Caffè Cittadella ~ fine coffee off Broadway

Located in a newly renovated heritage house a few blocks south of Broadway at Ash and 7th, is a delightful coffee shop called Caffè Cittadella.

Two floors, with a ramp to the main level, outdoor seating and different places to sit inside, this is a pleasant and relaxing place off the major street scape that is Broadway. 

Staff are friendly, pastries look good and lunch items can be provided too. 

The coffee is wonderful, which is not surprising since it comes from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters. The espresso was smooth, creamy and rich. Not served with the same panache that one finds at 49th Parallel's store on Main, but... it will do just fine here at Caffè Cittadella.

The house itself is a treat to wander around; there's ample seating and different views of the city to be seen throughout the house.

And the coffee is excellent.

 

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Rasmalai at Himalaya Sweets in Richmond

Earlier in the evening we had our Persian kebabs at Daddy's Delight, and a walk around King George Park. Now it was time for dessert.

We remained on the corner of No. 5 Road and Cambie in east Richmond, across the street though again in a strip mall anchored by a larger Shoppers Drug Mart.





Himalaya Sweets is a throw back to a simpler time in restaurant decor. It actually reminds me of the Chinese-Canadian restaurants that dotted the prairie provinces in the latter part of the last century, with their basic appearance, friendly service, and the all-you-can-eat buffet.

The daughters have chosen Himalaya Sweets for dessert. and there is large assortment of traditional Indian sweets and more, including gulab jamun, rasgulah, kulfi and mango ice cream. Our choice was the rasmalai.

The name comes from two words in Hindi, ras, meaning juice, and malai, meaning cream. Rasmalai has been described as cheesecake without a crust. I'm not sure about that description as this was better than most cheese cakes.

The cream is sweet. The pressed paneer balls are soaked in the clotted cream concoction and it's all flavoured with cardamom. Delicious.








Himalaya Sweets is a strange little place. I'm not a fan of buffet style restaurants, though the dishes looked appealing enough. Reviews of this restaurant suggest a fantastic butter chicken, though for me, I'd come back for the rasmalai and a chai.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.

Happy Canada Day! The end is near ~ and that's a good thing

Another stop sign. This one at Main and 26th in Vancouver.

A sign for our times.

Help is on its way.

Happy Canada Day!

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2015 by Jim Murray.