Meiji Takoyaki Yasan たこやきやさん Gummy Candy Kit

This Takoyaki DIY candy kit isn't from Kracie's but another candy company called "Meiji". Cera and Wish already love their chocolate, but a DIY candy kit ? We REALLY needed to try it out.

The package. This kit did not come packaged in a cardboard box so we were scared that
the mold is going to be squished.

The least amount of stuff that we have seen so far!

First, make the takoyaki "batter"

Pour the "batter" into the molds and add the pre-made "tako" shaped gummy in.
..Add more batter, then flip the candies and let set...

..And you voila, you get takoyaki! We also garnished with sprinkles and the pre-packaged "sauce"

Verdict
Wish and Cera enjoyed this quick kit as it was the easiest kit by far that we've ever made. The "batter" does solidify pretty quickly so you need to work quickly in order to form nice circular balls. Taste wise, this was the best tasting candy kit so far (considerably better than kracie candies)! Pretty chewy and sweet, just like a gummy candy should be!

Afternoon Tea at Neverland Tea Salon

Neverland Tea Salon
3066 West Broadway
Vancouver BC
Phone: 604-428-3066
Inquiries: info@neverlandtea.com

What a better way to start the winter break than going to a newly opened afternoon tea salon in town? Although the name implies that it is a Peter Pan theme tea salon, it also featured other other fairy tail characters and the decor was super cute!

Teapots and teacups decor inside

Brewing the tea for the guests

Tea Selection. (Sorry for the blurry picture >.<)

Old English Style decor

Tea Menu

Honey and Sugar cubes - The honey jar is super cute <3!

Teacup
Wish chose the Earl Grey Lavender and Cera chose the Rose blended black tea.
Upon the second refill, we had the option to choose another blend and this time, we
chose "Take Me To Neverland" and "Heavenly Cream"

Afternoon tea served on handmade tiers.

Dessert Tier

Top Tier - Traditional scones with Strawberry Jam and Devonshire Cream

The check tray! So cute! The tea salon even gave us some tea sample of their new product

Tea sample of "Peter's Promise" and receipt :)

The Verdict:
Wish is a fan of anything fairytale themed so of course she loved Neverland Tea Salon! Cera enjoyed it as well but preferred the savories over the sweets. The atmosphere was very relaxed and cozy and the service was excellent. Neverland Tea Salon has a large tea selection and has an interesting method of tea preparation: they steep each batch of tea leaves once, and then strain the leaves prior to serving (unlike other afternoon tea salons where the tea sits in the pot and continues to steep). As such, they offer the choice of trying another tea selection during your refill. At $30CAD/person, Neverland Tea Salon has reasonably priced afternoon tea. If you are a tea lover, give this place a try!

If you are not a big fan of tea, perhaps try out their tea infused cocktails and alcohol menu? Visit their website for more details!

Afternoon Tea at L’Opéra Patisserie

L’Opéra Patisserie

153 - 5951 Minoru Blvd
Richmond BC, V6X 4B1
Phone: 604-270-2919
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Cera and Wish first heard about  L’Opéra Patisserie from a friend who is also an Afternoon Tea fanatic. One rainy day, we decided to visit the place just to see their menu. The bakery itself is quite small somewhat hard to spot amongst the busy streets of downtown Richmond. 

Pastries

The macarons

L'Opéra cake is their signature cake so we decided to try it along with a
Rose Macaron and a L'Opéra Special Macaron

Our little table by the fireplace - perfect for a cold rainy day!

Two months later, we made a reservation to have afternoon tea here.

Inside of the bakery. Super pretty decorations!

The decor of the treat tier - gold ribbon with a gold teapot charm

The tier of wonderful things :D

Top Tier - Savories

Bottom Tier - Sweets
Mini Tarte au Citron with Blueberries
Burnt Sugar Puffs
Raspberry Mille Feuille
Raspberry Caramel Basket

Apparently this salmon puff was new and had just been released the same day
we went to afternoon tea! The owner said it isn't on the menu yet!

It's a fluffy, buttery puff pasty filled with salmon.

Another savory...

Raspberry Caramel Basket. Super delicious even though on the menu says
it should have been strawberries. The caramel basket was such an interesting concept!

Mini Tarte au Citron

Burnt Sugar Puff

Raspberry Mille Feuille

.. and Wish's favorite - the Blueberry Macaron

WITH A BLUEBERRY INSIDE!!!!!

The owner also gave us some chocolate cookies to go!

Verdict

L'Opera has a rather small tea selection but the decadent sweets and savories made for that! The french style afternoon tea was unlike any that we've tried before and you can truly tell that a lot of thought and effort went into planning and creating their menu. What amazed us the most was that the owner was self taught! Wish really loved the macarons - they were soft and fluffy with a surprise berry hidden inside.

What Could Be Changed

The savories and sweets were really delicious, however, Wish felt that our tier had WAY too much raspberries. 

Do we recommend afternoon tea at Soirette? At $25 per person, L’Opéra Patisserie is definite must try!

*Edit*

As of 2014, Cera has informed us that Afternoon Tea at L’Opéra Patisserie has increased in price to $39. 
:( The menu seems to have significantly changed as well.