If your goal for the new year is to lay off on the sweets and food, well sorry. We’re here to make sure you fail that goal right now.
That’s because January in Vancouver continues the wave of food festivities from the previous quarter with festivals (ahem Hot Chocolate Fest & Dine Out) and monthly specials.
From vegan donuts to Lunar New Year-themed afternoon teas, here’s a peek at some of the city’s mouth-watering offerings available only (mostly) this month.
1. BETA5 Chocolates
Fruit Cocktail Creampuff: A light, refreshing cream puff filled with mango mousse, vanilla chiffon cake, ginger-yuzu jelly, fresh fruits, and vanilla pastry cream.
Available for pre-order on the BETA5 website as well!
Address: 409 Industrial Ave, Vancouver, BC V6A 2P8
2. Cartems Donuts
Vegan Pink Matcha Donut: A matcha-glazed yeast dough creation with a strawberry swirl and freeze-dried strawberry chunks.
Baked Black Sesame Gluten-Friendly Donut: A nutty, gluten-friendly delight with a black sesame glaze and sesame seed topping.
Address:
-2190 Main St, Vancouver BC
-91 Golden Dr #4, Coquitlam, BC
3. Earnest Ice Cream
BOGO Ice Cream Sandwiches: Buy one, get one free on ice cream sandwiches, with a limit of 12 per person.
*While supplies last
Rotational Flavours: Chocolate Malt, Rocky Road, Toasted Coconut, Lemon Poppyseed, Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Ripple, and Vegan Mocha Brownie.
Address:
-3992 Fraser St, Vancouver BC
-1829 Quebec St, Vancouver BC
-1485 Frances St. Vancouver BC
4. To Live For Bakery
Gallette des Rois: A traditional French dessert made with puff pastry and frangipane.
Golden Latte: A warming blend of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, and maple syrup.
Address: 1508 Nanaimo St, Vancouver, BC
5. Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
Back for its 14th year, the Hot Chocolate Festival is returning with over 160 unique drinks and over 60 vendors.
Like previous years, certain drinks will be only available for a portion of the festival period. So you’ll want to make note of which ones to hit up before they are gone!
Here are some that caught our eye:
- Beaucoup Bakery’s Star Wars-Themed Drinks:
- Join The Dark Side (Jan 13 – 20, 2024): A luxurious Valrhona chocolate fondue with Oreo and sesame flavors, served with Star Wars silhouette-shaped financier biscuits. Optional transformation into a sipping chocolate with whipped cream.
- Baby Yoda (Jan 21 – 27, 2024): A blend of Valrhona Dulcey Blond chocolate and ceremonial grade matcha, complemented by crunchy KitKat, served with character-shaped financier biscuits for dipping.
- Fufu Pancake Cafe’s Unicorn Kisses (Jan 13 – 28, 2024): A dark hot chocolate with taro and ube, topped with salted cheese foam and purple yam powder, paired with a mini shortcake.
- Whisk Matcha Cafe’s Starry Village (Jan 13 – 31, 2024): A vegan matcha white chocolate oat latte with Kinako, topped with black sesame whip and star sprinkles, and served with a matcha mini tart.
- *Honolulu Coffee’s Calli-Coco (Jan 13 – Feb 14, 2024): A playful hot chocolate featuring 28% white chocolate and steamed milk, with a side of activated charcoal, sesame paste, and earl grey. It comes with a brush pen for artistic expression and a gourmet fortune cookie.
For more details on the Hot Chocolate Festival offerings and to see the full list of participating vendors, check out this link.
*Although Honolulu Coffee’s Calli-Coco is available throughout the entire festival, its novel and interactive component makes it worth a mention!
6. Elephant Garden Creamery
Rotational Flavours: Lavender London Fog, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cookie Doughzilla, Salted Gula Melaka.
Address: 2080 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC
7. Glenburn Soda Fountain:
White Chocolate Chip Cookie with Matcha Ice Cream Sandwich: A handmade ice cream sandwich combining house-baked white chocolate chip cookies and matcha ice cream.
Address: 4090 Hastings St, Burnaby, BC
8. Notch8 at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Lunar New Year Afternoon Tea: Immerse yourself in a sensory experience designed by Koncept Designs at Notch8.
Executive Chef Danai Hongwanishkuhl’s menu features a fusion of sweet and savory items like Chilled Char Siu Pork Belly, Duck Confit with scallion pancake, Shrimp + Egg Tart, and desserts like Dragon Ball Cream Puff and Black Sesame Macaron.
Enhance the tea experience with a selection of LOT 35 and special teas, and a unique red envelope with chocolate coins.
Available Wednesday to Sunday afternoons from January 4 to February 25, 2024.
Reserve here.
Address: 900 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC
These limited-time offerings are perfect for foodies looking to start the year with some delicious adventures.
Don’t miss out on these unique treats – available only this January in Vancouver!
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.