By: Sara Wong, Arts & Culture Editor

1. Lam Beverages’ instant Vietnamese coffee

If you think instant coffee is bad, this product will completely change your mind. For those unfamiliar with Vietnamese coffee, it’s a lot stronger than your average cup of joe. Usually, the drink requires a special filter and is sweetened with condensed milk, which makes the process time-consuming. However, with Lam Beverages’ instant Vietnamese coffee, all you need to add is hot water. The end result is still the same: coffee that’s bold, sweet, and smooth. I’ve tried both their traditional and premium mixes. Taste-wise, there’s barely a difference between them (the premium is slightly sweeter); caffeine-wise, the premium mix boasts double the amount. With both mixes served in 12 oz bags and only a few dollars difference in price, you really can’t go wrong here. Lam Beverages’ instant Vietnamese coffee is only available through their website. 

2. Bon Mano Bon’s mocha chocolate coffee beans

Before I started drinking actual coffee, these chocolate-covered coffee beans were my morning boost. There are only four ingredients here: dark chocolate, dehydrated coffee beans, hazelnut oil, and vanilla. The chocolate that’s used is of really high quality — you can tell by how glossy the exterior is and how the flavour builds if you let it melt on your tongue. In contrast to the richness of the chocolate, you have the coffee bean bringing in a bitter note and crunchy texture. Combined, you have a bite-sized treat that’s balanced and super addictive. Bon Mano Bon is currently taking orders through their website. You can opt for delivery or pickup at a select few locations.

3. Earnest Ice Cream’s espresso flake ice cream

Espresso flake is my favourite ice cream flavour and no one makes it better than Earnest. In my opinion, they make the best ice cream in Metro Vancouver. No matter what flavour I’ve gotten (and by now I’ve tried almost all of them), the quality of the ice cream has been light, cool, and creamy. What I love about Earnest’s espresso flake in particular is that they don’t shy away from making the coffee flavour intense. The chocolate shards are perfect too; the thinness of these pieces enhance the ice cream without distracting from it. Earnest Ice Cream’s four locations all remain open for business, where you can order scoops or pints. They also take online orders for curbside pickup at their Frances St. location.