A new independent cafe focused on fresh-made soy milk and treats and eats made with the soy milk has just opened in Richmond.
Soytalk is located on the No 3 Road side of Parker Place, and has been in their soft opening phase for about a week. The business uses Japanese technology for making their soy milk, which is sold by the bottle in plain or other flavours, like black sesame.
Black Sesame, left, and Original soy milk soft serve ice cream at Soytalk in Richmond. Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
In addition to the soy milk, Soytalk has sweet and savoury pressed sandwiches made using soy milk bread - bread where soy milk stands in for the typical dairy milk in the recipe. Their sandwiches come in options like Nutella Boba or Tuna and cheese.
Soytalk serves two kinds of pudding, a Signature (plain) flavour, which is available in either hot or cold, and a Brown Sugar flavour, which is available hot only. Optional toppings for the puddings include Taro, Green Bean, Red Bean, Pearl Barley, or Peanuts, at $1 each.
Perhaps the highlight at Soytalk, however, is their soy milk soft serve. Currently available in just two flavours, Original and Black Sesame, the slightly icy and gently sweet soft serve is swirled into a standard size cup and topped - as a standard - with a unique combo of red bean tapioca pearls, and a crunchy mix of seaweed and finely shredded roasted soy beans - the latter, an employee explained, is similar to "meat floss" or rousang, except in this case there's no meat involved. Their soft serve cups have quite a nice balance of sweet and salty, with a little crunch and chew.
Three other soy milk ice creams are on the menu - matcha, mango, and chocolate - however they will be released later, seasonally. While you can find soy-based ice creams at grocery stores, this may very well be the first place in Metro Vancouver where their in-house ice cream is made solely with a soy milk base.
Incidentally, a majority of the Soytalk menu happens to be fully plant-based, including the ice cream and toppings and pudding, and of course the plain soy milk. Some of the pressed sandwiches, however, do contain animal products. But if you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or follow a non-dairy diet, this is a great new option for treats in Richmond.
Inside Soytalk at Parker Place Mall. Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
While the soy milk machinery hails from Japan, and the tapioca pearls come from a manufacturer in Taiwan, Soytalk itself is a locally-founded business, as opposed to being part of an international chain.
Their soy is Canadian-grown and certified organic, non-GMO, and their soy milk is made with no additives, anti-foaming agents, artificial flavours, emulsifiers, preservatives, maltodextrin, or thickening agents.
The entrance to Soytalk from inside Parker Place. You can also enter/exit from a door facing No 3 Road. Photo by Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
Soytalk will have their official opening in about a week, according to staff.
Soytalk is located at the Parker Place mall, at 4380 No 3 Road in Richmond.
