Ethnic Eats – Sampling the World’s Cuisine Without Leaving Vancouver

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day. What with the French Toast and the Eggs Benny…there is pretty much no bad breakfast food in my book. And if you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to enjoy it, so much the better. Not very surprising then that I’ve had my eye on Cafe Medina since the idea of it was whispered to the Internet. I’m a fan of anything the House of Chambar does, and even without a kitchen I’m happy to report back that Medina is cranking out some heavenly food.

For now (the kitchen will come later), what’s on the menu is waffles and coffee. For $6 you get a snack (or breakfast) sized waffle, with topping and a coffee. Tea can be substituted in and Lattes and other assorted coffee drinks are available for a little bit more. The toppings are where it gets interesting though. Depending on the time of day – or your penchant for sugar – you can have Organic maple syrup, yogurt, fruit, or a mouth-watering choice of flavoured chocolates and compotes.

The first time I was there I had the spiced caramel (above), but when I found myself back in the neighborhood 2 days later, I picked the Blueberry vanilla compote. Both were exquisite in the extreme, but I’m leaning on the blueberry for now. Next time I am going to have to get the Fig orange marmalade.

Like Chambar next door, Medina is lushly decorated in a modern European style. Lots of wood and brick accented by an ocean-y blue resin bar top and a series of blue-themed art on the walls. It effortlessly manages the divide between cool and welcoming.

Both visits have found the place packed – to the point of there being some confusion about whether you should order or find a seat first. To avoid having to eat your waffle standing or squished into the long wooden bar on reworked tin stools, the best process seems to be to go with a friend, get them to find a seat while you order. And of course then you can try 2 different toppings too.

The only thing I would change is that the waffle is served with a fork only. I don’t know if I’m the only one that had trouble with this, but the waffle needs cutting and so a knife would be a nice thought. Next time I will request one when I place my order…either that or just put the whole waffle in my mouth at once.

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Cafe Medina
556 Beatty Street, Vancouver (in Crosstown)