Much-Teased ‘Annabelle’s’ is Almost Ready to Open Doors in Chinatown

Long-time Vancouver bakery and restaurant industry vet, Annabelle Choi, is finally settling down to open her own (namesake) bakery and gelato shop in Chinatown! Owned and operated by Choi, alongside seasoned local baker Sabine Thorson (previously of Livia), Annabelle’s will open at 620 Quebec Street (previously home to Say Hello Sweets ice cream shop, and before that, Pazzo Chow) within the next few weeks.

The Concept

So what’s Choi’s plan? Drawing from her personal travels and working stints in cities like London and San Francisco, Choi aims to recreate the intimate atmosphere typical of Old World, hand-built spaces, but with added owner-operated ‘quirky’ vibes. Her vision is to create a space that blends the comfort of familiar experiences with innovative elements, all delivered with warm and inviting service. In her own words: “When you walk into Annabelle’s, you’ll step into a cozy space that feels like a charming cafe reminiscent of Old World Europe. Think Portugal, France, or Italy – all the places where my favourite pastries were born! The decor features little nods to these countries, with pops of colour and quirky accents adding a modern twist that reflects my love of contemporary art. The intimate setting means you’ll get up close and personal with our delicious pastries and gelato case, and you’ll find yourself right there with our barista, who’s running the show!”

Since picking up keys to the 880-square-foot space (180sqft in the front of house, plus 700sqft back of house) earlier this summer, Choi has been overhauling its two neglected offices and storage room, in order to ramp up the square footage and ensure that the work areas met Food Safety standards. She’s also been digging into its plumbing and electrical setups (gotta have enough juice to support all the baking and gelato making equipment!) “My partner also snuck in a lovely little arched window between the front of house and the main office, so I could peek my head into the front space to lend a hand or just say ‘hello’,” says Choi.

The Food

To ensure freshness, the menu at Annabelle’s will focus on house-made items using seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. We haven’t tasted anything yet – only been teased and tempted by items including a bourbon pecan pie with a freshly milled rye crust; Madeleines made with brown-butter-infused and silver-tipped jasmine; laminated brioche cinnamon buns; and gelato flavours like roasted barley with shoyu caramel and vermouth roasted strawberry served in black sesame puffed tapioca buns. With so many intriguing temptations in the works, though, we’re confident that there will be some winners. The cafe will also serve single-origin espresso from Luna Coffee, which will also be pulling its weight in Annabelle’s signature house-made pistachio gelato affogato.

When we asked Choi, “Why this space? Why now?”, here is what she had to say: “I have an old Instagram message I sent to Maya, of Pazzo Chow, who was the original lease holder of 620 Quebec Street exactly 10 years ago, asking what was happening with the space after she announced her business transition. Something about that space has always resonated with me – maybe with how intimate the front of house is, with its huge back of house for production capacity, or its proximity to the old Pie Shoppe in Chinatown where I did my first baking pop-up over 10 years ago. It’s the perfect balance of a neighbourhood hole-in-the-wall and a production space to make and experiment all the things. When Naomi, of Say Hello Sweets ice cream, announced the transition of her business, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass by again! I had told myself I wouldn’t be a small business owner of a physical space in Vancouver, what with all the difficulties and red tape with the city, etc. But this space convinced me otherwise!”

Stay tuned for details on opening day…