HoCho Fest 2016: 13, 14, 15, 16

Each year, the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival brings together cafes, confectionaries, and restaurants to create specialty hot chocolate beverages to fundraise for a great cause. This year, proceeds of the festival will be going towards supporting the Downtown Eastside Women's Job Training Program of the PHS Community Services Society and East Van Roasters. Each year, I join this win-win-win situation by dropping in to every possible location, tasting delicious drinks and snacks, reviewing my stops, and supporting this superb cause.

This post features: Terra Breads, Koko Monk, East Van Roasters, and Thierry.

-----

HoCho 13: Honey Buns, Terra Breads (4th Ave)

SPICY.

HoCho Fest Day 15: Aloha Sweetie

Another lovely day in the homeland - very chilly, but bright and sunny. It was a nice day to go have brunch with the first year family, and then go home for a few hours to celebrate the birthdays of more family!

JA's brunch.

My brunch! Oatmeal cooked in apple juice. 

 As I was very tight on time, I went to snag a hot chocolate I had been dodging because of its white chocolate content (despite how sweet I once knew that flavour to be); however, today I returned to Terra Breads for their "Aloha Sweetie" festival item.

Barry Callebaut White Hot Chocolate with hibiscus flower.
Served with mountain berry marshmallow and lemon sugar cookie.

I was disappointed to learn that this item on their menu had no dairy-free milk option, as it is pre-mixed for heating and aerating I suppose! Since I had no time to change plans if I wanted to get home in time, my fellow and I decided to share a few sips of this one and then be on our way (with two small and very delicious vanilla raspberry Valentine's cookies in hand).

"Aloha Sweetie" was exciting as it was pink, rather than any expected shade of chocolaty brown. Hibiscus sounded interesting as well, and I considered how it may compare to my only other notable experience with hibiscus - The Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher from Starbucks. 



I was surprised by how strong the hibiscus flavour was! It was potent, but not bitter. The flavour was stronger than that of the Starbucks Refresher, but kept sweet and smooth because of the white chocolate. It was also interesting to have the flavour warm, as I had only ever tried it ice-cold before. The marshmallow it came with was huge! It was "mountain berry" flavoured; I did try a bite, out of curiosity, and if I still ate gelatin I imagine it would have been a filling and fruity and yummy treat to indulge in. There was also a sugar cookie included; nothing noteworthy to say about it, other than it was cute and standard and enjoyable! I enjoy the ambience of this Kitsilano location and their selection of foods and other items beyond bread (who knew?)

This one was not left empty; 

but if you don't mind dairy, I imagine

you'll have a good time!

 

HoCho Fest Day 2: Call Me A Cab

Today's adventure in hot chocolate tasting took me to Terra Breads in Kitsilano. I have only had the baking sort of treat from them, and had no idea there was such a range of specialty beverages and meal items! Along with my hot chocolate, I enjoyed an avocado and veggie sandwich. 

The hot chocolate is called "Call Me A Cab" - one of Terra's two items offered for the festival. I vouched for this one as the other was white chocolate and I wished not to test my stomach's sweetness tolerance for the afternoon. 

Call Me A Cab: Cacao Barry Extra Brute Hot Chocolate with Cabernet, cinnamon and pear. Served with a pear crisp and a cocoa sugar cookie. 

I ordered it with soy milk, and found it to be extremely light and fluffy. There was no overwhelming sweetness or intense chocolatey-ness (in a rather pleasant way). I had trouble detecting the pear flavours, but was met with a hint of the Cabernet throughout the whole drink and it finished on a cinnamon-y note which sat on my tongue. The pear crisp atop it was a unique and delicious treat, and the heart-shaped cocoa sugar cookie was yummy and made for good dunking! 

I quite enjoyed today's experience and will definitely return to the location for sandwiches that are perfectly-sized, healthy, and delicious. Perhaps for the less-than-$5 soup I saw on the menu as well! I look forward to what tomorrow brings.