Sunday, June 20, 2010

French/Italian Style Afternoon Tea

Review of Provence Mediterranean Grill, 4473 West 10 Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Provence Mediterranean Grill Restaurant is situated in the cozy neighborhood of Point Grey, specializing in French and Italian cuisine with a modern touch. Provence has another restaurant located in Yaletown called Provence Marinaside also offering Grand Thè (afternoon tea) from 2PM to 5PM priced at $20. After a disappointing experience at Tracycakes, I contemplated whether a meal costing $5 more would make much difference in terms of the food quality, service and ambiance. So I decided to give Provence at 10th a try and see if the outcome was more or less comparable as that of Tracycakes.


No doubt, I enjoyed my visit at Provence much more than Tracycakes. The ambiance had a warm, casual and friendly neighborhood feel. There was no specific theme decor at this place. The main focal point was the food. Service was second to none. As soon as my guest and I arrived with a reservation, the hostess escorted us to our table set for afternoon tea with a menu. When we were ready to choose our tea, our server promptly attended to our table. She was courteous, attentive and patient. Despite a small tea selection, I was indecisive between 3 flavours -- Tropical Green Tea, Camomile Citrus and Organic African Nectar. Our server patiently described what was in each tea and I finally settled with the latter of the three. Food delivery was as speedy as a fast food restaurant. The wait time for the food was unbelievably short, like 5 minutes. The kitchen had an open window and you could see the staff working hastily and efficiently. I was impressed at the kitchen staff for being very organized preparing our food upon our arrival. The white plate on each tier tray showcased the food with vibrant colours –- red and green and garnished with fresh herbs and fruits. Simplicity in the layout worked well in the presentation.

Like Tracycakes, Provence served Might Leaf loose tea leaves in a satin mesh pouch. The differences were we each had our own teapots with the tea pouch brewed inside (instead of sharing one pot) and a teapot cover was used to keep the tea insulated. My African Nectar tea had a delightful taste – a rooibos blend of tropical fruits and blossoms with soothing qualities –- calm and relaxation. The food was fused with French and Italian styles substituting the traditional sandwiches and cakes with brochette, crostini, madeleines and biscotti. The savouries and sweets were served on a 2 tiered tray with much larger plates. We noticed that some of the food and tea selections listed on the menu were different from the one online. Despite the change of menu, the alternatives did not disappoint. The bottom tier displayed a selection of savouries including prosciutto and goat cheese crostini, smoked salmon and cucumber, sundried tomato and spinach crostini and tomato & bocconcini brochette. The top tier showcased a variety of sweets including Provence biscotti (chocolate and craisin), parisian macarons, madeleines, lemon tartelette, deux scones accompanied by crème fraiche and Bonne Maman preserves from France. I liked all the selections -- simple, fresh and tasty. The chocolate/craisin biscotti were amongst my favourites. These delights were so addictive that it made me crave for more. The portions were enough for 2 people, neither too little nor too much, leaving us feeling happily full and satisfied.








What is the verdict? I rate Provence a 4 for fabulous food and service. The afternoon tea experience was unique, embarking you on a journey to the French/Italian Mediterranean offering you different flavourful delights. The tea selection, however, could have been better if they served loose leave teas rather than pouches. Of course, we should not have high expectations considering the price was only $20. Was it worth the visit paying the extra $5? Absolutely! I would definitely return to Provence and try the one in Yaletown for the magnificent view of Coal Harbour.


Provence Mediterranean Grill on Urbanspoon

Monday, June 7, 2010

Homemade Style Afternoon Tea

Review of Tracycakes Bakery Cafe
15015 Marine Drive, White Rock, BC



Tracycakes currently has 3 locations in the Lower Mainland -- Abbotsford, White Rock and the newest location -- Fort Langley. The grand opening celebration at Fort Langley is happening this Saturday, June 12th and the first 100 customers will receive free mini cupcakes and have a chance to win cupcakes for a year. Don't miss it! The cafe serves not only afternoon tea but also offers an a la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner including sandwiches, salads, soups, quiche, chili, pot pie and dessert. Their specialty cupcakes have a variety of over 40 flavours in 2 sizes - mini and regular.

And now on to the review. Black and white colours were used consistently throughout the exterior and interior of the bakery creating a classic and European feel. The interior was furnished with black and white table linens, wooden chairs, black cabinets and a white counter with a black countertop. White chinaware and serving platters were used. The clear crystal chandeliers were the focal point adding character and illumination to the room.






For the price that you are paying, do not expect excellent service. The hostess directed me and my guest to a table close to the door. The area was particularly cold so I requested to move to another table further inside but was rejected. There were several empty tables displaying reserved signs and I did make a reservation, did I not? Those empty tables were eventually occupied an hour and half later the same time we finished our meal. The hostess could have given one of those tables to us but chose not to. Despite making a reservation, we still had to wait half an hour for the food. Even the walk-in customers that came in after us for the a la carte lunch received their orders first. That made no sense! Later, we noticed the other tables did not need to wait long for their meal. The staff were not accommodating nor attentive. If we wanted a refill, we had to flag them every time. What great service!

The bakery cafe had an open kitchen where customers could watch the cooks prepare the meal. I watched 3 people working on our order and yet the outcome of the presentation was a disappointment. They rushed assembling the food and the presentation looked disorganized. The food was laid out on a 2 tiered tray. As the server described the food on each tier, she then realized the cupcakes were excluded by mistake. The jam, lemon curd and cream were placed in plastic cups which further cheapened the presentation of the food. As it turned out, other tables had their meals on much larger 3 tiered trays and the food was displayed nicely and neatly. Obviously, we were short changed on both the food presentation and the service.

The food was sumptuous but not quite scrumptious. The sandwiches (cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad and ham) definitely tasted homemade if you are used to making them plain and tasteless. There was nothing WOW about the dessert and pastries either. The sweets (tarts, brownies) and fresh fruits were average tasting. Not everything was bad. The blueberry scones, sausage rolls and cupcakes tasted decent. The tea selections were limited. Do not get deceived when you read on the website or the menu that they use loose tea leaves. They are actually loose tea leaves in silken mesh pouches by Mighty Leaf. I chose the organic spring jasmine tea which tasted more or less like Tazo or Stash green tea and was not as fragrant as the loose tea leaves. The traditional afternoon tea brew loose tea leaves as opposed to tea bags or pouches for better quality. What do you prefer?







If you never had afternoon tea, Tracycakes would be a good place to start for an inexpensive tea time. It will only set you back $15 for quite a filling meal. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy with European influences. You have an abundance of food but poor service and average food quality. You get what you paid for. The choice is yours. On a scale from 1 to 5, I rate this place a 2.


Tracycakes Bakery Cafe on Urbanspoon