Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

Bingsu is something we always see Mike Chen (Strictly Dumplings) eat in his videos when in South Korea. After our ramen dinner at Yaguchiya Ramen , we had dessert from Sulmida Snow Dessert Cafe. Green Tea and Red Bean Sulmida Mini Bingsu Cups It was raining this evening, but the cafe is so warm that enjoying the Bingsu is such a comfort. Korean Dessert Cafe What is Bingsu? "Bingsu, sometimes written as bingsoo, is a Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that may include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red beans. The most common variety is pat-bingsu, the red bean shaved ice." - Wikipedia

Happy Tuesday! Our family doctor is near Metrotown, which means every appointment is an opportunity to explore the different restaurants in the area. It was raining all day, which is expected in Vancouver, but we usually just stay home most days. However, the trip going all the way to Burnaby felt so much longer than it really was. The rain, traffic, and everything was such a great reminder why hubby and I decided and wanted to stay in our current neighbourhood close to work, groceries, church, and almost everything we need - except a family doctor, apparently. It's not all bad. We would grab groceries at The Canadian Superstore and decided to walk the crosswalk, and the first restaurant we saw was Yaguchiya Ramen. I was hesitant at first because the restaurant looked small outside, but it's a decent size inside, and it's well-lit as well. They also checked vaccination cards, and they refused a couple who failed to download their vaccination card. The host recommended they ...

Happy rainy Sunday! We started today with two breakfast sandwiches and a venti drink from Starbucks. Unfortunately, the location we visited didn't have outdoor seating, so we decided to hang out at Blenz coffee near the Church. We enjoyed sitting outside while munching on their rancheros breakfast wrap, watching the rain, and discussing plans and random things. Thank God for moments like this. After Mass, we decided to have lunch at Earls Kitchen + Bar Restaurant at West Broadway and Fir Street. The host asked if we were willing to wait because it'll be 20 to 25 minutes. It was roughly 12:30 PM. I said, sure. We were standing outside for five minutes when spots became available in the waiting area indoors. We kept ourselves entertained, and after having two breakfasts, we weren't hungry. So at 1:05 PM, we were finally seated. Our server thanked us for patiently waiting and apologized for the delay. The manager also offered the first round of drinks on the house. The server ...

KFC Canada had a promo of 25% off for Black Friday on all Festive Buckets. So, of course, I won't pass on a good deal and a delicious meal. Plus, the festive bucket is quite adorable. I also ordered two Popcorn Chicken Bowl meals because I wanted some iced tea. Somehow, the bottled ice tea is not available under the drinks section. Festive Double Bucket Meal Festive Double Bucket Meal and Popcorn Chicken Bowl It's such a food coma, "what is diet" meal. I need to exercise consistently to lose all the calories from dinner. Otherwise, it's so satisfying. ❤

I love my parents. We didn't order HelloFresh this week and I don't want to cook or plan for meals. My parents to the rescue! I mentioned to my mom in passing last Wednesday that we don't have ulam  (viand). On Friday, she sent me a message saying that my dad got lucky and one of his most recent dishes was delicious. 😂 He cooked pinakbet (a Filipino dish with vegetable, meat, stewed in fish sauce and fermented fish (bagoong). Our conversation went something like this. Mom: Gusto mo pinakbet?   Nagluto si Papa mo, naka-chamba. Masarap. (Do you want pinkabet? Your dad cooked some, he got lucky that it's delicious). Me: Sure. What else do you have? Mom: What else do you want? Me: Whatever you already have. 😂 I don't have any specific food requests, but we need food. Then, today my mom called saying they'll bring us food and she'll call once they are downstairs. Feast from my parents From left to right starting on the upper left: Macaroni salad, biko (sweet ri...

You can (finally!) order six different meals in HelloFresh, which means dinner (and lunch) for twelve out of the 21 meals in a week. Cal Smart Caper-Dill Dressed Salmon with Couscous, Tomatoes, and Spinach HelloFresh Description: Capers add a briny flavour pop to salmon draped in a creamy Dijon-dill sauce. Underneath, theres a bed of lemony couscous to catch all those lovely flavours. Calorie Smart is based on a per-serving calculation of the recipe's kilocalorie amount. Kale and Black Bean Quesadillas with Fresh Tomato Salsa and Crema HelloFresh Description: Forget all meaty Tex-Mex quesadillas of the past! This veggie beauty is jam-packed with hearty kale and filling beans. The secret to this memorable Tex-Mex feast is the refreshing salsa made with tomatoes, cil...

Our family loves sports. One of my early memories of professional sports is when my dad watched a PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) game on our black and white television. I watched all local basketball games in my early teens - PBA, collegiate, and even amateur. I remember wanting to be a courtside sports reporter (but my English grades weren't excellent). I also had four thick notebooks filled with basketball articles I clipped from the newspaper. I read the sports section every day. I even wrote about exciting games in my notebook. Then, of course, I watched games in person as well. Now that we moved to Vancouver, Canada, it makes sense that we would learn the sports they watch in North America. Our only brother is our guide. He studied* the rules of American football so we could enjoy NFL games, he watched Major League Soccer on our TV, and I did too. Anyway, all these backstories are my way of saying that today was a big day. Our Vancouver Whitecaps FC (football club) is...

I'll start this post with a disclaimer that I will be biased. Our youngest sister started working at Eggspectation a couple months ago. It's her first job, and this is after graduating high school in the middle of the pandemic and suffering from anxiety, depression, and just that general feeling of loss and not knowing what to do next. Our family is so grateful to Eggspectation for hiring our youngest sister and giving her some sense of hope, purpose, and joy. Thank you! Brunch at Eggspectation Now, let's talk about today. The Vancouver Whitecaps FC will have their first playoff game since 2017, and my younger sister, my husband, and I will go to my parent's place to watch. Of course, we're ordering popcorn and all other random food you eat at the stadium to try and recreate the experience. Before doing all that this afternoon, we grabbed breakfast at Eggspectation. First up, we ordered drinks. I had Banana Java while hubby went Nutella Hot Chocolate. Nutella Hot Ch...

It's the 9th week this year that we ordered our meals from HelloFresh instead of going to the grocery. This week I picked mostly rice bowls. Chorizo Taco Bowls with Lentil Red Rice and Lime Crema HelloFresh Description: This hearty bowl is filled to the brim with the help of lentils! Topped with chorizo and peppers, fresh tomatoes, cheese and a lime crema this bowl hits all the spots! Vietnamese-Inspired Basil Beef with Peppers and Garlic-Lime Rice HelloFresh Description: Spicy, bold, fresh and herbal, this stir-fry bowl hits the spot! Lime zest and garlic add a bold boost to fluffy white rice. Golden Thai-Style Chicken Curry with Chow Mein HelloFresh Description: Pure comfort in Thai curry form! Based off the famed Thai ...

I am so excited about Magkasama Christmas Market. In the past three years, I always find out about the market AFTER the shopping period, and it's so frustrating to see all the happy people with their Christmas Filipino goodies haul. SHOP HERE That's why this year, I'm shopping early and shopping hard. 🤣 I am only buying things that hubby and I will enjoy. I can't wait to stuff my face with all this food. Bibingka (Rice Cakes) from Belliebake Chocolate Crinkles (10 pcs) from Craving Crave (as requested by hubby) Sari-Sari Mini Pies from Hapag Restaurant All-Cheese Ensaimada Sampler and Sweet & Savory Sampler Ensaimada from Ensaimada Moment Assorted Mamon Pack from KayeBakes.Ca (WOOT! We love Ate Kaye's cakes and ensaymada , but she's all the way in Surrey. Thank God for Magkasama, and I get to enjoy her baked goodies again!) Assorted Pandesal Box from ...

Happy Saturday! Before the pandemic, hubby and I go to the movie house at least once a month to watch any random movie that seems interesting. Our two go-to theatres are the Cineplex at 5th and Burrard Street since it's walking distance and the Scotiabank Theatre Downtown. Because we had popcorn with our brunch earlier, I have been craving popcorn all day. Thank God, my hubby is an enabler and said sure, order popcorn. Cineplex Snacks for Movie Night at Home I went crazy and ordered the following items: 1x Combo for Two (One large popcorn layered butter on top and middle, two large drinks, and M&M's Peanut) 1x Pulled Pork Poutine - My personal favourite. 1x Large Fries with Nacho Cheese and Cheddar Chipotle Dip 2x Dog n' Nachos When our order arrived, we watched Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus for our movie date night. Unexpectedly, we were food coma afterwards, and we haven't been food coma in months!

Happy Saturday! We have been living in South Granville for four years this month, and this is our first time to enjoy a meal at The Stable House Bistro. We had errands to run this morning. First, we went to the nearby local grocery (Meinhardt), then decided to have brunch (our first meal for today). After which, hubby had to pick up a package at Canada Post; next, I needed to drop by a UPS pick-up spot for an exchange gift. Brunch Board We haven't done cheese and meat board or anything remotely close to that. However, the Stable House Bistro specializes in small plates and meat boards. For their brunch board, you have the option for three or five items, and there are eleven possible options. We ordered two five items and picked ten of the eleven possible options except for the smashed avocado. Brunch Board from The Stable House Bistro Our brunch board included: Bad Dog Bakery Toast Potato Roesti - It's a high-end version of potato patties. Sourdough French Toast - I highly reco...

It's our 8th week of using HelloFresh. It has totally replaced our weekly grocery trips to every other week. Cal Smart Harvest Beef Soup with Hearty Vegetables HelloFresh Description: As the weather gets a little colder, nothing is better than a hearty soup to warm the soul! Packed with seasonal veggies in a savoury, aromatic broth, this soup will be just the thing to hit the spot! Loaded Veggie Penne with Olives and Bocconcini HelloFresh Description: The clever addition of olive brine and roasted red pepper juice gives this pasta an extra layer of depth and flavour. Keep this hack in your back pocket for when you need to add an extra oomph to your dish! One Pot Italian Sausage Soup with Cream and Potatoes Hel...

I think I'm feeling homesick. I miss the Philippines and am too stubborn to admit it. However, my eating and shopping habits are proof since I always crave Filipino food. Hubby and I walked for 40 minutes to Main Street, where the closest Filipino grocery is located, Aling Mary's. You'll smell the store a block away. It's the scent of freshly baked pandesal (Filipino brioche bun). I got half a dozen pandesal and another six pieces of the ube pandesal with cream cheese inside. Result of being homesick Reheating in the oven or even an air fryer makes the pandesal oh so delicious. Freshly Baked Pandesal from Aling Mary's Ube Pandesal with Cream Cheese I also ordered their Bibingka, which is very coconutty and a couple of Asado siopao.  Asado Siopao and Bibingka I have wanted Otap (sugar biscuits) and Rosquillos (egg cookies) from Cebu for a long time and found both in the store.  Otap Rosquillos Lastly, I love Piattos, so I got one, and hubby said we should get Pik-Nik...

Happy Wednesday! Hubby's company is sponsoring a team lunch. He received a $30 CAD DoorDash gift card and used it for lunch delivery from Triple O. He ordered the Spicy Ultimate Crunch Chicken Bruger with Onion Rings and Strawberry Milkshake. I didn't order anything and enjoyed our palabok  leftover from my birthday . Spicy Ultimate Crunch Chicken Burger Triple O Description: Sizzling hot! Our spicy, seasoned, crispy breaded chicken breast served with signature mayo, crisp iceberg lettuce, and fresh vine-ripened tomatoes. --- Below is a list of all Triple O menu items (as of this post) and an indicator whether we have tried it. Trying all Triple O's Burgers I am going over my old post to find out which burgers I have tried from Triple. O's. I'll summarize it here. Chicken ✓ Southern  Buttermilk Chicken Club ✓ B.C. Chicken ✓ Spicy Ultimate Crunch Burger (in this post) ✓ Buffalo Chicken Burger Dippin' Chicken...

It's a birthday tradition that I need to eat my favourite Stewed Beef Tendon Curry from Suika on my birthday (or the weekend before/after if it's during a weekday). Because my birthday is today, hubby and I took a day off from work to have lunch at Suika. We were at the restaurant at around 12:45 PM and all tables are occupied plus three groups are waiting to be seated before us. The hostess said it's a 30 minute wait and have asked if we're willing to wait. Of course we are. As soon as we were seated, we looked at the menu and know what we want. We started our meal with 5 Kinds of Shashimi (15 pcs). I love the tuna sashimi! It'll be the one to order again. 5 Kinds of Sashimi Three pieces each of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, scallop, and Chef's choice. After the sashimi, my favourite Chicken Dashi Kara-age arrived. It's juicier than I remember. The batter also seems different. It's still delicious. Chicken Dash Kara-age Deep-fried chicken thigh served with ...