Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

After eating sweets, I have an intense craving for fried potatoes. Yay that there's Hurricane Potato. Hurricane Potato  in Vancouver Christmas Market You better devour this because it's so cold that it hardens immediately. Below is a list of food vendors inside the Vancouver Christmas Market we have tried so far: #40 Bratwurst Haus #42 Das Gulasch Haus #43 Kartouffel Haus #43 Hurricane Potato #44 Chimney Cake #45 Das Langos Haus #47 Perogies #48 Das Smoked Haus #53 Mr. Hotcakes #55 I Love Choc...

Maybe we should have ended our delicious food day with Mr. Hotcakes , but I wanted more, so we went to the I Love Chocolate hut, where they have two chocolate fountains. We purchased the "2 Chocolate covered Pretzel rods." They gave us two chocolate-covered pretzel sticks - I chose one coated in milk chocolate while the other in dark chocolate. 2 Chocolate covered Pretzel rods They're both delicious, but I have a bias for dark chocolate. My hubby was upset. He repeated three times how disappointed he was that he didn't see the process of covering our order with chocolates through the chocolate fountain. It was already wrapped in plastic. :( Below is a list of food vendors inside the Vancouver Christmas Market we have tried so far: #40 Bratwurs...

In this blog, I mentioned a few times that my hubby has a sweet tooth, while I prefer savoury things. We have tried only one sweet vendor in the Vancouver Christmas Market compared to the eight savoury-focused vendors. #40 Bratwurst Haus #42 Das Gulasch Haus #43 Kartouffel Haus #44 Chimney Cake #45 Das Langos Haus #47 Perogies #48 Das Smoked Haus #60 Das Apfel Haus #61 Those Pretzels Tonight I gave hubby a reign on which sweet vendor we should try, and he opted for Mr. Hotcakes. I hesitated because it looked a little plain, but oh boy! I am happy to be wrong. Don't ju...

After my weekend suffering from stomach ache resulting in throwing up, I think the food gods want to reward me with a happy food day. The stews at Das Gulasch Haus were terrific, and the perogies inside the Vancouver Christmas Market are delicious too. Potato & Cheddar Perogies Served with crumbled farmer's sausage from Rempel Meats in Abbotsford, grilled onions, sour cream, and sauerkraut. The Potato & Cheddar Perogies were perfectly cooked. One side is crispy, while the inside is soft and chewy. But the epic bite includes the crumbled sausage and grilled onion dipped in sour cream, followed by a fork full or sauerkraut. I wish I didn't have to share the perogies with my husband. Below is a list of food vendors inside the Vancouver Christmas Market we have tried so far: #40 Bratwurst Haus ...

It's the last day of November, and I am slowly feeling much better. I had stomach pain over the weekend, which included throwing up and frequent visits to the bathroom. But I am feeling so much better today, and to celebrate, we visited the Vancouver Christmas Market. Our first stop is Das Gulasch Haus. We ordered both Tender Beef Stew and Vegan Potato Stew in a bread bowl. Tender Beef Stew in a bread bowl The Tender Beef Stew is so much more flavourful than the Vegan Potato Stew, but both are miles away from what we had in 2019 . I am happy. This is my most recommended meal in the Christmas Market. Definitely at the top of my must-try list. Vegan Potato Stew   in a bread bowl Here is a brief background and history of Gulasch displayed around the hut. Gulasch is a delicious warming stew...

Happy Saturday dinner! I stayed home all day, but we went to Anticipated Sunday Mass at our local parish. Afterwards, we grabbed groceries, then dinner at Masa Japanese Restaurant. We ordered the Bulgogi Jeongol. It is a Korean hot pot dish with beef and vegetables. I tried the soup base, and it's obviously beef broth. The banchan is a nice touch as a palate cleanser. Bulgogi Jeongol Korean hot pot dish consisting of deliciously marinated bulgogi, soup stock, and various vegetables. We also ordered the Sake Bomb Roll because we are going through the Special Sushi list. It's spicy. Although, I realized I am not a fan of seared salmon on my roll. Sake Bomb Roll Spicy salmon roll with seared salmon and special spicy sauce.

After a fun and salty dinner at Brew Hall , we crossed the street to enjoy ice cream from Earnest Ice Cream. I am surprised to see it full of life and busy on a Friday evening when it's 6°C outside. I had Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae with Chocolate Topping from Costco last Saturday, and when I spotted the Classic Hot Fudge Sundae on the Earnest menu board, I just had to try it. Classic Hot Fudge Sundae  from Earnest Ice Cream on Quebec Street The vanilla ice cream is good, but I wish the chocolate syrup was warm. I feel like that's essential for a sundae. However, I am willing to forgive that because they have crushed nuts, and I love the crunchy element of my creamy dessert. I happily enjoyed my ice cream and can't wait to bring my husband here.

I am a dieting foodie. As someone who has been overweight all my life, losing weight is always a challenge. I used to be Obese Level II, but now I am down to Obese Level I, and of course, my goal is to be close to a healthy weight for my height and age. With that all said, I love to eat. Good food makes me happy, and eating out is fun. I have learned to prepare delicious meals at home, so most of the week, I cook low-calorie meals for my hubby and me to help with my diet. However, sometimes (on weekends), we eat out and end up pigging out. Like this evening, I am meeting with former colleagues turned friends for dinner at Brewhall. I have been looking at their menu all week, trying to decide what to get. Chickpea Veg Burger I ordered the Chickpea Veg Burger with a side of fries. The first bite was salty, but as I ate more of the burger, it became less salty, especially in the middle where most of the sauce is, then the last couple of bites was salty...

Viet Flavour Restaurant changed its menu! The dish names went from Vietnamese to English with Chinese translation. I don't if management since August 2021 , but the food is still delicious. Hubby ordered the House Special Combination Noodle Soup. It's a classic bowl of pho loaded with beef. 6. House Special Combination Beef I went to the Special Noodle Soups section of the menu and got the Wonton and Vegetable Soup. It's perfect for this cold evening. It has a clean vegetable soup base loaded with wonton. I'm so happy. I added egg noodles, too, because that's what it usually comes with. 22. Wonton and Vegetable Soup As with any Vietnamese restaurant, I always get the Vietnamese Spring Rolls. 1. Vietnamese Spring Rolls

We started today with breakfast at Tim Hortons. Then, we grabbed groceries from Shoppers Drug Mart to get PC Optimum points. We went home to drop off our items and to rest for a bit. It allowed me to type all my Tims' blog posts . 😅 Then, we headed to Costco for lunch and groceries. We're shocked to see that all fried food is sold out! The french fries, poutine, and chicken strips with fries are all sold out. 🤯 Their fryer might be broken. That's the only logical explanation for running out of fries. The good thing is the sundae is available. I know it's below 5°C outside, but that won't stop my hubby from getting his ice cream. Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping We chose the vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate topping from Costco. It's the classic combination. I have tried sundaes from McDonald's and Jollibee, with the latter having the be...

It said Filled Sugar Cookie, but I was still surprised to see it was filled nicely. The white filling is not concentrated on the middle or one side of the cookie but actually covers the whole thing. Filled Sugar Cookie from Tim Hortons Unfortunately, the filling did not add any flavour whatsoever to a buttery sugar cookie. The best addition is the white sugar on top because it provides sweetness and a bit of crunch. Filled Sugar Cookie  from Tim Hortons I wish the filling had flavours that would elevate an already delicious cookie.

I secretly love Tim Hortons' muffins because they're moist and rarely stale (unlike the donuts). We ordered the Chocolate Hazelnut Muffin, which is part of the Tim Hortons holiday menu. Chocolate Hazelnut Muffin  from Tim Hortons A peek inside Chocolate Hazelnut Muffin from Tim Hortons. The muffin was moist and good. I especially like the nuts on top because it provides a different texture. Unfortunately, the side I ate didn't have any filling. All the chocolate hazelnut goodness went to my hubby. He gave me another bite, and it tasted like chocolate hazelnut. Overall, a delicious muffin that I'll be happy to order again.

When we went to Tim Hortons three days ago to try the dream donuts , the Anytime Snackers Savoury Pastries were unavailable. For breakfast today, we tried both flavours of the new Anytime Snackers savoury pastries. Savoury Pastries from Tim Hortons Spicy Jalapeno Savoury Pastry It's hard to distinguish which flavour is which, so I picked one, and it turned out to be the Spicy Jalapeno Savoury Pastry. It's spicy, and surprisingly it worked well with the Candy Cane Hot Chocolate . According to the in-store menu, it's supposed to be flakey and buttery. But, unfortunately, it's not both. Spicy Jalapeno Savoury Pastry from Tim Hortons Herb & Garlic Savoury Pastry Because I tried the spicy pastry first, the Herb & Garlic Savoury Pastry does not have any flavour. I don't know. It was more butt...

Happy Saturday! We're running errands today, and before we start, we grabbed breakfast at Tim Hortons. There's snowplace like Tims snowman cup. First, the Tim Hortons cups are adorably designed. The Candy Cane Hot Chocolate was surprisingly delicious, and for someone who hates anything minty on my sweets this passed the test. There's Snowplace like Tims snowglobe cup design. Meanwhile, hubby chose the Gingerbread Oat Latte from Tims, which does not have any hint of gingerbread taste. Such a shame because this cup deserves a delicious drink.

I am an obese foodie. I lost 20 lbs from my heaviest weight with slow and steady dieting. We purchased a big bag of THOSE PRETZELS last night at the Vancouver Christmas Market, and it's so good. Their tagline is accurate, "Once you start, you can't stop." I had to put a post-it near our snack bin to remind myself of my diet. THOSE Pretzels 🤤 My hubby's employer is having a Christmas party, and I want to lose a few more pounds before it, but boy, the pretzels are making it so difficult. 🫣 Below is a list of booths we have tried so far: #40 Bratwurst Haus last November 12 #43 Kartouffel Haus today (November 17) #44 Chimney Cake last November 12 #45 Das Langos Haus today (November 17) ...

The non-alcoholic warm apple wine is enough to make me fall in love with my husband again. I have been dating my husband for more than 11 years, yet today felt like a first date. We shared a warm cider, walking around the Vancouver Christmas Market on a clear, crisp, lovely evening with live Christmas carols playing in the background. It feels like I'm in a Hallmark movie without all the drama but all the love. A cup of Apfelwein My issue with taking pictures of drinks is it's hard to make it pretty on its own, yet here we are. The Apfelwein is the perfect non-boozy drink to keep you warm and maybe in love while inside the Vancouver Christmas Market. Das Apfel Haus In Germany, the translation for cider is 'Apfelwein', which means 'apple wine'. Apfelwein was first produced in Frankfurt, due to the surrounding area being one of the...

After sharing a kartoffelpuffer , hubby and I decided to order and try a Langos. According to the description near the menu,  "Not a pizza. My big brothers are the Elephant Ears, little sisters the Beaver Tails . I'm the Hungarian Langos. Classic Langos Garlic powder, sour cream, cheese, bacon, and green onion . It is essentially deep-fried dough with savoury topping. You also have the option to put Nutella to make it a dessert. I love the fried dough - greasy and flavourful, but the real winner is the green onion. It elevates the whole dish, so it's not just creamy from the cheese and sour cream or salty from the bacon but actually delicious. It's a bit messy because you eat it with your hands like a pizza, so be prepared to have greasy fingers afterwards. #45 Das Langos Haus Below is ...

After a fun evening at the Lighting Ceremony of St. Paul's Hospital Lights of Hope , we decided to walk to the Vancouver Christmas Market in Jack Poole Plaza. We have Seasons Pass, which means unlimited entry. I am so glad we went. There's a minimal crowd, and everything feels so spacious. For our first meal, we went for the Kartouffel Haus and ordered the Kartoffelpuffer with smoked salmon, and brie cheese served with apple sauce and sour cream. Kartoffelpuffer with Smoked Salmon and Brie Cheese Kartoffelpuffer (German Potato Pancake) with smoked salmon and brie cheese The potato is pretty bland, but the melted brie cheese, salty smoked salmon, and sweet apple sauce provide all the flavour the German Potato Pancake needs. The line is long here because everyone wants a stick of the hurricane ...

My hubby and I have been donors to St. Paul's Hospital for the last four years, but we got invited to their Donor Celebration at Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre for the first time. I guess because this is the first year, our support exceeded a specific amount. After work (5:00 PM), we hurriedly took an Uber to Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre to ensure that we'll be on time for the program scheduled to arrive at 5:30 PM. Since this is a food blog, I'll share the pictures I took of the refreshments they served. Christmas Dinner in a Jar  (sorry for the blurred picture) Whipped potatoes, mushrooms and sage dressing, Brussels sprouts, cranberry relish, roasted turkey, and gravy. Can we make this Christmas Dinner in a Jar a thing? It's a fun way to eat all the delicious things in a typical Thanksgiving meal - turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies (in this case, Bruss...

It officially feels like Christmas with the availability of Tim Hortons' dream donuts. As you know, I have been keeping an eye out for any new dream donuts. I opened my Tims app almost every day to see if there was anything new and nearly screamed when I saw two new dream donuts. We walked to Tim's nearest location after work to ensure they were available. I have trauma about ordering a dream donut for delivery and getting a different donut. Chocolate Fudge Pretzel Dream Donut I am a sucker for any dessert with a crunchy element, and the crushed pretzels on top of a chocolate fudge donut is a win. However, I wished the donut itself was fudgier or not dry. Chocolate Fudge Pretzel Dream Donut  from Tim Hortons There's no filling inside the Chocolate Fudge Pretzel Dream Donut from Tim Hortons. ...

It officially feels like Christmas with the availability of Tim Hortons' dream donuts. As you know, I have been keeping an eye out for any new dream donuts. I opened my Tims app almost every day to see if there was anything new and nearly screamed when I saw two new dream donuts. We walked to Tim's nearest location after work to ensure they were available. I have trauma about ordering a dream donut for delivery and getting a different donut. Gingerbread Chocolate Dream Donut How adorable is that little gingerbread cookie on top of the donut? It is the only thing with any hint of gingerbread flavour in that donut. Gingerbread Chocolate Dream Donut  from Tim Hortons The fondant on top provides sweetness, and the filling inside is chocolate. A good donut but no gingerbread flavour and not something I'll order again. ...

For this week, our HelloFresh box arrived on Monday. I took Monday and Tuesday off from work this week and have more time to cook HelloFresh during the day. Kadai-Style Paneer with Peppers and Garlicky Basmati Rice We cooked this meal Monday for lunch and had the leftovers for Wednesday's lunch . I love HelloFresh when everything goes smoothly but immensely despise it when an ingredient is missing. It would have been forgivable if it was garlic or onions that I could quickly get in the grocery. But if it's a spice missing, then it's annoying. Dal Spice is missing from this recipe, and I found out when I started cooking it. I don't plan to buy a bottle of Indian Dal Spice just because I need a tablespoon for this recipe. As expected, the lack of spice made the dish extremely bland. I am so disappointed. Kadai-Style Paneer with Peppers and Garlicky Basmati Rice Tonight, we're...