Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

It's Thursday, which means free (company-paid) lunch! This week's theme is burgers; my colleague suggested Five Guys Burgers & Fries. I ordered a Little Bacon Cheeseburger with all-the-way topping and regular cajun-style fries. Little Bacon Cheeseburger  from Five Guys Fresh, hand-formed patty hot off the grill with American-style cheese and strips of crispy apple-wood smoked bacon on top. Add as many toppings as you want. Let's start! The buns arrived soggy, which is to be expected of delivered food. The beef was not as juicy as I'd liked, but it's possible that the buns absorbed all the goodness. The toppings are standard fare, but the bacon is the best. I'm not a fan of bacon, but that was perfectly crispy, adding much-needed texture to the burger. Their fries are not made for delivery, which makes sense and is acceptable. The fries...

I wanted to say happy Thursday, but it's the 31st of the month, and my salary is not yet in my bank account, causing me great stress this morning. To make myself feel a bit better, I decided to drop by Tim Hortons for my favourite Sausage Farmers Wrap. Then, I noticed that Tims is selling Savoury Twists. There are two variants: Four Cheese Savoury Twists and Everything Savoury Twists. Four Cheese Savoury Twists and Everything Savoury Twists from Tim Hortons Okay. This was my first bite of food for the day, and the four cheese was soft, buttery, and cheesy. I absolutely love it. This is so much better than the savoury pastries. Savoury Twists from Tim Hortons Four Cheese Savoury Twists from Tim Hortons The everything savoury twist...

I love hanging out at Blenz near our home; recently, they added more sweets to their display case. They now have cakes in a jar and Dacarons™ from Earthling. Dacarons are when a dacquoise and a macaron have a baby. I have tried macarons, but I have not tried a dacquoise. The exterior of the dacaron has a similar texture to a macaron but is softer and less chewy. Blenz is offering six different variants, and we picked two: Double Chocolate and Japanese Matcha. I tried the chocolate first, and since it was my first bite of this new dessert, I was unsure what to expect. The chocolate was not overly sweet and did not have an intense chocolate flavour. Other than a subtle sweetness, it was bland. My husband ate the Japanese Matcha first and loved the double chocolate. Top:  Double Chocolate Dacaron Bottom: Japanese Matcha Dacaron Both are available in selected Blenz Coffee locations. ...

My husband has a teaching demo this evening. He might teach part-time at the university I graduated from, God-willing. Since I didn't want to disturb him during his demo, I decided to hang out at Blenz Coffee after work. For dinner, I chose the Chicken Sun-Dried Pesto Wrap. According to the barista, she just made it, which is fantastic. It has a generous amount of chicken, and I also tasted green leafy vegetables (maybe spinach?), but not a strong taste of pesto or sun-dried tomatoes. However, it's one of the better wraps in Blenz. Chicken Sun-Dried Pesto Wrap  from Blenz Coffee I am also eyeing the Dacarons and might grab some next time.

🍿 Looking for the 2026 Menu? Cineplex prices and combos have been updated since this visit. We've just documented the Brand New 2026 Movie Snack Guide with fresh photos! VIEW THE 2026 CINEPLEX MENU HERE Browse the Archive: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 In 2022, I first documented the Cineplex Outtakes menu at Marine Gateway, but as every movie lover knows, prices never stay still for long. To keep our smooch-worthy dates organized, I’ve updated this list based on our visit to Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver on August 27, 2023. Cineplex Popcorn & Combos (2023) Combo Item Price (2023) Combo 1: 1 Large Popcorn, 1 Large Drink, 1 Regular Candy $20.02 Combo 2: 2 Regular Popcorn, 2 Regular Drink, 2 Regular Candy $38.04 Combo 3: 1 Large Popcorn, 2 Regular Drink, 1 Regular Candy $25.11 Combo 4: 1 Large Popcorn, 2 Regular Drink, 2 Regular Candies, 1 Mix-Ins $35.10 Combo 5: 1 Large Dr...

2026 Status Update: From Test to Table Many of the items I tried at the Test Kitchen in 2023 have now become Smooch-worthy staples at all Earls locations, including Fir Street and BC Place. Here is the 2026 "Data" for these popular bites: 🍋 Yuzu Calamari: Now a permanent menu star. 2026 Price: $19.75 🥧 Key Lime Pie: My wish came true! It's available everywhere. 2026 Price: $13.50 🍗 Truffled Parmesan Chicken: 2026 Price: $31.50 *Note: While my 2023 experience was at the Test Kitchen, these reviews remain a personal documentation of the flavours you can expect today.* A Love Letter to New Flavours : There is a specific thrill in being the first to taste a potential masterpiece. Stepping into the Earls Test Kitchen feels like being invited into a chef's private diary. Not every entry is a success, but the journey of discovery is always worth the seat at the table. Happy Sunday! My husband and I watched Mission Impossible ...

It's National Cinema Day (https://www.nationalcinemaday.ca/), and movies cost $5.00 at Cineplex. Since I have enough Scene Points, my husband and I watched Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One for free! We watched the adrenaline-packed movie with my sister and her boyfriend at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver. Before the movie, I did what I usually do: take menu pictures. My Cineplex Outtakes menu post is receiving a lot of traffic thanks to Barbie and Oppenheimer moviegoers, so it's time to update it. Most things were $2.00 more expensive than last year. Chicken Sandwiches, Fries, Chicken Boneless Bites, and Chicken Tenders from Cineplex Outtakes We ordered the Chicken Sandwich Combo for lunch, which is pretty delicious. We also ordered chicken tenders and chicken boneless chicken bites. They taste the same, just different in shape. After finishing our ...

Before I discuss the food, I want to say that Pista ng Bayan is one of the better-organized Filipino events we attended in Metro Vancouver this year. I love how the stage is in the middle while the vendors and booths are wrapped around it. You can explore the market while still being entertained by talented Filipinos. Now, let's discuss the food. After devouring the bento box from Plato Filipino , we got Combo 2 from Pampanga's Cuisine, which comes with our choice of two meat and rice. I chose beef kare-kare and chicken barbecue. Combo 2 with Beef Kare-Kare and Chicken Barbecue from Pampanga's Cuisine The kare-kare didn't look like the usual colour, but it tasted like peanuts,   which is good. I need my veggies and bagoong. But overall, it satisfied my kare-kare craving. The chicken barbecue was perfectly caramelized outside and still tender inside. It's perfect...

Happy Saturday! After hubby's volunteering with Friends of VPL, we dropped by on day 1 of Pista ng Bayan at Robson Square. Our first stop is Plato Filipino. They're offering a bento box Filipino version. It comes with rice (of course), lumpiang shanghai (Filipino spring roll), buko pandan, a choice of between Filipino-style spaghetti, pancit, or palabok, and a choice between Plato Express, beef kaldereta  (tomato beef stew with liver spread), or barbecue. We went for palabok and beef kaldereta,  plus I ordered an extra Filipino-style pork barbecue. Filipino-style Bento Box from Plato Filipino Buko pandan, beef kaldereta, white rice, palabok, atchara, and lumpiang shanghai The rice absorbed the sauce from the kaldereta. 🤤 The beef could be a bit more tender, while the lumpiang shanghai is no longer crispy. To be fair, they have been here the whole day. The pa...

Before heading to his volunteer with Friends of the VPL, we grabbed some muffins from VN Convenience inside the Vancouver Public Library Center branch. This is what a muffin should be - chewy exterior, soft interior, and not overly sweet. We got a Chocolate Muffin and a Banana Muffin. The banana doesn't have a strong banana flavour, so I recommend the chocolate muffin. Chocolate Muffin and Banana Muffin fr.VN Convenience What's amusing about VN Convenience is they offer all sorts of guilty pleasures like chips, so many chocolates, and coffee.  There are only a few stores inside VPL. Many closed already, so please support the small businesses that are still doing their best to survive.

It's a beautiful sunny Saturday. My husband is doing volunteer work with Friends of the VPL at 1:00 p.m. I woke up late, moved slowly, and forgot my Compass card for transit at home. We needed to find a place around the Vancouver Public Library for a quick first meal of the day and found Straight Brooklyn Pizza. I am no pizza expert, but their pizza feels like a hybrid between New York-style and Naples-style. It's huge and foldable like the NY-style, but there's the nice char and thinnest expected of Neopolitan. The Original slice is a Margherita pizza, which is recommended for Italian-style pizza. It's delicious with tarty tomato, melted mozzarella, and a pop of basil. I love it. The Original slice from Straight Brooklyn Pizza Margherita Pizza - tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil However, it's hard to beat the Classic slice with pepperoni, a New York staple. Th...

Happy Thursday! This week, our team's lunch theme is comfort food. When asked what familiar culinary flavours I seek for solace, I immediately responded 'fried chicken.' A follow-up question inquired whether I preferred the standard version or the Korean iteration, to which I replied, 'Either work - after all, both are forms of fried chicken.; With our theme decided, I embarked on a quest (searched) to discover the finest options available for delivery in Vancouver. This culinary exploration (Google) led us to Nene Chicken, renowned for its delectable Korean fried chicken offerings. This marked my first foray into Vancouver's Korean fried chicken scene, adding to my excitement. Original Drumstick from Nene Chicken Working within a budget, I opted for a classic order: the Shack-Shack Fries and a 3-piece serving of original drumsticks. Meanwhile, my colleague indulg...

The Museum of Surrey invites you to come and celebrate Filipino culture with performances, vendors, textile display, tinikling , and a Tagalog and English storytelling session. Filipino Fest will be on September 23, 2023 (Saturday) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Museum of Surrey (17710 56A Avenue Surret, BC). The event is free, and accepts optional pay-what-you-may donations for admission. Filipino Market Vendors and Food Below is a list of Filipino food and non-food vendors that will be at the event. Vendors Artsy Candle foliagefilipino Gigil Clothing PhilCAS of BC Food Cake It Easy Desserts Ltd Chay's Delight Dale's Food Products Inc. Kape Philippine Coffee KayeBakes.ca Mr. Siopao de Langley Nanay Filipino Food

Happy Sunday to you! After Mass today, I asked hubby if we can take a walk to Kitsilano Farmers Market and just explore. I've only been to Riley Park Farmers Market so I wanted to compare. At 12:00 NN, the Kits market is very much alive. There are more produced than Riley Park and everything smelled so good. Yum! For lunch, we grabbed two crêpes from Kara's Crêpe. For our savoury lunch, I opted for Mediterranean. I absolutely love the flavour combination of hearty msuhrooms, sweet caramelized onions, and tangy sundried tomatoes. While the tender and delicate crêpe is a great contrast to slightly crunchy melted mozzarella cheese. I wish I didn't have to share. Mediterranean Crêpe  from Kara's Crêpe Sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella, and pesto My terrible attempt to take a ...

As part of our annual summer tradition, hubby and I went to the PNE Fair. I aim to document and take pictures of the menu and food vendors inside, which I post here . We arrived at Playland around 2:00 PM and walked around to take pictures of the food booths and food trucks. Our first food is the ribs and brisket from Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ. Last year there were two competing barbecues selling the same meats. This year it's only Prairie BBQ. The brisket is incredible. The rib is good, too, but the real winner is the sweet sauce. The Filipino in me wants a cup of rice. Rib & Brisket Combo  from Prairie Smoke & Spice BBQ After an excellent first bite of food at the PNE Fair, we went for red velvet mini donuts. It doesn't taste like red velvet, but it's soft and sweet with the glaze. Red Velvet ...

Last year, I went to PNE Fair to create a list of food booths and food trucks. I'm doing the same this year (2023). All prices are in Canadian dollars and are subject to changes without prior notice. The list is based on our visit last August 19, 2023. I also noticed they do not accept cash - only credit cards, debit cards, and PNE gift cards. There are a handful of food vendors inside Rollerland which is not included in this list. Cheeky Italian Pizza Debit, credit, and PNE gift cards only. All prices include applicable tax. Slice Whole Pizza Ham, Crumbled Bacon, and Pineapple $7.00 $38.00 Loaded Pepperoni Triple Cheese Cheeky Cheese Please Menu Bread: Choice of white or whole wheat Texas toast ...