Afternoon Delight

I wanted to check out one of the newest addition to the Kerrisdale area. A coffee shop called Faubourg. It is modern and chic and inviting. I loved the decor. It's nice and bright with the white marble walls. All the baguettes, croissants, and desserts were neatly on display. The place was bustling with people of all ages. They even had a quiet back room with a more elegant atmosphere.

The lady who served me at the counter had a french accent. The lady she repeated my order to also had a french accent. All of a sudden, I was brought back to my days spent in Paris. I had the greatest urge to go for the chocolate croissant for old times sake. But I had a feeling no matter how close it may be, it just wouldn't be the same as the freshly baked chocolate croissants we had for breakfast every morning in Paris. So, I went for something different.

I read their beverage menu up and down. The one thing that I had no clue about was their Marco Polo Latte. I asked the lady at the counter what it is. A black tea with a hint of mint, she says. There was small sample of the tea leaves right at the counter for you to smell. Although I have been avoiding caffeine, I had to try it. And since I knew that I was going to come out here by myself (and have no one to share a dessert with me since everyone is at work on a Monday)... hmm... no, I didn't opt out on the dessert/pastry. Instead, I ate very very little lunch. I wasn't going to try this place out without the full drink+pastry package!

I chose their lemon tart. All their napoleons looked tempting but I fear they were too messy to eat. I'm so glad I went with the choices I did. They were absolutely divine. I rarely use such a pretentious word as "divine" to describe food. But it really was just that! The lemon custard was perfectly tart. Not too sour, but sour enough that it gives a punch. The texture was velvety smooth and creamy. The underneath meringe layer was not sweetened at all. It was a light layer of beatened egg white that completed the matchup with the flavourful custard. Then, there was the tart's crust. You could see the black specks from the vanilla bean. It was also not too sweet, which really balanced the whole dessert and made the custard stand out on its own and be the star.

The Marco Polo Latte was exactly what I love. It had a good hint of everything but not too harsh. The black tea was strong enough to leave a good hazel brown colour in the milk, but not so strong that it would leave a bitter tea taste in my mouth. And the mint was ever so slight. Mmm... it was definitely soothing. I would totally go back just to have those two items again.

What a lovely new place. Definitely going on my must-return list.