Showing posts with label Dine In. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dine In. Show all posts

Sunday, July 18, 2021

Mango Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee

I am obsessed with the seasonal cheesecake flavours of Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee.
My favourite is still the Matcha Cheesecake, but the Mango Cheesecake has mango chunks in them. Although, the mango flavour is not that strong on the cheesecake itself.

Mango Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee

Top-view of Mango Cheesecake slice

Mango Cheesecake with Matcha Latte and Chai Latte

Happy Sunday!

Lunch at Suika

I love Suika! I can't believe that I lasted two months without eating my favourite Signature Beef Curry. It's still so good and satisfying. We were the first customer today and were able to grab a table on their patio.

Today's Food Specials: Chef's Special

We ordered from their Today's Food Specials menu. Both items are delicious. I don't think I've had a bad item from Suika.

Beef Stamina Bowl
Grilled short rib slices with homemade yuzu-kalbi sauce, soft boiled egg, and kimchi on rice.

This is like a play on bibimbap. I have been craving kimchi, and this satisfied that! The short rib is tender, the vegetables provide the crunch, and the egg provides creaminess for the whole dish. The kimchi flavour balances everything out.

Wasamayo Brullop Fritter
Deep-fried brussels sprouts and scallops with seaweed batter and edamame wasabi mayo on the side.

The outside is crunchy. The brussels sprouts are piping hot once you bit into the center. Meanwhile, the scallops are perfectly cooked.

Our usual

Our usual orders from their menu are essentially two things: my favourite Signature Beef Curry and Crispy Chicken Karaage. Both are delicious, and I rave about these things. 

Signature Beef Curry with Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet)
Suika original stewed beef tendon curry

Crispy Chicken Karaage
Deep-fried chicken thigh served with shio (sea salt and pepper)

I should go back to eating at Suika at least once a month.

Monday, July 12, 2021

Dinner at Sushivan Japanese Restaurant

As much as I enjoy supporting food trucks,  there's something special and nice from eating inside a restaurant. I was craving kimchi, so we end up having dinner at Sushivan Japanese Restaurant. It's one of our three go-to places near South Granville for Japanese food.

Kimchi Fried Rice
Pan-fried kimchi, bacon, and onion topped with a sunny-side-up egg

Soy Garlic Chicken Karage

Instead of getting my usual, Korean-style ramen, I ordered Kimchi Fried Rice. I honestly thought there won't be a lot of meat in it, but there's a good portion of bacon and mushroom that it's so filling. I also got the Soy Chicken.

Love Love Special Roll
Crabmeat, cucumber, avocado, salmon, tobiko, and fruit sauce

Chicken Katsu served with salad and steam rice.

I am going through their list of Special Rolls, and we ordered the Love Love Roll today. The Awesome Roll is still the best one so far. After that, hubby ordered what has become his "usual" order: Chicken Katsu.

I can't wait to finish trying all the food trucks that are part of Thank Granville Its Food truck (TGIF) so that I can go back to eating at neighbourhood joints near South Granville and along West Broadway.

Monday, June 28, 2021

Beat the Heat at Fifth Avenue Cinemas

We have no plans to go to the cinema as soon as we are doing even though we used to see at least one movie a month. However, the heatwave is getting ridiculous. Hubby and I grew up in the Philippines, where this weather is expected and quite usual during the summer. But there, if you're middle class or higher, you have air conditioning in your homes - here we don't. Since the heatwave will end tomorrow, investing in an AC seems unreasonable because we live in a 500 sq feet apartment with minimal storage.

To manage the heat, we end up watching F9 The Fast Saga (I have not seen ANY of the Fast and the Furious movies) just for the AC (and for the popcorn). It's the longest movie showing at Cineplex - 2 hours and 23 minutes.

From 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the temperature was more than 36℃! So, after work (we work from home), we took an Uber to Fifth Avenue Cinemas. Thankfully, they allowed us to enter 30 minutes before our film.

I miss the Cineplex popcorn!

I got popcorn and drinks, and we're off. I know the risk, and a portion of my brain is feeling paranoid about sitting with around 10 people in a theatre, but I'd take this risk than die of heat in our apartment. After the movie, the temperature outside is much more tolerable since the sun is already down and only 30℃.

Other than going to the movies, I took a cold shower 4 times: as soon as I woke up, at around noon, before leaving for the movies, and before going to bed. It helped! I also drank more water than I usually do to make sure I am hydrated.

I hope you're doing your best to stay cool during the heatwave.

Sunday, June 27, 2021

4-Course Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens REVIEW

Happy Sunday! We're in the middle of the heatwave in British Columbia. Still, when we booked the 4-Course Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens organized by Truffle Fine Foods, we didn't know there's going to be a heatwave.

4-Course Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens organized by Truffle Fine Foods

The Experience

Our reservation for two is at ten in the morning. We arrived just in time at Gate 3 (37th Avenue and Hudson), the designated entrance. There's a person who will ask for your name, ask you to register and point you in the general direction on where to go.

Gate 3

Truffles Find Foods Summer Gourmet Picnic at VanDusen Botanical Gardens sign.

We walked where the signs lead us and end up at this picnic area. It was hot. Thankfully, there are umbrellas on top of each picnic table, and there is some breeze.

Picnic Area

Our server walked to our table and asked us if we had any drink orders or wanted to get started. We told him that we already ordered our drinks online. He came with a crate with our 4-course meal labelled and packed in compostable containers (at least most of it). He asked if we want him to bring out the food and put it on the table or if we want to do it ourselves. To minimize contact and to phase our meal better, we did it ourselves. Plus, it was fun to open each box to see the food inside.

Plate and Plant on each table

Crate with your meal

The Food

As the name implies, you get to enjoy four courses (meals) inside VanDusen Botanical Gardens.

Compostable Boxes

1st Course: Canapes

We both ordered Regular Canapes. They're all delicious, but I would like more of the Tuna Crudo Cucumber Cup. Oh, and the grilled sourdough on the miniature BLT was tough. I didn't enjoy that bite.

Regular Canapes from left to right: Prosciutto melon bite, miniature BLT on grilled sourdough, and tuna crudo cucumber cup

2nd Course: Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad

It's a delicious salad. Although, I wouldn't recommend putting a lot of the vinaigrette. It made the whole thing oily.

Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Salad
Organic local greens, fresh basil, and white balsamic vinaigrette

3rd Course: Entree

Both entrees were served with grilled vegetables. It seems like their vinaigrette recipe has a lot of oil. It was very oily.

Porchetta Sandwich and Tuscan Grilled Chicken Breast with Caper & Parsley Salsa Verde

Porchetta Sandwich

This is the best part of our meal. The sandwich on a ciabatta bun was delicious. I love the lemon-caper mayonnaise.

Porchetta Sandwich
Slow roasted pork with fennel and herbs, lemon caper mayonnaise and arugula

Tuscan Grilled Chicken Breast with Caper & Parsely Salsa Verde

I enjoyed the grilled chicken breast and would have preferred it over the porchetta sandwich, but the middle of the chicken was kind of cold which is unfortunate.

Tuscan Grilled Chicken Breast with Caper & Parsley Salsa Verde
Free-range chicken breast marinated in lemon & fresh rosemary

4th Course: Dessert

They only have two dessert options, and we got both. It comes inside a mason jar which you can take home if you're full. We took ours home, and it melted on the way because of the heatwave. So I hurriedly put it on the fridge as soon as we got home. I'll update this post if the desserts are any good.

Left: Vegan Chocolate Mousse swirled with Okanagan cherry compote.
Right: Peach & Almond Tiramisu (layers of mascarpone, fresh peaches and amaretti

Drinks

When we were placing our order, the only non-alcoholic beverage available is orange juice and apple juice which is what we got.

Walk around VanDusen

After the meal, you are free to walk around VanDusen Botanical Garden for as long as you like. Because of the heatwave and when our desserts melted, we only took a 30-minute walk around the park.



Is it worth it?

The whole meal plus drinks, entrance, taxes, and 15% service charge is $211.58 for two people. The food was good, and it was an experience having a picnic inside VanDusen with all the food prepared and served, but I don't think it's worth it. If the food was spectacular, then maybe I'll have a different recommendation.

Will I come back for the experience? Most likely not.

Saturday, June 26, 2021

Lunch at Lin Chinese Cuisine

My mom wanted Chinese food ever since her birthday a week ago, so today, we had lunch at Lin Chinese Cuisine after doing groceries.

Tan Tan noodle soup with minced meat - one of my favourite dishes

Shanghai-style Chow Mein

Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai juicy pork dumplings) - MUST TRY! Best one in Vancouver (that I've tried, at least)

Pan-fried pork buns

Pan-fried cake with marinated beef

I am glad to eat here again! I think this is the first time since last Christmas. Please continue to support small, local businesses if you have the means to do so.

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Breakfast at Shine Café

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay!

Happy Sunday! It's our last day in Victoria, BC. The trip felt long and short at the same time. I know, it doesn't make sense. 😂

We started the day by visiting St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Originally, I planned to have breakfast at the famous JAM Cafe. However, it's so far from where we were, and I just don't have the energy to walk even such a short distance. I opened one of my favourite apps, Foursquare, to search for nearby breakfast spots with a high rating. That's how I found Shine Café. 

It's also a bonus that they got featured in the Food Network show, You Gotta Eat Here.

Full Breakfast

Hubby ordered the Full Breakfast to try their bacon, ham, and sausage. It's standard brunch fare. For his sides, he chose Potato Scone and Cornbread. I highly recommend the Potato Scone just because it's different. I think it's my first time trying this dish.

Full Breakfast
3 eggs, 2 pieces each of bacon, ham, and sausage, grilled tomato, cornbread, and Scottish potato scone

Unfortunately, the cornbread was dry, but putting the runny egg and grilled tomatoes on top made it such an amazing delicious vehicle.

Nemo Eggs Benedict

Finally! I thought I'll be leaving Victoria without trying salmon eggs benny. This is so good! 

Nemo Eggs Benedict with Hash Browns
Smoked salmon, red onion, avocado, and regular hollandaise

Check out the runny yolks from the poached egg.

Like our breakfast at Q At The Empress yesterday, I was asked how I like my eggs to be - I chose soft because I like my eggs perfectly soft poached runny.

Famous Pancakes

For our extra meal, we were discussing whether to get French Toast or Pancakes. We end up with Pancakes because we had pancakes yesterday, and I need to make some sort of comparison. The pancakes at Shine are much bigger and fluffier than the one from Q. However, I'm still dreaming over the blueberry compote from yesterday.

Famous Pancakes
Classic comfort served with real butter & pure maple syrup.

I recommend the Nemo Eggs Benedict, but I don't think you'll go wrong with any of their dishes.

It was an awesome short trip to Victoria, BC. I can't wait to come back to eat and visit the museums I missed during this trip. Thankfully, Victoria is only a couple hours away by Ferry plus another 30 minutes of bus ride to Downtown.

This is my last post as part of what I now call the "Victoria Food Series." Let's go back to the mainland and continue food exploring.

Saturday, June 19, 2021

Unplanned dinner at 10 Acres Commons Restaurant

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay!


I plan my vacation (specifically the food aspect) with research and reviews. I do my best to find the best places to eat in every city I go to unless it's a sudden unplanned trip. Dinner at 10 Acres Commons Restaurant is not part of the plan.

I was planning to go to Big Wheel Burger at Cook Street near Beacon Hill for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, we had to walk the opposite way going back to our hotel. My younger sister is craving steak while I am still feeling full from lunch, so we ate at the closest possible restaurant, and that's 10 Acres Commons Restaurant.

Since I did no prior research and their menu during the pandemic is quite limited, hubby and I ordered three rolls. I honestly thought it'll be a light dinner, but I am so full I didn't even want to walk back to the hotel, which is literally across the street.

For recommendations - I would recommend the Prawn Tempura Roll if you want something crunchy, Spicy Tuna Roll if you like spicy food and the Avocado Roll for something creamy.

Avocado Roll, Prawn Tempura Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll

Avocado Roll
Pickled shitake, avocado, cucumber, green onions, and spicy mayo

Prawn Tempura Roll
Cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo, and tobiko

Spicy Tuna Roll
Cucumber, sesame seeds, green onions, and dashi mayo

Wild Wild West
Bourbon, lemon, and something else that I forget since I didn't take a picture of their menu and I can't find it in their online menu

French Bulldog
Citrus vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit, and lemon

Happy Saturday!


Lunch at Pagliacci's

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time at Victoria, BC, so yay!

After a delicious breakfast at Q At The Empress, we went to The Butchart Gardens then the Hatley Castle. By the time we're back in Downtown Victoria, it's past 2:00 PM, and I am starving. We planned to have lunch at Pagliacci's, and that's where we went.

The patio at Pagliacci's on a beautiful sunny day.

Honestly, Victoria is such a delicious city (meaning a lot of amazing restaurants). I thought Barb's Fish and Chips yesterday was going to be the highlight of the trip, then I tried Pagliacci's pasta, and I just can't stop grinning from ear to ear.

Focaccia

Let's talk about the free bread they give out while waiting for your order. It's fluffy yet chewy - it's so delicious, and only after doing a Google search did I find out that it's Focaccia. The only reason I am familiar with the term is because a mobile restaurant game I played has focaccia on the menu. But this is the first time I am trying it, and I can't believe how good it is. The focaccia is such a great way to start the meal.

Focaccia from Pagliacci's

The Previews

Deciding which appetizer to get is so difficult when there's a lot of options. We thought of ordering Ocean's Eleven, but hubby said that according to Google Maps, the Crab Cakes are popular, plus I wanted to try Minnesota Fats (risotto), so instead of Ocean's Eleven, we got both crab cakes and crispy risotto balls.

Edgar Allan Poe's Crab Cakes and Minnesota Fats

Edgar Allan Poe's Crab Cakes

The Crab Cakes is amazing! To be fair, I don't remember having a memorable crab cake, and this is packed with A LOT of crabs - none of those extenders.

Edgar Allan Poe's Crab Cakes
Dungeness & rock crab, panko, and lemon aioli

Admire the shredded crabs

Minnesota Fats

Meanwhile, I prefer the Minnesota Fats as is (no marinara sauce). The outside was crispy, while the inside is creamy and cheesy. It's the perfect combination.

The marinara sauce was perfect for the focaccia.

Minnesota Fats
Crispy risotta rice, asiago & mozzarella cheese balls, marinara sauce 

Look at the cheesy goodness inside.

Minnesota Fats topped with marinara sauce.

The Pasta

Hubby relied on Google Maps to see what people are saying, and he got the lasagna while I know what I want - I am turning into a seafood in white sauce monster. 😂 At any restaurant that specializes in pasta, I order the one with seafood in a cream-based sauce.

Dempsey's Lasagna

It arrived at our table pippin' hot. The cheese was melted, and it's truly beefy.

Dempsey's Lasagna
AAA Angus beef, mushroom, ricotta & mozzarella cheeses, marinara

Layers upon layers of beef and cheese

Sophia

This is the best dish I have had in Victoria, BC, so far. The next time I come back to Victoria, I will come back here and order this again.

Sophia
Canadian Dungeness & rock crab, shrimp, white wine cream sauce, smoked salmon, fettuccine

The Sophia is LOADED with seafood. The white wine cream sauce is not too heavy like Olive Garden. It's much better than the one from Vancouver Fish Co. in Granville Island, and it doesn't even deserve to be compared to the seafood pasta dish from Bridges Restaurant.

As you know by now, on a normal day, I would order desserts. But by the time we're finished with our meal, we're food coma. I haven't been this food coma in a long time.

I am already looking forward to the next time I come back to Pagliacci's.

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