The Bubble Tea Conundrum

When I moved across the Atlantic Ocean, do you know what I craved the most?  It wasn’t bagels and lox and it wasn’t kreplach.  It was bubble tea.  From my first sip, I developed a love affair with the Taiwanese beverage.  Toronto just so happens to be an incredible city to satisfy a bubble tea fix.

Drive north of Sheppard Avenue, on Yonge Street and you’ll find one bubble tea house after another.  If “905” is more your style, drive east along Hwy 7 between Bayview Avenue and McCowan Road (try Go For Tea for an authentic experience) and you’ll be covered.   Downtowners, don’t have to look past the Spadina and Dundas/OCAD area. But what happens if you leave the confines of Toronto and venture off into the world?

I was having a bubble tea conundrum when I discovered bubble tea was not a universal drink, particularly in EU countries.  To double check, I spoke with a few business school classmates who were posted around the world.  It’s confirmed: Bubble tea is not universal.

So what did I do to satiate my craving?  I researched and travelled.  Wherever I was due to travel to a new European city, I purposely sought out a bubble tea cafe.  Hot or cold, green or black tea, with or without milk, and filled with all the dark brown, chewy tapioca balls I could suck through the oversized straw.  I was determined to sample them all.  However, I draw the line at those popping boba; the ones that burst upon mastication and splash sweet syrupy juice onto your tongue.  I guess you could call me a bubble tea purist.

What I discovered was fascinating:  Bubble tea was in fact, alive, kicking and even thriving in certain cities.  Leave it to the UK, Germany and Austria to lead the pack.  London’s Bubbleology, a bubble tea café themed after a science experiment, has five locations in the city, while Baburu Bubble Tea in Vienna has six shops and Berlin’s Boobuk also has six outposts in the creative city that never sleeps.

Stick with Western Europe and you will find bubble tea emerging in Barcelona, where Wow!Boba is not too far from La Rambla, and in Paris’ 5^th arrondissement where you can sip le bubble tea at Bubble Fever.  Even Copenhagen has the Mad Hatter Bubble Tea Emporium in Norrebro.  I didn’t stop there.  In eastern Europe, you have Bubbletea 7 in Warsaw, tongue twister, Bubu Bubble Tea in Budapest and my personal favourite, Tea & Go in Prague, which opened in Karlin (Prague 8), by three Chinese Studies students from Charles University who share a passion for Chinese and bubble tea.

While the availability of bubble tea in European cities may not reach the same scope as in Toronto, there are plenty of good options at home and abroad and I look forward to continuing my taste test through the continent.  By the way, if you are new to bubble tea, may I recommend trying a litchi green tea bubble tea, cold with tapioca.  It is the perfect summer drink.

A CPH Made trip down Jaegersborggade

Jægersborggade is a great street to visit in Copenhagen.  It’s not a particularly large street where you would spend hours, but it has an interesting mix of local CPH made businesses that add to its vitality and draw.  Over the past four or five years, the Norrebro street has gone through quite the gentrification process, cleaned up its retail scene and re-focused as a destination for food (Coffee Collective, Relae, Manfred & Vin, Grod, Mikkeller + Friends beer bar is around the corner from Jaegersborggade)) and shopping.

Last Tuesday, I went on a one hour CPH Made tour of Jaegersborggade and got to meet three artisans/entrepreneurs who have been located on the street for several years doing what they do best.

I visited: Karamelleriet,  Inge Vincents, and  Ro Chokolade (pictures below).

All three owners gave our small group a nice talk and shared their experiences about working in the neighbourhood, what has changed over the years and a bit about how they got started in their respective lines of work.  For example, Karamelleriet is a business started by three members of a candy making family that spans multiple generations.

Instead of sticking to the main strip of Copenhagen, there are many interesting streets in the neighbourhoods that surround Copenhagen K.  It’s worth exploring and venturing out- plus by venturing out you tend to stumble on a lot of the small artisans and craftsmen who are not into paying high rents to be located in the centre of the city.

Around town in Copenhagen

You’ll have to excuse the low volume of posts recently.  Things have been quite hectic around here between lecturing marketing classes online, producing Countlan magazine and a couple other small projects.

Now it’s time for a Copenhagen update.  First off, the sun has finally come out in Copenhagen and the city has come to life. It’s quite amazing to observe how people really use a city when the weather is good.  There is life on the street and it seems the new pastime for Copenhageners is to chase the sun and take in their daily dose of vitamin D.  As I walk to and from yoga, I see people sitting on benches, sprawled out on the grass in the park, and basking in the sun on bridges.  I understand why and  I have also tried to get into the vitamin D hunting spirit and make sure I get out for a walk after work.

I love how the detail oriented Danes share some of this creativity on the street in small, hardly noticeable ways.  When I walk around, I find there is always something small and surprising to notice if you look close enough.  You see little works of art woven into the streetscape.  I’ve tried to include a few shots of my favourite artistic embellishments in Copenhagen that I’ve passed by.

Secondly, I”ve been doing a lot of cooking.  I have a few cookbooks that are keeping me busy testing new recipes for fun and for the magazine.  I am particularly in love with Yotam Ottolenghi’s book called Jerusalem.  I think I’ve made half the book over the past two months.  I have posted more pictures on my Instagram feed if you are interested in checking them out and following along.  I cook weekly from the book and will not stop until each and every recipe has been made/eaten. All delicious despite the sometimes long list of ingredients.

Then of course there has been a plethora of new restaurants, date nights and guests staying with us.  By the way, if you were wondering where the Date Night series went, it did not disappear but the lighting is so dim and mood-lit that I can’t capture a shot worth posting.  This does not prohibit me from writing a verbal account but I would prefer to show and share at the same time.

To catch you up, most recently I’ve dined at Geist (New Nordic, slow service/long meal, but they served cotton candy for dessert, and the dishes were very innovative), Fiskebaren (Meat packing district, fish with a few non fish options, leisurely), Lele (Vietnamese street food, can’t go wrong), Cafe Nice (Just like Provence, great goat cheese salad, cash only), Mad Klubben Vesterbro (not worth it, hectic restaurant but very cool decor) and BROR (My table of 4 decided this place was a 6.5/10 at most- despite the fact that both chefs are ex-Noma).  I also checked out a Chang Mai themed Silver Spoon Dining event a couple weeks ago that was held on the top floor of an office building.  It was a really cool- underground dining experience and I look forward to checking more out in the future.

Finally, I have discovered there are some lovely spots in the city to take in a bit of nature and piece and quiet (or at least feel like you are not in a city and are somewhere north).  Kastellet, the home of the Little Mermaid, is a beautiful green walking/running circuit that looks out onto the water.  It can be very touristy but I by-pass the mermaid and stick to the higher grounds of the fortress.  Serene, green and quiet.

Up next, I will be travelling to Istanbul and Hamburg in the next four weeks, plus be adding to the restaurant list as more guests come out and visit.

I can’t wait to share Issue 04 of Countlan magazine with you in early July.  The magazine is small and nimble and is slowly growing a following.

Until the next post. I wish you a great week.

Design outing in Malmö

It was a holiday last Friday in Denmark.  To make most of everything being closed in Copenhagen, we decided to jump on the train, cross the Øresund Bridge and go check out Malmö for the day.  Only a thirty minute train ride outside of Copenhagen, I was secretly hoping that Malmö would be our new, closer version of Dresden which we used to frequent while living in Prague.

Before we left, I tried to do a bit of research to figure out what to see, do and eat on the other side of the bridge. I found it surprisingly difficult to find information and I am an expert when it comes to this- I live for lists and hunting and came up with a measly four or five names. Pitiful by my standards.  Why was Malmö not blog worthy?  With a few addresses marked down on a sticky note, I decided to find out for myself.

We arrived and headed to laid back vegetarian restaurant, Chez Madame for a sandwich and walked back towards the center of the city.  The sandwich was on fresh bread and had an almond pesto with lettuce, sprouts and tomatoes.

After our bite, we zig zagged  towards the center of town, walked in and out of a few interesting galleries such as GKM. It was here I was introduced to the work of Yrjo Edelmann, a Finnish artist who specializes in painting life-like parcels.  Out of curiosity I asked how much a small parcel painting would cost- Nope! Way out of my price range. One can still admire and appreciate.

Tucked down an alley, we found Form/Design Centre– one of the best design stores I’ve been to in a while. It predominantly showcases the work of Swedish artists with a mix of other Scandinavian artists.  Form/Design is three floors in a renovated old building with furniture, accessories, books, kids items, fashion and a cafe.  I could have stayed and looked around for at least an hour but we had more of the city to cover and kept moving on.  There were a handful of adorable design/furniture stores around Form/Design, right in the heart of the city.

We also enjoyed stopping by Svenssons, a higher end version of Habitat in London.  I am currently looking to replace my dining room chairs and was prepared to carry one back on the train if I found something suitable.

Coffee was enjoyed at  Djäkne Kaffebar where they serve filter coffee on their beautiful all white coffee bar. They serve a rotating line up of coffee from Scandinavian roasters such as Coffee Collective, Per Nordby, Kersh and Hedstrom, Koppi, and Tim Wendelboe.  Quite the line-up if you are into niche coffee roasters and a filter experience.

Finally, we were surprised to find such a beautiful looking synagogue as we walked from Chez Madame into the centre of the city.  I wasn’t sure at first if it was a synagogue, knowing nothing about Malmo’s Jewish community, but caught sight of the Star of David on the windows and decided to walk over and take a closer look at its elegant looking design. Unfortunately when I came back home to look up the history of this synagogue, all I found were articles on anti-semitism and hate crimes from 2012 in Malmo.

Don’t get me started on racism (in general) around Europe. It is a topic that drives me crazy how in 2013, people can’t seem to accept people, regardless of race, religion, creed, socio-demographic background as a person.

We all came out the same way.

We headed back to Copenhagen around 5pm and did not make a visit to the twisted torso building, a famous piece of architecture in the city.  I think I prefer Dresden to Malmö in terms of things to do, different areas to visit and food to eat – there is not much going on which may explain why I had trouble finding cool things to do in the city but nevertheless, it was a fun getaway and a nice day outside of Copenhagen. I am sure I will visit Malmo again and will continue to hunt for neat spots along the way, so stay tuned.

Where I would like to visit: Bonifacio

I am already dreaming of a summer vacation.  Part of my love of travel involves my love of brainstorming places to travel.  Regardless if I ever get there or not, a girl can dream can’t she?

Bonifacio, France is now being added to my list.  It is located on the southern tip of the island of Corsica on the Mediterranean sea and looks divine.  I could use some limestone cliffs overlooking turquoise water and sandy beaches right about now!

Corsica is known for a couple things:

01- The birthplace of Napolean which I read about in the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy by Sandra Gulland -excellent works of historical fiction if you’re looking for your next captivating read by the way-

02- Wild boar- never tried it, sounds interesting.

03- Charcuterie (cured meats)- can’t go wrong

04- Dairy- particularly the Corsican cheese which I’ve had the opportunity to try while visiting family in Paris.

Hotel Capu Biancu looks particularly relaxing…..

Photo Source: Hotel Capu Biancu

It’s still early days to plan, but this one is up there-

Let’s see what else I come up with.

Outing: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

I’ve tried my best to cover as much of Copenhagen by foot as possible.  So far, I think I’ve done a decent job.  If you are scratching your head wondering why doesn’t she bike? Isn’t Copenhagen a biking city? Don’t 1/3 of all Copenhageners ride a bike to work?  The answer is yes but I prefer to take in the city on my two feet.  While biking is a faster, more efficient option of getting from point A to point B, you miss what’s going on.  The streetscape passes you by.  When you are biking, you are biking and have to pay attention to other bikers, cars and pedestrians.  This way, I take my time, pop in and out of places as it pleases me and really observe what is going on.

This weekend, I was craving an outing- something outside of the city but not too far.  I decided to pay the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art a visit to view their Pop Art exhibition which is on until June.

One (35 minute) train ride away and you find yourself in the small town of Humlebæk. The trip itself is quick and easy.  Once you step off the train, you feel like you are truly in the country- or in the forest (there are a lot of trees in the area).

We arrived just before lunch so eating was high on the priority list before we took in any Andy Warhol, Rauschenberg, or Roy Lichtenstein. The museum has a very nice cafe that serves sandwiches, coffee and tea, and pastries.  They also have a buffet but we were too early for that.

We settled on a vegetarian and salmon rugbrodsmadder (rye bread open face sandwich) for sustenance and grabbed a seat on the patio overlooking the museum’s sculpture garden, the Øresund strait and Sweden.   It was a bright and sunny day without a cloud in the sky.

Sandwich #1 Terrine of root vegetables, cabbage, cream of carrot- yes there are mini potato chips on top of my sandwich (for extra crunch?)

Sandwich #2 Smoked salmon from Daniel Letz, celery, pickles

The patio of the Louisiana cafe

The sculpture garden and view of the water while we ate.

Apparently the Louisiana Museum has undergone 7 extensions and renovations- here is a look at two of their buildings from the park in the centre of the building.

A bit of Pop Art- what a great exhibit.  I love seeing the works of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Hamilton, Eames, Panton and Sottsass.  Some of the pieces I recognized and have seen before at other modern art museums around Europe and others were new to me.

Particularly the work of Verner Panton- this was a cool piece. You entered an enclosed space that was outfitted with warm coloured lights and mirrors to give it the feel that the room was going on forever.

The museum itself is a stunning building (set of buildings).  The architects used a lot of wood, and glass so you feel like nature is around you at all times.  This is a picture of one of the long corridors that connect the buildings/exhibits.

The art is not only inside the building. There is a sculpture park on the grounds of the Louisiana and when it is nice outside, like it was this past weekend, the grass is filled with people sunning themselves.  There were quite a number of kids attempting to roll down this hill without success.  Each attempt resulting in a vertical position.  It was fun to watch.

Across the water, you are looking at Sweden- I was amazed by how clear and blue the water is.

Before we called it a day, we headed down to the museum shop for a peak.  You can find plenty of Danish and Scandinavian design pieces as well as posters and a substantial collection of coffee table art and design books.

As we walked back to catch our train back to Copenhagen, we stopped by Brødsnedkeren, a great bakery that serves homemade waffle cones and ice cream.  We each got a cone for the train ride back.

Starting the last week of April, my flat will be packed with visitors until the end of July.  I am sure I will be making a trip back to the Louisiana soon enough and look forward to my next visit.