Today it isn’t about the lovely plates that Terry Hildebrand makes but what is on them. It was damp and grey in Winnipeg, -4 or so. One of those days when you feel a little colder close to the bone than the temperature outside would make you think. In fact, it reminded me of when we moved to England so I could do my PhD. We almost came back to Canada! You simply could not get warm. But…I had promised a long time friend that we would go for ice cream and the day we decided on, weeks ago, was today. I can hear the moans already … what was she thinking? Ice cream in Winnipeg in November! But you see, die-hard ice cream fans can enjoy Chaeban any day of the week unless you are watching the calories, which I am, so this treat is once every several months.
But today we were in for a surprise. There sitting next to the brand new coffee machines was a small tray of handmade sweets. The baklava, if you look close, is bursting with nuts but it is the other date coconut and pistachio roll that takes the word ‘treat’ to a whole different level. The flavours are fresh and what could have been overpowered by the strong flavour of dates, wasn’t. They complimented the coconut perfectly. The pistachios were held together ever so slightly with what I think is local honey…again, not too sweet.
So, if you aren’t in the mood for ice cream but you are looking for a beautiful spot to have coffee with a friend and a sweet treat, check out Chaeban. They are located at 690 S Osborne in Winnipeg. If you try the date coconut roll and like it as much as I did, tell them – and then smile and tell someone else. As a neighborhood, we are so happy to have Chaeban with us.
And next week, I plan to check out another new hangout just down the street, the new coffee shop at the corner of Morley and Osborne in the old BMO building. There are people drinking coffee and working on their laptops in the morning and even more in the evening. Looks inviting.
It also looks like there will be two other shops opening up soon…well done, South Osborne. And no…I didn’t get paid to say these things…but I will be going back for more date, coconut and pistachio rolls…yummy.
