it! It tasted like an orange creamsicle! 

The matcha lava cake was amazing. The dark chocolate cake was rich and chocolatey and it went so well with the green tea ganache filling and the green tea ice cream.

A+ presentation: Sweet Moment

The cold brew is a must try! It was the most adorable coffee art I've ever seen and so yummy too! The drink is actually a cold brew with milk and dark chocolate. The artwork part is done on a thick layer of whipped cream at the top. 

The watermelon bingsu was also a piece of art. The staff here put so much care into their beautifully crafted food. 

The most fun experience: Sprinkles Cupcakes

This is not your average ATM machine. It's a cupcake ATM! This adorable ATM is attached to the actual storefront. It is stocked with freshly made cupcakes from the store. There's limited seating in the bakery but you can grab your cupcake from the ATM machine and enjoy it inside.

Amazing cakes: Lady M

The green tea mille crepe was delicious but the strawberry shortcake was the winner for me. The actual cake part was so light and fluffy. The cream wasn't too sweet or greasy and the strawberries in the cake were fresh. My only regret is not getting a second slice!

Favorite matcha dessert: Dominique Ansel Bakery

Dominique Ansel's matcha and passion fruit cake combo truly was a matcha made in heaven.

Coolest ice cream: Milk & Cream Cereal Bar

I tried many ice cream places during my stay in New York thanks to the unseasonably hot autumn weather (not that the cold ever stopped me from eating ice cream before). The vanilla ice cream mixed so well with my cereal choice, Trix. I wanted to bring a tub (or two) home with me! For the toppings I got sprinkles, teddy grahams and chocolate sauce. I don't know how I'll ever go back to eating regular ice cream again. 

The New York food scene did not disappoint! 

Traveling always reminds me of the kindness and generosity that still exist in the world. I always manage to meet helpful strangers and New York was no exception. This time, however, these kind strangers I met on the train to Penn Station offered to take me to the Rangers game! I now know that Rangers is the hockey team in New York.  

It's easy to see why people fall in love with New York. From all the beautiful shops and hotels to the amazing food scene, there is no shortage of things to do! I can't wait to come back and soak up all the glam that New York has to offer. Maybe I can even catch a Broadway show next time!

Royaltea

The most aesthetically pleasing bubble tea place!

The light bulb bubble tea is actually the reason I wanted to try this place. I've always been one to fall for fancy marketing and pizzazz. It doesn't always work out, but this is not one of those times! The bubble tea is as yummy as it looks! The tapioca here is cooked just the way I like it - chewy and not too sweet.

Ice cream + tea = milk tea!
Such a creative way to make milk tea. I would recommend getting it less sweetened. Even with my sweet tooth, I found that the ice cream made the drink a little sweeter than the average bubble tea.

When there is dessert on the menu I simply cannot refuse. Especially when the dessert is bubble waffle stuffed with ice cream! I got the matcha bubble waffle with a scoop of green tea ice cream and a scoop of black sesame ice cream. Normally I love all things green tea/matcha, but in this case the black sesame ice cream was the winner.

It was definitely a bubbly night!

Royaltea currently has 2 locations in Toronto. One in Scarborough and one in Chinatown (Spadina and Dundas).