The Diner Burger and Vancity Salmon Burger from Fable Diner & Bar

Happy Wednesday! I'm excited and a little anxious today because the Whitecaps are playing Inter Miami in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals.

After work, we walked across the street to Fable Diner & Bar to catch the second half of the game with many fellow Whitecaps supporters. Thankfully, by some miracle, the Whitecaps won 3-1, which means they are moving on to the finals!

During the game, my hubby ordered The Diner Burger with onion rings, while I went for the Vancity Salmon Burger with fries.

The Diner Burger from Fable Diner & Bar
Smash burger, streaky bacon, sunny egg, onion rings, lettuce, garlic aioli, and potato bun

Vancity Salmon Burger from Fable Diner & Bar
Grilled and smoked steelhead salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, iceberg lettuce, onion and potato bum

I am so happy! For reference, below is a list of items we have tried from Fable:

• The Diner Burger
• Holiday Poutine
• Roast Duck Pancake
• Vancity Salmon Burger

Curry beef brisket on rice and pork cutlet from Yuu Japanese Tapas

My youngest sister absolutely fell in love with the Japanese curry from Yuu Japanese Tapas in Richmond, BC. She was insistent we have it delivered while I was spending the day visiting them. I was more than happy to oblige since I hadn't had Japanese curry in months, and Suika (my favorite spot for the dish) has been closed for more than six months! Yuu's version of the dish is great. They have a beef curry sauce base that comes with tender beef brisket, and I added pork cutlet as a topping.

Curry Beef brisket on Rice topped with Deep Fried Panko Bread Crumb Pork Cutlet from Yuu Japanese Tapas

Suika is still my favourite but it's great to know that I can get curry in Richmond too.

Pacific Wild Sockeye Salmond Fish and Chips from Pajo's at Rocky Point Park

Since my husband is attending a convention this weekend, I decided to have a date with my mom. We took the bus to Steveston. She requested that we enjoy seafood from Pajo's at their Rocky Point Park location.

Pacific Wild Sockeye Salmond Fish and Chips from Pajo's at Rocky Point Park
Fully flavoured, intense flavour profile with a meatier texture. Cooked in our signature tempura style batter, crisp, tender. Served with fresh cut fries and signature tartar sauce.

I ordered my usual salmon fish and chips. Enjoying it outside with my mom under the beautiful sunshine, facing the water, was a truly wonderful moment. Thank God for my parents.

Avocado Toast from Freebird Table and Bar

Last Thursday, I enjoyed avocado toast, so for Saturday brunch, I decided to get another one, this time from Freebird Table and Bar in Richmond, BC.

Avocado Toast and Fruit from Freebird Table and Bar
Sourdough toast, crushed avocado, greens, pickled onions, spiced chickpeas, poached eggs, lemon dill yogurt, and seasonal fruit cup

My husband is attending a convention at the Executive Hotel, and he kindly allowed me to stay in his room. While he was at his event, I savoured my avocado toast and orange juice from Freebird.

Nachos, burger, and Sandwich from GoodCo Bars

It's a big Thursday for Vancouver, BC. Messi and Inter Miami are in town for the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Since we didn't get tickets to watch it at BC Place, we decided to grab a table at GoodCo Bars to enjoy the match.

Nacho Man from GoodCo Bars
Mozzarella, cheddar, pickled Jalapeños, chipotle sour cream, black beans, and salsa fresca

It's a two-hour affair, which means food! We started with the Nacho Man, the perfect starter while enjoying the first half of the match.

Veggie Burger from GoodCo Bars
Mushroom and brown rice patty, lettuce, tomato, avocado, red onion, and herb mayo

Then, I chose the delicious and healthy Veggie Burger, while hubby went for the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.

Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich from GoodCo Bars
Toasted sourdough, French's mustard, Montreal smoked beef, and pickle spear

The Whitecaps won 2-0, and I'm buzzing. It's a sports miracle!

Steak Frites Sandwich from Meat & Bread

Happy Thursday! For our team lunch, we headed to Meat & Bread nearby. At this point, I have tried almost all of their classic sandwiches: porchetta, buffalo chicken, and meatball. 

I have also tried a couple limited-release sandwiches: pulled pork mac & cheese and gyoza pulled pork. 

Today, I chose their Steak Frites Sandwich. While it wasn't their best offering, the shoestring fries made it a tad too salty for my liking.

Steak Frites Sandwich from Meat & Bread
Moist braised beef brisket pulled with a red wine jus, truffle butter, and crispy shoestring fries

Avocado Toast from Tractor Foods

Happy Thursday! For breakfast today, instead of my usual Tim Hortons, I decided to opt for a healthier (albeit pricier) choice: avocado toast from Tractor Foods.

Avocado Toast from Tractor Foods
Smashed avocado, sundried cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, sprouts, everything crunch, and sourdough toast

I love the sourdough toast and, of course, the creamy smashed avocado balanced by pickled red onion. It's a great start to the day.

Atlantic Salmon Teriyaki and Unagi Tendon from Ocean Goose

Happy Thursday! Commemorating the Lord's Last Supper, a few church friends and I enjoyed a delightful dinner after mass at Ocean Goose in Kitsilano.

I savoured the Atlantic Salmon Teriyaki, a beautifully pan-seared fillet glazed with a rich and savoury teriyaki sauce, served with steamed rice and some delicate seasonal vegetables.

Atlantic Salmon Teriyaki from Ocean Goose
It comes with 1 scoop of rice and miso soup

My husband opted for the Unagi Tendon, a classic Japanese rice bowl featuring tender pieces of grilled freshwater eel coated in a sweet and savoury sauce, served over a bed of fluffy rice and accompanied by a perfectly crisp tempura.

Unagi Tendon from Ocean Goose
5 pieces Unagi, 1-piece prawn tempura on furikake rice

This was my first time sharing a meal outside of church with fellow parishioners, and it was such a heartwarming experience. Since moving to Canada, I've been so grateful for my family, but building friendships takes time. This evening offered a lovely sense of community and connection, a wonderful step in building a social life here.

Salted Salmon Bento from Hello Nori in Club Kitchen

Happy Thursday! The theme for our company-paid team lunch is Indonesian cuisine, but since our go-to Bali Bites food truck isn't parked nearby, we decided to go to Club Kitchen. It allows us to order from any restaurant that's part of the club. I went for Hello Nori when I saw they have a Salted Salmon Bento.

It came with flame-grilled sockeye salmon on a bed of rice and shredded tamago (Japanese omelet). It also came with roasted edamame and goma-ae on the side.

Salted Salmon Bento from Hello Nori

Assorted Rolls and Oshi from Hello Nori

If that's not enough, the bento box came with a couple of each:

• Cucumber Roll
• Unagi Roll
• Toro Roll
• Spicy Shrimp
• Salmon Oshi
• Ebi Oshi

It was a perfectly delicious lunch.

Sausage Scrambled Egg Loaded Box from Tim Hortons

Happy Thursday! It's the day I usually indulge myself a little by getting a Tims wrap for breakfast. Today, when I opened the app, there was a new item: Scrambled Egg Loaded Box with your choice of sausage, bacon, double stacked (both sausage and bacon), or just eggs.

Sausage Scrambled Egg Loaded Box from Tim Hortons 

Sausage Scrambled Loaded Box from Tim Hortons 

I chose sausage. The box came with two cut up hash browns, scrambled eggs, and crumbled sausage drizzled with their chipotle sauce.

It's different and acceptable, but I'll stick to my wrap. I needed that tortilla to help with the sauce.

Wonton Noodle Soup from Pholicious

Happy Thursday! For our company-paid weekly team lunch, the chosen theme is Vietnamese cuisine. We decided to visit our old favourite, Pholicious. I tried their wonton noodle soup, and it's the perfect comfort food on a rainy day.

Wonton Noodle Soup from Pholicious

For future reference, here is a list of dishes I have tried from Pholicious:

• House Special Pho
• Special Vermicelli
• Vegan Spring Roll
• Wonton Noodle Soup

Beef Stew and Nam Vang Style Rice Noodle from DA LAT Vietnamese Restaurant

We are breaking from our annual tradition. Every year during the first week of April, we visit our tax preparer to file our taxes. Afterward, we usually grab dinner at Kokoro Ramen. This year, we decided to go to DA LAT because it closes later.

For sharing, we ordered one of the best spring rolls we've had in quite a while—perfectly crispy exterior filled with flavorful pork.

Spring Rolls from DA LAT Vietnamese Restaurant
Deep-fried spring rolls filled with ground pork, taro, carrot, white onion, garlic, wood ear mushrooms, glass noodle served with Vietnamese sweetened fish sauce.

I ordered my go-to Vietnamese dish: Beef Stew. It was satisfactory, with tender beef and good flavor. I wish the consistency were more stew-like than soupy.

Beef Stew from DA LAT Vietnamese Restaurant
Steam jasmine rice; white onion and tomato base beef stew soup; tender beef shank cubes. Garnish with scallion and basil.

Hubby ordered the Nam Vang Style Rice Noodle, which was so comforting with a mix of char siu, minced pork, shrimp, and scallops.

Nam Vang Style Rice Noodle from DA LAT Vietnamese Restaurant
Hu tieu Noodle; pork bones, dry seafood and radish soup; char siu, stir fry minced pork with salted radish, shrimps, quail eggs, scallops. Garnish with cilantro, fried onions, chives, cooked bean sprout, and lettuce

Yay for supporting small businesses and enjoying great food with my husband and brother!

Chicken Vindaloo from Chakra Indian Restaurant

Happy Thursday! It's company-paid free lunch, and the theme for this week is Indian. We walked to the nearby Chakra Indian Restaurant, and I ordered chicken vindaloo with basmati white rice.

Chicken Vindaloo from Chakra Indian Restaurant

It was the perfect balance of tangy and spicy. I finished the vindaloo but was able to take half of the rice home.