Back in Sydney, one of my favourite things to do was to sip coffee in one of the many cafes at my door step. The Canadian and I would go for a cafe breakfast on many Saturday mornings and our favourite place in Sydney was Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man.

I have read that Vancouver has a big coffee shop culture but I am yet to find it. I realise I’m not residing in the right area at the moment, but my hunt for these coffee shops is on. I have been into a few restaurants where cappuccinos and lattes were not on the menu, so I figured I just needed to go to proper cafes.

Last weekend, The Canadian took me to one of his favourite places on Broadway. It has big, sun filled windows with tables begging you to sit in them and was packed with UBC students on their laptops sipping various drinks. I thought to myself, “OK, I found it! I am going to be able to get a delicious cappuccino served in a proper cup and saucer with chocolate sprinkled around the edge of the cup.”

I approach the counter to see only giant, fat, mugs staring up at me. Giant, fat mugs with ugly handles which looked like they’d been moulded out of clay by a 10 year old. I kindly asked the bar boy if I could have a cappuccino out of a regular cup. He looked at me strangely. I tried to clarify by stating that I wanted my coffee in a normal cup.. “you know, like a cup and saucer?”

He seemed puzzled and then proceeded to grab one of the fat, pottery style mugs and placed it on a saucer. At this point, I must have looked like a snobby foreigner with too many demands. Was I really asking that much? They had photographs of cappuccinos in normal cups on the walls!

I ended up with a hot chocolate.

I will find you Vancouver cafes.

p.s. I know my lovely readers have told me about Main St and Commercial Drive and I’m sure 4th Ave has them too. Right? I’m just yet to get there.

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