The Urban Cup Cafe — Restaurant in Saanich

UPDATE: December 5, 2019

After receiving a reply from the owner about how they make their hollandaise sauce from scratch, even though the first time I had it, I wasn't convinced that was the case. The reason that I did not feel it was made from scratch is that it was rather runny, not thicker like handmade sauce and it hadn't tasted handmade. So, I decided to give them another try. It should be noted that the FIRST TIME I visited their cafe, it was 2:30 pm in the afternoon while the SECOND TIME I went more recently, it was 9:30 am. It is entirely possible that in order to hold the sauce that long, they may have thinned it a little bit because hollandaise doesn't hold very well - that's why it has to be made freshly more frequently than other sauces or the egg mixture breaks apart from the butter.

I went into the cafe at 9:30 am on Dec 5th, 2019 and it was almost full, so it's a very popular place. I ordered the Blackstone Benny which comes with bacon, instead of ham like I'd ordered the first time around. I specifically requested EXTREMELY SOFT EGGS, as I do not like medium or hard eggs; I prefer the yolks to be runny and run all over when they're punctured. When I received my order, the potato hash browns were largish chunks which were nicely browned (the first time they were so pale as to be anemic, and not crispy at all) and VERY crisp which I love. I cut into one poached egg and it was fine, but the second was cooked medium, so the bottom half of the yolk was solid (YUCK!). I politely asked the waitress to please send it back to the kitchen and have them send out runny egg yolks instead. The waitress was very apologetic and said it would be fixed immediately. And it was! The newly created plate came out just how I like it. The potatoes again were crispy browned and the hollandaise was thicker, and tasted a little bit tart from the lemon juice. The eggs were perfect this time around. Everything was quite good. I appreciate that the waitresses and the kitchen were quick to fix the problem and did it with a smile, even checking in with me a second time to ensure everything was to my liking. I am GLAD to see that things were different and more as I expected the second time around! It is entirely possible that the TIME I went in to eat may have played a part, but I don't think their service would have changed, perhaps just who is cooking and how fresh their sauce is - if it's sat in a hot water bath for any length of time etc. All in all, it was a MUCH better experience!

I've been here a few times, the service each time was quite quick, the baked goods tasty. I would've rated them higher but when I ordered an Eggs Benedict with hash browns, the hollandaise sauce was NOT handmade, but totally packaged!! The wait staff told me it was 'homemade' (I personally hate this term used by restaurants, it's so inaccurate! Since they're not cooking or selling from their home it cannot BE homemade) but it DEFINITELY was NOT made from butter, eggs, lemon juice but a package... I've owned a restaurant AND attended cooking school so I can certainly tell the difference!! I was VERY disappointed 😔☹️ This place is two blocks from my house, so it's totally in my neighbourhood; I wish they made EVERYTHING from scratch!! It would be so much better, and since I don't eat packaged food I'll never eat Eggs Benedict...

A cozy diner-esque café, tucked just off of Shelbourne on church Ave, this little café serves up full breakfast and lunch meals along with espresso drinks and drip coffee. Upon entering there is a display of fresh, house-baked goods on the counter, right beside the till. I tried the cranberry and almond muffin (which was massive), a latte, and a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon added. The coffee was standard issue, although I could tell the quality of the espresso was good. My latte was nice and smooth, with a good amount of foam. I hate overly sweet baked goods, and the muffin was not that. It was sweetened nicely with lots of almond slivers and cranberries, and was served with butter on the side. Muffins are warmed quickly in the microwave for each customer which is appreciated for that freshly baked feel. Urban cup uses bagels from a local bagel-maker called mt.royal bagels. They're OK, in my opinion, but the smoked salmon is awesome! For $7.50 (plus $2.50 for the bagel itself), you get a generous side portion of cream cream cheese, a big, thick cut of smoked salmon, topped with red onion and arugula. The whole affair is served so you can build it yourself if you're taking it to stay. The salmon is slightly sweet, with a great Smokey flavour throughout. Being a thicker piece of salmon is appreciated, vs. the usual few paper-thin slices. The whole thing is delicious and I highly recommend trying the salmon and bagel. Atmosphere is nothing special. The café is in a bright location with indoor and outdoor seating. The café is right beside Shelbourne which is a very busy main thoroughfare without many trees or bushes to deaden the sound for outdoor tables, so individual mileage may vary with the outdoor seating.

Overall, very cozy digs with good coffee, and a great salmon and cream cheese bagel. Try the fresh baked goods of the day. There are bigger breakfast and lunch menu items that I will be trying on later...

I don’t really understand this place. They sat me at a table that was right beside the bathroom door despite there being 3 other open tables inside and some outside that were not by the bathroom. The table was also where people stand to wait for their to go orders so while I was waiting to eat I was at face level with their butts. This killed my appetite. I moved to the table beside me because it was the same size and not beside where people use and wait for the bathroom. I had been pretty ignored up until that point but when I moved myself to an appropriate seat a staff member magically ran from the back panicking about me moving 3 inches to the left so that I wouldn’t be beside people going to the bathroom. I explained this to him and he seemed both stunned and perplexed and the concept. Anyways, I got the regular eggs benny and I don’t know if they were mad at me for not wanting to sit by the bathroom but it did not look anything like what other people got. I actually got about half the amount of potatos as everyone else. I was never once asked how my food was. They dropped it off and ran off to greet regulars. I paid over $30 after tip for an eggs Benny so I didn’t appreciate that. I don’t know if they view people who eat out by themselves as weirdos or something but I don’t appreciate being given less than everyone else while I’m treated like a leper and overpaying to do so. I should not leave brunch still hungry. Sorry for disturbing your little cafe by existing in it, I...