Cafe Mosaics

After being closed for a few months this past fall for an expansion and renovations, Cafe Mosaics has now returned to the Edmonton food scene - this time looking bigger and brighter than ever! And I really mean it when I say that... there is now plenty of seating at this vegan and vegetarian eatery, with a large front window allowing beautiful natural light to spill inside the dining space. For all the Instagrammers out there who post pictures of neat spaces or food with natural lighting like myself, this place is godsend. 

The interior.

Sadly, I didn't take too many photos of the interior. But trust me, it really is gorgeous inside. Bright, white walls and minimalist details make Cafe Mosaics appear quite spacious, while the potted plants on every table added a cute touch. This is definitely a popular joint on Whyte Ave, since more and more people started pouring in during our visit here. 

All the menus.

While I didn't take too many photos of the interior, I made up for it by having tons of photos of their menus! The first two images show the main menu items, the third shows their burgers, and the last one lists all the different drinks they offer. Please excuse the quality of the photos... sometimes natural lighting doesn't always work in your favour. 

PB Cacao Banana and Chai Berry Chai.

To start, my two friends ordered drinks from their Ice Blends selection. Yusra got the PB Cacao Banana ($6.50) which consists of natural peanut butter, banana, oats, hemp hearts, honey, cacao, and your choice of milk. She said the consistency was slightly thicker than what she would have preferred, so stirring was much needed. In spite of that, she said that the drink tasted really good (I'm pretty sure she tried to recreate her version of it at home too). Jeline got the Chai Berry Chai ($6.50) which contains chai, blueberries, and raspberries. As someone who likes to drink chai, she enjoyed it. 

Nacho Friend.

Now let's talk about the food. Yusra ordered Nacho Friend ($10) from their Let's Start Grazing list, which contains all the appetizers. This dish contains tons of nachos, quinoa, cheese, and beans that are oven baked. Sour cream, salsa, and a lime wedge are served on top. I didn't try this dish myself, but I really liked the pretty, vibrant colours on the clean white plate. So mouthwatering. Yusra enjoyed the toppings, and said the nachos were perfectly crunchy. She also said the portion size was big, so this dish is one that you can share with friends too (if you want lol). 

Crispy Vegan Spring Rolls.

Jeline chose to get their Crispy Vegan Spring Rolls ($10). Served on a bed of kale and mints, the spring rolls are filled with root vegetables, with a plum or vegan fish sauce on the side for dipping. I got to try one of these, and while I did enjoy the crunchiness of the spring roll, the filling was just decent in my opinion. I would much rather go for something with a bigger portion size if the cost is the same. 

Green Onion Cakes.

CJ's pick was their Green Onion Cakes ($10), also from the appetizers list. At first I was mad at him for not being more adventurous with his food, but when I took a bite into one of these I'm glad he ordered them! Apart from the green onions, each fluffy pastry contains roasted flax and hemp hearts, with hot chili sauce served on the side. I really enjoyed the added texture from the flax, and the pastry itself had a soft interior with a perfectly crunchy exterior. So yummy! There was also a lot of cut up cakes too, so CJ and I felt like the money was well spent on his appetizer. 

Vegan Pho.

And now for the final dish, which was my pick: Vegan Pho ($15). While everyone else chose from the appetizers, I wanted something a bit bigger so I chose from their Soups selection. But damnnnn, this bowl of pho was HUGE. I wasn't even sure I could finish it all by myself! Cafe Mosaics' Vegan Pho contains pho vermicelli with assorted mushrooms, soft tofu, white fungus, veggie mutton, thinly sliced purple onion, bean sprouts, fresh basil, and a wedge of lime. Hoisin and satay sauce are also served on the side. The broth in this vegan pho had a lot of depth and was really tasty... just as good as the broths I've previously had at other joints (which contain beef). Every now and then I would pick up a different mushroom while I ate... I even found these thin white mushrooms that looked pretty cool. I later discovered their name: enoki mushrooms! Unfortunately I was too scared to eat it at the time, so I let CJ have it. The mushrooms made for a nice replacement for traditional meat. Overall, a very delicious bowl of pho. 

Water!

You don't have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy the food and atmosphere of Cafe Mosaics. The food and drinks here were super tasty, and you'll feel good about eating fresh ingredients sourced from local markets. Yusra also liked the fact that she could eat anything from their menu too! If I were to return here, I would want to try one of their burgers - it seems to be really popular on social media! Here are a few notes about Cafe Mosaics that you may want to know: they only accept debit or cash for payment! A diner sitting next to me didn't know about this when he handed over his credit card, so a server explained that paying with debit or cash ensures that they can continue to provide the organic foods they use in their dishes. Also, when you are done eating, you have to take your bills to the register to pay. This was a bit weird because we saw a server bring over a debit machine to another customer at their table, yet we ended up having to pay at the register. Finally - and according to their website - they like to play loud music. I didn't even notice any music playing to be honest, but if you're looking for a more quiet, intimate place, perhaps consider another eatery? All in all, consider stopping by Cafe Mosaics if you're ever on Whyte Ave for a morning coffee break or an afternoon lunch - there is something for everyone here!

Gama Cafe

Hey everyone! I can't believe it's already May... the days are going by so quickly! It was only in my previous post that I was just greeting you all a Happy April too. Anyways, I am excited to announce that I have just recently completed another year of university! I tried my best to update the blog during my winter semester, and although I only made a few posts, it's still more effort than the fall semester! I'm looking forward to spending a lot more time on my blog this summer too. 

With all that being said, let's move on and talk about this one-of-its-kind cafe in Edmonton: Gama Cafe! Previously known as Gama Store tucked away near 104 Street and Whyte Ave, Gama Cafe is a newly revamped and relocated place to grab Asian snack foods and drinks. The relocated Gama Cafe is still on Whyte Ave, but it's closer to 109 Street in the same building as Impressions Dental Clinic. It is also in between RBC and Pizza Hut on the same side of the street, while Cafe Mosaics is across from it too. 

Fancy interior!

I first heard that they were open for business on Friday Jan. 16, so I planned my visit here on the following Monday (I know, I was excited. This is also proof that I'm behind with posting lol!). They didn't open until 4:00 PM at the time, so CJ and I got there a bit early and had to wait at the entrance until it was okay to go in. Although I wanted to sit on the gorgeous-looking red seats closer to the window, we ended up sitting at a two person table. There are tons of seating available, from the two person tables to the cozy booths in the centre, to a larger area towards the back behind the arches. Oh, for your information - the servers wear maid aprons!!! I felt like I was in an anime... specifically, Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! (The President is a Maid!) where the protagonist secretly works in a maid cafe while also being the student council president. It's a hilarious and super cute anime... I would recommend it to anyone who loves shoujo/romantic comedies. 

The menu.

The menu at Gama Cafe is smaller, with an emphasis on drinks and snack foods. They also have some hot, savoury dishes available too. I didn't have a chance to visit the old Gama Store at their former location, but based on a few Instagram posts it seems that the Green Cap Milk Tea and Taiwanese Pancakes are their specialty. Since I'm a lover of sweets, I decided on their waffles, toast, and a smoothie for my afternoon snack. 

The water.

Also, can we take a moment to acknowledge the size of the water glasses here? These are probably around 4 inches tall and the water is filled up to only half! CJ and I had a good laugh at how ridiculously small the water was, but in all seriousness, why the cheaping out on the water, Gama Cafe? 

Summer Dance Smoothie.

The first to arrive at our table was the Summer Dance ($5.29). This is a mango smoothie with sliced mangoes, strawberries, and kiwis served on top. I loved the bright colours and fresh fruits on top - definitely reminded me of summer! Taste wise, it was decent - just your typical mango smoothie. It was also a bit hard to drink because some of the smoothie would run down the sides of the glass so I had to keep wiping it down. 

Burned Marshmallow Thick Toast.

Next up was the Burned Marshmallow Thick Toast ($6.29). This treat was actually the reason why I wanted to check out Gama Cafe since I had seen a picture of it on Instagram over the weekend. Nine marshmallows cover a super thick piece of toast, with some chocolate drizzle and a mint leaf garnish on top. The marshmallows weren't 'burned' by any means but were more lightly toasted. I would say the name of this treat could be tweaked a little bit haha. Now how about the taste? The soft marshmallow with the warm, crunchy toast was SO GOOD! I really enjoyed the contrasting combination. The toast wasn't too hard to cut into and it added a nice balance to the sweetness of the marshmallow and chocolate. Since eating this, I couldn't stop raving about it to CJ. 

Chicocolate Waffles.

Last but not least are the Chicocolate Waffles ($10.49). These actually took a long time to arrive - I was already close to finishing the marshmallow toast! Our server also ensured us that it would be arriving momentarily too. I wonder why it took so long. These waffles are served with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries, bananas, custard, and dipping sauce. Alone, the waffles were a little dry, but with the sauce and ice cream, it made for a nice sweet treat! While the fresh strawberries and bananas were a great addition, I would've been okay without the custard though... it was oddly tasteless. 

More Burned Marshmallow Thick Toast! Looking more burnt this time...

I was so obsessed with the marshmallow toast that I convinced CJ to return later that week! This time however, my toast wasn't as quick to come out. The marshmallows were also more burnt looking instead of being lightly toasted. The toast itself was also way too hard and crunchy. I was so disappointed that the toast wasn't as good this time around. 

Strawberriffle Waffles.

CJ also got the Strawberriffle Waffles ($10.49) to share with our friend. These waffles only came with ice cream, custard, and fresh strawberries. Unless you're a fan of only strawberries, I would recommend the Chicocolate Waffles instead because you get a bit more things on your plate for the same price. The wait for these waffles was also very long... almost 45 minutes! While it tasted decent, it just wasn't worth the wait. 

The verdict on Gama Cafe? I feel like their snack foods can be improved taste wise and also with the time it took to come out. It shouldn't be taking over 30 minutes to make a single waffle! Service was also a bit slow but understandable since they had just recently opened. I would love to return here to try their Tommi Toast, which is stacked toast cubes with cream and ice cream! Definitely a few kinks to work out, but overall a nice business to have in Edmonton. Make sure to check their updated menu on Facebook featuring more items and pictures this time around! They also extended their hours from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM instead of opening at 4:00 PM. If you're ever craving for something sweet or want a nice drink, I would give Gama Cafe a try!