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.
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| Wonton Noodle Soup from Pholicious |
For future reference, here is a list of dishes I have tried from Pholicious:
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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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.
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| 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.
Happy Thursday! For our company-paid weekly team lunch, we went to our favorite JINYA Ramen Bar. This time, I ordered their Vegan Red Fire Opal ramen.
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Vegan Red Fire Opal from JINYA Ramen Bar Yuzu flavoured hot and sour soup: tofu, sauteed bamboo shoot, simmered shiitake mushroom, cilantro, chili thread, chili oil and lime. Served with thick noodles. |
For future me, below is a list of ramen you have tried:
Ever wonder what would happen if a cookie and a brownie had a baby in the oven? Well, Tim Hortons has the answer: the Chocolate Chunk Brookie! It's just what you'd picture – a brownie chunk baked right into the middle of a cookie, giving it a little hill.
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| Chocolate Chunk Brookie from Tim Hortons |
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| Chocolate Chunk Brookie from Tim Hortons |
Happy Saturday! For dinner today, we celebrated my sister's birthday at Pound Steak in Richmond, BC. I ordered their Japanese curry with chicken katsu, while my husband chose The Galaxy Combo, which included a variety of delicious items.
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| Curry Chicken Katsu comes with unlimited soup and rice |
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| The Galaxy Combo comes with 1/2 lbs AAA flat iron steak, hamburg steak, prawn Katsu, Japanese style sausage, sunny side up egg, side vegetables and potato wedges, and two sauces: the Pound Steak sauce and demi-glace sauce |
Happy Thursday! For our weekly company-paid team lunch, we went to our go-to Mexican spot, Patrón Tacos and Cantina. I ordered the Birriaquiles from their menu.
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| Birriaquiles from Patrón Tacos & Cantina Corn tortilla chips soaked in Chile pasilla sauce and birria broth with melted cheese. Topped with birria beef, feta cheese, sour cream onions, and cilantro. Served with a side of pork beans. |
For future me, below is a list of menu items we have tried:
Appetizers
Sopas Tradicionales
Main
Desserts
It's Ash Wednesday. After the 7:00 pm Mass, my husband and I stopped by Sushivan for dinner. We both ordered our favorite Salmon Teriyaki & Sashimi Box, and to share, we got the Philadelphia Roll.
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Salmon Teriyaki & Sashimi Box from Sushivan
Salmon teriyaki, appy Sashimi, appy tempura, salad, 4 pieces California Roll, and rice |
The standout ingredient in the Philadelphia Roll is the cream cheese. It pairs extremely well with the smoked salmon and cucumber. It's the perfect bite with the sushi rice.
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Philadelphia Roll from Sushivan
Cream cheese, cucumber, Avo, crab meat, and smoked salmon on top |
For future reference, below is a list of menu items I’ve tried at Sushivan.
Appetizer
Bento Box
Donburi
Special Roll
Tempura
Udon / Meal
Happy Thursday! Hubby and I watched the Vancouver Whitecaps match against Deportivo Saprissa with the primary goal of documenting the BC Place menu (link here). For dinner, we ordered the Planetary Taco Bowl from Beast Unleashed, and I got my favorite Short Rib Poutine from The Poutinerie.
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| Planetary Taco Bowl from Beast Unleashed in BC Place |
The Planetary Taco Bowl is not your typical stadium food – it includes rice and black beans as a base, topped with fresh lettuce, pico de gallo, and corn. Of course, for added texture, there's fried tortilla.
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| Short Rib Poutine from The Poutinerie |
I thought about trying a new dish but was hesitant, so I went back to my favorite BC Place food item: Short Rib Poutine. It's not as delicious as I remembered, which is unfortunate, but still worth every calorie.
I'm hoping we can watch another Whitecaps game this week, but we'll see.
Happy Thursday! For the company-paid team lunch, the chosen theme was salad for the team in our Melbourne office because they're still enjoying summer weather, and soup for the teams in Cork and Vancouver. We decided to visit our go-to, JINYA Ramen Bar. I chose the lower-calorie JINYA Chicken Ramen and swapped the noodles for their low-carb version.
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JINYA Chicken Ramen from JINYA Ramen Bar Chicken broth: chicken chashu, spinach, green onion, and fried onion |
It’s my first time trying a non-spicy ramen bowl—ever. The chicken broth was comforting and creamy. Meanwhile, the low-carb noodles had a slippery texture and weren’t as chewy as regular ramen noodles. I’ll stick to the normal noodles.
For future me, below is a list of ramen you have tried:
Happy Thursday! For our company-paid team lunch today, we went to the Canadian chain White Spot for burgers. I went for their Avocado Impossible™ Burger and decided to swap the buns for a lettuce wrap. It's official: when available, I’m always going to swap the buns for fresh, crunchy, and light lettuce.
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Avocado Impossible™ Burger from White Spot Chargrilled Impossible™ Burger made-from-plants with fresh avocado, pickled onions, lettuce & tomato. Jalapeño ranch. |
The Impossible™ patty was surprisingly delicious, with none of the aftertaste that Beyond Meat tends to have. Moreover, the abundance of lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions, and creamy avocado made the burger seem healthier. This is an excellent choice for vegans and vegetarians looking to grab a delicious burger without meat.
I love croissants, and I’ve tried the "best" ones in Vancouver. So far, my favourite is the one we had today from Angus T. I got their double-baked almond, while my husband went for the more difficult-to-pronounce kouign-amann—our first time seeing it on a menu!
The double-baked almond was perfectly flaky and soft, but the real winner is the balance of the sweet filling and the nuttiness provided by the almond topping. I love it! It’s the best one I’ve had.
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| Double baked almond croissant from Angus T |
The kouign-amann is also buttery and flaky. I’m unsure how it’s supposed to taste, so it’s hard for me to judge just how delicious it is.
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| Kouign-amann croissant from Angus T |
I can’t wait to come back and try their other flavours!
We are celebrating my hubby's birthday with lunch at Earls in their Yaletown location.
Hubby chose the 12oz Prime Striploin, which came with seasoned vegetables and mashed potatoes. The steak was fattier and so juicy—I loved it! I’m grateful that hubby willingly gave me more than a couple of bites.
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| 12oz Prime Striploin from Earls |
Meanwhile, I opted for the Vegan Garden Burger with fries. It was better than expected — still not as good as their original vegetarian burger, but a step up from the Beyond Meat version.
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Garden Burger from Earls Yaletown 100% plant-based patty, tomato, red onion, leaf lettuce, pickle, mayonnaise, mustard, toasted brioche bun |
Lunch dates are so much fun!
For future me, below is a list of menu items you have tried from Earls so far.
Brunch
Handheld
Mains
Noodles + Bowls
Shareable
Soup
Steaks
Desserts
I took annual leave today and decided to get a haircut at my favorite salon, Suki, in South Granville. Afterwards, hubby and I grabbed breakfast and hung out at Fable Café.
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| Food and drinks from Fable Café |
I had a hot chocolate paired with garlic knots, while hubby had a cup of mocha with roulé oignon fromage. The food and drink were decent, but I wish they had offered to reheat the pastries we got. The real winner was the ambiance, from the soft music to the perfect lighting.
For dinner tonight, we decided to stop by Sushi Bros along Robson before heading to Costco for groceries. I ordered the chirashi don.
It was my first time trying chirashi don! The sushi rice was magnificent, and each piece of raw fish was surprisingly fresh. However, I still feel there's too much rice.
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| Chirashi Don from Sushi Bros |
We also ordered their takoyaki, but it’s not something I would recommend.
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| Takoyaki from Sushi Bros |
Overall, it’s a decent spot, and there's usually a line during lunchtime. I may try chirashi don from other places to compare, but this was a good first try.
Happy Thursday! For team lunch today, the chosen theme is poke, so we walked to the nearby Pokerrito.
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Hanauma Bowl from Pokerrito Salmon, seaweed salad, crab meat, edamame, ginger, masago, tamago, furikake, creamy mayo, cucumbers, sweet onions, green onions, and romaine lettuce |
I enjoy raw fish like sashimi but am not a fan of poke, and this is the first time I’ve enjoyed a poke bowl —so much so that I’m already looking forward to coming back. I got the Hanauma Bowl.
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| Hanauma Bowl from Pokerrito Salmon, seaweed salad, crab meat, edamame, ginger, masago, tamago, furikake, creamy mayo, cucumbers, sweet onions, green onions, and romaine lettuce |
It came with fresh salmon and all the amazing ingredients that go with it. The biggest change I made was opting for romaine lettuce as the base instead of rice or another carb as base. It was refreshing, like a seafood salad bowl.
Happy Sunday! It snowed overnight, and Vancouver is absolutely gorgeous. ♥️ For lunch, we decided to warm up by finally visiting the JINYA Ramen that opened at the corner of West Broadway and Granville.
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The Red Garnet Ramen from JINYAA Vegetable broth: pork chashu, spinach, green onion, kikurage, white onion with chili garlic sauce. Served with thick noodles |
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The Red Garnet from JINYA |
I ordered the Chef's Special for the month: Red Garnet Ramen and Curry Rice Croquettes, while hubby chose the JINYA Tonkotsu Original 2010 and Crispy Fried Chicken.
The Red Garnet Ramen was too salty for my liking, which is unfortunate.
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Curry Rice Croquettes from JINYA Ramen Bar Seasoned curry Rice balls with ground chicken stuffed with white cheddar cheese, then lightly fried to crispy perfection |
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| Curry Rice Croquettes from JINYA Ramen Bar |
The Curry Rice Croquettes were perfectly crunchy on the outside, with a creamy curry rice and melted cheese filling. Delicious!
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JINYA Tonkotsu Original 2010* from JINYA Ramen Bar Pork broth: pork chashu, green onion, spinach, seasoned egg, nori dried seawood. Served with extra thick noodles |
Of course, I can never say no to fried chicken, which was perfect with juicy, tender meat and a crunchy exterior.
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| Mochi Ice Cream - Green Tea from JINYA Ramen Bar |
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| Mochi Ice Cream - Green Tea from JINYA Ramen Bar |
It’s the perfect meal for this snowy Sunday.
For future me, below is a list of ramen you have tried:
After our Lunar New Year dinner at Happy Noodle House, we decided to take a walk to Breka Bakery & Café for something sweet. The bakery’s display cases is filled with an array of goodies making it difficult to decide. My husband opted for the Salted Pecan Maple Donut, while I went with the London Fog Donut.
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Salted Pecan Maple Donut from Breka Bakery &
Café Maple flavoured glaze with salted roast pecans on top |
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London Fog Donut from Breka Bakery & Café Earl grey infused milky vanilla glaze with a pinch of Earl grey on top |
As we took our first bites, we quickly realized that both donuts were much sweeter than we liked. While I do enjoy sweets, I prefer them to have a more balanced sweetness rather than an overpowering sugar rush. In hindsight, I should have played it safe and gone with a classic glazed donut. That said, for those with a true sweet tooth, both of these donuts would be a delight.
What stood out the most, however, was the dough itself. Both donuts had an incredibly soft, airy texture that made each bite light despite the overly sweet frosting.
Happy Lunar New Year! LNY is a great excuse to enjoy Chinese food, and we have been celebrating the occasion by having dinner at one of the many Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. This year, we walked to Happy Noodle House along Davie Street. We have tried their food in 2022 when we had it delivered (see post here).
This evening, we ordered their Xiao-Long Bao, Hot Chili Wonton, Chive Pockets, and House Special Chow Mein. It's a feast!
The first to arrive at our table is the Xiao-Long Bao, and it's truly top-notch. Nibbling the delicate wrapper gives way to a burst of savory, rich broth and tender meat.
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| Xiao Long Bao from Happy Noodle House |
Then, we received a plate full of their House Special Chow Mein. The sauce covering the thick, chewy hand-pulled noodles provides a deep flavor. It's so comforting and satisfying.
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| House Special Chow Mein from Happy Noodle House |
Afterwards, the Chive Pockets and Hot Chili Wonton came. It's our first time trying both dishes ever. The Chive Pockets have a crispy exterior filled with tender, onion-y flavor.
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| Chive Pockets from Happy Noodle House |
Meanwhile, the Hot Chili Wonton is filled with savory pork served in a spicy chili oil sauce, providing a deep, spicy flavor. It's not the best thing I've had today, and since it's my first time trying this dish, I'm unsure how it compares with others.
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| Hot Chili Wontons from Happy Noodle House |
Overall, we'll probably be back at Happy Noodle House since it's on the way from work.
Below is a list of dishes we have tried from Happy Noodle House:
Happy Sunday! After Mass today, there was a pancake brunch in the parish hall. I enjoyed the food for lunch and volunteered until 2:00 PM.
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| #089 Black Sesame Cheesecake from The GOOD Chocolatier |
Afterwards, my husband, Ted, and I grabbed hot chocolates at The Good Chocolatier since they are part of the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.
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| #088 - Fancy Sourdough Browned Butter from The GOOD Chocolatier |
My husband and I got drink #088 - Fancy Sourdough Browned Butter and #089 - Black Sesame Cheesecake. Neither drink is overly sweet. I prefer the sesame because of its distinct flavor, while no particular flavor profile stood out from the sourdough browned butter.
