Suzette, Hasselt

Easter Sunday, and the rain stopped earlier than planned, so I headed out to find a mid-morning cuppa and enjoy some time off and read a book.

Being a Sunday, many of Hasselt's cafés are shut (something I'm still not used to...), so I ended up somewhere new, somewhere that was open.

Suzette is relatively new to Hasselt, I remember it opening after I got here, so it's less than 2 years old or so.

Today it was decorated for Easter, with giant eggs hanging from the mirrors.

It's quite a charming place, bigger on the inside than you'd expect it to be, with a few different styles of tables and chairs - I need to try and sit at the other end of the café next time, as the table I was at unfortunately had a bit of wood where my knee should go, so I sat sideways. No biggie

I had come here once before, and had a lovely open sandwich (brown bread with some charcuterie I think it was. V nom.) but I'd never found a chance to come back again. 

The tea menu isn't bad, with a list of typical and unusual teas (Love and Laughter) from brands I'm not familiar with. 

I was sad not to see a good English Breakfast to start my day, so went with a green tea instead. 10am is much too early in the day for Earl Grey in my opinion, even though I do prefer a good black tea to start the day. 

It was a lovely big glass of tea, hot and with thick enough glass to hold on to it straight away. 

Normally, I don't usually go for the extras with teas (honey, sugar, lemon), but with a green tea, I do like a bit of lemon to add to the flavour. (also, see the tiny choccy egg for Easter?)

It was a great place for a quiet start to the day, away from noise. 

Vica, Sint Truiden

2 cups of tea in 2 days!
Well, I have plenty at home, but 2 visits to tea shops in 2 days, productive weekend!

Today, as a treat, B took me out for ice cream in Vica in Sint Truiden

It's an ice cream parlour that has a classic feeling to it, and a wide selection of artisanal ice creams.

 They also have a decent selection of teas, and if you ask for a black tea, you get Lipton's Earl Grey, which for an afternoon accompaniment to an ice creamy treat is the perfect combination.

A very decent sized cup of tea, perfect temperature, and even comes with a ball of ice cream! As well as the usual bit of chocolate on the side. 

Also, this was what I treated myself to - Poire Belle Héléne. Much too much, but very tasty! The whipped cream is especially tasty here. 

There used to be a Vica ice cream shop in Hasselt, but that closed down last year and has since been replaced by a Wok restaurant. It's a shame, as their ice cream is really rather good, and their milkshakes too. Since it left, we went to the new frozen yogurt place, Moochie, in town instead when we wanted something cold. Or to the ijsboetiek which we visited last weekend. 

Making the most of the weekends before work picks up again and I won't have any time off for a while...

Boon, Hasselt

Boon is easily the best café I've been to in Hasselt so far. We go so often that the waitress knows us by now, and remembers what we usually order - Ceylon tea for me, and a hot chocolate for B. The hot chocolate there is delicious, but as you also get a mini chocolate mousse and a few pieces of chocolate, I find having drinking chocolate as well just a step too far for me.

For a café that specialises in chocolate, it has a really good tea menu, with a few pages of loose leaf teas to choose from - black, green, fruity, infusions...

Today I went with a Thé Des Sages instead of my usual, and B had an Advocaat coffee thing (the creamy looking drink on the right). You can see the mini mousses and selection of 4 chocolates below. This comes every time you order a drink there.

I love the tea infuser they have. Just plop the flower in, and wait as the tea brews.

One of the best things about Boon are the 'gebakje van de dag', cake of the day, which from experience has been a nutty, fruity chocolate cake or a cheesecake...I know, not very detailed, but these are tiny slices of perfection. The flavours are so rich and perfect that you're glad they're such a small size. They probably do others, but you never know until you ask what the special will be, and if they will have any left. Aim to get there before 3 to get a better chance of getting one!

The café is small, with room for about 25-30 people. You can hang around in the little shop if you want to wait for a table - it's worth it, believe me.

There's also a view into the kitchen where they make all their chocolates. Sometimes you can see some really impressive work. The owner is also known for making Faberge style chocolate eggs, some of which were recently displayed at Harrods. Go Belgium!

If you're ever in Hasselt, it's definitely worth a visit, tasty chocolates, friendly staff and delicious drinks. - http://www.thechocolateexperience.be

TBT - York

One of my best memories of tea, and one that has become my profile photo on several occasions, was at a tiny little café on a bridge over the River Ouse in York.

It kind of sums up my feelings about York - warm, cozy, friendly. I miss it sometimes.

It was a lovely afternoon tea, in one of the smallest cafés I've ever been in, and it served delicious warm scones, with proper double cream, jam AND strawberries. 

Sitting above the Ouse (on one of those moments where it wasn't flooded), on a bridge that's been around more or less since the Middle Ages, enjoying peace and quite and a cup of tea, there's nothing much that beats that. 

Good times. 

De Ijsboetiek, Hasselt

Yesterday we went to the Ijsboetiek for the first time this year. It's a nice little ice cream place that also does excellent (huge) pancakes and apple pie. Also, their ice cream is home made and made from goat's milk - my favourite is the white stracciatella, so delicious. Also worth a try is their Ferrero Rocher flavour.

But this isn't a blog about ice cream, but about tea.

Sat out in the heated tent, our order was brought out to us, pancakes for hubby, hot apple pie with ice cream and whipped cream for me, and a cuppa.

The brand of tea is one I don't know very well, but see now and then in cafés, never seen in a shop. It was a decent earl grey that didn't take long to infuse its flavours. The water was hot enough, despite it being cold outside, and the glass kept it at a good temperature until I'd finished my tart. (which I did wolf down a bit...it was that good). 

As if I didn't already have enough cream with my slice of pie, I got a little extra with my tea, as pictured below. This is quite popular in Belgium, to get a small wafer, filled with cream. Sometimes, it's a chocolate pot. The tea was also accompanied by the usual creamer, sugar, and a biscuit. 

Despite the string coming off the teabag, all in all a good cuppa, in a nice area, with a very good dessert. Next time I go there, it'll probably more be for the ice cream than the tea, but it's good to know that in the colder months when its open, you can enjoy a decent cuppa for less than 2€. 

An extra note - The Ijsboetiek isn't in the centre Hasselt itself, but out in one of the suburbs, about 10 mins by car. Worth a visit

If you want to find out more about it, here's their website - http://www.deijsboetiek.be

Easyjet Tea

Last week I went home for a few days, flying with Easyjet as there was a very good deal on.

On my way back, with a flight at 15:30, which is right in my 'time for a cuppa' window, I decided to treat myself to an in-flight tea (I also had a pocket of Swiss change leftover...)

The magazine was promising,  with a full page article on the teas they serve on board.
(2.30£, 3€, which translated to 4 CHF)

When they came by, it was served quickly and efficiently, without feeling rushed, with the usual cup to hold the teabag and napkin (and sugar and milk if you fancy)

The water was the perfect temperature, and the mug was pretty and cool enough to hold. 

A very good airborne tea, much better than the last I had on my KLM flight back from KL, where it was pre-brewed and in a flask...

Will definitely be tempted to enjoy this one again.