Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Happy (almost) Canada Day! This year we have decided to celebrate the non-working day by having dinner from Vancouver's only Indigenous-owned and operated restaurant, Salmon 'n' Bannock. They have a different menu for dine-in and to-go customers. As such, more delicious-looking items can only be ordered if you're dining in. Tip 1: Come early They open daily at 3:00 PM. We went there at around 6:30, and they're busy! All the tables are occupied. Moreover, there are even people outside waiting for their to-go orders. We wanted many things from their to-go menu, like the Open-Faced Bison Sandwich and Signature Bannock with House Chili. Both are sold out. Tip 2: Go for Salmon in a Bannock Dinner from Salmon 'n' Bannock Since a couple items we want are no longer available, we end up with Urban Smoked Salmon Burger with Coleslaw and Pow Wow Power Salad. Both are delicious, but I'll order the salmon burger again. Because of the excellent experience with bannock...

We have no plans to go to the cinema as soon as we are doing even though we used to see at least one movie a month. However, the heatwave is getting ridiculous. Hubby and I grew up in the Philippines, where this weather is expected and quite usual during the summer. But there, if you're middle class or higher, you have air conditioning in your homes - here we don't. Since the heatwave will end tomorrow, investing in an AC seems unreasonable because we live in a 500 sq feet apartment with minimal storage. To manage the heat, we end up watching F9 The Fast Saga (I have not seen ANY of the Fast and the Furious movies) just for the AC (and for the popcorn). It's the longest movie showing at Cineplex - 2 hours and 23 minutes. From 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the temperature was more than 36℃! So, after work (we work from home), we took an Uber to Fifth Avenue Cinemas. Thankfully, they allowed us to enter 30 minutes before our film. I miss the Cineplex popcorn! I got popcorn and drinks, ...

Happy Sunday! We're in the middle of the heatwave in British Columbia. Still, when we booked the 4-Course Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens organized by Truffle Fine Foods, we didn't know there's going to be a heatwave. 4-Course Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens organized by Truffle Fine Foods The Experience Our reservation for two is at ten in the morning. We arrived just in time at Gate 3 (37th Avenue and Hudson), the designated entrance. There's a person who will ask for your name, ask you to register and point you in the general direction on where to go. Gate 3 Truffles Find Foods Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens sign. We walked where the signs lead us and end up at this picnic area. It was hot. Thankfully, there are umbrellas on top of each picnic table, and there is some breeze. Picnic Area Our server walked to our table and asked us if we had any drink orders or wanted to get started. We told him that we alre...

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building. For dinner today, we grabbed a couple mac and cheese from REEL Mac and Cheese to eat while watching the Vancouver Whitecaps FC game. With today's meal, we have tried most of the items on their menu. We had The Main Event and Godzilla at The Columbia Streat Food Truck Festival three years ago. Then, we had The Green Mile at VanDusen Botanical Garden . Today, I ordered Some Like It Hot while hubby tried Kevin Bacon. Note for future us to try the Snoop Dogg and Meat The Parent next time. It was a wrong move to order mac and cheese today during the heatwave. I was so food coma and felt hotter than I would have been. I didn't grow...

Happy Saturday! I am unsure how often Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee has a special cheesecake, but it sure is worth trying. I love the Matcha Cheesecake we tried earlier this month, and since my parents want organic coffee, hubby and I ordered the special cheesecake this time - Taro Cheesecake. The taro flavour is not as pronounced as the Matcha Cheesecake. Moreover, the taro latte was unavailable, which is unfortunate since I want to try it too. Taro Cheesecake I wonder what cheesecake they'll have next! Taro Cheesecake

My mom wanted Chinese food ever since her birthday a week ago, so today, we had lunch at Lin Chinese Cuisine after doing groceries. Tan Tan noodle soup with minced meat - one of my favourite dishes Shanghai-style Chow Mein Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai juicy pork dumplings) - MUST TRY! Best one in Vancouver (that I've tried, at least) Pan-fried pork buns Pan-fried cake with marinated beef I am glad to eat here again! I think this is the first time since last Christmas. Please continue to support small, local businesses if you have the means to do so.

Mutlu cumalar! جمعة سعيدة Happy Friday! The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building. Saj Bread I am familiar with naan, pita, and tortilla, but this is the first time I've heard of saj. According to Wikipedia , Saj bread "is a very thin, large unleavened flatbread in Turkish and Arab cuisine baked on a convex metal griddle, a saj." This is why I love Vancouver. I get to learn about food from other cultures. SAJetarian SAJetarian is a food truck in Metro Vancouver that specializes in Saj Bread. For today, I ordered their Ze Kafta. The saj bread is thin like a crepe but crispy like a fried tortilla. It's definitely unique, but what makes this wrap s...

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay! Happy Sunday! It's our last day in Victoria, BC. The trip felt long and short at the same time. I know, it doesn't make sense. 😂 We started the day by visiting St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Originally, I planned to have breakfast at the famous JAM Cafe. However, it's so far from where we were, and I just don't have the energy to walk even such a short distance. I opened one of my favourite apps, Foursquare, to search for nearby breakfast spots with a high rating. That's how I found Shine Café.  It's also a bonus that they got featured in the Food Network show, You Gotta Eat Here. Full Bre...

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay! I plan my vacation (specifically the food aspect) with research and reviews. I do my best to find the best places to eat in every city I go to unless it's a sudden unplanned trip. Dinner at 10 Acres Commons Restaurant is not part of the plan. I was planning to go to Big Wheel Burger at Cook Street near Beacon Hill for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, we had to walk the opposite way going back to our hotel. My younger sister is craving steak while I am still feeling full from lunch, so we ate at the closest possible restaurant, and that's 10 Acres Commons Restaurant. Since I did no prior research and their menu during th...

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay! Ice cream! A friend of our only brother recommended that he tries the ice cream from two places: Kid Sister Ice Cream and Parachute Ice Cream. Kid Sister Ice Cream in Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown is closed, while Parachute was nearly a 30-minute walk from Rialto Hotel (where the family is staying), so we end up searching for the closest best ice cream and found MOSI Gelato. Salted Caramel Gelato There was a long line 5-minute before closing, and we felt bad for the only worker there. I am sure she's eager to close, but the line after us is pretty long (more than five people). After enjoying our gelato, we went to Beacon Hil...

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time at Victoria, BC, so yay! After a delicious breakfast at Q At The Empress , we went to The Butchart Gardens then the Hatley Castle. By the time we're back in Downtown Victoria, it's past 2:00 PM, and I am starving. We planned to have lunch at Pagliacci's, and that's where we went. The patio at Pagliacci's on a beautiful sunny day. Honestly, Victoria is such a delicious city (meaning a lot of amazing restaurants). I thought Barb's Fish and Chips yesterday was going to be the highlight of the trip, then I tried Pagliacci's pasta, and I just can't s...