Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

After a busy office day and a rich Indian lunch, figuring out dinner can be a challenge. Luckily, I have my own secret weapon: my husband’s food checklist . It is a running list of everywhere I’ve ordered from for team lunches that he still needs to try. Since I’ve had Dingding Restaurant on Seymour for work before, we decided it was finally his turn. While I love a company-paid lunch, nothing beats a dinner with my husband where I can order everything I want without worrying about a budget or if I look like I haven't eaten in a week! The Vibe When we walked in, the restaurant was unfortunately empty, which felt a bit sad. I am always happy to support local small businesses, and the quiet atmosphere meant our food came out fast and the service was attentive. The Spread I’ve learned from my previous visits (like the time I made a note never to order the pork dumplings again!), so we stuck to some proven winners and added a few new items to ...

Happy Thursday, which means lunch was on the company! I was the lucky winner who got to pick the cuisine, and I went straight for Indian food . One of my colleagues is heading back to India for a two-week vacation, and we figured she shouldn't have to wait until she lands to enjoy a good meal! We took a stroll through Yaletown and ended up at Tasty Indian Bistro . If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s been all over the news lately—apparently, Nick Jonas was just here a few weeks ago! He reportedly loved the Palak Paneer so much he took an order to-go, so you know the vibes are high-status. The Order While the celebrity connection is fun, I’m a creature of habit. I went with my usual: Chicken Vindaloo ($21.00) at a medium heat, paired with their pillowy Garlic Naan ($4.75). My usual order at Tasty Indian Bistro: a medium-heat Chicken Vindaloo, garnished beauti...

Thursdays are my "early bird" days. I’m in the office by 8:00 am, which usually feels like a marathon before the day even begins. To make it a bit sweeter, I’ve started treating myself to a Lyft ride—a little bubble of peace before the back-to-back meetings kick in. Previously, my heart (and stomach) belonged to the Tim Hortons Farmers Breakfast Wrap . But as I’m keeping a closer eye on my sodium and saturated fat intake, I’ve had to bid that salty, savoury friend a bittersweet farewell. Yesterday, my Lyft driver dropped me off right in front of the historic Post building , and I realized I had 10 minutes to spare. I frequent the Loblaws City Market inside The Post at least once a week and have tried almost everything from "The Canteen" hot bar for lunch and dinner, but I was surprised to find they serve a full breakfast spread too! The Discovery It was so early that the price tags weren't even out yet, but the kitchen w...

As you've probably gathered from my previous posts, I enjoy the free company-paid team lunch every Thursday. As a result, I've been to quite a few food joints that my husband hasn't tried yet. This list is to help us keep track of all the places we need to visit together. ☑️ A la Mode Pie ☑️ Al Basha Express ⬜ Bali Bites food truck ☑️ bb.q Chicken ⬜ BC Momo ☑️ Blaze Gourmet Burger ☑️ Boteco Brasil ⬜ Brazilliant Café ⬜ Brooklyn Dumpling Shop ⬜ Browns Socialhouse ☑️ Burger Crush ⬜ Casereccio Foods ⬜ Cafe Medina ⬜ Chit Chat Burger Bar ⬜ Dante Italian Sandwich ⬜ Devil's Elbow Ale and Smoke House ☑️ Dingding Restaurant ⬜ Disco Cheetah ⬜ El Compadre (part of Club Kitchen) ☑️ Five Guys Burger & Fries ☑️ Gimme Coxinhas ☑️ Grand Chinese Restaurant ⬜ Hawker's Delight ☑️ H-Kitchen inside H-Mart ⬜ Ignite Pizzeria ☑️ JINYA Ramen Bar ☑️ Jerusalem Shawarma ⬜ JOEY ...

I'm tired. It's Sunday afternoon and we’ve walked all the way from Slocan to Commercial Drive and now to Main Street. It’s that lovely, sun-dazed exhaustion where the conversation eventually turns to the inevitable question: What’s for dinner? As much as I love my kitchen, by the time we were closing in on home, the thought of cooking was a hard "no." We found ourselves standing outside Mr. Sushi on East 2nd Ave. It’s the closest spot to us, yet somehow, we had never stepped inside. Well, I’m so glad we finally did. If you're looking for friendly service, reasonable prices, and that "neighborhood staple" feel, this is it. It’s exactly the kind of place that makes a community feel like home. The "Hungry" Order You know how they say you shouldn’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry? The same rule applies to ordering sushi. We definitely over-ordered, but have no regrets. The Bento Deal Hubby op...