The Vancouver Foodster Signature Coffee Drink Challenge was a success featuring unique coffee creations at cafes around Vancouver. Each cafe featured their creation on their menu from January 11 – February 2, 2020 and their customers voted for their favourites throughout the challenge.
Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: Jacqueline Chui, Brenda Yim and Shelley Hayashi
The Winners are:
1st Place:
{107 points}
Shipyards Coffee
Shipwreck Cortado
Price: $4.25
Created by: Barista Katerina Vitousova
Description: The first drink you would want after being rescued off a desert Isle, the next would be whisky. A single shot of espresso, timed for twelve seconds. With steamed creamy barista soy. Ending with a signature floreta. Served in our crystal 5 ounce Gibraltar glass. Single origin Ethiopian Sidamo espresso. Pacific Barista soy milk.
Offered: Daily
Shipyards Coffee
123 Carrie Cates Ct #156, North Vancouver
Tel: (604) 987-1200
Web: https://www.shipyardscoffee.com/
Instagram @shipyardscoffee
Katerina Vitousova
2nd Place:
{100 points}
The Belgian Chocolate Cafe
Ruby-Blossom Cappuccino
Price: $6.50
Created by: Sherine Woo
Description: A perfect way to be reminded of the beautiful weather in spring, A Ruby-Blossom Cappuccino using the Belgian chocolate cafés famous Australian coffee beans, the aroma itself is truly breathtaking. Topped off with the most unique ruby chocolate, and a classic Belgian chocolate square on the side to perfectly complement the Cappuccino.
Offered: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
The Belgian Chocolate Cafe
38 Smithe Street, Vancouver
Tel: (778) 951-8828
Web: http://thebelgianchocolate.cafe/
Instagram @thebelgianchocolatecafe
Sherine Woo
3rd Place:
{96 points}
Origo Club
Etude d’Hiver, the “Winter Study”
Price: $6
Description: The houjijcha flavour comes as a lone leafless tree gathering its sap before the spring, overlooking a white expanse of fresh snow represented by the creaminess of the steamed milk. The heart of this drink resides in the strength of our ristretto espresso and the complexity of the sweetened houjicha infusion, which alludes to the feeling of sitting by a fireplace and gazing out into a wintry landscape.
Created by: Barista Michel Roman
Offered: It’s offered only from 11 am until 5pm.
Origo Club
110-6888 River Road, Richmond
Phone: (604) 285-8889
Instagram @origoclub
Michel Roman
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Coffee Drink creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
The Belgian Chocolate Cafe
Ruby-Blossom Cappuccino
Price: $6.50
Created by: Sharine Woo
Description: A perfect way to be reminded of the beautiful weather in spring, A Ruby-Blossom Cappuccino using the Belgian chocolate cafés famous Australian coffee beans, the aroma itself is truly breathtaking. Topped off with the most unique ruby chocolate, and a classic Belgian chocolate square on the side to perfectly complement the Cappuccino.
Offered: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
The Belgian Chocolate Cafe
38 Smithe Street, Vancouver
Tel: (778) 951-8828
Web: http://thebelgianchocolate.cafe/
Instagram @thebelgianchocolatecafe
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Origo Club
Etude d’Hiver, the “Winter Study”
Price: $6
Description: The houjijcha flavour comes as a lone leafless tree gathering its sap before the spring, overlooking a white expanse of fresh snow represented by the creaminess of the steamed milk. The heart of this drink resides in the strength of our ristretto espresso and the complexity of the sweetened houjicha infusion, which alludes to the feeling of sitting by a fireplace and gazing out into a wintry landscape.
Created by: Barista Michel Roman
Offered: It’s offered only from 11 am until 5pm.
Origo Club
110-6888 River Road, Richmond
Phone: (604) 285-8889
Instagram @origoclub
3rd Place People’s Choice:
Caritas 9 Coffee Roasters
Lava Moka
Price: $5.95
Created by: Diana R. Ancheta
Description: Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice. A refined mocha made with the #Caritas9team Spirit (lots of Passion, Heart, and Love) Using our signature dark roast Takengon (Sumatra), single origin espresso as base, with in-house refined spicy chocolate syrup, and your choice of whole milk or oat milk, the Lava Moka has a rich & sweet dark chocolate taste with subtle creaminess accompanied by a pop of spice in each sip, pleasingly seductive yet not too overwhelmingly naughty, a perfect comfort & cheer-up drink during the colder days.
Offered: All day
Caritas 9 Coffee Roasters
7655 Edmonds St #104, Burnaby
Tel: (604) 553-0316
Web: https://www.facebook.com/caritas9coffee/
Instagram @caritas9coffee
Thank you to the baristas and cafes that accepted my invitation and featured the coffee creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning cafes to try their Coffee creations! See all the Coffee Challenge entries here.
By: Richard Wolak