When the PappaRoti signs when up on the corner of Robson and Nicola I’m certain that many in the West End (myself included) opened up a browser to search the term, curious to see what would finally occupy the long-vacant space.
As a neighbourhood resident for the better part of the last decade, I was certainly excited to see a coffee shop — with a unique twist — move onto that corner. Sure, we have plenty of coffee shops in downtown Vancouver but absolutely none like PappaRoti. This is the very first franchise in North America, the Canadian flagship, and home to the “Father of All Buns”.
What exactly is PappaRoti? It’s a coffee-caramel coated bun, which is wildly popular in cafes and kiosks from London to Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Australia. There are 400 PappaRoti locations worldwide and this is the very first in Canada and the USA, thanks to co-owners Sherri Zarandooz and Javeed Somji.
Crack through the crisp outer shell of these baked-to-order treats to reveal a soft, buttery centre. Buns are served with cutlery but you can feel free to use your hands to rip it apart, dip, drizzle, and enjoy.
PappaRoti compliments its coffee buns with JJ Bean coffee, loose-leaf tea from Teaja, and freshly squeezed organic juices. You can dine in or take out, and you’ll have the chance to slow things down as you sit and wait for your bun order to be delivered straight to your table.
You can enjoy the bun on its own, or with sides like Pappa cream cheese, local organic jams, fresh fruit, Nutella, kaya, maple syrup, honey, whipped cream, ice cream, dark chocolate, or caramel.
The cafe itself is bright, spacious, suitable for working on your laptop or bringing the kids for a playdate. They’re also open late, until 11:00pm.
PappaRoti on Robson Giveaway
If you would like to try the world-famous PappaRoti coffee bun, I have three $50 gift cards to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment naming which topping you want to try with the famous PappaRoti bun (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win 1 of 3 @PappaRotiCanada $50 gift cards @Miss604 http://ow.ly/vHjIb #PappaRotiCanada
Follow PappaRoti on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information and inspiration. I will draw three winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, April 17, 2014.
Update The winners are @conniehgn, Oana, and Eric!
Throughout the spring, summer and fall, Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country is a haven for visitors, capturing the best of the South Okanagan. From vineyards to orchards, the Okanagan is one of Canada’s prime agricultural areas. With dramatic landscapes and remarkable terroir, the valley is one of BC’s most beautiful and diverse places to visit, extending from the southernmost point of Osoyoos to the tip of McIntyre Bluff, north of Oliver. Bordered by mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes, the area is majestic by nature – and naturally unique.
Half Corked Marathon
Created by the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association, and inspired by the legendary Medoc Marathon in Bordeaux, the Half Corked Marathon pays homage to one of Canada’s most decorated wine regions; a celebration of the Golden Mile and Black Sage Road benches connecting the communities of Oliver and Osoyoos. Taking place on Saturday, May 24, 2014 this is the fourth year of the Half Corked Marathon and it will be the largest to date with 800 runners taking part.
The Half Corked Marathon route is 18km and can be jogged or run in 90 minutes or walked in three hours. Racers are not timed but after three and a half hours the wagon comes to collect participants.
Stops along the way include 10-12 wineries and food stations, where racers can sample local wine and fine cuisine from Oliver-Osoyoos restaurants. There will be four waves of runners and a total of 800 participants. Runners are encouraged to dress up and there will be prizes for costumes.
Photo courtesy of the OOWC
Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country Getaway
High demand for tickets to the Half Corked Marathon in 2013 meant that a new lottery system was put in place for 2014 and tickets were allocated through a lottery system in February. Over 2,800 people entered for the 300 lottery places. The 2014 event is now sold out, tickets for 2015 will go on sale in February 2015.
Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country want to invite one lucky Miss604 reader to the region to give them a coveted spot in the marathon along with this prize pack:
2 race tickets for the Half Corked Marathon on Saturday May 24, 2014. Tickets include race registration, goodie bag, shuttle from Osoyoos, Finish Line lunch and wine tasting.
Leave a comment naming an Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country member (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win an @UncorktheSun getaway from @Miss604 #HCM2014 #BCWine http://ow.ly/vF0W8
Follow Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this event and the region’s many other attractions.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, April 18, 2014. Prize cannot be exchanged for cash or different travel dates. Must be 19+ to enter.
Merchants Bank, 1916 | Granville and Pender
VPL Archives#: 20039A, 20039D, 20039F. Photographer/Studio: Dominion Photo Co.
Thanks to sequences of images, photographed by the great Leonard Frank, I created a few Vancouver construction time-lapse GIFs of my own featuring prominent historic buildings in the city:
During the month of April I will be featuring a Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day, sourced from the Miss604 Flickr Pool and/or the #Photos604 tag on Instagram. You can barely walk a full block in the city without encountering a photographer capturing this pink blooms — or stopping yourself — so it’s the perfect time to start this series. Enjoy!
The SEASONS Music Festival is coming to local clubs from April 16th to April 20th, along with a massive 6,500 person show at the Pacific Coliseum on April 19th.
SEASONS Music Festival Lineup
Now in its 4th year, the SEASONS Music Festival will span five days leading into Easter long weekend, evolving from a single day electronic music event in its first year in 2010. This year’s artist lineup includes ZEDD, Audien, Been Trill, Duke Dumont, Flume, Green Velvet, Project 46, Seven Lions, Tiga, Tommy Trash, Trinidad James, and Tchami.
Alvaro Prol, of Blueprint who organizes the annual SEASONS festival shares, “Every year that we host SEASONS we see increased demand from festival goers, and sell more tickets than previous years. This year’s SEASONS has already sold out, with approximately 20% more tickets than in 2013. Because of this demand, next year attendees can expect SEASONS to include two massive stadium events and five additional days of music. Our ultimate goal over the next ten years is to grow SEASONS to include anywhere from 50-75 shows right in Vancouver, over a week long period”. [Source: Press Release]
Other showcases will take place at Shine nightclub, VENUE, Celebrities, and the Commodore Ballroom. Audien is playing the festival’s FREE PARTY at VENUE on Thursday, April 17th and his remix of Bastille’s Pompeii is the best I’ve heard:
Event, ticket, and guest list information is all posted online. Find SEASONS on Facebook for event details and follow the tag #SEASONSFEST2014.
