Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

I had a decision to make on whether to go out of my way for the limited edition pastries at the Vancouver Croissant Crawl (September 25 to October 4, 2026). We didn't, but we love walking around Vancouver, so it was a good excuse to try a few. This post is my running list of every crawl croissant I try this year, so I'll keep adding stops as I go. First up: three stops, one very long walk, and a whole lot of flaky layers. 📍 Croissant Crawl At-A-Glance: My 2026 Running List Event: Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl 2026, September 25 to October 4 Elaichi Patisserie (Vancouver) Chai and Cookie Croissant C Market Coffee (Vancouver) Maple Cranberry Pecan Danish, $7.25 Mon Paris Patisserie (Olympic Village) Caramel Roasted Pecan Croissant Roll, $7.50 ...

Turon is my favourite Filipino snack. Crispy caramelized brown sugar wrapper, sweet banana inside, it's the kind of treat that instantly feels like home. So seeing this icon show up as part of the Vancouver Croissant Crawl , thanks to Cadeaux Bakery, genuinely made me feel seen. And they didn't stop there. They also built a Taho Latte and, outside of the crawl menu entirely, a Longganisa Sausage Croissant. Cadeaux is leaning hard into Filipino flavours this year, and I am so here for it. 📍 Cadeaux Bakery At-A-Glance Event: Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl 2026 (September 25 to October 4) Location: 172 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1G1 Cuisine: Bakery, Filipino-inspired flavours Featured Items: Banana Turon Croissant, Longganisa Sausage Croissant, Taho Latte Price: Banana Turon Croissant $8.50, Longganisa Sausage Croissant $6.25, Taho Latte $6.25 (12 oz), Mocha $5.95 (12 oz) Good to Know: Go within the first hour of openin...

Happy Friday. If you've been following my blog, you'll know I had an emergency room scare last April, which led to an operation last August. Today, the surgeon finally removed the stitches and confirmed everything is healing well. To celebrate, I wanted to sit in a coffee shop and just relax for a bit before heading back to work. We decided to stop by Mon Paris Patisserie. I ordered a mocha because I needed something sweet to pair with my savoury croissant choice of ham and cheese. Mon Paris Patisserie, Mount Pleasant Location: 1731 Manitoba St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1A4 Featured Items: Ham and Cheese Croissant, Pistachio Croissant, Mocha Verdict: The ham and cheese croissant, with its bordering-on-burnt cheese skirt, is the clear standout. A perfect spot for a quiet reset. I love their ham and cheese croissant because of the cheese skirt bordering on burnt that wraps around the base. I love, love, lov...

🍔 A&W Rewards At-A-Glance Program: A&W Rewards (free to join in the A&W app) Earn Rate: 10 points per $1 spent (subtotal before tax) Where It Works: A&W restaurants across Canada, by ordering in the app or scanning your QR code in the restaurant Points Expiry: 12 months after you earn them Reward Tiers: 300, 600, 900 and 1,500 points Best Value: Regular A&W Root Beer (300 points), or the Mama Combo for a full meal (1,500 points) Prices Checked: October 1, 2026 at 450 Robson Street, Vancouver (pickup) I've tried most of the A&W menu over the years (the full list is at the bottom of this post). So when I opened the A&W app and saw 1,673 points sitting there, I got curious. Which A&W Rewards item is actually the best deal? For the record, I don't build up my points by paying full price. Most of ...

It was a statutory non-working holiday, and we had every intention of staying home and doing nothing. But my mum called before lunch asking if we had plans and if we wanted to drop by since my dad had cooked. Of course, we said yes. Little Pisces, Statutory Holiday Treat Location: 1778 Columbia St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1B8 Featured Items: Hotteok Taiyaki (2 pieces, $7.20), Unsweetened Matcha Latte with Oat Milk ($7) Verdict: The Hotteok taiyaki beats the Red Bean. Soft, mochi-like shell with a brown sugar, cinnamon and walnut filling that's hard to top. After a proper food coma day at my parents' place, hubby and I needed to satisfy our sweet tooth before heading back home, so we stopped by Little Pisces. We've been here before and tried their Red Bean Taiyaki, but today hubby suggested we try the Hotteok flavour instead since it sounded different. His choice turned out to be an excellent one. Taiyaki here comes ...