Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

The Wicklow is my favourite bar/pub in Vancouver. The food is delicious and the view of False Creek especially during sunset is just gorgeous. For today, we went there for lunch and to watch the first game of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC against the Columbus Crews. We lost 4-0 with 0 shots on target. I made the right choice of ordering my absolute favourite - Yorkshire Pudding to drown the pain of watching the Whitecaps lose. It's the first game of the season and there are a lot of games to go, but it's such a great reminder to lower down my expectations of the team. Yorkshire Pudding Bowl Certified Roast Angus Beef, House Gravy, Garlic Mash Potatoes, and Horseradish Aoili Chicken, Pig, and Goat Penne Chicken breast, chorizo, goat cheese, spinach, red onion, pepper, creamy rose sauce, and garlic toast I don't recommend any of the pasta dishes from The Wicklow and I tried both the Salmon Linguine and the Penne. Nachos Cheddar, jack, Cajun corn, jalapenos, black olives, diced t...

Our 5th HelloFresh box for the year arrived last Saturday. I was planning to order six meals, but hubby said I should keep it at five, just in case we have other food from the family in Richmond. My "housewife" hat challenge is that we have a small fridge. Yes, it's slightly larger than the ones you will find in a hotel room, and as such we have to manage how much food we can store. Another challenge is that we do not have an oven, so I can only pick HelloFresh meals that don't require an oven. I accidentally ordered a meal that calls for an oven. Thankfully, it's just to heat the Tortilla Chips with spices which my air fryer managed to do. Monday and Tuesday Lunch: Cal Smart Spicy Chicken Bites I like the crunchy slaw, soft rice, and sweet chicken. Cal Smart Spicy Chicken Bites with Carrot and Green Onion Slaw HelloFresh description: Spicy chilli garlic sauce, sweet sticky honey, and savoury soy sauce bring bold flavours to this calorie smart supper! Calorie Smar...

I kept reading news on Russia attacking Ukraine and other than prayer, I wonder what else I can do to help. Since I have this blog, I thought of searching for Ukrainian Restaurants in Vancouver and I found two. If you know more Ukrainian restaurants and businesses in Metro Vancouver, please send me a message so we can add it to the list. Ukrainian Village Restaurant Address : 815 Denman Street, Vancouver BC V6G 2L7 Ukrainian Village Restaurant Description from the website: "Come to get real Ukrainian experience and atmosphere with trying our famous dishes, such as borscht, perogies cabbage rolls, and many more of them. All our food us homemade from traditional Grandma's recipes. The restaurant is located in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown at the corner of Robson and Denman street. We are looking forward to see and serve you every day." Kozak Homemade Ukrainian Food Locations : Gastown: 1 West Cordova Street, Vancouver BC V6C 3N8 East Van: 5077 Victoria Drive, Vanco...

IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING! After two years of anxiously and patiently waiting, Jollibee in Granville Street is opening on February 25, 2022 (Friday). Jollibee Canada officially announced the opening on their Instagram page ( @JollibeeCanada ) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jollibee Canada (@jollibeecanada) When will Jollibee in Vancouver open? Jollibee will open on February 25 (Friday) from 9:00 AM t...

We celebrated hubby's birthday today with the family on Family Day weekend. My husband moved to Canada to be with me. He left his own family behind, and I always do my best to make sure he feels loved here in Canada. I asked my mom to cook her Filipino-style spaghetti to celebrate his birthday. My mom (as always) went beyond and even purchased a cassava cake slice from Aling Mary's. Cassava cake is one of hubby's requests for his birthday. Filipino Birthday Lunch A Filipino birthday won't be complete without lumpiang shanghai (Filipino spring roll) and fried chicken, so we ordered from Little Ongpin and LA Chicken, respectively. Best lumpiang shanghai in Vancouver from Little Ongpin Best fried chicken in Richmond - LA Chicken My mom also purchased Black Forest Cake from Saint Germain Bakery with hubby's name. Black Forest Cake Light chocolate sponge cake, Kirsch sauteed bing cherries, 36% real whipping cream, and 64% dark chocolate shaving. After food coma lunch, I ...

It's the 6th ramen shop we have gone to in the last 5 weeks as we continue going through the list of the  Best Ramen restaurants  in Vancouver. January 22 -  Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba January 23 -  Jinya Ramen Bar January 29 -  Kintaro Ramen February 5 -  Menya Raizo February 12 - Kinton Ramen February 19 (today) - Ramen Gojiro --- It's a busy and productive Saturday for us. We started the morning with breakfast I prepared at home. Then, we visited the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum . Afterwards, we watched the free intrasquad match of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place . We also realize that we can attend our first in-person Mass at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. Finally, to end the day, we had dinner at Ramen Gojiro. This is actually one of my favourite ramen places because of those delicious broth-soaked chicken karaage. ...

Today, the Whitecaps FC hosted a fan and family-friendly Blue vs. White intrasquad match at BC Place. Entrance is free, but it's first-come, first-serve, and only sections 212 to 216 are open. Head coach Vanni Sartini and the first team take on a group comprised of players for the upcoming MLS NEXT Pro squad. It's good to be back at BC Place! It's great to be back in BC Place! Since it's first come, first serve, and the gate opens at 1:30 PM, we were already in line at 12:30 PM (because I like being first, haha). First Fan in BC Place! After grabbing our chosen seat, I ordered Classic Poutine and French Fries from the Poutinerie. Then, mini donuts just before the game started. I wanted another dozen mini donuts, but they're sold out. ...

Finally, I'll be able to try HelloFresh's rendition of a Filipino dish, and this week they are offering a Caldereta-Style Ground Beef . Let's see how it went! Our HelloFresh box arrived Saturday morning delivered by FedEx. Unfortunately, we decided to go on a random date that day, so I couldn't cook any HelloFresh meals. Superbowl Sunday Brunch and Wednesday Lunch: Cal Smart Turkey Chili It's Superbowl day, and I know we're going to eat tons of game day finger food for lunner (lunch and dinner), so for brunch, I chose the lowest calorie meal from our HelloFresh box, which is the Cal Smart Turkey Chili with Lime Crema which we also had last year . Cal Smart Turkey Chili with Lime Crema HelloFresh Description: Jam-packed with nutrients to keep you strong but still delivering on flavour, this recipe proves you can satisfy that chilli craving. #MeatlessMonday Valentine's Day Breakfast and Thursday Lunch: Zucchini and Lemon Linguine We loved this dish last year...

This year it's our first time at Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee, and we enjoyed the Strawberry Cheesecake. Strawberry Cheesecake perfect for Valentine's Day Below is a list of flavours we tried last year. Matcha Cheesecake  last June 6 Taro Cheesecake  last June 26 Mango Cheesecake  last July 18 Peanut Butter  Cheesecake last September 11 Pumpkin  Cheesecake last October 10 Banoffee Cheesecake last November 28 (no blog post) Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake  last December 26

It's not my birthday, yet hubby made me so happy during his special day. After visiting the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, we grabbed lunch at Suika. It's our first time visiting the restaurant on a weekday, and it's an absolute thrill to find it nearly empty after the lunch rush. It's also our first time back here this 2022. We both ordered our usual. I had my favourite Signature Beef Curry topped with Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet) while my hubby ordered a Double Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet) Set. For sharing, we had a Chicken Dashi Karaage, which was juicier than I expected. Hubby thought it was too oily, but I think it's perfect. Signature Beef Curry Suika original stewed beef tendon curry topped with tonkatsu (pork loin cutlet) Double Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet) Set 2 pieces of  fried pork loin cutlet using special fresh panko served with ground sesame and tonkatsu sauce Chicken Dashi Karaage Juicy deep-fried chicken thig, crispy on the outside and filled with rich da...

Yay for birthdays. We are starting today with a free breakfast from Starbucks. We ordered a Venti Caffè Mocha and two Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich. Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich We get free Starbucks gift cards every now and then and absolutely enjoy the free drinks and sandwiches. I am too frugal to spend our own hard-earned money on something as expensive as Starbucks, so it's always a happy occasion when we receive free gift cards.

Happy Sunday! It's one of the most anticipated events in sports every year: The Superbowl. This year we decided to visit Bar One and watch the game there. Unfortunately, only 8 tables were occupied most of the game, and one table left early before the game ended. Best Seat at Bar One We arrived shortly after 3:00 PM and left after 7:00 PM,  We sat at the most comfortable and best view in the whole bar, and during the entire game, we ordered appetizers and because hubby loves the dessert we ended with that. I haven't been in this food coma in a long time. Loaded Nachos Crunchy corn tortilla chips loaded with cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses, zesty cheese sauce, pico de Gallo, green onions, and jalapeños. Served with sour cream and salsa. We devoured their Loaded Nachos and Cheesy Tot Tower during the first quarter. Cheesy Tot Tower Crisp potato puffs, topped with cheddar cheese, and queso cheese sauce, garnished with green onions. We enjoyed the Loaded BBQ Chicken Tots and Thai C...

It's the fifth ramen shop we have gone to in the last four weeks as we continue going through the list of the Best Ramen restaurants in Vancouver. January 22 - Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba January 23 - Jinya Ramen Bar January 29 - Kintaro Ramen February 5 - Menya Raizo February 12 (today) - Kinton Ramen To start our Saturday, we had brunch at Starbucks (yay for free breakfast sandwiches and drinks), then we ran errands. Hubby had a haircut while I grabbed my Lego from the FedEx inside Staples, and I ended up buying 15 adorable Washi Tapes.  Thirty minutes later, hubby and I went on a random Saturday date to the University of British Columbia (UBC) and visited the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. After three hours of learning and admiring the different specimens in the museum, we had a late lunch at Kinton Ramen. I ordered my usual Pork Miso Ramen while hubby had Pork Shoyu Ramen. For sides, we ordered our ...