Sakura Cherry Blossom season is right around the corner and I had the pleasure of being invited to taste the new Sakura Set Menu at TWG. The Vancouver location is the Singapore luxury tea brand's first location in Canada and they offer a very extensive menu which includes over 500 teas and a variety of different tea sets and mains. On this particular tasting we tasted the 3 Course Sakura Set Menu which includes soup, main, dessert and a pot of tea. We had the Always Sakura Tea, of course. If you're interested in their afternoon tea service, read my post: Afternoon Tea at TWG.
What Does the Always Sakura Tea Taste Like?
The Always Sakura Green Tea is a green tea blended with notes of Rainier cherry and sweet florals. Its fragrant, smells appetizingly tart but isn't sour. A little bit of sugar is added to complement the flavours so it is very approachable, I found myself easily drinking several cups. This would make a nice little pick-me-up in the afternoon since it's a green tea containing some caffeine and it's astringency allows it to pair nicely with a sweet treat. That's exactly the type of tea I look for in the afternoon.
The Three Courses:
Here are the three courses to the Sakura Set Menu created especially by the executive chef of the Vancouver location. I just learned that each TWG location has their own food menu which is created by their own respective chefs. That means if you're visiting from out of town, you can be assured that there's something on the menu you haven't tried at your local TWG location.
Sakura Tea Set & Always Sakura Tea
♥ The 3 Course Sakura Tea Set is available now for $65.
Book online on Opentable or call restaurant at 604 692-0071.
Address: 1070 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6E 2Y2
♥ The Always Sakura Tea is $47. The sweet blush pink collectible tin is simply divine, it will definitely make a wonderful gift for both the avid or casual tea drinker. Canadian orders can be made here.
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Disclosure: This was a by-invite event. All food and beverages were complimentary. All opinions are my own.
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Here are some photos from the celebration and I've included the monkey macaron template for you to download. Even though the monkey year has just passed us (it's now the year of the chicken), the template should still come in handy for celebrating the little babies are who are turning one this year. It would also be great for anyone who loves monkeys because really, who doesn't love monkeys?
My previous conceptions of painted pottery are from childhood. In my mind, self-painted pottery had bold colours and crude paintbrush strokes. You know, the typical type of handcraft you'd make at school to bring home as gifts for mom and dad. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that wasn't the case. Although the studio is perfect for children, it is also a great place for adults too. They offer so many different colour of paints (pastels being my favourite) and they even have fine tipped brushes which they will lend you upon request since they don't want the children to be too rough with them.
Their new location in Vancouver is housed in the former 
Ambience: Classic opulence on the inside. Dark wood furniture, velvety soft covered dining chairs, white table cloths, hanging pendant lamps. The space is on the small side with 2 levels. The two levels are separated by a ramp with a slight incline. The lower level has approximately eight tables seating 2-6 people, depending on the configuration. The upper level has approximately 4 tables, seating 4-6 people, depending on the configuration. Seating is a bit cramped. There is a very limited amount of window tables and not a lot of sunshine comes through since there is an awning and downtown Vancouver is a concrete jungle. However, the space is adequately lit due to the thoughtful placement of spot and flood lighting.
Tea: An A-mazing collection of over 300 teas which will eventually be updated to 500 at a later date. The tea menu is split into regions and by type. Even if you're not very tea-literate, you will have an easy time selecting one from your favourite region or you can ask for a recommendation which they will be able to give at the drop of a hat.
Location: 
Notes:
The week of the party was a busy one which included two Vancouver foodie events and my first visit with Deborah Moore on her 
♥ PINK BATTER INGREDIENTS:
♥ YELLOW BATTER INGREDIENTS:
I didn't even dare trim my hair for fear of losing another precious inch and after nearly two years in total, I finally grew enough hair to cut a 13-inch ponytail from. It sounds long but I know some pieces are probably not usable since the sides might be shorter but for the most part, the majority of the hair in the ponytail should be eight inches or more with a small center portion of hair making up the 13 inch section. I was happy to have finally reached that goal but also a bit surprised that, upon re-reading the instructions, it takes from 8 to 15 ponytails just to make one wig. My oh my, if I were to do it alone, it would take me perhaps 16 years just to make one wig. Luckily, over 70,000 ponytails have been donated from all over the country since the program began and if you're interested in donating as well. Here are the details you'll need:
The interview was conducted mainly in Cantonese Chinese on Fairchild Radio so I had an opportunity to utilize my unpolished language skills that you may have already heard once in my 
This year I did end up getting my Halloween bake on since an opportunity came up to raise funds for charity. I was happy to create this new bear character holding onto his tiny Jack-O-lantern. Everybody seemed to love them and they ended up raising $50. I even won this gift basket so I guess I can now say I'm a baking champ? Just kidding. It was all in good fun and I was happy to be part of such a good cause.
♥ CHOCOLATE BATTER INGREDIENTS:
♥ PUMPKIN BATTER INGREDIENTS:
There is one restaurant in particular which we have visited every year for the last five and that is Andina Peruvian. It is one of our favourite restaurants (possibly in the whole world) and a visit to Portland would not be the same without it. Each visit brought new memories. One year, we even went there with both of our parents. Besides Andina, we had no other restaurants in mind and the thought of researching so many eateries was just daunting. Luckily, I had an army of foodie pals who are always indulging on the road less traveled. They gave me many great suggestions and we visited as many as we could in the short amount of time that we had. We didn't go to all of them and it would be a shame for their recommendations to go to waste so I wanted to share it with you all. Thanks to my pal, Vancouver Foodie Princess, Beth from Bites of Vancouver for this particular list:
Even though the ingredients list is short and simple, the process for making caramel can be a little tricky. There are a few things to keep in mind, some obvious and not so obvious. Timing is very important as you have to keep an eye on the mixture at all times. If you burn a caramel, the only thing you can do is cry and start again. You don't necessarily need a thermometer either, learning to judge the colour and consistency at each stage is key. One somewhat counterintuitive rule for making caramel is actually resisting the urge to stir it. You'll see why along with other tips on the bottom so make sure to read it before you start.
Heat up cream in a small pan. Take off heat and set aside once you see it steam.
Slowly pour in the cream. The mixture will bubble up again, this time even higher. Let it boil for 1 minute. Stir occasionally to break up the bubbles.
