The Rebirth, Regrowth and Regeneration of Cafe Kiffin: Flavors Forged by Fire

 fresh baked scones

fuego.....feu.....fogo.....feuer.....fuoco.....FIRE

Natasha and i stood in silence outside Kiffins entryway that fateful morning of May 1st. Her lower lip showed the tiniest hint of a quiver before a single shiny precious tear drop managed to sneak its way out and went streaking down her cheek at the speed of light.

My first visit to Kiffin was a few days after the grand opening. Their vegan mac and cheese wooed me with its eclectic mix of flavors and I found myself already planning my return even before I walked out the door on my first visit.  Serendipitously, the day i chose to return was the morning everything went up in smoke. Natasha had just been informed and arrived at the cafe the exact moment i did and our worlds collided.

Looking back, i wonder if my presence being there was meant as a good sign for her. Like a little angel sent to the scene as if to say "this isn't the collapse of your dream, it is the beginning of it." My name is Angelina and the word "angel" happens to be in my name so i guess that every so often the higher powers that be arrange for me to be an angel of sorts.

***Here is a summary of Kiffins story. Founder Natasha Alani had a dream of making healthy affordable meals more widely available to the public. "Good food is a right" is the philosophy Kiffin was founded on in 2013. Hailing from San Fran, she realized that due to high cost of living, her vision was simply not feasible there. In 2015 she put roots down in Montreal and established Kiffin firstly as a catering business that would eventually extend to a cafe where people could eat nurturing, nourishing meals for as low as $10***

Standing there staring deep into Natashas devastated eyes, i wish that that i could have had the power of psychic vision to tell her that in 6 mths we'd be toasting to the relaunch of Kiffin in our pjs. Then again i really don't like making it a general habit to come across as a nut job to someone I've never met before in my life. But 6 mths later, there we were on Nov. 18th at a fundraiser entitled "We didn't start the fire pyjama brunch."  In that very space that went up in flames, every bite i took sent my tastebuds up in foodgasmic flames

I'll end with some food for thought on fire. When a forest fire rages uncontrollably, it destroys all life devastating everything in its path. However, after the destruction of the forest, new species of trees were seen emerging from the ruins. It was discovered that there were certain species of cones filled with seeds that would only explode and release their seeds under the heat of the fire. Rebirth. Regrowth. Regeneration.


Something deep inside me can't help but feel that Kiffins new flavors are somehow forged by fire.


http://www.cafekiffin.com

tarte au philo aux légumes-racine

Noshes of Philatrophy and Nibbles of Charity at Robin des Bois

RIDDLE: How do you learn french for free while making a difference at the same time in an atmosphere surrounded by delicious food?

ANSWER: by volunteering at non-profit farm to table restaurant Robin des Bois

My descent into this magical world where food and philatrophy began when i was in a little cafe doing research on where to find my next foodgasm. I happened to do a particular search for "farm to table" restaurants and Robin des Bois came up top of the list. Further research would reveal that there was something even tastier than just the food itself.

Robin des Bois combines food and philatrophy in a mouthwatering manner. Founded in 2006 it was the first of its kind in the world. The majority of the staff in both back room and front of the house are volunteers. 100% of all profits go to 4 different charities in the Montreal area helping with a range of things from providing free nutritious meals to needy, womens shelter, young homeless men etc.  I knew in a heartbeat that i was meant to sign up. They have a lovely system where you can go online and sign up for whatever available shifts on the calendar. 

***interestingly enough "Robin des Bois" means "Robin Hood" in english. This non profit restaurant was named after a heroic fictional figure that robbed the rich to feed the poor.

At my first shift in the back of the house of the restaurant, the staff couldn't have been more welcoming to someone who spoke little french and had never worked in a kitchen before. Whether i was slicing potatoes, peeling carrots, or weighing gorgeous chunks of poutine cheese  (I'll admit some of those chunks ended up in my mouth), they always took time to make sure i felt comfortable in whatever task i was doing. 

Working in the back kitchen also impacted me personally. I have always been empathetic to people in the service industry because i know they work hard. However the experience of being in the backroom doing prep watching the cook as well as doing the prep work myself deepened my level of empathy towards service industry people. As a result of this experience, the next time i go out to any place I'll want to tip more.

One morning as i was preparing to do a waitressing shift at the restaurant, i happened to check my phone and it had opened up notes of a sermon i had jotted down from my time in hillsong LA. Those words ran a sword thru the very core of my heart....

Do more than you are paid to do

Do more than you want to

Consume less than you desire to

Help more than you need to

Waste less time 

God time more than you are used to

-Brian Houston (global senior pastor of hillsong)

Nelson the Seagull: Avocado on Toast, House-made Almond Milk Lattes and Suspended Coffee

If I were to hand out a prize for having the most unusual name for a cafe, Nelson the Seagull would be a clear winner. If I were to hand out another prize for being situated in the most unlikely spot, Nelson the Seagull would be taking another award. Located at 315 Carrall St (almost at the border of the drug and prostitution area near east hastings), is tucked away this hidden gem. Although its name may be interesting but what's even more interesting is the history behind the name and the cafes beginnings.

Nelson the Seagull was started by two siblings from South Africa. They wanted to create a cafe that paid hommage to Mandela without cashing in on his name. During the era of apartheid any song about Mandela was banned while he was in prison. However there was one song that secretly was an ode to Mandela but wasn't banned because it never referred to him.  The name of the song was called "The Seagulls name was Nelson" The south african siblings used this as inspiration for the name of their cafe.

Behind the counter is a pic of Nelson Mandela boxing. And there are various subtle hints of homage being paid to this great man. Like the wifi password containing the word MANDIBA. This hippie/hipster joint is very clever indeed. After one bite and one sip I'm utterly convinced that the avocado on toast and house made almond milk latte should go at the top of every persons bucket list.

As delicious as those were, there is only one more thing in that cafe that rivals the deliciousness of avocado on toast and an almond milk latte.....suspended coffee. Suspended coffee? Never heard of it you say? Suspended coffee is the most delicious of all because it contains the taste of kindness. It is a system the cafe has that you can pay in advance for a free cup of coffee for a homeless people downtown. So they can stumble into the cafe, ask for a suspended coffee and get just a little taste of respite from this painful cruel world.

On my visit there, I added a suspended coffee to my bill for $2.60. The girl looked at me with utter gratitude and said that they had only one suspended coffee left for one more person so when I paid for another it was a huge help because alot of people come into the cafe at the end of the day for a coffee.

But my visit to the cafe gets even better than that and I got to witness firsthand how their suspended coffee system truly makes a difference. I was digging into my heavenly avocado and toast and savoring my latte when a homeless person stumbled in and asked for a suspended coffee. Within a few minutes they cafe set them up with a coffee in a to-go cup and they went merrily on their way.

And I realized that if I hadn't given anything, that person would be the last person they would have been able to help. But because of the $2.60 I added to my bill they'll be able to help out at least one more person. I don't know why but there was something about witnessing that whole scene that suddenly made my avocado on toast taste more rich and delicious and my almond milk latte all the more sweeter....


http://www.nelsontheseagull.com

Daring to be Different at Deafined

Tucked away on an inconspicious location on a sidewalk full of pretentious restaurants in Kitsilano is one of Vancouver's best hidden gems....Deafined.  Deafined is dining experience for those who dare to be different and open their hearts to the world of the hearing impaired. The restaurant is set up to make communication as smooth as possible between customers and staff.  The menus have the item, price, and symbol you'll need to sign with your hand to indicate what you want to order.

In addition to that there are placards giving you basic lessons in sign language on how to say "please" "thank you" "eat" "drink" or ask for your bill. At each table there is a pen and paper in case the customers need to communicate and write down special dietary requests to the waiter. And the waiters themselves are trained to communicate with the customers. Our waitress was actually able to communicate with her hands to us asking us if we wanted seperate bills or put on one bill just like any other staff at a regular restaurant. Impressive....

There were also some elements of the restaurant that were touching. In the main foyer there is a huge vase with a pen and paper so that happy customers can write kudos, thanks, and encouragment to the staff. At Deafined being hearing impaired certainly doesn't stop love and positivity from spreading.

As for the food, I took one bite and spent all nite debating which was more beautiful....the food or the spirit of the people that made the food and are serving it? The debate still rages on inside of me and I don't think I'll ever really be able to decide.  All I know is that every time I look back on this experience, gratitude wells up within my soul and I find the tips of my fingers touching my lips as my hand moves away from my mouth.....sign language for THANK YOU.


www.deafined.ca

Crazy Cuisines: Giant Snails Ahoy.....

Lima has no end to bountiful and creative restaurants with crazy cuisines. One of the most interesting concept restaurantsI came across was Amaz, a restaurant inspired by food people eat in the Amazon jungle. After reading various reviews on trip advisor and finding out about an entree of giant snails, I knew I had to go get my exotic food fix.

 

 

I don't know about you but I can't think of a better way to spend a first date with someone than over a plate of giant snails. Why wait until the third date when they see your place for the first time and get greeted by 23 cats?  Giant snails are a great way to show your lunacy right from the very moment they sit down at the table

 

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