The caramel ribbon crunch frappuccino is the first new drink. I ordered mine made with soy and no whip. This drink differs from the regular caramel frappuccino because it has four different types of caramel in the drink. They blend a caramel shot into the drink and then it is topped with a layer of dark caramel sauce, whipped cream , regular caramel drizzle, and a crunchy sugar topping. Sounds like caramel overload right?

It actually wasn’t as heavy as I was expecting and I liked it better than their regular caramel frappuccino. This version was still sweet and sugary, but it had a darker more rich caramel flavour than the original one.

I also loved the crunchy sugary caramel bits. I like anything that gives a bit of texture to the drink.

Their other feature is the mocha cookie crumble frappuccino, which was also available last summer. This drink is made with mocha sauce, vanilla flavour, and chocolate chips all blended up. It is then topped with a chocolate whipped cream and chocolate cookie crumbles. I also ordered this drink made with soy and no whip and I asked them to just use half of the amount of mocha syrup.

The flavour of this drink is rich and chocolately and it definitely does remind you of eating a cookie. I like the bits of chocolate that are throughout the drink and the crunch they add.

I ordered it made with half the amount of mocha syrup because I always find that all of the mocha drinks at Starbucks are too watery. Even with half of the syrup, this drink was still too watery. It was almost completely liquid and not the icy blended texture that I look for in a frappuccino. Given this texture problem, I don’t think I will order this drink again.

My final verdict on the new frapps is that the caramel ribbon crunch is a delicious and indulgent desserty option and worth a try if you have a sweet tooth. The mocha cookie crumble tastes good, but from my experiences, the liquid and ice ratios are off so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Recommendation:

Yes, for the caramel ribbon crunch frappuccino, and no for the mocha cookie crumble.

It was way too warm out for regular hot tea, so we tried a mango green tea slush and a strawberry oolong slush.

The strawberry oolong slush had a strong, sweet, strawberry flavour. You didn’t get too much tea flavour, since the strawberry dominated the drink.

The mango green tea slush was my favourite. It had a mild, fruity flavour from the mango, but you could still taste the green tea. I found this drink more refreshing and it had more of a tea flavour (which I like).

Both of these drinks were good and I would definitely come back to this stand. This is a good option for a refreshing drink on a hot day in the theme parks and something that I feel like most people would enjoy.

Recommendation:

Yes, for a thirst quenching drink in Epcot.

I had an almond milk latte. The latte was aesthetically pleasing and I loved the cute heart. The steamed almond milk had a nice velvety foam texture.

I wanted to like this place, but I didn’t enjoy the taste of the drink. I don’t like espresso that has a sour, burnt, after taste and that is what theirs had. I had to force myself to drink it and part of me wonders if this was a bad batch or if this is what their lattes always taste like. The taste reminded me of Blenz Coffee (sorry Blenz I hate your espresso too). Some people may like that though, and if you do, this is the place for you.

I felt sad after because I wanted to like this place. Ambiance wise it is cool, but the drink just didn’t do it for me. In a city where there are endless great coffee shop options I probably wouldn’t return.

Recommendation:

No, the cafe is cute, but I didn’t enjoy my drink.

Surprisingly, I have never been to a JJ Bean before I checked out the Port Moody location recently.

The first time I came here I ordered a soy cappuccino. I normally order lattes, but I wanted to switch it up this time and I was glad I did.

This was a well made cappuccino. The soy milk had a perfect micro foam texture, which is the secret to a good coffee drink.

The flavour of the espresso here is very nice. Sometimes I find drinks with no syrups bitter, but this espresso had a well-balanced flavour. I was glad I didn’t get any additional flavours to it because it was perfect just on its own.

On my next visit, I ordered an americano soy misto, a drink that I’ve been really into lately.

I also enjoyed this drink. It was equally well executed and slightly less milky than the cappuccino.

The barista gets bonus points for making the drink so pretty. After my stint of working in a coffee shop for two weeks, I have a lot of respect for baristas that can make beautiful looking drinks.

I only have good things to say about JJ Bean. I can’t compare it to other locations, but this one has a great atmosphere and lovely drinks.

Recommendation:

Yes, for great coffee and the nicest cafe in Port Moody.

The word macchiato means “marked” in Italian. This refers to the traditional cafe macchiatos that were prepared with a shot of espresso and a mark of milk foam on top. Another variation of the macchiato is the latte macchiato, which is mostly steamed milk with a mark of espresso. This is the style of macchiato Starbucks prepares and they mark their macchiatos with a drizzle of sauce.

The hazelnut macchiato is the same as the caramel one in regards to the vanilla flavour shot, espresso shot, and steamed milk. The only difference is that instead of caramel sauce, they drizzle a new hazelnut sauce on top.

I liked this version and I didn’t find it as overwhelmingly sweet as the caramel one. It is still a sweet drink though, and it could easily fulfil your dessert craving.

Something I would recommend doing if you order any macchiatos is to give them a good stir. It wrecks the pretty design on top, but the flavours are more evenly distributed.

Recommendation:

Yes, if you like Starbucks caramel macchiatos and similar drinks.

My most recent visit to Artigiano was at their Burnaby location on Hastings. This location is spacious with plenty of seating.

I ordered a soy latte. The soy milk had a perfect dense and velvety microfoam, which is the key to a great latte. If you have only ever had lattes from Starbucks, you should try one here because they do it the proper way. The latte art you get here is also a cute bonus.

I ordered a slice of some To Die For banana bread to satisfy my craving for something sweet. I’ve heard lots of hype around the city about Erin Ireland’s To Die For banana bread, but I have never actually tried it until this point.

I never have very high expectations for cafe desserts and normally banana bread can be on the dry side, but this stuff is definitely special. The bread is incredibly moist and it tastes like it was freshly baked and not siting in a store for days. The crushed up bits of chocolate and macadamia nuts on top also contribute to its deliciousness.

Caffe Artigiano always satisfies my caffeine fix and this banana bread is going to be my new favourite sweet pairing.

Recommendation:

Yes, for great coffee and pastries.

I ordered a fresh lychee slush with pearls.

I loved that they used fresh lychee in this drink and not just a flavoured syrup. The drink had a fragrant and mildly sweet taste. The consistency of the drink was well executed. It wasn’t too icy, and it had a spot on slushy texture. This drink was very refreshing and thirst quenching.

Normally pearls are pretty standard, but I was blown away by these ones. They were the best pearls I’ve ever tasted. They had a perfect soft and chewy texture with not a single hard one in the batch. I wonder what their secret is to make them so good?

After visiting Dragon Ball Tea House I can see why they have the great reputation they do. Their fresh fruit slushes and pearls are amazing and a step above all other bubble tea around.

Recommendation:

Yes, for the best bubble tea in Vancouver.

Since it is winter, I wasn’t feeling a cold drink, so I went with a strawberry lemon hot black tea with pearls. This was actually my first time having a hot bubble tea drink with pearls.

The drink was very sweet from the strawberry syrup and I was glad the lemon flavour was in there to give it a bit of tartness.  The teabag was generously filled with black tea, but I didn’t get much of a tea flavour since the fruit flavours were so strong.

I was curious as to how I would like pearls in a hot drink, but I loved it. They became deliciously soft and chewy.

On my next visit I tried the honey lemon hot black tea with pearls. This has been my favourite drink from here so far.

I enjoyed the combination of honey and lemon, because it was sweet, but more subtle and not as overpowering as the strawberry.

I also tried a mango hot green tea with pearls. This drink was good, but both the green tea and the mango flavouring were pretty mild.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed the drinks from Pearl Fever. It isn’t the best bubble tea I’ve had, but with limited options at SFU, it is perfectly fine. These drinks are much better than the gross drinks from Renaissance Cafe and they have become my go to caffeine fix if I don’t want coffee.

Recommendation:

Yes, for a good tea drink at SFU.