Fuss Cupcakes

Whenever I have a cupcake craving, I constantly find myself having to make the trek to either Whyte Ave or Downtown for a sweet treat. In fact, there are quite a few cupcakeries that have taken up residence in Old Strathcona, but it's no surprise - the neighbourhood is always bustling with people looking to try new food, shopping, or simply enjoying the sites Edmonton has to offer. Sometimes, however, I don't always want to travel there for a cupcake. So when I learned that Fuss Cupcakes was opening up a new location in South Edmonton, I was super excited! Finally, a cupcakery that is much closer for me to get to! 

The interior and cupcake display.

The new Fuss Cupcakes location is in Terwillegar, along Rabbit Hill Road and 23 Ave. If you're looking for landmarks, it is in the strip mall in the same area as Tim Hortons, right beside the Tokyo Express. They opened up in mid-January this year. I believe that this location is slightly bigger than their Whyte Ave location, but it could just be the bright white walls and perfectly clear glass display cases making the entire shop appear very spacious. 

Of course, when you walk in, you'll find yourself looking at a beautiful, neatly lined up display of brightly coloured cupcakes! So many options to choose from! The names of each cupcake are shown with a description written underneath, so you can read up on each cupcake before picking. There are also mini cupcakes, cookies, and truffles available too. Cakes and specialty orders are offered as well. 

Our cupcakes.

CJ and I decided to get our cupcakes to stay. Two high seats are available that overlook the Terwillegar shopping area, and another table to the right of the entrance provides seating for two as well. As such, there isn't a lot of seating available, so most customers got their cupcakes to go. 

A quick note on the flavours at Fuss Cupcakes: they have 6 everyday favourites, which are flavours that they keep consistently. 6 weekly specials are offered at the start of every Monday, and they rotate on an 8 week rotation. So if you came in for a cupcake from their weekly specials, you would have to wait for the next week it is available again if you want it in the future. Complicated? Just check out their Calendar on their website to see which week they are serving certain cupcakes. 

Chocolate Mint.

Being a lover of the mint and chocolate combination, I unsurprisingly chose their Chocolate Mint ($3.25) cupcake. This cupcake is from their "Pink Menu", which will be available the week of May 18-24. I recommend getting something from their weekly specials if you want to try something new, just because the everyday favourites are available all the time. This particular cupcake is a chocolate cake with a Belgian chocolate mint buttercream on top. Along with a piece of European dark chocolate for decoration, a mint green icing leaf is piped on top of the buttercream. I immediately fell in love with this cupcake after taking my first bite... the cake itself was light and perfectly moist! Just the right amount of mint and chocolate flavour to create a delicious balance. Not overwhelmingly sweet either. 

The Godfather.

At first CJ was going to get something from their everyday favourites selection, but I reminded him that there are some flavours that are available only on certain weeks. As a result, he ended up getting The Godfather ($3.25), which is a tiramisu cake topped with mascarpone cream cheese frosting and dusted with cocoa. According to their website, this cupcake was supposed to be topped with a cookie wafer, but there wasn't any present on all The Godfather cupcakes. Weird. I only had a small bite from CJ's cupcake, but just like my Chocolate Mint, it was also deliciously moist too. CJ instantly devoured this one. Yummy even without the cookie wafer! 

Assorted Truffles.

Another thing that CJ picked up was a box of their Assorted Truffles ($17.95). For a total of 12 nut free truffles, there were four of 3 different flavours in the box. He ended up giving these to me later on, and we snacked on them while we were studying (as you can see, he had already eaten 3 before I took a picture of it). These truffles were just good in my opinion - not really any spectacular flavours. Our personal favourite was the milk chocolate with coconut toppings! 

Fuss Cupcakes is a great place to go if you're in need of a cupcake fix. I love how some of the cupcake flavours change every week, making it a new eating experience every time. The cupcakes are so soft and moist which make them very tasty! Along with their Whyte Ave and Terwillegar locations, they also have a store on Stony Plain Road in the west side. Be sure to follow their Facebook page to stay up to date on the weekly flavours and other in store specials! 

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!