Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Pistachio Cream Puff and Sunshine Lemon Tea from Ele Cafe

After our Malaysian feast at John 3:16, we walked one block east to Ele Cafe for sweets and tea.

We sat in their corner booth, enjoying our tea served in a French press, which greatly amused my parents. It was quite funny!


Tea Time at Ele Cafe

They ordered tiramisu, which looked absolutely divine, while I ordered the last Pistachio Cream Puff. My dad had been eyeing my choice of dessert because, as he put it, it looked like a magnet. Hilarious!


Pistachio Cream Puff from Ele Cafe

This was a sweet way to end my special day, filled with love and surrounded by the people I cherish. I am reminded of how truly blessed I am. All glory to God. Thank you, Jesus.

Birthday Malaysian Feast at John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

For my birthday dinner celebration, I decided to enjoy Malaysian cuisine with the family, and to say that we ordered a lot is an understatement. My heart is filled with love and my tummy is filled with delicious Malaysian goodness. It was the first time my parents and siblings had tried Malaysian cuisine, and I was so happy with their reaction, especially my mom. She was so giddy and happy. Thank you, Mama, for giving birth to me!

Let's list down everything we ordered based on the order that they arrived at the table.

The first two dishes were the stir-fried Green Beans (our vegetarian dish) and Mamak Mee Goreng. I love the green beans stir-fried in shrimp paste. As Filipinos, we also used shrimp paste in some of our dishes, so this absolutely catered to our flavour profile.


Green Beans from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

My mom was mind blown by the Mamak Mee Goreng; it's a sweet and savoury fried noodle dish which really hit the spot.


Mamak Mee Goreng from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

After we nearly finished both dishes, the Chicken Satay and Beef Satay arrived with peanut sauce. We have our own version of skewered meat, but in the typical Filipino way, it’s sweet. This one is more savoury, but it was still a home run since I adore the peanut sauce.


Chicken Satay from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

Beef Satay from Malaysian Delights

Then, what became the favourite dish of the evening: Beef Rendang (our beef dish) arrived with steamed rice. When I first tried John 3:16 (I assume this is the restaurant name), I made a note to myself to order the Beef Rendang again, and it’s as delicious as ever with tender meat and rich, creamy curry sauce.


Beef Rendang from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

My other favourite arrived next: the Roti Canai came with a curry dip. My youngest sister described it as being like a flat croissant.


Roti Canai from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

Speaking of my youngest sister, we ordered two Ayam Goreng (fried chicken) – one just for her and the other to share among everyone else. The fried chicken worked so well with the Rendang sauce. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.


Ayam Goreng from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

The last two dishes to get to the table were the Lamb Kapitan (our lamb dish) and Asam Curry Cod Fish. By the time they arrived, we were nearly full and out of rice. Both dishes were delicious, too. My brother specifically preferred the Asam Curry Cod Fish because even the mild version already had a nice kick to it.


Lamb Kapitan from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

Asam Curry Cod Fish from John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

Oh, and I also ordered their Kari Laksa, but it seems like I didn't take a photo, which is fine because I haven't tried it. I got it for my mom.

For the next time I come back to John 3:16, below is a list of dishes I've tried here so far.

Mr. Curry and Beef Curry from Mr. Japanese Curry

I was recently featured in the Employee Spotlight at work, and one of the questions they asked was, "What's your favorite food?" My answer: Curry. Japanese curry, Irish curry, Thai curry, Indian curry, Filipino curry - I absolutely love curry!


Beef Curry with Tonkatsu from Mr. Japanese Curry
Beef curry with stewed beef topped with sliced pork cutlet

Of course, for my birthday, Japanese curry is a must. Since my favorite Suika is still closed, we went to Mr. Japanese Curry instead, where I had my usual Beef Curry with Tonkatsu on top.


Mr. Curry from Mr. Japanese Curry
Beef curry with sliced grilled pork and onions in a homademade garlic soy sauce with fried shrimp, a hard boiled egg, and melted cheese

Hubby went for the namesake Mr. Curry and gave me a bite of each of the unique toppings. I am happy and in a food coma.

Eggel De Lox and Latkes Special from Solly's

It's my birthday! Thankfully, the Whitecaps FC doesn't have a game this weekend because they're through to the next round. Otherwise, it'll be another anxiety-filled birthday.


Matcha Latte from Solly's

Hot Chocolate from Solly's

I started my special day with Mass. I'm so grateful for the life and all the blessings I've received. Afterwards, we decided to walk along West Broadway and find a spot that we haven't tried that's already open at like 8:30 am. We reached Yukon with no luck.


Special Latkes from Solly's

I remember that we haven't tried the popular Solly's bagels. We stopped by and I finally got to try their Special Latkes (potato pancakes) and I got my "usual" bagel order of lox and since it's breakfast the Eggel De Lox was the right choice in between an everything bagel.


Eggel De Lox from Solly's
Solly's Eggel with spinach, red onions, dill cream cheese, topped with melted edam, & a piece of lox on top

Eggel De Lox from Solly's
Eggel De Lox from Solly's Solly's Eggel with spinach, red onions, dill cream cheese, topped with melted edam, & a piece of lox on top

It was so messy to eat, like wow. All the salmon, tomatoes, and egg fell out. It's a me problem. The salty savoury combination paired perfectly with my sweet hot chocolate.


Cheese Muffin from Solly's

I also got their cheese muffin because it looked so good in the display window. The texture reminded me of cheese cupcakes I enjoy in the Philippines growing up, but this one is not sweet.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Sham Style (XL) and Manoush'eh Special from Manoush'eh

This spot has been on my list of food to try in Vancouver. Manoush'eh on Davie between Granville and Seymour has a 4.9 Google Maps rating, so I went to check out how good it is. We weren't sure what to try, but there's a section of their menu called Soul of Damascus. I knew we were going to get the Manoush'eh Special because the restaurant name is in it.

The second choice was difficult since we were unsure. Hubby called it, and we got the Sham Style (XL), which is first on the list. When in doubt, always go for the top of the list.

Both items were top-notch in such a way that the bread/dough is the star, and they can get creative with their toppings.


Sham Style (XL) from Manoush'eh
Akawi cheese with parsley, sesame and black seeds

Personally, I enjoyed the Sham Style. The Akawi-style cheese is like mozzarella in flavor and worked so well with the random bites of sesame and black seeds.


Manoush'eh Special from Manoush'eh
Spiced ground beef on house-made flatbread topped with hot pepper paste, tomatoes, minced onions, pickles parsley, tahini sauce, and pomegranate molasses

The Manoush'eh Special is a perfect balance of savory and a little bit of spiciness. Okay, it was a lot of spicy. I love both dishes together because the Sham Style tones down the heat of the Manoush'eh Special.

Smokey BBQ Veggie Burger from Blaze Gourmet Burgers

For company-paid team lunch, the chosen theme is burgers. Since it's gloomy outside, we got burgers delivered from Blaze.

I went for the healthy choice of Smokey BBQ Burger with a lettuce wrap and veggie (harvest) patty. It was so good. I can't even describe how perfect the crunchy lettuce covered in sweet barbecue sauce was.


Smokey Blaze with veggie (harvest) patty and lettuce wrap from Blaze Gourmet Burgers
Pepper Jack cheese, double smoked bacon, crispy onion frites, lettuce, tomato, smokey BBQ, and blaze sauce

I also ordered a side of their spiral (curly) fries, which were perfectly seasoned too.


Curly Fries from Blaze Gourmet Burgers

For reference, below is a list of what I've tried from Blaze.

Monday, November 3, 2025

Tantuni Bread and Lahmacun from Caspian Flame

Happy Monday! Today, we attended a Memorial Mass at Church, where we took the time to remember our dearly departed and offer prayers for their souls.

Afterward, my husband and I finally got to try Caspian Flame, a relatively new restaurant in town. This location was previously occupied by Bob Likes Thai Food, which closed down for a while before being replaced by Chicko Chicken. I'm not sure how long Chicko Chicken lasted, but now Caspian Flame has taken its place.

Since we're not familiar with Turkish food, we ordered dishes that looked appealing to us, and we were not disappointed.


Tantuni Bread from Caspian Flame
Juicy chopped AAA beef with tomato, red onion, & parsley, tucked in warm bread. Served with lemon and spicy chili pepper

Tantuni Bread from Caspian Flame
Juicy chopped AAA beef with tomato, red onion, & parsley, tucked in warm bread. Served with lemon and spicy chili pepper

We started with the Tantuni Bread, a sandwich filled with beef, and the Lahmacun, a flatbread topped with veal.


Lahmacun from Caspian Flame
Crispy thin flatbread topped with spiced ground veal, red onions, tomatoes, and parsley. Traditionally served with lemon, fresh parsley, and onion garnish.

Lahmacun from Caspian Flame
Crispy thin flatbread topped with spiced ground veal, red onions, tomatoes, and parsley. Traditionally served with lemon, fresh parsley, and onion garnish.

The winner in both dishes was the quality of the dough, both in the bun and the crust. I highly recommend supporting this local business and giving them a try.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

All-Canadian Slam and Country-Fried Steak & Eggs from Denny's

Happy Sunday! After Mass, we decided to take some time and enjoy brunch at Denny's.


Country-Fried Steak & Eggs from Denny's
A Southern fried chopped beef steak smothered in rich country gravy. Served with two fresh eggs, crispy hash browns and toast

I ordered the Country-Fried Steak & Eggs, and it was delicious covered in gravy. I remember trying this the very first time I visited Denny's in Richmond, and it was so salty that I avoided Denny's ever since. However, the Denny's in their West Broadway location is definitely better than the location in Richmond.


All-Canadian Slam from Denny's
Three scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese blend, two bacon strips, two all-pork sausage links, crispy hash browns, and toast

Hubby went for the Canadian Slam. I'm unsure what makes it "Canadian" exactly, but it came with scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese blend, two bacon strips, pork sausage links, hash browns, and toast.


Build Your Own Sampler from Denny's
Bacon Cheddar Tots, Wavy-Cut Fries, and Onion Rings

For sharing, we got a Build Your Own Sampler with Loaded Bacon and Cheddar Tots, Wavy-Cut Fries, and Onion Rings. It's so great to snack on these while watching the second quarter of the NFL games on TV.

For reference, below is everything we've tried from Denny's / Bar One.

Signature Slams

Signature Breakfasts
Denny's Bennies
Savoury Omelettes
Premium Pancakes
Shareable Starters
Desserts
Comforting Dinners
No Longer In the Menu?

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Beef Curry Buns and Pineapple Red Bean Buns from Anna's Bakery

After a long day of viewing houses, I'm absolutely famished. In desperation, we saw Anna's Bakery in Lansdowne, where we're meeting my parents.

Beef Curry Bun from Anna's Bakery inside Lansdowne Centre

I went for the savoury curry beef bun while hubby got the sweet pineapple bun with red bean.


Pineapple with Red Bean from Anna's Bakery

Of course, he chose the better one. I think my curry beef will be awesome once heated up, but there's no time for that since I'm starved.

Mocha and Savoury Waffle from Dose Coffee

Happy Saturday morning! We attended Mass first thing today for All Saints' Day. Then, we waited for Dose Coffee to open at 9:00 a.m. It's our first time here! I went for a dark mocha while hubby got the Nutella mocha. I didn't get any photos because it was raining, and we decided to bring them home.

Spinach and Cheese Waffles from Dose Coffee

We also got their spinach and cheese waffles, which were fresh from the waffle maker. I saw the barista pull them out! We paired our drinks with the waffles, and I made grilled cheese too. We have a busy day ahead with open houses and running errands.

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Burger and BLT Chicken Cruncher from A&W

Have I told you that we stopped eating from most American fast-food chains? Because of that decision, we always default to Tim Hortons and A&W, which is what happened this evening.


Spicy Piri-Piri Beef Buddy Burger from A&W
A perfectly seasoned 1.6 oz grass-fed beef patty, topped with spicy piri-piri sauce, layers of crisp whole-leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and red onion, all sandwiches between a freshly toasted bun.

For dinner, we stopped by A&W for burgers. I went for the Spicy Piri-Piri Buddy Beef Burger, and it was glorious. The subtle spice from the piri-piri sauce balanced with the juicy beef is great.


BLT Chicken Cruncher from A&W
Juicy, crunchtastic chicken with bacon, layers of crisp lettuce, sliced tomato and our mayo, all sandwiches between a perfectly toasted brioche-style bun

Hubby went for the BLT Chicken Cruncher, and the combo of bacon and crispy chicken is great.

Of course, I enjoyed my meal with A&W root beer and our usual sides of sweet potato fries and onion rings.

Below is a list of menu items we've tried from A&W for future reference:

Breakfast

Burgers

Sides

Chicken

My Husband's Checklist

As you've probably gathered from my previous posts, I enjoy the free company-paid team lunch every Thursday. As a result, I've been to quite a few food joints that my husband hasn't tried yet. This list is to help us keep track of all the places we need to visit together.

☑️ A la Mode Pie

☑️ Al Basha Express

⬜ Bali Bites food truck

☑️ bb.q Chicken

⬜ BC Momo

☑️ Blaze Gourmet Burger

☑️ Boteco Brasil

⬜ Brazilliant Café

⬜ Browns Socialhouse

☑️ Burger Crush

⬜ Casereccio Foods

⬜ Cafe Medina

⬜ Chit Chat Burger Bar

⬜ Dante Italian Sandwich

⬜ Devil's Elbow Ale and Smoke House

⬜ Dingding Restaurant

⬜ Disco Cheetah

⬜ El Compadre (part of Club Kitchen)

☑️ Five Guys Burger & Fries

☑️ Gimme Coxinhas

☑️ Grand Chinese Restaurant

⬜ Hawker's Delight

⬜ H-Kitchen inside H-Mart

⬜ Ignite Pizzeria

☑️ JINYA Ramen Bar

☑️ Jerusalem Shawarma

☑️ John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

☑️ Jollibee

⬜ Khao Thai by Legato

☑️ La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop

⬜ Luca Restaurant

☑️ Meat & Bread

☑️ Memphis Blues BBQ House

⬜ Nablus Shawarma & Grill

⬜ Nando's

⬜ Nene Chicken

☑️ New Town Bakery & Restaurant

⬜ Original Joe's

☑️ Patrón Tacos & Cantina

⬜ PAUL Le Café

⬜ Peaked Pies

☑️ Pelicana Chicken

⬜ Pho Georgia Express

⬜ Pholicious

⬜ Pokerrito

☑️ Rosemary Rocksalt

⬜ Steve's Poke Bar

☑️ Straight Brooklyn Pizza

⬜ Talay Thai Restaurant

☑️ Thai Away Home

☑️ Thai Express

⬜ The Banter Room

⬜ The Cambie Pub

⬜ The Greek

☑️ The Old Spaghetti Factory

☑️ Tokyo in April

⬜ Viet Sub Vietnamese Cuisine

⬜ WA-Bagel

☑️ White Spot

⬜ Yopo Sweet Mandarin

Chakra Indian Restaurant (closed)

Davie Dosa Company (closed)

Sushi UOmo (closed)

Pad Thai from Khao Thai by Legato

For our company-paid Thai lunch, we decided to try something new and had Khao Thai by Legato deliver instead of going to our usual spot at Club Kitchen.

Pad Thai from Khao Thai by Legato
Rice noodles with Tamarindo sauce, eggs, topped with raw beans sprouts, ground peanuts, and lime

I played it safe with the pad thai, and it was delicious. There were plenty of rice noodles coated in a sweet and savory sauce, and it was topped with tofu and vegetables.

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Combo B and Mandu from Royal Seoul House Restaurant

Barbecue. We've finally settled on the celebration theme for our October anniversary, and it's BBQ. Today, we went to nearby Royal Seoul House Restaurant for our usual Korean BBQ set to celebrate.


Deep Fried Pork Dumplings next to the ban chan that came with our Combo B set 

Marinated Beef Short Rib from Royal Seoul House Restaurant

Spicy Pork, Marinated Chicken, and Marinated Beef as part of Combo B in Royal Seoul House Restaurant

Doenjang-jjigae from Royal Seoul House Restaurant

It's great, as expected. I love grilling meat and eating it with all the side dishes, from the rice to the kimchi. They even included a tofu soup in the set now. More importantly, I'm with my love, sharing this meal. Thank you, Lord.

Dark Hot Chocolate and Ham & Cheese Croissant from Blenz

Happy Sunday! Hubby is volunteering at church, so I decided to have a date with myself by grabbing a light early lunch at Blenz. I ordered their dark hot chocolate and ham & cheese croissant.

Dark Hot Chocolate and Ham & Cheese Croissant

I love how smooth the hot chocolate is, which is a perfect contrast to the savory and flaky ham & cheese croissant.

For future me, below is a list of drinks and foods we've tried from Blenz:

Drinks

Food

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Tuna Tataki Roll from Masa Japanese Restaurant

Happy Thursday! For dinner tonight, I'm feeling way too lazy to cook, so we stopped by the nearby Masa Japanese Restaurant instead. I got their vegetarian bento box, which is so filling and satisfying.


Tuna Tataki Roll from Masa Japanese Restaurant
Avocado, crabmeat, and cucumber roll with tuna tataki, green onion and onion on top

For sharing, we got the Tuna Tataki Roll with fresh tuna on top. I'm trying to go through the Masa Special Roll menu, but it keeps changing! It's a good dinner to support a local business.


Veggie Bento from Masa Japanese Restaurant
Avocado roll, veggie spring roll (2 pieces), deep fried veggie gyoza (2 pieces), tofu teriyaki, salad. Served with miso soup

Below is a list of everything we've tried from Masa Japanese Restaurant so far:

Starters & Shares

Tempura

Japanese Curry

U-Don

Japanese Ramen

Platter

Donburi (Rice Bowl)

Special Sushi

K-Meal (Korean Food)

Volcanes de Asada from Patrón Tacos & Cantina

I came back to work on Monday, and for the first team lunch, the theme was Mexican. We went with our usual spot: Patron Taco and Cantina. I got the Volcanes de Asada taco, and it was excellent.


Volcanes de Asada from Patrón Tacos & Cantina

I came to the conclusion that beef is their specialty. I should reorder everything I have tried and choose the beef as meat when possible. Once I have tried everything on their menu, this taco and the Quesabirria will be my go-to.

For future me, below is a list of menu items we have tried:

Appetizers

Sopas Tradicionales

Main

Tacos

 Desserts

Friday, October 17, 2025

CF Pacific Centre Urban Eatery (food court)

CF Pacific Centre, located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, is a major retail destination, and its food court, the Urban Eatery, is a key part of the experience. This underground dining space is a bustling hub for shoppers, office workers, and tourists alike, offering a wide array of choices from well-known chains to unique local spots.

The food court is constantly evolving, with new vendors appearing and others moving on, so this list is a snapshot of the offerings as of the publication date and is subject to change.

☑️ A&W

⬜ Cazba Persian Grill

⬜ Cha House

✔️ Dairy Queen / Orange Julius

⬜ Edo Japan

☑️ Flaming Wok

✔️ Jugo Juice

☑️ New York Fries

⬜ OPA! of Greece

✔️ Subway

☑️ Taco Time

☑️ Thai Express

☑️ UMI Sushi Express

☑️ Vina Vietnamese

☑️ Chachi's (closed)

❌ Hula (closed)

☑️ Living Foods (closed)

Wonton Noodle Soup from Flaming Wok

We came back from vacation last Wednesday and unpacked, did laundry, and slept yesterday. Today is running errands day as we renew my IDs and grabbed groceries at Costco.


Fried Rice, Fried Fish, and Mixed Vegetables from Flaming Wok

In between those two, we grabbed lunch at Flaming Wok inside the Pacific Centre food court. Still needing rice and fish, I went exactly for that - fried fish and mixed vegetables on top of fried rice. Gosh! That's satisfying.


Wonton Noodle Soup from Flaming Wok

Hubby went for their wonton noodle soup because it's cold outside and we still have lingering sniffles.

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