Cupping 8 review
By Daniela Becerril, Contributor
If coffee and sweets are as important to you as they are to me, I’m happy to share with you that I’ve found a great spot. At Cupping 8 you’ll find exquisite, healthy, and allergy-friendly desserts. When paired with a cup of strong, organic coffee, these treats will give you the boost you need to meet those deadlines and nail just about any other activity on your to-do list.
Just a 10-minute walk away from Coquitlam campus along Pinetree Way, this small dessert and coffee paradise goes unnoticed by most pedestrians.
Coffee cupping is actually the art—or professional practice—of evaluating and appreciating the taste and smell of brewed coffee. With more than 10 coffee and latte options, Cupping 8 is the right place to start coffee tasting like a pro.
Right after the awakening aroma of coffee, the dishes on the tables catch your eye, as they look too good to be eaten: Cake slices topped with pattern figures of green tea powder and garnished with fruits and whipped cream; cappuccinos with foam figures; and a couple of other beautifully avant-garde dishes.
At the till, you realize there’s a lot to choose from. Cupping 8 is allergen-conscious with their many different homemade desserts such as their signature tofu cheesecake, waffle ice cream sandwich, and sago soup. They also offer organic coffee in espressos, Americanos, lattes, and cappuccinos. Plus they have snack, dinner, and lunch sets for a reasonable price.
I had the tofu cheesecake set, which includes the cake (mango, green tea, or Americano) and a coffee or tea. The green tea tofu cheesecake—made with non-dairy cream cheese, whipped and sour cream, organic green tea powder, non-GMO tofu, and agar-agar—has a tender texture that melts in your mouth, making it definitely a must-try. I paired the cake with a matcha latte and, although the latte wasn’t as hot as I expected it to be, it was very enjoyable.
On my second visit, I tried the Japanese gluten-free cheesecake, which is also a delicacy—jiggly and fluffy with a rich and creamy taste. It’s much like the famous sponge cake from Hakata, but with fewer calories than the standard cheesecake. Since it was late, I had a Swiss Water Decaf, which unlike other processes of decaffeination is 100 percent chemical-free, preserving all the flavour of the bean―so forget about that funny taste that most decafs have.
Honestly, this is a guilt-free dessert and coffee paradise. The place has about 30 seats so you’ll probably end up sharing one of the big tables with other people (great for group projects, if you want to look on the bright side) or sitting in a tiny table where there’s only room for your coffee and laptop.
