AVIK (WEST BROADWAY) — Restaurant in Vancouver

A brand-new café has opened on West Broadway, and from the photos I’ve seen on social media, the interior looks absolutely modern and stunning. But of course, pictures can only tell part of the story—you really need to visit in person to form an opinion. The café opens bright and early at 6:30 AM and stays open until 11 PM, offering impressively long hours. Upon stepping inside, I was immediately struck by the bright lighting and the warm, elegant wooden décor, from the walls to the chairs—it’s truly refreshing and inviting. I spoke with a staff member named Nick and asked about the sweetness of their desserts. He explained that they aim to keep the sugar levels moderate in all their pastries. Based on his suggestion, I tried the matcha cookie, Coconut Macaroon and dark chocolate cookie. One unique feature of their coffee is that for any order, you can choose from three types of beans. I also appreciated that opting for oat milk as a substitute for regular milk came at no extra charge. My favorite was the Ethiopian beans, which had a delightful mix of chocolate and floral notes. Interestingly, their Ethiopian beans are decaf, but Nick assured me that they retain all the original flavors despite the low caffeine content. Intrigued, I went for an Ethiopian espresso, and it exceeded all my expectations. The matcha cookie, in particular, was a standout. It offered three distinct textures: a crispy top layer, a rich and creamy center, and a soft, fluffy base. The sweetness level was just right—not overpowering. Pairing the desserts with the coffee was a match made in heaven. This place is absolutely worth recommending. However, as a newly opened spot, there are a couple of minor drawbacks. During my visit, a group of friends was chatting quite loudly, which slightly disrupted the otherwise pleasant atmosphere. The background music could also be a bit softer to enhance the overall experience. With these small adjustments, this café could become the perfect spot to enjoy great coffee and desserts. P.S. Today is their official opening, so I invited some friends to come along. To my surprise, the coffee was free today! We ordered a flat white, latte, and matcha latte. The first two were really delicious, but as for the matcha latte, since it already had sweetness in it, unfortunately my friend didn’t like it. We also tried the onion mushroom sandwich with sourdough. The flavor was quite nice, with a well-balanced mix of...

I stumbled upon this coffee shop during its soft opening. They’re offering coffee and baked goods, so I tried their pistachio and matcha cookies—definitely worth a try! I’ve never had cookies like these before; they’re crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and incredibly tasty. They recommended pistachio cookie which is filled with pistachio in one little cookie!

I originally went for their matcha croissant, but it was sold out, so I’m planning to visit again today, hoping to get a chance to try it. I also tried their coffee, and although I’m not really a coffee person, I found it smooth and easy to enjoy. We had both latte and orange cold brew.

I’m excited to try their gelato once it’s available!

— Nov 14

I went back again earlier didn’t realized the owner’s comment and got myself the pistachio croissant already—haha! The matcha cream on top of the croissant did not disappoint. I ordered it to-go, so maybe that’s why it wasn’t as crunchy as I’d hoped for.

Since they’re still in the soft opening phase, things felt a bit disorganized, and we ended up waiting in line for almost 20-30 minutes due to a machine issue. I understand it’s a soft opening, so I hope they’ll smooth things out, as the long wait was almost enough to make me leave. Overall, their prices are reasonable, and I’ll definitely...

Pros: I only have been coming back here for their matcha cookies. It’s my favorite thing here and I enjoyed experiencing the cookie’s smooth texture filling every bite. Appreciate the consistency of those. I think the overall cafe ambience would be more comfortable (for me anyway) if there were less crowds, but since this is a new spot opened I will wait for another time to hang out at the cafe. The servers are friendly though. I think their mini lunch items are a great idea for snacks. Reasonable pricing and I enjoyed their mini pâté sub on my first visit.

Cons: I found their plain butter croissant very disappointing. Unfortunately, it was the worst butter croissant I ever had as it tasted more sweet than savoury. It had a sticky syrup coating and didn’t taste like they used butter, maybe margarine? No lamination. I appreciate how big and promising it looked, however the inside was somewhat hollow, and it crumbled all over my shirt not how a standard butter croissant should be. Their sandwiches didn’t seem interesting or stand out to me to want to try them. Hope they have more variety in the future. My first few impressions is that their strength lies in desserts, but not as much for...