Tacos Al Pastor and Quesadilla de Pastor from Taqueria El Patriarca

After our first taco for lunch today, I was craving more Al Pastor for dinner, so I checked the list my colleague gave me and we walked to Taqueria El Patriarca.

We spent the afternoon doing a free walking tour around the historic center of CDMX when it started raining heavily in the middle. After resting and drying off a bit in our hotel, we walked to Taqueria El Patriarca for dinner. We ordered Tacos Al Pastor and Quesadilla de Pastor, and paired it with horchata and jamaica.

The Tacos Al Pastor wasn't as flavorful as the one earlier, but it had crispy edges that gave it a bacon-like texture. Unfortunately, this also made it dryer.

Tacos Al Pastor from Taqueria El Patriarca

Meanwhile, the quesadilla (our first in Mexico!) was piping hot and covered in melted cheese, but it was a tad too greasy and heavy.

Quesadilla de Pastor from Taqueria El Patriarca

Both the horchata and jamaica were also too sweet for my liking.

Jamaica from Taqueria El Patriarca

Overall, it was a good decision to visit Taqueria El Patriarca, because it made me realize that the tacos from Taqueria Los Cocuyos are still my favorite.

Tacos Al Pastor and Taco Suadero from Taqueria Los Cocuyos | Bib Gourmand MICHELIN

After a hearty breakfast at Café de Tacuba and three hours in Templo Mayor, we strolled through the bustling streets of Ciudad de México (CDMX), taking in the sights and sounds of the city. Our destination: Taqueria Los Cocuyos, where we were about to embark on our first taco in Mexico.

Naturally, we had to try the Al Pastor Taco, a local specialty.

Pastor Taco from Taqueria Los Cocuyos
Marinated Pork

But we also decided to give the Suadero Taco a try, as it's mentioned in the MICHELIN Guide.

Suadero Taco from Taqueria Los Cocuyos
Brisket

To cool down from the temperature and humidity, we also ordered some horchata and tamarindo. Personally, I preferred the tamarindo, as it had a nice tartness to it.

Horchata and Tamarindo from Taqueria Los Cocuyos

The Suadero Taco was good, but the Al Pastor Taco was truly exceptional. So much so that I'm eager to try other taquerias to see if it's just a case of "first-time" bias, or if my colleague really did recommend the best taco place in Mexico City. (Spoiler alert: this was the best taco I've had during this trip!)

Tamales and Huevos Divorciados from Café de Tacuba

Buenos Días from Mexico City! It's a beautiful sunny Saturday morning and our first stop is Café de Tacuba for breakfast.

Hubby got to order café de olla while I enjoyed the smooth Chocolate Tacuba. It reminded me of tablea hot chocolate when I was in Cebu, Philippines.

Chocolate Tacuba from Café de Tacuba

For food, we shared dos tamales de pollo con salsa verde and rancheros con frijoles refritos o divorciados. Both items were recommended from my go-to travel book: Lonely Planet's Ultimate Eats: The World's Top 500 Food Experiences... Ranked.

403. Savour tamales in a Mexican restaurant

MEXICO // There's nothing better to unwrap than freshly cooked tamales, a dish that embraced the slow cooking movement before the phrase was coined. Prior to assembling the package, the outer wrapping of corn husk must be soaked overnight to make it pliable. In the morning the husksare stuffed with tamale dough and meat, and the ends tied together with strips of husks before being steamed. Unwrapping the tamale reveals delicious soft pork or chicken.¹

EAT IT! A staple of Mexican restaurants thrroughout North America, it's also a snack sold by vendors in Central America.

Dos tamales de pollo con salsa Verde from Café de Tacuba
Two tamales with chicken in green peppers sauce

178. Meet your match with Mexico's huevos divorciados

MEXICO // Eggs are as much a part of Mexico as Mayan wonders like Chichén Itzá, and one of the best egg dishes in the country is the acrimoniously names huevos divorciados, or divorced eggs. Two fried eggs are separated on the plate by two sauces - green apple salsa and spicy red tomato. Far from the flavours beging irreconcilable, they're very compatible - so there's hope of a reunion, though not if your dish comes with a dividing line of refried beans.¹

EAT IT! The grand Café de Tacuba will unite you with this troubled breakfast. Calle de Tacuba 28, Centro Histórico, Mexico City  

Rancheros con frijoles refritos o divorciados from Café de Tacuba
Divorced eggs with refried beans

¹ Lonely Planet Food. (2018). Lonely Planet's Ultimate Eats: The World's Top 500 Food Experiences... Ranked. Lonely Planet.

Molettes and Torta from Café Central inside Historico Central Hotel

¡Hola! I'm writing to you from Mexico City. Our flight from Vancouver was delayed for an hour, so we didn't get to our hotel until after 1:00 a.m.

Air Canada gave us pretzels and liquids (juice), but we hadn't had dinner yet. We were starving! Luckily, our fantastic hotel (Historico Central Hotel) has a 24-hour café that offers complimentary food to guests. They only had a few food items available, so we decided on molettes and torta.

CAFE Central

Molettes is a beloved Mexican open-faced sandwich with toasted bolillo (a crusty white bread roll) as its base generously covered in refried beans, melted cheese, and ham.

Molettes from Café Central
Toasted bread, fried beans spread, melted cheese, bacon, and ham

Meanwhile, torta is a classic Mexican sandwich. Between the same bolillo bread are creamy cheese, turkey ham, and sun-dried tomatoes.

Torta from Café Central
Bolillo bread, ham, pickles, menonita cheese, chorizo-onion mayonnaise

The food was so comforting, especially at 2:00 a.m.! I can't wait to share more about our food adventures in Mexico City.

Raspberry Danish and Blueberry Muffins from Illy Coffee in YVR

Since our flight is delayed, we grabbed a couple pastries from Illy Coffee.

I went for blueberry muffins while hubby chose the raspberry danish. It's not something we always get but he said that it's in honour of the Whitecaps FC manager (he's Danish). 😂

Blueberry Muffins from Illy Coffee

Raspberry Danish from Illy Coffee in YVR

Both pastries were warmed up which made them even better.

Minced Pork Dry Noodle and 3-Item Noodle Soup from Hanami Express

Happy Friday! I'm writing this in Vancouver International Airport (YVR) while waiting for our delayed flight to Mexico City.

For lunch, we stopped by Hanami for noodles. We chose the Minced Pork Dry Noodle which looked amazing but is absolutely bland which is unfortunate.

3-Item Noodle Soup from Hanami inside YVR

Minced Pork Dry Noodle from Hanami inside YVR

Thankfully, the 3-Item Noodle Soup has a wonderful beefy broth. The beef was so tender while the BBQ pork slices were good too. The wonton dumplings is the worst of the three items part acceptable too. 

If you need a warm dish for any tummy ache before catching your connecting flight, this is the spot.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) Food Options After Security International Terminal Checklist

Happy Friday! We're flying out of Vancouver International Airport (YVR) today to visit vibrant and exciting Mexico City.

I'm sharing this blog post as a checklist of available food options after security in the International Terminal of YVR for my own reference.

The following food options are available:

🗹 A&W

🗹 Church's Texas Chicken

☐ Hanami Express

☐ illycaffe and Relay

☐ Lift Bar and Grill

🗹 🌟 Salmon n' Bannock On The Fly 🌟

🗹 Starbucks

🗹 Subway

☐ Sweet Maple Lounge

The chains marked with a check are ones I've tried here or at other locations.

'Veggie Style' Cheeseburger from Burger Crush

Happy Thursday! For our company-paid team lunch today, we strolled over to Burger Crush to indulge in some classic burger goodness. I opted for the "Veggie Style" Cheeseburger, and it was absolutely delicious.

"Veggie Style" Cheeseburger from Burger Crush
Hand-made vegan patty served with regular cheese on a brioche bun

The burger arrived perfectly assembled, featuring a juicy vegan patty nestled in a creamy cheese blanket, all nestled in a slightly toasted brioche bun.

AAA Beef Volcano Ramen from Yuu Japanese Tapas

We're celebrating my youngest sister's birthday today, and she wanted the family to enjoy a meal at her favorite spot: Yuu Japanese Tapas.

AAA Beef Volcano Ramen from Yuu Japanese Tapas
AAA Beef Slices, enoki mushroom, bean sprouts and onion

My husband ordered the AAA Beef Volcano Ramen, which is as interactive and fun as it is delicious. It was served in a hot stone bowl, and a server poured broth inside the bowl and covered it, causing steam to cook the AAA Beef Volcano.

AAA Beef Volcano Ramen from Yuu Japanese Tapas

The tonkatsu broth was perfect, and the noodles were perfectly al dente.

Curry brisket on rice from Yuu Japanese Tapas

Crispy deep fried pano bread crumb pork cutlet served with seasoned mayo from Yuu Japanese Tapas

I went for my favorite dish ever—Japanese curry, specifically the curry brisket on rice topped with crispy deep-fried panko bread crumb pork cutlet served with seasoned mayo. Unfortunately, we didn't finish my order and focused on the ramen.

Fried Chicken Nuggets and Taiwanese Sausgae from Pearl Castle Cafe

Happy Saturday! We're celebrating my sister's birthday, but we arrived at the strip mall about half an hour early. To pass the time, we decided to grab a quick snack at Pearl Castle Cafe.

Fried Chicken Nuggets from Pearl Castle Cafe

We ordered our usual Taiwanese favorites - the crispy fried chicken nuggets and the sweet savory Taiwanese sausage.

Taiwanese Sausage from Pearl Castle Cafe

Just as we finished our food, I got a message from my siblings saying they were at the other restaurant.

Coffee Break and Croissants from Pallet Coffee Roasters

Happy Saturday! We're picking up a package near Cambie and West 39th Avenue, so we decided to walk there from our apartment. Halfway through our walk, we stopped by Pallet Coffee Roasters along Oak Street for breakfast.

Hubby went for a latte and double-baked almond croissants.

Double baked almond croissant from Pallet Coffee Roasters

Latte from Pallet Coffee Roasters

While I got a butter croissant and a mocha.

Butter Croissant from Pallet Coffee Roasters

Mocha from Pallet Coffee Roasters

We enjoyed our pastries and drinks while continuing our walk under the beautiful Vancouver spring sunshine. Thank God for moments like this.

Fried Chicken over Rice from bb.q Chicken & Pub

Happy Thursday! For team lunch today, we headed to bb.q Chicken & Pub because theme of the week is Korean. I ordered the mala hot fried chicken over rice and it makes me happy. I love it!

Fried Chicken Over Rice from bb.q Chicken & Pub
Fried chicken, scrambled egg and onion with mala hot sauce and mayo on steamed rice

Turkey Bacon and Egg Breakfast Sandwich and Mocha from lovelarte

Happy Thursday! I had a breakfast meeting today at Lovelarte. In between talking, I took bites of a warm and comforting Turkey Bacon and Egg breakfast sandwich and a sip of sweet mocha.

Turkey Bacon and Egg Breakfast Sandwich from lovelarte

Mocha from lovelarte

Pacific Poké and Coast Poké from Westcoast Poké

Happy Sunday! We walked to Best Buy today because my Chromebook had stopped working. After buying a new one, we had lunch at nearby Westcoast Poké.

Hubby went for Pacific Poké because he likes pineapple.

Pacific Poké from Westcoast Poké
Albacore tuna, cilantro, pickled red onion, cucumber, pineapple, crab salad, mango, and green coconut curry sauce

I went for Coast Poké because I like salmon.

Coast Poké from Westcoast Poké
Atlantic salmon, burnt miso chili paste, kimchi cucumber, crab salad, mango, avocado, maple soy sauce, and gochu garlic aioli

It was delicious, but Pokérrito is my favorite poké source so far.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake from Trees Organic Coffee & Cheesecake

Happy Saturday! We enjoyed a slice of dulce de leche cheesecake from Trees today.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake from Trees Organic Coffee & Cheesecake

Special Sub from Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine

Happy Thursday! For the company-paid team lunch today, the chosen theme is bahn mi. It's drizzling outside, so we walked to nearby Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine. I wasn't sure what to get, so I went for the Special Sub and a small wonton soup because I'm feeling under the weather.

Special Sub from Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine
Ham, cold cuts, pork, and meatball

The Special Sub with ham, cold cuts, pork, and meatball with fresh vegetables in between crispy baguette is the perfect food coma lunch on a rainy day.

Grouse Mountain Special Roll from Masa Japanese Restaurant

Happy Sunday! After Mass, we walked to Spanish Banks beach for some fresh air. Afterwards, we grabbed a quick lunch at Masa Japanese Restaurant before walking home.

We ordered the Grouse Mountain Special Roll for sharing. I love the shape of this special roll!

Grouse Mountain  from Masa Japanese Restaurant
Deep fried seaweed sandwich with spicy tuna & rice, alfalfa, tobiko on with spicy mayo and Unagi sauce

Since we both have the sniffles, we also ordered ramen.

Kara Miso Ramen from Masa Japanese Restaurant
Spicy miso flavoured soup base with chashu and egg

Tonkatsu Ramen from Masa Japanese Restaurant
Pork bone base with chashu, egg, bean sprouts, bamboo shoot, and green onion

Chocolate Marshmallow Filled Ring Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons released a new Chocolate Marshmallow Filled Ring Dream Donut. As the name suggests, the donut is topped with chocolate icing and crushed graham crackers while the inside is filled with marshmallows.

Chocolate Marshmallow Filled Ring Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Chocolate Marshmallow Filled Ring Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

It is one of the many Dream Donuts we have tried over the years, with a complete list below.

• Apple Pie Dream Donut
• Birthday Cake Confetti Dream Donut
• Baileys Flavoured Boston Cream Dream Donut
• Black Forest Filled Ring Dream Donut
• Cadbury Mini Eggs Dream Donut 
• Caramel Brownie Filled Ring
• Caramilk Filled Ring
• Chocolate Fudge Pretzel Dream Donut
• Chocolate Hazelnut Eclair Dream
• Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut
• Chocolate Marshmallow Filled Ring
• Dulce Apple Fritter
• Dulce de Leche
• Easter Nest Dream Donut
• Gingerbread Chocolate Dream Donut
• Hershey's S'mores Dream Donut
• Matcha Coconut Dream Donut
• New York Cheesecake Dream Donut
• Nutella Dream Donut
• Penguin Dream Donut
• Pumpkin Spice Dream Donut
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dream Donut
• Sea Salted Caramel Dream
• Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring
• Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut
• Vancouver Canucks Dream Donut
• Vanilla Bean Dip Dream Donut
• Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring 
• Wildberry Cheesecake Dream Donut

Mother's Day Feast from Peaceful Restaurant

Our usual Mother's Day tradition is visiting Dai Jang Kum in Richmond, BC because it's my mom's favourite. This weekend, Mom wants the beef rolls from Peaceful Restaurant, and since it's her special day, she gets what she requested.

Feast from Peaceful Restaurant

We ordered a feast from Peaceful that includes the following:

• Beef & Broccoli
• Deep-Fried Sesame Ball
• Minced Chicken with Corn Soup
• Peaceful Beef Rolls
• Salt and Pepper Chicken Wing
• Salted and Pepper Squid
• Seasonal Vegetables and Crispy Tofu
• Yang-Zhou Stir-Fried Rice

Vegetarian Plate from Jerusalem Shawarma

Happy Thursday! I won this week's team competition at work, which means I get to pick the lunch theme, and I went for Middle Eastern. Our team in Vancouver recently visited the relatively new Jerusalem Shawarma.

Vegetarian Plate from Jerusalem Shawarma
4 pieces of Falafel, 4 vine leaves, salad, garlic potato, rice, hummus, and tahini sauce

I ordered their Vegetarian Plate, which includes all my favorite things: dolma (vine leaves) and falafel. It was so delicious, and the service was superb; we can't wait to go back!

Dan Dan Noodles from Grand Chinese Restaurant in Yaletown

Happy Thursday! For our team lunch today, the theme is dumplings, so we walked to Grand Chinese Restaurant in Yaletown. I ordered their Dan Dan Noodles. 

Dan Dan Noodles from Grand Chinese Restaurant

Below is a list of items we ordered for delivery from Grand Chinese years ago.

• Beef Rolls
• Dan Dan Noodles
• Pan-Fried Pork Buns
• Shanghai-Style Chow Mein
• Xiao Long Bao