Welcome to the next Vancouver Hot Chocolate Challenge. I have invited cafes from all over the city to enter their hot chocolate creations into this challenge, some have entered their most popular creation from their menu and others created a special creation just for this challenge. Each cafe will be featuring their creations on their menu from November 23 – December 17, 2023.
How Does this all Work? For the public challenge, you are invited to go out and order any or all of the hot chocolate creations in this challenge, then you decide who you think has the best creation for the People’s Choice award winners.
Share your experiences: Share your photos on Instagram and TikTok throughout the challenge, our instagram and TikTok address is @vanfoodster and the hashtag is #HotChocolateChallengeYVR please include this hashtag in all your social media sharing during the challenge.
Voting criteria – some things to help you judge your favourite hot chocolate creations – keep these things in mind: originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste.
How to VOTE :
- Look for our hot chocolate challenge posters at each of the participating cafes,.
- Scan the QR code and Vote for your favourites from November 23 – December 17, 2023.
Get some friends together and visit 2 places or more to taste the different hot chocolate creations or go solo or with a friend– just remember to VOTE for your favourites
Here are the hot chocolate creations in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.
Cup & Bun Café
Zafaran Party Potion
Price: $5.75
Created by: Faranak Kaboli
Description: This luxurious hot chocolate blends dark chocolate and milk with aromatic saffron syrup, topped with saffron and cardamom flavored whipped cream for a rich, indulgent experience.
Ingredients: Saffron syrup, Dark Chocolate. Cardamon, Homo Milk, Heavy Cream
Offered: All the time
Cup and Bun Cafe
3851 Hastings St, Burnaby
Phone:(604) 291-9390
Instagram @cupandbun.cafe
Milano Espresso Lounge
Milano’s Fireside Choco Snug
Price: $7.50 ($10.50 for spiked version)
Created by: the team
Description – A Luscious dark drinking chocolate infused with rosemary, citrus, sea salt, and a hint of vanilla. Tied all together with.a cozy dose of orange brandy to warm you from tip to top.
Ingredients – Fresh rosemary, our organic vanilla syrup, orange brandy (optional), Flori di sicilia extract (non alcoholic), dark chocolate flakes, sea salt, regular milk or alternative (oat/soy/housemade almond)
Offered: all the time
Milano Espresso Lounge
36 Powell Street, Vancouver
Phone:(604) 558-0999
Web:https://www.milanocoffee.ca/
Instagram @milanoroasters
Tamaly Shop
Champurrado
Price: $4.50
Created by: the team
Description: a chocolate-based atole, a warm and thick Mexican beverage. It is prepared with corn flour (simply very finely ground dried corn); piloncillo; water or milk; and containing cinnamon & vanilla. Atole drinks are whipped up using a wooden whisk called a molinillo. The whisk is rolled between the palms of the hands, then moved back and forth in the mixture, until it is aerated and frothy.
Offered: All the time
Tamaly Shop
2525 Main Street, Vancouver
Tel:(604) 369-3446
Instagram @tamalyshop
Tru Café
Crimson Cocoa Bliss
Price: $5.95 8oz, $6.20 12oz,, $6.45 16oz
Created by: Sumaya
Description: Delve into the “Crimson Cocoa Bliss,” where homemade dark chocolate sauce meets the vibrant tang of cranberry. In a mug lined with rich chocolate, we pour frothy steamed milk, creating a creamy base. Then, a spoonful of our unique cranberry sauce adds a tart, sweet twist, painting a crimson streak in the chocolatey mix.
Topped with fluffy whipped cream, each sip of this drink is a comforting blend of warmth, rich chocolate, and a zesty cranberry flair. Ideal for cozy nights or as a special treat, “Crimson Cocoa Bliss” is more than a drink—it’s an indulgent journey of flavors.
Offered: all the time
Tru Cafe
1500 W 2nd Ave, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 731-2508
Instagram @thetrucafe
AMOKA Coffee and Bites
Choco Chai
Price: $6.25
Created by: Belem
Description: In this hot chocolate we wanted to celebrate what makes Vancouver beautiful: multiculturalism. Our hot chocolate is a fusion of rich dark Mexican chocolate with the taste and the fragrance of the spices of autentica Indian Chai. For the presentation we wanted something simple, but at the same time something that will make you think about Christmas and will make your inner child happy.
Ingredients: Dark chocolate, milk, whipped cream, organic cinnamon, organic cardamom, organic white pepper, organica ginger, organic cloves, organic tapioca and a ginger cookie
Offered: All the time
AMOKA Coffee and Bites
1069 Davie Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 685-7427
Web: https://www.instagram.com/amokacoffee
Instagram @amokacoffee
Bean Around the World on Granville
The Smore
Price: $8.95
Created by: Chef Yossi
Description: It’s a 12 hours steeping house made smore milk the steam with chocolate sauce and marshmallow that are torched and serve with a graham wafer.
Offered: all the time
Available: dine in and takeout
Bean Around the World on Granville
2977 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 732-8273
Web: https://batwcoffee.com/pages/bean-around-the-world-granville
Instagram @beanongranville
Our Media judges for this challenge are:
AJ Heraghty
Influencer
Instagram @ajfoodiesaiyan
Shelley Hayashi
Influencer/Writer for MyVanCity
Twitter: @shelleyhayashi
Instagram: @shelleyhayashi
Ray Lee
Influencer
Instagram @ray_thefoodie