When It's Cold Out

"Ahhh it feels so good..." I think to myself as I sip from my cup of hot french vanilla. It's Monday morning and I'm sitting in a cute cafe, just relaxing. The winters are so brutal here that I've made a ritual of taking a day off during the winter months to refresh my spirit. Ginkgo cafe is the perfect place to escape the cold because it feels as if you've stepped out of the arctic and into a lush greenhouse. I was looking forward to order their delicious chocolate brioche but they didn't have it this time :( It's all good because the almond croissant was just as appetizing.  The warmth of the sunshine combined with a comfortable cup of coffee make for a great start of another work week!  

L'Amour du Pain

Frog and I spend most evenings strolling in our neighbourhood and we often stumble on cafes/bakeries in mid-construction and make a mental note to visit when they open. I've been waiting for L'Amour du Pain to open ever since I spotted their stylish rose-gold stools and googled images of their chocolate croissants. So on a sunny Monday morning, we decided to grab breakfast there. My mind was set on a chocolate croissant and Frog got an olive bread shaped as a leaf. The croissant was flaky and not overly oily (which I like) and there were small bits of chocolate inside. I wished that I asked to pop my croissant in the microwave for a few seconds because nothing is better than some melted chocolate :Q Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my croissant, it had just the right amount of crisp and chew. They had a huge selection of breads, baguettes, pastries, tarts and sandwiches and their shelves displayed artisanal coffee, soda and jam products. We really enjoyed the atmosphere of the bakery: it fits so well with Griffintown. Next time I want to try a slice of their cakes: they're almost too pretty to eat!

Aloha Espresso Bar

They say April showers bring May flowers but maybe May didn't get the memo because there are no flowers and it's been raining nonstop in the past few weeks :( I can count on a single hand the number of warm sunny days we've had (I'm having some major sun withdrawal!). The good thing about staying indoors is that you can stay inside a cool cafe with awesome tropical vibes such as Aloha Espresso bar. They recently opened in the Old Port and its bright wall paper and the delicious Kona brew is enough to boost your mood. I was torn between an Acai bowl and a mocha but it was cold outside so I opted for the latter. I definitely want to try their Acai bowl when summer rolls around. In my mind, it tastes like ice cream and who doesn't want ice cream for breakfast?!

A Friend Until the End

Now that the summer heat has finally returned to Montreal, you can't NOT participate in an after work 5 à 7. My idea of grabbing a drink involves an iced latte (with soymilk please) or iced tea, sipping in a pretty cafe with air conditioner and that's exactly what Les Intraitables cafe delivered on a hot Thursday evening. Les Intraitables cafe opened a month ago and their signature green wall with the frames is already making waves on Instagram. I was surprised that it wasn't more occupied since it sits on a prime corner in the Old Port but I admit the construction cones blocking the street have made it harder to spot this place unless you were looking for it. The cafe is bright and there is plenty of seating both downstairs and upstairs to accommodate tourists and locals-alike. I love how the natural light poured into the cafe as if they were a stream of eager customers lining up to try the marshmallow brownies on display. When the light is this good, I can't contain my excitement! Poor Niv had to wait a good 15 minutes for me to take all my photos and get back down to earth.  

It felt really nice to decompress and confide in a trusted friend after a long week of work. I enjoy spending time with Niv because she supports my crazy dreams yet she's not afraid to tell me when I get out of line without any judgment or imposition. That's what a true friend is about :)

Surf's Up

Montreal is a city of change: new shops open and close at the pace of the seasons. One of my favourite ways to discover a new cafe in town is to scroll through my Instagram feed. That's how I found out about September Surf Cafe in the Little Burgundy. Last year, there was an experimental co-working space in this location. I remember visiting with Adri and thinking that their big bright windows and high ceilings would be perfect for a minimalistic cafe. Clearly, we weren't the only ones with that idea :P

Sunday is study day for Frog and I so we decided to see if September is study-proof. We got to the cafe little bit before noon and grabbed a seat at their big wooden communal table. There were various stools scattered along the sides of the cafe and a wall full of surf shirts and knick knacks. Along one window, there were wooden benches where you could sip your macchiato while soaking up much-needed sunlight. The baristas were friendly and everyone who entered seemed to be in a great mood. There were many people inside the cafe but I decided that I could not leave empty handed and snapped away! Needless to say, I did not get a lot of studying done. It was finally starting to feel like Spring in Montreal so we decided to walk around the neighbourhood and grab some donuts to top off our morning!

A Majestic Feast

Le Majestique has been on our brunch list since last summer but Frog and I kept putting it off because we're both too lazy to walk the 15 minutes it requires to get there from his apartment. No wonder both our waistlines have been expanding *sigh*.  We finally mustered enough willpower this weekend to walk to Le Majestique and it was totally worth it! We were the first customers of the day and I snapped away with no shame (after asking permission).
Le Majestique is a cocktail lounge that specializes in seafood, oysters and diner-inspired appetizers. Their brunch menu only had 5 items: Frog ordered poached eggs with brussel sprouts and side veggies drizzled with balsamic vinegar while I got a seasonal veggie skillet covered with parmesan, bacon pieces and eggs. I just got my wisdom teeth pulled out so I chewed on the bacon pieces with my front teeth but despite the technical difficulties, my palate really enjoyed the comforting flavors. Frog wholeheartedly approved his dish and we are already thinking of going back with some friends for their funky cocktails :-)

Posting food photos at 11:00pm is never a good idea, I'm starving but I can't eat anything because I'm too lazy to brush my teeth again TT_TT. 

A Takoyaki kinda night

 What's going on? Am I seeing right? *rubs eyes* two blog posts in two days? Yesh guys, I'm off for 2.5 days this Christmas and I'm enjoying every second of it WOOOT WOOOT! How glorious does it feel to wake up naturally without the pressing sound of the alarm? I would've stayed in bed all day long if I had not made plans to catch up with Adri and Lily. We visited a cat cafe and played with their feisty cats, we bought matching thick tights from Urban Outfitters (they were such a steal, 2 pairs for 12$!) and decided to go for some deliciously deep fried Japanese comfort food at Kinoya Izakaya.

We decided to go all out since it was our last meal together before the New Year so we ordered all the appetizers on the happy hour menu :D We scarved down our food so quickly that our brains did not have the time to process what was going on. By the time it finally got a clue, it was already too late: 10 plates had been licked clean. Izakayas have been sprouting up all over town this year. Out of all the ones I'ved visited, I enjoyed Kinoya's atmosphere the most. When I think of an izakaya, I think about a casual pub that's warm and inviting, that's exactly how Kinoya felt to me. The wooden walls jotted out from their usual spatial arrangement as if they wanted to eat,drink and be merry with the guests. Kinoya was empty when we arrived at 5pm but quickly began to fill up as time went by. The takoyaki was particularly delicious: the perfect mix of crunchy on the outside and creamy/doughy on the inside. We were so delighted that we ordered a second serving. It took a bit of time for our second order to arrive but it was worth every bite -nom noms-!