Pistachio Ganache, Mink Cafe, and Macarons

     Pistachio ganache with a cafe au lait, which I got from Yaletown Breka! I went with some coworkers two nights ago to Juno, and then we went to get a bit of dessert. It was very yum, though all together, it was a bit too much. 

     The pistachio was really sweet, but it never got overpowering to the point that I had to stop, so all in all I was really happy with it. My coworkers both got the strawberry shortcake, and they both said it was too dry, so I made the right choice. The cafe au lait was really heavy, and I think that was what made me feel a little sick. I'm sure if I hadn't eaten a sushi roll and udon carbonara earlier, I could have finished it fine though.

    Earlier that day, I went to Mink Cafe to get some coffee (I'm tired of drinking double-double, and I hadn't felt like washing my cup to make another Keurig). Normally this wouldn't warrant much of a mention on my blog, but I just have to reiterate something I'm sure a lot of my real-life friends know. I ... really don't like the downtown Mink Cafe. It has terrible customer service. While waiting for my coffee, I watched the barista in charge of it chat and jam out with his friend, which wouldn't really bother me normally. Except that his friend was just that - his friend. Not an employee, but an actual friend. It's so unprofessional, and I could see the manager there behind the counter not saying anything. Last time I went, it took me a while to get someone's attention to pay for my coffee because they were all seated at the bar drinking Jugo Juice with their friends. Like if you want to drink Jugo Juice with your buddies, do that on your own time.

     My mother came back from France last night and she brought some macarons from Laduree. Not 'macaroons' - I know some people who think the terms are interchangeable. There's a Laduree in Taiwan, and when I got some there, I mentioned to my grandmother than the macarons in Taiwan are, as a whole, too mushy. They taste too much like cake, and there's no sensation of a crust, which is what normal macarons should have. My grandma was just like, 'no, you're wrong.' But when I bit into one of the macarons my mom brought, and felt the distinct 'crunch' of a shell, I immediately put it down and exclaimed, "I WAS RIGHT!"

     I just wanted everyone to know that. I was right. And also not to waste your money on macarons in Taiwan, because that stuff doesn't taste genuine at all.