Restaurant Review: ch. Cafeteria

CH. CAFETERIA

14802 Stony Plain Road | chcafeteria.ca Instagram: @ch.cafeteria

Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

Mexico is known for its chocolate. If you've ever visited an all-inclusive resort in Mexico you are very familiar with the vat of hot chocolate that is almost always on offer - usually at breakfast time - and the clay mugs that you drink it from. Edmonton's ch. Cafeteria, located in Grovenor, is a specialty cafe that celebrates exactly this: Mexican chocolate in all of its forms. The Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list named them as Favourite Dessert and with good reason! I visited their lively cafe on a Sunday afternoon, their corner location and bright fuchsia signage impossible to miss. The entire interior (and exterior) is a work of art with a strong focus on work by local artists, handmade items for sale, and an absolute eclectic explosion of colour. The space feels warm and inviting with cozy seating, communal tables (I met and chatted with a lovely family from South Africa while seated at ours), and greenery in every corner. It's a cafe that feels like a community hub, special and unique from the moment that you enter the building. The friendly staff enhances this atmosphere. Chocolate and coffee feel like pretty close cousins making the Mocha de Olla ($6.75 for small) feel like a natural choice. The best of both worlds! ch. Cafeteria also offers different types of chocolate in their beverages including; dark, milk, hazel, and white. This allows for a wide range of personalization to one's exact taste! Their Xocolatl is prepared spicy which is what many people think of when they imagine a Mexican hot chocolate.

The Mocha de Olla is made with coffee brewed with raw sugar and cinnamon, chocolate, and milk. My favourite part of the beverage is how well the warming spices come through, truly highlighting the beautiful flavour of cinnamon mingling with the sweet notes of chocolate. Meanwhile, the slight bitterness of the chocolate is a perfect match for the coffee itself. The balance is perfection! I did find that my drink tasted a little bit watered down and I could have used even more developed and robust flavour. An overall delight nonetheless. I wanted to expand my visit from the typical cafe fare (coffee/pastry) to trying some of ch. Cafeteria's actual food. The menu is bigger than you'd expect! You'll find classics like Molletes and even a pulled pork sandwich. But the star of the menu is the Chilaquiles ($13.00). This is the dish that nachos (as we know them in North America) originated from. I got mine with Chicken (+$3.50), Avocado ($+3.00), and Extra Cheese (+$3.00). You can also choose from Mexican pulled pork or chorizo as proteins.

Corn chips covered with red or green salsa, sour cream, melted cheese & feta cheese.

I chose the green salsa as the flavour of this salsa is a bit more acidic, which I enjoy. These "Mexican style nachos" are pointed out to be a bit soggy - a texture that is desired in this case. Traditionally eaten as a breakfast dish, the correct texture of the chips is for them to be soft but still with a nice bite to them. ch. Cafeteria achieves this spectacularly. I was shocked by how addictive and delicious these chilaquiles were! The salsa was flavourful, bringing the aforementioned acidity to brighten up the dish. The shredded pieces of chicken were juicy and abundant. There was heaps of melty cheese. Every component, as simple as they were, came together to create one exceptional dish. I can see myself returning regularly to order this because I already can't stop thinking about it. Forget about the nachos that you know, chilaquiles is where it's at!! If there is one must try item at ch. Cafeteria I think that we would all agree on the Chido Dessert ($7.50). These famous layered chocolate mousse treats come in at least six different flavours and new ones are popping up all the time. It's like a mousse parfait and trust me, you want one. My personal favourite is the Woodstock but there is honestly no wrong choice here.

The Woodstock is made with milk chocolate, caramel, and peanuts. For a chocolate and peanut butter-loving girlie like myself, this is the perfect chido. Each bite is filled with creamy decadence as you dig down into the bowl to capture every single component. The mousse is whipped to a creamy-light-airy perfection while the caramel adds a gooey sweetness. And the whole peanuts bring a great textural crunch. This dessert can only be described as velvet deliciousness. Everyone should take it upon themselves to try every single type of chido - it would be time well-spent. I also always make sure to grab a couple of ch. Cafeteria's housemade Truffles ($2.50 each) because this is the purist way to taste their chocolateria magic in action. This time I tried a Hazelnut & Chili one and a Peanut Butter one. You cannot go wrong with these! A perfect little bite that truly showcases what they do at ch. Cafeteria. I like the Hazelnut & Chili because its got some heat and really showcases the signature spice that you can find in Mexican chocolate. And the Peanut Butter one? Well that's just one of my favourite flavour combos as we previously discussed. Yum! ch. Cafeteria is really special and we're so lucky to have them in our city. They're offering a cafe experience that sets itself apart from what everyone else is doing by centering their business around a side of Mexican cuisine that we rarely get to see in Canada. This spot will easily become your new favourite and you're gonna be pretty pleased about it. ¡Gracias!