Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

The hunt is over. This is what the fuss is all about. I love Tims and keep the app on my phone primarily to track their new featured items. Today started with a simple craving for a blueberry muffin with my lunch, so I checked the "Seasonal" section of the menu. Nothing new. Since it’s Cinco de Mayo, we had tacos for dinner, but afterwards, I really wanted a sweet drink. We ended up at Tims again, and when I opened the app to check the menu, there it was: the Lemon Blueberry Tart ($2.69 CAD) sitting right at the top of the list. Mind-blown.🤯 We actually had to go to two different Tim Hortons locations to find it, but we finally hit the jackpot at the second stop. Hitting the jackpot at store number two. The sign confirms the cruci...

Happy Friday! I survived. After a stressful week, I took Thursday and Friday as personal leave to recover. I needed to have some labs done, so I headed to LifeLabs first thing this morning. After fasting for 15 hours, all I wanted was a comforting, healthy meal at a spot we had not tried yet. We walked to the corner and finally ended up at K Cafe . We have been wanting to try this place forever, but they are usually closed on Sundays, which makes it a bit harder to time a visit. I really wanted the ramyun because Korean ramen is a major weakness of mine. However, I knew I should choose the healthier option of bibimbab. Thankfully, my husband is wonderful; he ordered the ramyun so I could still have a bite! Bibimbab ($11.95) — A vibrant rice bowl topped with bean sprouts, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, zucchin...

In my earlier posts, I shared a little bit about my ER adventure this week and how my energy level is terrible today. It has been so low that I simply did not want to cook dinner. We decided to head to Loblaws and picked up three sushi rolls, but unfortunately, they were not good at all, which only made me feel worse. We tried the TC Maki ($4.99) , the Mango Salsa California Roll ($6) , which was far too tarty, and the Mango California Roll with Spicy Crab ($8) . Sadly, they were all quite terrible. The rice lacked that fresh texture and the savoury balance I was hoping for. The simplest of the bunch, but the T.C. Maki ($4.99) was still a miss. ...

I am a workaholic and I mean that as a negative trait. I was in the Emergency Room at St. Paul’s Sunday and Monday evening and ended up having a minor procedure. Yet, here I am on Wednesday, back in the office. My energy level is sitting at a 5. To lift my mood a bit, I decided to stop by Ciclo Espresso for an unsweetened matcha latte with oat milk and a little amaretti treat. A soothing, unsweetened matcha latte with oat milk ($8.50 total). Quality Matcha in the Heart of Downtown My colleague mentioned that they do not have the best coffee, but I think they have exceptionally high quality matcha. I thoroughly enjoyed my hot latte. It was vibrant , smooth , and exactly the pick-me-up I needed. Should I dare say they have the best matcha in Downtown Vancouver? Possibly. It is a bo...

After such a long evening , we took Tuesday at a much slower pace. Recovery has been a bit of a journey, but I had a necessary follow-up with my family doctor, so we made our way over to Burnaby for the appointment. Feeling a bit drained afterward, we decided on an early dinner at The Bao Place . It felt like the right time to finally try their Pork Deluxe (Bola-Bola Special) . The Pork Deluxe Bola-Bola Siopao ($5.25) from The Bao Place. The Battle of the Buns: Pork vs. Chicken The Pork Deluxe ($5.25) is a hefty bun stuffed with ground pork, green onion, jicama, shallots, boiled egg, and luncheon meat. Because The Bao Place uses pork, it has a deep, meaty, and delightfully fatty flavour profile. However, it is hard not to compare it to my long-time favourite. If y...