SUPPORT THE CAMBIE ST. MERCHANTS! "Kreation Artisan Cakes"

Well, we're crossing our fingers that "Brown's Social House" will move in to the deserted "Om" restaurant on Cambie. Mom decided to check it out and went to the Kits restaurant to see if their food is up to snuff...though we suspect that their premise is booze primarily and food second. Mom ordered the $13.00 double-pattied hamburger for me (takeout) with a salad. She had the single patty with fries. The fries were dry and chewy by the time they got home. So I can't say if they'd be better in the restaurant. The burger was very good. But you are paying big bucks for it. My salad was interesting: with chopped dates, candied walnuts, mesclun, crumbled goat cheese and a creamy dressing.

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I decided to visit the old store where "Homeworks" studio used to be: 3357 Cambie Street. There is a new patisserie, Kreation, located here and operated by a Japanese lady. Fortunately, I know that there's parking in the back lot because with the Canada Line Construction there isn't any parking out front. When Bebe and I entered through the kitchen, the pastry chef was apparently very busy.

All the mixers were going full speed and she was churning out a lot of stuff. She specializes in French pastries with unique flavour combinations...many of them not traditionally French. Out front, they have imported from France some simply beautiful long baton-shaped marshmallows flavoured with things like anise and violets in a glass vase. Adding to the eye candy are samples of wedding favours and a beautiful display case with miniature cakes--"kreations", ready for purchasing and scarfing down immediately.

tiramisu square

Though the Passion Fruit White Chocolate Glazed Chocolate Cheesecake looked enticing to Bebe, she couldn't have more than one bite because it was way too rich. Her fruit desserts were much better and not so cloying. Her cakes tend to be assembled with a myriad of elements. Often she uses 2 or more different cake base types in one "kreation", and she has an arsenal of liqueurs and flavoured syrups with which she flavours her cake bases. Her cakes tend towards complexity. For example: Passion Fruit Milk Chocolate is a passion fruit cream and diced mango in milk chocolate ganache between layers of dense chocolate sponge and spiked Italian meringue on top. Quite a mouthful, huh? Sometimes the combinations work well and sometimes it's too much. Simple is best. My tiramisu square was excellent and looked beautiful too. These little gems are expensive. I paid $23.00 for 5 pieces and a tiny cupcake. Whole cakes can be ordered too but I would advise you to try a miniature version in the display case first to see if you like the flavour combinations. Though very good, I'm still partial to the more traditional flavours of the patisserie, La Petite France, on 2655 Arbutus (near 12th).

fruit tart, just before i scarfed it down