Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Team lunch called for pies again, and this time I went with the Mentil Lentil from Peaked Pies. I love how this spot always has a solid vegetarian option that doesn't feel like an afterthought. Peaked Pies, Team Lunch Featured Item: Mentil Lentil Pie ($14.38) Dietary: Vegetarian Verdict: Hearty, saucy, and comforting. Tastes like a good spaghetti sauce baked into flaky pastry. This one is packed with tender lentils, sweet zucchini, earthy carrot, and crisp celery, all simmered in a rich chili basil tomato sauce. It's honestly reminiscent of a good spaghetti sauce, hearty, saucy, and well-seasoned with just enough heat to keep things interesting. On top of that filling sits a generous dollop of creamy parmesan ricotta mix that melts into the sauce as you cut through the flaky pastry shell. Mentil Lentil: hearty filling with a creamy ricotta surprise. Honestly, I'd happily eat t...

I don't hang out with my parents often enough, so when they visit my side of Vancouver, I make it a priority to bring them somewhere special. Today, I decided to introduce them to C Market Coffee along Main Street, Vancouver's biggest coffee shop. This is my third time visiting, and I still remember being here on opening day. C Market Coffee, Main Street (Third Visit) Location: 195 E 36th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5W 4A1 (Main Street) Visit: Family outing with parents Featured Items: K-Ube Latte ($7), Dubai Chocolate Croissant ($10.50), Ultimate Chocolate Nemo Cake ($8) Verdict: A delightful spot to share time with family. The croissant steals the show with its perfect texture and pistachio cream. My parents ordered their usual Americanos while my sister and I decided to indulge in a couple of their signature desserts. We went with the luxurious Dubai Chocolate Croissant and the Ultimate Chocolate Nemo Ca...

Fable Kitchen in Kitsilano is shutting their doors tomorrow, and we decided to visit for their penultimate dinner service. We've always wanted to try here, but it's a bit pricey, so trying them once felt like more than enough. We're glad we made the visit. Fable Kitchen, Kitsilano (Closing) Location: 1944 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M5 (Kitsilano) Visit: Penultimate dinner service before closure Featured Items: Duck meatball ($19), canned tuna ($19), chickpea fritter ($15), patatas bravas ($18) Verdict: A bittersweet final visit. The duck meatball and canned tuna are unforgettable, even if only for one last time. I checked Google Maps to see which dishes came highly recommended, and we decided to share three starters: chickpea fritters, a duck meatball, and canned tuna. We weren't sure if three would be enough, so we also grabbed one from the share plates section, and since I have a soft spot ...

Chai Wagon on East 2nd Avenue serves excellent ginger and elaichi chai, both of which we love. They recently added a soft serve machine to their lineup, and I couldn't resist trying their new chai soft serve. Chai Wagon, Mount Pleasant Location: 196 E 2nd Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 3B7 Featured Item: Chai Soft Serve ($5.50) Verdict: Creamy and enjoyable, but the chai flavour is more subtle than expected. Their ginger chai remains the star. Picture creamy vanilla soft serve infused with their signature warm chai spice blend, swirled tall in a cup and topped with a crisp biscuit stick. Visually, it's a beautiful treat, with that classic soft serve swirl and a lovely light brown hue from the chai spices mixed throughout. Chai Soft Serve: pretty swirl, subtle spice. As for the taste, it doesn't quite hit the chai notes I was hoping for. It...

After work today, my colleagues and I decided to hit the gym in the basement of our office building for some group workout. It's so much fun and incredibly motivating to work towards health goals with the ladies. (Is that post-workout glow a real thing? Because I felt it! lol.) Riding that endorphin high, hubby and I headed to Mamalee Malaysian Delights in Chinatown to grab dinner. Mamalee Malaysian Delights, Chinatown Location: 186 Keefer Pl, Vancouver, BC V6B 6L4 (Chinatown) Featured Items: Hainanese Chicken Rice + Soup (large), Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai Price Range: Hainanese Chicken Rice $20, Nasi Lemak $18.50, Roti Canai $9.95 Verdict: Comforting Malaysian classics with tender chicken and satisfying roti. A solid neighbourhood spot when the craving hits. Still beaming from the workout, I asked Gemini to tell me the lowest-calorie option from the menu, and it spit out Hainanese Chicken Rice + ...