Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Happy Sunday! After Mass, we walked to C Market Coffee on Main Street. I was here by myself for their opening day last month , and it was very crowded. Coming back today with my husband for his first time felt much better. The initial opening crowd has died down, so it is a lot more calm now. What we drank We sat down for a bit before heading over to the Vancouver Canadians game at Nat Bailey Stadium. Since it was his first visit, we spent a bit of time looking at the menu. The Tiramisu Latte ($7.25): Hubby picked this one. He thought it would be like a dessert, but it was not as sweet as I hoped. He also complained that it was not very hot until he hit the bottom of the cup. The Tiramisu Latte looked cozy with its cocoa dusting, even if it was not as sweet as we expected. The Matcha Latte ($6.75): I got the unsweetened matcha with oat milk ag...

Today was the most relaxing Saturday I have had in a long time. I slept in, shared a quiet breakfast with hubby, tackled the vacuuming and then finally found myself in the kitchen. No pressure, no fancy equipment; just a spoon, a fork and a desire to recreate a childhood favourite. The perfect result of a manual mix: a tender crumb beneath a lacy, buttery Jarlsberg crust. For me, cheese cupcakes mean one thing: the pre-packaged Lemon Square Cheese Cakes tucked into my school bag for baon or enjoyed as the afternoon snack. They were sweet, salty and always hit the spot. But today, I wanted something that felt a little more "grown-up" to pair with my afternoon tea. The Great Topping Revelation I ran a little experiment with this batch: half with the cheese topping and half without. I actually tried the plain one first, and to my surprise, it was too ...

Filing taxes is rarely something people look forward to, but for us, it has become a cherished annual tradition. We still head over to see a dear friend of my dad to get everything sorted. While I know we could easily file online, visiting Tito is simply more fun. In Filipino culture, we call family friends "Tito" or "Tita" even if we aren’t related by blood, and those connections make a standard errand feel more like a family visit. The best part of the day always comes afterward. Every year, we take a stroll along 41st Avenue toward Victoria Drive to find something delicious. With the exception of last year , our feet almost always lead us straight to Kokoro Izakaya Ramen Bar . The Main Event: Curry and Comfort Usually, I get a bowl of their ramen, but this time I could not say no to my absolute favourite dish: Japanese curry. I ordered the All in One Curry ($29) , which is a massive plate that includes chicken katsu, a shri...

It was a dumpling-themed week for our company-paid team lunch! We decided to order from Brooklyn Dumpling Shop , a spot that has gained quite a bit of buzz for its unique fusion flavours. If you have followed my previous food adventures, you might remember that I tried their bacon cheeseburger dumplings last time. To be honest, they were not quite my cup of tea. This round, I decided to stick to the classics to see how their traditional offerings measured up. The Taste Test: Xiao Long Bao and Chicken & Scallion I started with the Pork Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) , which were $11.50. In my books, the hallmark of a great XLB is that rich, savoury burst of broth. While these were acceptable, they unfortunately were not soupy enough for my liking. Giving the Pork Soup Dumpling (Xiao Long Bao) a test lift! Unfortunately, this one didn't have as much soup as I hoped for. ...

Your Guide to Rescuing Food with Too Good To Go Vancouver If you have been following Smooch Food for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of the Too Good To Go app. In a year where inflation has made every grocery trip feel like a splurge, this app has been a total game-changer for our household. Exploring the Metro Vancouver food rescue scene on the Too Good To Go map. New to the App? Let’s Save Together! I have been using Too Good To Go to rescue delicious food from going to waste, and I would love for you to join the movement. Download the app here (Full disclosure: Using my link helps me earn a small ($2) voucher toward my next food rescue at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Smooch Food!) Not only do we get to try some of the best artisanal bakeries and local eateries in Metro Vancouver for a frac...