Rest assured fellow readers, for me, blogging will
always come first. Meaning photographs are snapped quickly (and without
staging) to ensure food is consumed at its optimal temperature. With that said,
over the last year, I’ve started dabbling in the Instagram realm
(@gastroworldblog), as a means of showcasing the photos I’m most proud of or
others that will never be included in a post.
What I love most about this
second social media platform, is the sense of community and feedback you
receive. People are quick to give kudos and there’s so much interaction in the
comments field! Even though it doesn’t showcase Gastro World’s writing very well,
it has allowed me to connect with a new group of foodies.
@FeedMyPhone hosted an Insta Meet at Infuse Café’s new
location inside the Gerrard Square Mall. The perfect opportunity to meet the
people behind the photos that entice me; a collection of individuals who love
food photography and their friends (often relegating to holding objects and
pouring with a slow grace). To watch the true photographers at work – the
equipment (a far cry from my iPhone) and the care they take to ensure things
are placed optimally – was eye opening.
Truth be told, my attention was quickly stolen by the
high tech gadget used to vacuum extract tea and coffee using reverse atmosphere
infusion (are any engineers reading this?). These machines end up costing $20K+
after being installed and requires a special technician flown from San
Francisco to get the job done. Infuse Café is the only establishment in the
country that has the right to use the machine for the next couple of years.
So what does a machine that costs as much as an entry
level car get you? For tea, a richer tasting cup without the bitterness as the
machine doesn’t use scalding water, which unfortunately can sometimes scorch
the leaves. For coffee, a cup of java that has 15% more caffeine! The fruit
flavours in the blueberry hibiscus iced tea ($3.99/16oz and $4.49/20oz) was prevalent
so that the drink could almost be juice. Meanwhile, the classic milk tea (same
price as hibiscus) did offer a robust tea flavour without the bitter end note.
Personally, I would have loved to try iron goddess of
mercy (or tae guan yum), normally ordered at at dim sum, in order contrast the
tea naturally. After all, what should high quality tea made with a specialized
machine really taste like? For those who want something luxurious, Infuse
offers milk latte versions of their drinks and most can be ordered in a hot or
cold form (with no additional charge for making it cold)! Their teas range from
$3.49 for a 16oz yerba mate blend to $8.99 for a 20oz cup of their “prestige” line
such as the Silver Needle.
A variety of cakes from Cecilia’s Cheesecakes, which
can normally be purchased at Infuse, was also tasted at the event. Their
original cheese cake ($10) was just as satisfying as Uncle Tetsu’s and the matcha,
chocolate or orange flavoured versions ($15) tasty as well.
But, it was the
matcha ganache cheesecake ($18) that was my favourite, combining the fluffy
lightness of a Japanese cheesecake with a sweet icing to really make it dessert.
It was so good I purchased a personal-sized version ($4) for my husband.
While learning about the machine, we were advised it
could even make cocktails – morphing the alcohol to make it sweeter. Oh boy,
when Infuse Café becomes the next Starbucks and gets their liquor license, that
would be something I’m most excited to try. Just imagine the state of the
attendees of an Insta Meet after a couple of those...
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 1000 Gerrard St. E (inside the Gerrard Square Mall)
Address: 1000 Gerrard St. E (inside the Gerrard Square Mall)
Website: http://www.infusecafe.ca/
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
Is That It? I Want More!
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