Tasting Thai food with Thai Select Canada

Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2016 by
I love all the influences that Thai cuisine integrates: Chinese due to the origins of the early migrants who moved from southwestern China to Thailand bringing chilies and the stir-frying techniques; Portuguese when the Europeans first discovered the country adding seafood and coconuts; and India as traders brought many of the lovely spices and curries we enjoy today.

While Thailand’s population is over 65-million strong, according to Toronto’s Thai Trade Centre, there’s only about 11,000 people in Canada. Despite the small Canadian population, restaurants are well represented – especially in the metropolitan areas. Thailand’s government aims to protect the reputation of their food by instituting the Thai Select program, which endorses the authenticity of a restaurant (in terms of food and hospitality) and encourages those who don’t meet the qualifications to change their techniques.


If you see a restaurant bearing the Thai Select logo, it essentially certifies
  • a minimum of 60% of the menu is authentic Thai dishes; and
  • the cooking methods used are similar to what’s done in Thailand.
Restaurants awarded the premium status create dishes of a “premium” quality and also takes into account the overall décor and experience. Food isn’t just prepared authentically, it’s presented authentically with intricate decorations (as seen by the beautiful sculpted vegetable carvings).


I’ll admit, until being invited to the Thai Trade Centre, I’ve never recognized the Thai Select logo. I’m likely not alone, although 88 restaurants in Canada have already earned the certification, the general public knows little about the prestigious program. To change this, the Thai Trade Centre enlisted EatNMingle’s help to organize a Taste Thailand Tour.

Having been to a number of blogger events, there’s always latecomers who arrive halfway through. Not on this day! The eight of us (so thankful to be selected for such a small group) were so excited that everyone was early, eager to begin our travel from Toronto to Kingston and then Ottawa. Along with members from the Thai Trade Centre, Chef Nuit (Thai Select’s Canadian Ambassador), and Chef Jeff Regular (of Pai restaurant in Toronto), we set off… on time!

On board the bus, a breakfast from Patchmon’s Thai Dessert staved off our hunger. Inside, two flaky pastries (one filled with curried potato and the second encapsulating taro and mushroom) and delicious pineapple cookies.


Indeed, it’s a heavy breakfast. Similar to other East Asian cultures, breakfast in Thailand generally tends to be a substantial meal. Items like congee, fried dough and noodles are frequently consumed to give everyone the necessary energy throughout the day. Patchmon’s puffs consisted of delicate crispy layers – the curried potato akin to a lighter samosa, while the taro and mushroom an interesting earthy combination.


Given my day was all about eating, I didn’t need that much sustenance, so saved the pineapple cookies for the following day. If you’re familiar with the Tawainese pineapple cakes, Patchmon’s cookies has a similar thin soft crust and centre, except less sweet and not as heavy. I loved the pineapple slivers you could still see and taste inside the pastry and its chewy sticky consistency, similar to a fig newton.


Another treat for the day was visiting the Thailand Ambassador for Canada, His Excellency Mr. Vijavat Isarabhakdi, at his family’s home in Ottawa. A beautiful property, located on a quiet residential street, the pale blue and white decor throughout the house was utterly tranquil.


Yet, there were so many interesting photos, beautiful sculptures and intricate flower arrangements that I didn’t know where to look first! All while sipping on the most delicious sweetened coconut water with young coconut pieces.



Settling into the dining room, an elegant afternoon tea was laid out. As much as I love scones with Devonshire cream, savoury foods steal my heart, so I’ll opt for the Thai afternoon tea any day. The thoong thong are rice paper sachets filled with a chicken, shrimp and crab mixture and tied together with a spring onion. Resembling a filled coin purse, the crisp golden bites were the perfect bite sized hors d’oeuvres.


While the tod man gai is traditionally made with fish, His Excellency’s chef switched the protein for chicken instead. Made into a paste with red curry, kaffir lime leaves, and micro fine pieces of green beans, the skewers were almost like meat balls, except pan fried. Despite being dunked into a sweet sauce, the glaze was very light and with the crisp vegetables was rather nice.


A modern take on Thai cuisine was served - the same spicy salmon salad that won a competition hosted amongst the other Embassy chefs. Salmon is rare in Thailand, but the sashimi style fish dressed with lemongrass, chili, lime juice, mint and avocado was delicious.


The sole sweet was a coconut sticky rice topped with Thai custard. Normally, the warm sweet and salty rice dessert is served with fruits. This rendition took the dessert to the next level by adding a luscious smooth palm sugar and egg custard. You could eat each layer separately and be satisfied, but together the contrasting textures were fantastic.   


During the tea, we learnt all about the Thai Select program and His Excellency’s love for food. Moreover, he shared that since 2017 will be Canada’s 150th birthday, all Embassies have been invited to host an event at the pavilion in Ottawa. Of course, Thailand will be showcasing their warm culture and delicious food as well.


It wouldn’t be a tasting tour without restaurant visits, we sampled so much that our lunch at Thai House Cuisine and dinner at Sukhothai became posts of their own (click the names for the corresponding review).

Looking back at the meals and reading Thai Select’s website, they describe the tradition best: “A popular way to savor the delight of the Thai meal is dining together with a group of friends and share the many dishes together. It's always a hearty feast filled with fun and fiery flavors of Thai culinary creations.”

What started out as a group of individuals, many who didn’t know each other, ended as a night of mischievous laughter (thank you to His Excellency for gifting us bottles of pad Thai sauce that made for an interesting KFC popcorn chicken rest stop cooking experience). As we proceeded through each meal, we certainly savoured the feasts, but also connected and bonded over the dishes.


Seize the day! Grab a group of loved ones and do a Taste Thailand Tour across Canada of your own. You even have a navigator: just visit Thai Select and let the help guide your journey.  


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Sukhothai (Ottawa)

Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2016 by

According to Wikipedia, Sukhothai was once a thriving Kingdom in central Thailand and translates to "dawn of happiness".  There’s something wishful about using that name for a restaurant: hoping to bring happiness to all your customers. By no means am I implying this is why the Ottawa owners chose this name, it’s simply my own romantic notion.

Tomato and red spices are left out of the restaurant’s tom yum goong ($5.50) so the broth remains clear … rather deceiving … until you take a sip. Instantly, the spicy, sour, salty and even mildly sweet flavours flood the mouth – how is such an innocent looking soup so powerful? Even without the red spices the soup has a nice heat level and lemongrass essence. As a warning, it’s a tad salty so this goes best with rice.


Green curries are one of my favourite Thai dishes and Sukhothai’s doesn’t disappoint. The gang keaw warn ($16.95) has great rich flavours and the sauce light enough to spoon liberally over rice. The mixture of crunchy vegetables (bell pepper, carrot, bamboo shoot and baby corn) kept it fresh and the drizzle of extra coconut milk on top an additional creaminess. I’d caution against ordering the beef as it was a tad chewy, I still enjoy this dish best with chicken, shrimp or simply in its vegetarian form.


If you can’t handle spicy curries, the gang khua sap pa rod ($18.95) is a safer alternative. Coconut milk, tomatoes and curry are combined with shrimp and chunks of pineapple. The sweetness from the fruit mellows everything, making the dish a mild approachable curry. The shrimp's texture is different: not the crunchy consistency found in other dishes; something about the acid makes it meaty and tender but not rubbery.


If you thinking the gai pad med ma muang ($15.95) is like kung pao chicken, then you’re correct. This Thai dish is said to be derived from the popular Sichuan version, except substituting the creamier cashew for peanuts and incorporating a stronger heat. Overall, the cashew chicken has a decent spiciness but not overwhelming.  


During the warmer months, a lighter cold dish such as the yum-pla ($17.95) is ideal. Despite the menu noting this Thai salad is generally served as a hors d’oeurve, it’s so substantial that you should consider it a main. A large piece of grilled trout is topped with green mango salad and cashews for crunch.  


Sukhothai’s pad Thai ($15.95) was the first I’ve had that grinds their peanuts into fine pieces so you experience its texture without too much crunch. Overall, a good rendition of the popular dish: the stir-fried rice noodles were springy and well covered in spices without becoming too wet; the chicken and shrimp not over cooked; and the bean sprouts and red cabbage served on the side so you can customize the amount of crunchy raw vegetables.


To end, we were treated with a dessert typically only served on special occasions. The thong ek, which translates to “gold prime”, is meant to bring wealth and advancement with a person’s career.  The dessert is generally carved into a flower shape; at Sukhothai, they’re simplified into a leaf beautifully adorned with a piece of gold foil. Made with sugar, coconut milk reduction and egg yolk, the thong ek reminds me of Chinese New Year cake, except softer and stickier.


Sukhothai, being the last restaurant we went to that day, was a great ending. Not exactly the “dawn of happiness”, but I certainly departed in good spirits having enjoyed a lovely indulgent meal with a group of great people.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Ottawa, Canada
 Address: 134 Robertson Road

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Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Sukhothai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Thai House Cuisine (Kingston)

Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2016 by


Since 1999, Thai House Cuisine has served Bangkok style dishes to diners across Ontario. Blooming into four locations (Toronto, Mississauga, Kingston, and Belleville), the Toronto location was eventually sold, allowing the founder to focus on the others. Their Kingston restaurant was an ideal stopping point during the Tasting Thailand Tour between Toronto and Ottawa.  

For the indecisive, the appetizer assortment ($14.99) offers a great variety: tons of crowd pleasing fried items including lightly dusted calamari, tasty crispy vegetable spring rolls stuffed with thinly sliced vegetables and glass noodles, and peppery shrimp wrapped in spring roll sheets; simple egg, tofu and vegetable fresh rolls wrapped in rice paper; slightly dry chicken satay skewers; and a refreshing cucumber salad. A nice starter, snack or nibbling plate.

There’s something magical about Thai soups – a medley of ingredients simmered together for long periods creating a cacophony of flavours. The coconut chicken soup ($6.99) was the best part of the meal: a surprisingly light broth, despite the coconut milk, balanced with a slight acidity from lemon and kaffir lime leaves. Don’t be fooled, the milky liquid still has a spicy kick, with the galangal (an ingredient similar to ginger root), creating a throat cleansing sting. Do yourself a favour and save some of the broth to spoon over steamed rice.


Another great addition to rice is the beef tamarind curry ($13.99). Generally, I prefer sticking to chicken, shrimp or vegetable based curries as I find flank steak slices often become tough and tasteless. Thai House Cuisine uses brisket instead, which undoubtedly takes longer to cook, but produces a tender meat that actually soaks up flavours.


Despite the menu displaying three chilies beside the spicy chicken ($12.99), the stir fry wasn’t too hard to handle given the sauce incorporates a sweetness to mellow the heat. We were warned that the restaurant’s dishes have been toned down for the Canadian palette, so if you’re like me and would want this spicier, don’t be afraid to ask for the full-fledged version.


Using the same sauce as the chicken, but seemingly more garlicky, the spicy fish ($16.99) smells amazing as it’s presented. Served as thick boneless filets, the trout remains moist with enough sauce for flavour, but not swimming in the glaze to overpower the seafood. Be warned, this is a substantial dish, so share or be prepared for take-out.


The stir fried garlic pork ($12.99) didn’t have as much garlic as anticipated, but rather a slight peppery taste. Overall, it was a tasty dish, but perhaps cutting the pork into chunks rather than slivers would help the meat become juicier.


With all the protein rich dishes, it was nice to have a mixture of stir fried vegetables ($11.99) and an omelette to provide balance. The khai jeaw, a Thai omelette, is thin and pan fried in a lot of oil so the edges crisp up and becomes fluffy. With nothing mixed into the egg, except for spices, the plain omelette also pairs well with pad Thai.


Their pad Thai ($12.99) has a slight sourness from the tamarind but isn't overly pronounced. Incorporating the typical toppings - shrimp, chicken, tofu, egg, bean sprouts and chopped peanuts – the rice noodles had nice flavours, although could use a bit more “wok hay”. 


Growing up Chinese, I’m accustomed to the heavy grain based East Asian desserts – rice, beans and glutinous flour are common building blocks to our sweets. Thailand is known for their coconut rice ($3.50). Served warm and creamy, it’s mildly sweet with a slight salty current mixed into the coconut. Boy, we were in for a treat! Thai House’s owner was able to procure some of the best mangos I’ve ever tasted in Canada – the fresh juicy sweet ripe fruit went splendidly with the sticky warm rice.


Another great sweet ending is a glass of oliang (iced coffee) or Thai tea. Both are enriched with other ingredients: sesame seeds, soy beans or corn for the coffee; or star anise, tamarind or cinnamon with the tea. The drink isn’t a simple brew-and-consume either – the coffee is often filtered through a “coffee sock” and the tea poured from pot to pot at great heights to create a smoother product. A sweetened condensed milk can be added creating beautiful layers as presented.  


It’s safe to say my taste buds left fully satisfied: spicy, sour, sweet and salty … how can you eat a meal with just one?

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10
Disclaimer: The above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Kingston, Canada
 Address: 185 Sydenham Street

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Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Thai House Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


One Kitchen's meal delivery service

Posted on Sunday, September 11, 2016 by

In my youth I loved cooking … the ritual of combining ingredients into a delicious creation and sharing it with loved ones. Once work came into the picture, the thought of all the time spent prepping and cooking compared to how quickly everything was consumed became taxing. It also became harder to cook for one once leaving my roommates after university; too often ingredients come in big portions and food was wasted. So, soon it became easier to just eat out or prepare easy meals, the more complicated creations left for Sundays, dinner parties, and special occasions.

I’ve heard about meal delivery services from friends who love how easy it makes cooking meals for their families. Sure, it sounded intriguing, but being a food blogger and my husband and I having active social lives, I had doubts whether cooking three meals a week was feasible. Then one day One Kitchen offered to provide me a week’s delivery to try – what a perfect excuse to let my inner chef come out again!

Dependability

Delivering on Monday and Tuesdays seems smart – most people go out on weekends and having a weekday delivery means customers don’t have to waste precious weekend hours at the supermarket.

As promised, everything arrived in a thick cardboard box with all the ingredients held in an insulated bag. Four ice packs also kept the meat frozen so everything was still intact and cold when I arrived home in the afternoon.  On an environmental note: it would be great if One Kitchen takes back the box, insulation bag, outer plastic bags, and ice packs to reuse. A drop-off pick-up sort of a program.  

Plastic bags kept all the other ingredients separated into their respective recipes and I just made sure they were stored together in the fridge.


As a warning, not everything is included in the kit. Some ingredients are understandable – oil, salt, pepper – things people should have at home. However, there were others that were a bit strange like with the vegetable tart you’re expected to have cider vinegar (luckily I had it), but the recipe includes flour.  Perhaps the vinegar wasn’t a key ingredient (used in the dressing for the salad) and could easily be replaced with something else.


It would be nice if One Kitchen provides a list of ingredients and equipment required for each recipe (on the website), so people can ensure they’re prepared before choosing it for delivery.

Recipes: Ease of Use

For the most part the recipes are pretty easy to follow. They include the ingredients in the proportions required, so you don’t need to measure or weigh anything. Simply wash and chop the produce and you’re set.

Plenty of information is included on each recipe card including pictures and even wine pairing suggestions. If you’re still lost, you can go on their website and watch their quick videos that provide an overview. 


I wouldn’t say the service is for someone who’s never cooked before as the recipes do use terms that could confuse a novice (such as "scoring" a border on the puff pastry). Even I had to watch the video to make sure I prepared the pastry properly.  

 In terms of timing, each recipe took me anywhere from 30-45 minutes to make, this was based on taking my time to do it and washing & chopping the vegetables. 

How It Tastes

All three recipes were very different, One Kitchen sure has variety (except for seafood on the week of my delivery … though I do see they have shrimp pasta now).

The vegetable tart with green salad was my favourite:  the tart’s pastry turned out perfectly, rising beautifully into a flakey glory. I was surprised by the amount of onions and shallots used in the vegetable medley, but the stronger aromatics really helped to make the tart tasty.  Of the three recipes, this yielded the most food … it could seriously feed four people if you purchase more lettuce. I appreciate having lunch the next day, the vegetable tart delicious even cold.


At first I thought the stuffed chicken breast would be difficult to make, but it turned out to be the quickest. The chicken remained moist and the mushroom and sage mixture inside quite delicious. Cheese helped hold everything together and also add some creaminess. Since the recipe was predominantly baked, it also wasn’t oily. The only small change I’d make is using less lemon on the roasted broccoli as it was a bit sour, although somewhat refreshing with the meaty chicken.


Despite regularly making beef chili during the winter, I even learnt something new from One Kitchen. With this recipe, I was advised to take a third of the kidney beans and puree it in a food processor (a gadget I don’t own … luckily, the blender worked). The resulting chili was thicker and creamier than my past recipes, a great trick I’ll continue using. 


Additionally, I would have never thought to add an avocado salsa on top - generally relying on cream cheese and cheese – it really changed the chili adding freshness  on account of the raw onion, lemon and avocado.  

Conclusion

It was fun and exciting to cook again! Certainly my husband and I made it a priority to leave work at a decent time, not go out, and go home to enjoy a meal together. Of course, it took time (about 45 minutes per day to be exact) so I don’t think it’d be something I could do every week. But, the ritual would be great to do once every month or so when we’re sure we’d be home.

Price and How to Order the Service

At about $10.00 - 11.50 per serving, One Kitchen’s prices are in line (if not a bit lower) than competing services. The smallest plan is the two-person three meals one ($68.94 total or $11.50 a serving) and the price reduces to $10.00 per serving ($159.84 in total) for four meals for a family of four. The pricing also includes delivery and taxes.

Even though One Kitchen is a subscription based service, you can always skip a delivery or cancel at any time. So, it makes it easy to use on a periodic basis. This could even work for dinner parties if you’re not sure what to cook and want a safer “fool-proof” option.  

If the above has intrigued you, sign up and try a week for yourself. One Kitchen is offering Gastro World readers 40% off any box for new customers. Just visit their site, pick any of the plans (including the largest one) and use Gastroworld as the coupon code. 

Disclaimer: The above meal delivery was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in my mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada

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Cadet (Montreal)

Posted on Saturday, September 10, 2016 by

Despite sitting in simple tables that resembled cafeteria seating, there’s something buzzy about Cadet. It could be that every table was filled with smartly dressed patrons laughing over cocktails and shared plates. Sipping on the overly sweet West coast spritz ($8), thanks to the liberal pour of orangey Aperol, the trendy restaurant made me feel hip … cool even (what do the kids say nowadays?)

With their small plates format menu there’s bound to be hit and misses - the worst offenders the meat-based offerings. The beef tartare ($14) was flavourless and mushy; the dish certainly could use something crunchy and zippy like chopped pickles to give it bite. The presentation could also be improved: if it weren’t for the radish slices and snippets of chives, the bowl of loosely cubed meat would feel like eating Alpo.

The pork shoulder ($14) was better, the meat tender and juicy, pairing well with the mustard. Even the edamame beans were fine – adding a bright splash of green and crunch. It was the sweet grapes and dry mealy falafels mixed into everything that threw me off, it simply didn’t work together.


Of all the meat dishes, the chicken wings ($12) were best, smothered in a sweet and sour glaze with crunchy peanuts and scallions for interest. They’re good, but hardly inventive, and rather salty so you’ll want these served last or it’ll take away from the other dishes.


So, all the carnivore based selections were passable. It’s all right - Montreal already has so many restaurants dedicated to beef and pork that Cadet can focus on everything else. The broccoli ($10) was fantastic: small roasted florets mixed with crispy pan fried speatzle and smooth tangy lebenah. Everything from the textures and flavours worked together so nicely; even the bits of pistachio threw in for crunch.


Incorporating a light jalapeno yogurt and sweet melons, the scallop ceviche’s ($18) flavours were well balanced and refreshing. I liked that the ceviche didn’t rely on the typical lime juice, which can overpower delicate seafood and changes the scallop’s texture. In fact, the dish was closer to sashimi than ceviche, the scallops remaining soft like silken tofu.


Soft and meaty, the cubes of octopus ($17) paired perfectly with the earthy king oysters mushroom. Between the octopus, mushrooms and the soft plump romano beans, this is a hearty dish that could substitute for a meat one any day.


The crispy coating on the fried halibut ($12) was a nice change from all the other saucy dishes. Cadet’s batter was oh so airy, filled with tons of pockets for crunch. What a great vessel for dipping into the creamy gherkin laced tartare sauce.



Don’t leave without trying the clams ($14) – for a table of four you’ll need two orders as they’re that good! The light curry was fantastic, full of Thai flavours and not too thick as to overpower the clams. I wish there were more pieces of dried bread thrown into the dish, which soaks up the sauce. Even better, a bowl of steamed rice … *sigh dreamily* ... that would have made the night complete. 

Overall mark - 7.5 out of 10



How To Find Them
 Location: Montreal, Canada
 Address: 1431 Blvd Saint-Laurent

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

Cadet Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Just look at Chatime's new twilight teas & Baker Siu's macarons

Posted on Friday, September 09, 2016 by

When Chatime came onto the scene there was tons of hype, but I had doubts whether they could take on the bubble tea behemoths like Ten Ren who have dominated the Toronto drink scene for so long. After five years in Canada, it’s safe to say they can certainly dominate and don’t rest on their laurels -  Chatime regularly innovates their stores by incorporating them with Bake Code bakeries and most recently started partnering with Masterchef contestant Baker Chris Siu. Siu is known for his delicious desserts and soon participating establishments will carry macarons, including one incorporating Chatime’s famous roasted milk tea ($2.60).


For those who like something different, try the lap cheong maple macaron ($2.60). Made with the Chinese preserved sausage, which is already slightly sweet and savoury, candied lap cheong is mixed into a maple syrup buttercream so the pastry is still sweet but has a hint of saltiness.

Nonetheless, the chain doesn’t simply rely on adding food items to menus. Recently, they have launched a new line of drinks that aim to be colourful naturally. Butterfly pea tea is used in most of the drinks as the base – its flower long used in Southeastern Asian cooking as a natural food colouring, adding a royal blue hue that even Kate Middleton would love. When combined with something acidic (like lemon or lime), the tea transforms into lovely violet, with other hibiscus flowers the drink can turn red.


One uses hibiscus tea instead, which has a lovely fuchsia colour and tastes fruity and tart like cranberry.

Named the “Twilight” series each drink resembles a time of the day:

Grapefruit Blush: When the sun first rises and the sky transforms from red to blue. The drink is the prettiest in the line with three different jewel toned colours. It’s citrusy but still sweet, a nice “lighter” one if you’re not in the mood for strong flavours.


Coconut Daydream: As the day enters into afternoon the sky (assuming it’s a sunny day) is a vivid blue capped with puffy white clouds. Here the butterfly pea tea is void of acid so stays blue. Of all the drinks this is the richest (on account of the coconut syrup and fresh milk) and could even resemble a cold latte. Trust me; if you’re a milk tea fan, this is one to try.


Hibiscus Sunset: A gorgeous red and orange to replicate the sun setting. Although it doesn’t use any of the butterfly pea tea, it’s one of the fruitiest drinks with passion fruit and lychee flavours. For those who like fruity green teas (mango green is one of my favourites), this is an ideal substitute.

Starry Lemon: The darkest of the drinks resembles looking into the evening sky … dark but with some blue and clouds shining through.  As indicated in its name, this drink is tarter due to the lemon and one of the most interesting because how it looks has no resemblance to its taste. Woah… mind games!

Sure, the teas look gorgeous, but the best part is that they can look tropical without relying on dyes. Chatime wants customers to be able to order something that looks cool but is natural and benefit from the antioxidants found in colourful teas. Don’t worry about the drinks getting jostled: it will combine into one colour when stirred, but then separates into distinct layers after the liquid settles – just imagine the fun children will have with these!  

They do have some suggestions to tea fans that tend to customize their drinks:
  • There’s already limited syrup used in the drinks, so you don’t need to go half sweet. Anything less and you’ll likely not get much sweetness at all.
  • You’ll want to ensure there’s ice in the drink (this is to the “no ice” fans). You need some of the coldness and they expect some dilution. Otherwise, it may alter the taste of the tea.
  • Lastly, they suggest not adding anything into the drinks (i.e. tapioca, QQ jelly, etc.) The ingredients have added sugar and syrup, which may not taste the best with the Twilight series.
I applaud the inventive step and am glad to see Chatime’s a company that continues to innovate to stay relevant. However, I personally think the Hibiscus Sunset would pair so nicely with tapioca – I ALWAYS get tapioca in my bubble teas. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I’ll have to go back and do some experimenting … all in the name of food science, right? 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 169 Enterprise Boulevard
 Website: http://chatime.com/

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

Chatime Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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