Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

 We were pumped! It's the first game of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC for the Major League Soccer (MLS) season. We're excited that soccer is back! We also played well during the first half but then... the second half happened, and we're back to our usual losing ways. Sigh. As part of our back-to-back game experience (the Canucks lost their game today, too), my younger sister and her boyfriend picked up LA Chicken and Domino's Pizza. We had a Pepperoni Pizza, and I asked her to order all three variants of the cheesy bread. It has a crunchy outside texture with nearly burnt cheese, then the inside is soft, chewy, and cheesy.  If you like the Stuffed Crust from Pizza Hut, then the Domino's Pizza Stuffed Cheesy Bread is for you. Domino’s Pizza Stuffed Cheesy Bread Our oven-baked breadsticks are generously stuffed with mozzarella cheese - Covered with a blen...

Happy Saturday! Hubby and I went shopping at Richmond Center, and I was feeling parched, so I decided to get the Matcha Red Bean Smoothie. It's part of their seasonal menu. Matcha Red Bean Smoothie I like the green tea's slight bitterness and the mushy red bean texture. It's enjoyable.

It's snowing! We just came from church, and it was snowing on our walk home. We were looking to stop by and have tea and desserts on our way home, and aside from Tim Hortons, only Blenz Coffee is open. I ordered a decaf breakfast tea, a Nanaimo bar, and a chocolate brownie. Yum! Nanaimo Bar Nanaimo Bar (if you're unfamiliar with this indulgent treat) is a Canadian classic that's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is made from layers of chocolate, creamy custard, and a crunchy coconut-graham crust. Chocolate Brownie A bite of sweet dessert followed by a sip of hot, bitter tea is perfect for this evening. I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday.

Happy Wednesday! There are days like today when all I need is a warm hug and my favourite food from Suika Snack Bar to make things a bit better. I absolutely love their Signature Beef Curry topped with Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet), while my husband ordered the Salmon Cream Udon from Today's Special menu. Salmon Cream Udon Pan-fried udon in a rice salmon cream sauce with house-made salmon flake, ikura, and parmesan cheese on top. Suika did not skimp on the salmon flavour of the Salmon Cream Udon. The salmon flake is covered in a salmon cream sauce topped with salmon roe. It's delicious! Try it before it's gone. Chicken Dashi Kara-age Juicy deep fried chicken thigh, crispy on the outside and filled with rich dashi shoyu flavour If you love Japanese curry, then Suika's version is a ...

If food establishments are wondering if joining food events like the recently concluded 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is worth it, let me tell you that it is. We went to The Pie Hole to try their Fat Elvis-inspired hot chocolate last month , and today we came back to enjoy a 5-inch version of the sweet pie because it's so delicious. Fat Elvis Pie One of our biggest pies and best-selling! In our golden double butter crust, we start with a layer of dark chocolate ganache, then top it with banana cream and peanut butter whipped cream. To finish this pie, we drizzle more chocolate ganache, house-made caramel and roasted peanuts. Fit for The King! If you love peanut butter, chocolate, and banana, Fat Elvis is the best one. 🤤 If you're from the Philippines and are craving the Starbucks Bannofee pie, this is the closest you'll ...

Happy Sunday! We attended the 11:00 AM Mass officiated by Archbishop Michael Miller. After Mass, we had lunch at Redbeef. I ordered my usual, and hubby tried the Signature Beef Brisket Stew Rice. Signature Beef Brisket Stew  from Redbeef Noodle Kitchen The beef was tender, and the sauce reminded me of beef pares  from the Philippines. We also ordered the Mini BBQ Pork Buns for the first time. The buns were soft, and the BBQ pork was sweet. So my siopao craving is satisfied. Mini BBQ Pork Buns  from Redbeef Noodle Kitchen My usual order of Salt & Pepper Popcorn Chicken and Chicken Cutlet Rice is as delicious as I remember. Salt & Pepper Popcorn Chicken from Redbeef Noodle Kitchen ...

Happy Saturday! It's a long weekend, and for dinner, we decided to have KFC delivered with DoorDash. So we ordered two 4-piece Hot & Spicy Box Meals from KFC. Hot & Spicy Box Meal from KFC We watched Crash Landing on You the past few days, and they're always showing fried chicken, and I want one. 🤣 Those product placements are so effective. 😅 Hot & Spicy Box Meal from KFC My fried chicken craving is satisfied, but the fried chicken is not spicy. The gravy was good, though. Poutine from KFC It's disappointing that there are so many issues with our orders. For example, our chosen sides of one biscuit and one Original Recipe Seasoned Corn did not arrive. I also ordered a large gravy, and they forgot that too. DoorDash did offer...

I failed to make this dish correctly. Maybe I used the wrong type of mil because the dumplings disintegrated and were basically non-existent in the soup. Don't get me wrong, it's still a hearty soup, but I need more instructions to do the dumplings better. Homestyle Turkey and Dumpling Soup with Garden Vegetables HelloFresh Description: Dumplings are one of those comfort foods we rely on to get us through the cold winter months! These puffy dough clouds expand as they cook, creating pillowy soft interiors to soothe your soul after a long day. Homestyle Turkey and Dumpling Soup with Garden Vegetables from HelloFresh

As of February 15, 2023, below is the menu of Jollibee in their Cambie corner West Broadway location in Vancouver, BC Canada. Product availability and prices are subject to change without prior notice. All prices are in Canadian dollars and does not include taxes and tip. Jolly Classics Jolly Spaghetti + Soda $9.49 Palabok Fiesta + Soda $10.99 2-piece Burger Steak + Soda with 1 side $12.49 2-piece Burger Steak + Soda with 2 sides $14.49 Cheesy Yumburger $5.49 Cheesy Yumburger Combo $9.49 Jolly Crispy Chicken Choice between Spicy or Original and comes with free gravy 2-piece Jolly Crispy Chicken with 1 Side $9.79 2-piece Jolly Crispy Chicken with 1 Side and Soda $10.99 2-pieces Jolly Crispy Chicke...

For hubby's birthday, we had dinner at Jollibee in their Cambie (corner West Broadway) location and got to try the Coconut Pineapple Pie. This item is not displayed on the menu but was offered by the cashier. We ordered to-go Palabok Fiesta party size, Jolly Spaghetti party size, a bucket of 6-piece Spicy Chicken Joy, and 3 Peach Mango Pies. I look forward to enjoying all of it at home. 🤤 Cheesy Yumburger  from Jollibee Canada I ordered the nostalgic Cheesy Yumburger with Jolly Crispy Fries and Pineapple Quencher for dinner. Meanwhile, hubby chose the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich with mashed potatoes and the same drink. He wanted the Aloha Burger, but it's not yet available here. ☹️ Deluxe Chicken Burger  from Jollibee Canada We also ordered the Coconut Pineapple Pie, which is not on the menu. ...

It's the last day of the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival! Since it's also Valentine's Day, hubby treated me to hot chocolates at Caffe Artigiano at their Cambie Village location. #09 Cookies & Creme  and #10 Passionfruit Hot Chocolate  from Caffe Artigiano #09 Cookies & Creme Available: January 14 - February 14, 2023 A blend of dark and white chocolate sauce, house made syrup, fresh whipped cream and dark chocolate cookie crumble. Served with a chocolate cookie with white and dark chocolate chips. #09 Cookies & Creme  from Caffe Artigiano #10 Passionfruit Hot Chocolate Available: January 14 to February 14, 2023 A luscious blend of dark chocolate and house made passionfruit syrup carefully blended with oat m...

FryWay 87 has its unique fried menu and shares a kitchen and store with Chirpyhut Fried Chicken in Cambie Village. Black Pepper Beef Poutine  from FryWay 87 A juicy and tender chunk of beef with crispy fries and cheese curds served with our special black pepper gravy. First, the black pepper gravy is so delicious and quite unique. I daresay it's the best one of the five poutines in Vancouver we tried. Then, the fries were hot and crispy, but the real winner was the chunk of beef. It's too tender, juicy, and fatty. I'll be happy to eat that on its own or on top of rice (my Filipino-ness is coming out again). Black Pepper Beef Poutine from FryWay 87

It's the last day of La Poutine Week 2023 and also Valentine's Day, so we decided to visit two places that are part of the event. The first is the Popcorn Chicken Poutine from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken along Cambie Street. Popcorn Chicken Poutine  from Chirpyhut Fried Chicken My attempt to get a perfect bite of popcorn chicken, fries, and cheese curds soaked in gravy. They have delicious fried chicken: lightly breaded, deep-fried, crispy skin and juicy meat. The fries were hot and crisp, and the gravy was warm and had a nice consistency. Overall good poutine. Couple's Combo Since it was Valentine's Day, I felt greedy (which I regretted the following morning when the weighing scale showed my weight) and ordered the Couple's Combo. It came with 1 pistol leg, 2 drumsticks, 4 chicken wings, a ...

It always makes me happy when we successfully do meatless Monday. We had pancakes for breakfast, grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and the North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous from our HelloFresh box for dinner. North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous with Blistered Veggies and Creamy Harissa Sauce I love all the vegetables included in this dish! From the crunchy peppers and zucchini to the sweet onions and juicy tomatoes - they work so well together,   spiced up by the harissa spice blend. The couscous is soft and tender, while the falafel is crispy. Lastly, mayo-based harissa sauce adds a creamy deliciousness to the dish. North African-Inspired Falafel and Green Couscous with Blistered Veggies and Creamy Harissa Sauce HelloFresh Description Fresh, vibrant and colourful; this dish is inspired by the flavours of the ...

After visiting Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe , we checked out Value Village Boutique on Granville Street. Then, I got angry at my hubby, so we stayed home instead of visiting Fufú Café. I took an hour's nap then we prepared the Carb Smart Pork & Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallow from our HelloFresh Canada. Carb Smart Pork and Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallots from HelloFresh Canada It's so hearty and warm, perfect for this rainy day. Carb Smart Pork and Mushroom Soup with Crispy Shallots Description on HelloFresh website: You won't miss the potatoes in this porky mushroom soup! This meal is filled to the brim with autumn veggies and topped with crispy shallots for a salty punch! Carb Smart is based on a per serving calculation of the recipe's carbohydrate amount. Car...

Happy Sunday! After Mass, we grabbed breakfast at Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe to try their Afternoon Tea Set 2 hot chocolate flavour. It's drink number 12 of the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival. It's a unique hot chocolate that tastes like milk tea. Unusually good. 🤤 #12 Afternoon Tea Set 2 Description on the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival website: Inspired by Hong Kong-style afternoon tea sets. This spiced milk tea and coffee milk hot chocolate uses Valrhona Caramélia 36% milk chocolate which is known for its soft, rich and voluptuous undertones of rich, milky flavour and salted butter caramel. Served with a crunchy egg tart. #12 Afternoon Tea Set 2  from Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe We enjoyed it with flaky buttery Bacon & Onion scroll and Ham & Cheese scroll. ...

Happy Saturday! We had pancakes for breakfast today. Then, had salmon for both lunch and dinner. Lunch: Cal Smart Caper-Dill Dressed Salmon with Couscous, Tomatoes, and Spinach Dinner: Scandi-Style Salmon with Apple and Pickled Onion Salad The Caper-Dill Dressed Salmon is my favourite dish from HelloFresh, and I ordered it again in the box that arrived today. Scandi-Style Salmon with Apple and Pickled Onion Salad I surprisingly enjoyed the Scandi-Style Salmon too. Although, my heat was too hot, and the skin browned too quickly. I enjoyed the balance of the salad with crunchy apples, bitter arugula and spinach, and sour pickled onions. The buttery potatoes with fresh chopped dill are perfect. I'm willing to have it again. Both our salmon meals today include dill, which I surprisingly love fresh but abhor in potato chips. Scandi-Style Salmon with Apple and Pi...

Jollibee Canada is opening its third location in Metro Vancouver and its first branch in Surrey at 9900 King George Boulevard. It will open on February 18 (Thursday) so our kababayans in Surrey doesn't need to travel all the way in Vancouver for a taste of home. Jollibee in Surrey, BC location The first Jollibee in Surrey is at 9900 King George Blvd, Surrey, BC V3T 0K9 When will Jollibee Surrey, BC open? The Jollibee in Surrey will open on February 18 (Saturday) What to try in Jollibee? If it's your first time, go for the Chicken Joy, Chicken Sandwich, and Peach Mango Pie. If you're unfamiliar with Filipino flavours (savoury and sweet), then try the spaghetti (Filipino-style with little hotdogs). Chicken Joy and Jolly Spaghetti Deluxe Spicy Chicken Sandwich If you're from the Philippin...