Dinner from Pearl Castle Cafe

Today, we're celebrating our only brother's birthday by having dinner delivered at home from Pearl Castle Cafe, then watching the Vancouver Whitecaps FC (spoiler alert: they lost 3-2 against the Portland Timbers).

Dinner from Pearl Castle Cafe

We ordered Kung Paw Chicken, spicy and non-spicy fried chicken nuggets, Taiwanese sausage, fried chicken thigh, fried pork chop, and pineapple shrimp fried rice.

The food was delicious. I can't wait to dine here and order the fried chicken nuggets (it rivals Redbeef), Taiwanese sausage, and fried chicken thighs. Yum!

Dinner from Flying Beaver Bar & Grill

We're celebrating our sister's birthday today. We went to our parent's place, played Mario Kart, watched Turning Red, and watched the last 10 minutes of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC game. This is all after a delicious dinner delivered from Flying Beaver Bar & Grill.

My mom even sent us a message this morning that we should add it to the list of delicious restaurants.

Wild BC Salmon Burger
Our famous salmon burger in a hoisin ginger glaze & topped with seaweed salad

It's a delicious salmon burger.

Wok-Style Calamari
Topped with pureed jalapeños, garlic, & ginger. Served with a sweet ginger aioli.

Fish Tacos
Grilled cod tacos topped with coleslaw. Mango salsa + chipotle aioli

Short Rib Poutine
Fries, cheese curds, house-made gravy + shoestring onions + topped with pulled short rib

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
Oven baked, topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel coulis, & whip cream

Overall, the food was delicious and it seems like they have a beautiful view in the restaurant so we can't wait to enjoy the food and ambiance in person.

Happiness from Goldilocks

I was craving siopao (Filipino steamed buns) and Chuckie (a Filipino brand of chocolate milk), but it's pretty challenging to find both in our neighbourhood, and I don't want to go out of my way just to find it.

To satisfy my Filipino food craving, I ordered from Goldilocks. I went "add to cart" happy and just added everything I wanted to eat in the DoorDash cart; 30 minutes later, our goodies arrived.

Goodies from Goldilocks

We ordered Mamon Classic and Mocha, Red Bean Hopia, Ube Hopia, Pan de Sal, and Empanada for snacks. 

For food the next couple of days, I ordered kare-kare, laing, menudo, and beef caldereta. I can't wait to enjoy them with rice. 

I haven't had Filipino food in a while and today just became a happier day.

Lunar New Year Lunch from Happy Noodle House

Lunar New Year is such a great excuse to eat delicious food. Last year, we had food delivered from Grand Chinese Restaurant in Yaletown. The year before last we enjoyed dinner from Lin Chinese Cuisine.

If you checked out those two posts, I am quite consistent with our dishes. I ordered the same thing for lunch today from Happy Noodle House.

Lunch from Happy Noodle House

8-pieces Xiao Long Bao

I liked the Xiao Long Bao. It's close to the one from Lin Chinese Cuisine and to think this has been delivered. I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Beef Rolls

Our favourite Beef Roll has been from Peaceful Restaurant and this comes second. The primary difference is the actual roll is thinner and flakier from Peaceful.

Pan-Fried Pork Buns

I still prefer the Pan-Fried Pork Buns from Lin Chinese Cuisine. This one doesn't have enough filling inside.

Tan-Tan Noodles (with Hand-Pulled Noodles)

It's so spicy! I liked it. The best Tan-Tan noodle dish I've had in Vancouver is from Szechuan Chili. It has a more peanut spicy flavour.

Happy Lunar New Year!

Lunch from Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle

Happy Sunday! It's the last day of the long weekend, and I am back at work tomorrow (still working from home).

We watched The Fiery Priest, which made me crave rice, so we ordered Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodles, our usual favourite Taiwanese dishes.

Taiwanese-Style Deep Fried Chicken Cutlet on Rice

The chicken was juicy inside, and the batter was crunchy, but it was a bit salty for my liking.

Deep-Fried Chicken Nuggets

Same with chicken cutlet, it's good and juicy but a bit salty.

Green Tea Shaved Ice

The Green Tea Shaved Ice arrived in one piece and surprisingly still solid. I guess it did help that the temperature outside is close to 0 degrees Celsius.

Deep-Fried Taiwanese Sausage on Rice

Hubby chose the Taiwanese Sausage, and it's the best thing we ordered today. The sweetness from the Sausage works well with the white rice drizzled with a soy sauce-based sauce.

After trying Chef Hung, my favourite restaurant for Taiwanese dishes is still Redbeef Noodle Kitchen. Do you have a favourite Taiwanese restaurant in Vancouver? Comment below, and I can't wait to try them.

Lunch from Pizza Garden

Our first delivery of the year is from Pizza Garden. 🍕

Do you want a slice?

I ordered two Half and Half Pizza which means we could enjoy four different Neapolitan pizzas. I just picked the first four flavours on the list alphabetically in the option. Apparently, I chose four veggie pizzas and one meat pizza.

Top: Calabria (Tomato sauce, mozzarella, fior di latte, granada padno, capicolla, fennel sausage, hot soppressata)
Bottom: Bianco (Extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella, fior di latte, grana Padano, fresh basil, ricotta cheese, roasted garlic, grape tomatoes (no base sauce))

I enjoyed the Soppressata in the Calabria pizza. However, Bianco was kind of bland. I wish there were more fresh basil.

Top: Amante Spinaci (Tomato sauce, mozzarella, fior di latte, grana padano, spinach, kalamata olives, ricotta cheese, and pesto drizzle)
Bottom: Aglio Arrostito (Pesto sauce, mozzarella, fior di latte, grana padano, roasted garlic, and grape tomatoes)

My favourite is the Amante Spinaci. I realized I absolutely love olives in pizza. However, I am biased for pesto sauce, a winner in the Aglio Arrostito pizza.

As expected, we didn't finish the pizza and have leftovers for the coming days. 

Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings.

Lunch from Lin Chinese Cuisine

We were deciding where to order food for today. We need meals that can last us until the end of the week. I thought of having pizza, but I am just not feeling it. So we end up ordering Chinese food from our favourite Chinese restaurant: Lin Chinese Cuisine.

Lunch from Lin Chinese Cuisine

Pan-Fried Pork Buns

Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai Juicy Pork Dumplings)

Hunan-Style Braised Pork

The Hunan-Style Braised Pork reminds me of the Filipino dish Humba because of the fattiness and general consistency of the sauce. It was unexpectedly delicious and I usually stay away from anything fatty.

Spicy Ma-Po Tofu

I wish the Spicy Ma-Po Tofu has more flavour.

The end of 2021 is almost here, and the whole year felt like a blur.

Dinner from Ramen Gojiro

Happy Sunday! We didn't do any Boxing Day shopping today, which is a first. Instead, we had errands to run, went to Trees for cheesecake, did window shopping at nearby Indigo, and went straight home.

I told hubby I wanted ramen for dinner because it's below freezing outside. So I ordered from one of my favourite restaurants Ramen Gojiro.

I ordered two Original Karaage because it's my absolute favourite and dipping it in the Spicy Ramen broth is fantastic.

Dinner delivery from Ramen Gojiro

Ramen Spicy Chashu

Yuzu Shio Ramen

The Yuzu Shio Ramen is hubby's order, and it's a clear, smooth broth. It's pretty enjoyable.

Because I was feeling greedy, I ordered Pork Katsu Curry Don.

Pork Katsu Curry Don

We ate some of it, but most became leftovers with Chicken Karaage. Perfect for breakfast tomorrow!

Dinner from RedBeef Noodle Kitchen

To say that Redbeef Noodle Kitchen is our second favourite restaurant in Vancouver is an understatement. It's the only restaurant we ordered more than three times this year, and we absolutely love their food. It hits a different spot.

Dinner feast from Redbeef Noodle Kitchen

Curry Chicken Cutlet Rice and Curry Beef Rice

I like the Curry Chicken Cutlet Rice, and it's so nice that the curry sauce is in a separate container. It's like enjoying Chicken Cutlet Rice and having the option to dip it in curry sauce. The Curry Beef Rice is for hubby, and it's so good. I recommend the Curry Beef Rice over the Chicken if you want curry.

Salt & Pepper Popcorn Chicken

My absolute favourite (and must-try item) from Redbeef is the Salt & Pepper Popcorn Chicken. It's still so good.

Steamed Creamy Custard Buns

I was hoping the Creamy Custard Buns would be sweet, but it tasted like salted egg yolks. It's delicious, but not something for dessert.

Malay Sponge Cake

This is another favourite from Redbeef. It's so soft, and in general, I love sponge cakes and chiffon cakes. Hmmm, so good.

Lunch from Le Coq Frit

Hubby and I are in "lockdown" 🤣. I attended a dinner with more than 20 people in Burnaby, and the restaurant didn't check vaccination cards. So we will stay home for 14 days and see if we develop any COVID-19 symptoms. If we don't (I hope we don't), we will head to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner.

With that said, this weekend, instead of going out, we ordered in. I was browsing DoorDash, figuring out where and what to order. We don't have any specific cravings, but I found Le Coq Frit. It's a relatively new restaurant along West Broadway. We pass it by a few times when walking to and from church.

I ordered a lot of things which are to be expected.

Lunch from Le Coq Frit

Our delivery arrived in beautiful bags.

Our delivery arrived in reusable bags, which we kept.

Chicken & Croffles
Croissant waffles with Boneless Thigh Real Crispy Chicken, Jalapeno, and Spicy Mayo.

It's my first time trying croffles, and it's so awesome. It's essentially croissants shaped like waffles. It's flakey and buttery. The Real Crispy Chicken is delicious as well. I wish I had ordered more.

9 pieces Original Black Chicken Wings
Coated with Sweet, Savoury, and sticky Soy-Based Sauce

The "Original Black Chicken" tastes like Korean fried chicken. It's sweet and savoury. We loved it and will gladly order it again.

9 pieces Original Red Chicken Wings
Nashville Hot Chicken

The "Original Red Chicken" is spicy. Hubby said it's too hot and we will not order again. The only thing we didn't try from their menu is the Sweet & Spicy Chicken. I can't wait to visit the store soon.

Classic Signature Chicken Burger
Made with French Artisan Brioche Buns, Chicken Breast, Greens, Pickles, and House Sauce

Is it wrong that I will order the chicken burger as well? I can't wait to try it with another chicken flavour to see if it'll make it better or worse.

French Fries
Deep-fried until golden brown, then sprinkled with seasonings

This is not your typical french fries with just salt. It's actually good.

Yam Fries
A golden crispy, delicious side for burgers.

It's your standard yam fries.

Onion Rings

The onion rings are the only thing I can't recommend. Unfortunately, I didn't like it. Thankfully, everything else was delicious. Can't wait to order from Le Coq Frit again.

Poutine from La Belle Patate | First Meal as a Canadian Citizen

I just finished my Canadian Citizenship oath-taking, and for lunch, we decided to order poutine from La Belle Patate (The Beautiful Potato).

Canada was founded by three groups: the aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people), the French, and the British.

Our lunch today is an appreciation to the French people in Canada.

Left: Smoked Meat Poutine
Right: La Belle Poutine

The Poutine was delicious, but as expected food was coma-inducing. The gravy was good, not too salty, and the curds were melted. I enjoyed the smoked meat too.

Overall, it's good poutine. I think it's the best one I've had so far.

Lunch from Triple O's

Happy Wednesday! Hubby's company is sponsoring a team lunch. He received a $30 CAD DoorDash gift card and used it for lunch delivery from Triple O.

He ordered the Spicy Ultimate Crunch Chicken Bruger with Onion Rings and Strawberry Milkshake. I didn't order anything and enjoyed our palabok leftover from my birthday.

Spicy Ultimate Crunch Chicken Burger
Triple O Description: Sizzling hot! Our spicy, seasoned, crispy breaded chicken breast served with signature mayo, crisp iceberg lettuce, and fresh vine-ripened tomatoes.

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Below is a list of all Triple O menu items (as of this post) and an indicator whether we have tried it.

Trying all Triple O's Burgers

I am going over my old post to find out which burgers I have tried from Triple. O's. I'll summarize it here.

Chicken

• ✓ Southern Buttermilk Chicken Club
• ✓ B.C. Chicken
• ✓ Spicy Ultimate Crunch Burger (in this post)
• ✓ Buffalo Chicken Burger
• Dippin' Chicken Tenders
• Grilled Chicken & Bacon Caesar Salad

Beef Burgers

• ✓ Bacon Cheddar Burger
• ✓ Chipotle BBQ Bacon Melt
• ✓ Monty Mushroom Burger
• Original Burger
• ✓ Original with Cheese Burger
• Double Double Burger

Lifestyle Combos

• Veggie Burger
• Original Impossible™ Burger
• ✓ Fish (3) and Chips
• Crispy Cod Burger

Breakfast

• Original Sunny Start
• Sausage Sunny Start
• Breakfast Club
• Egg BLT Ciabatta
• Jalapeno Breakfast Ciabatta
• Loaded Breakfast Wrap
• Omelette Breakfast Bowl
• Nat's Own Coffee

Sides

• Caesar Salad
• ✓ French Fries
• ✓ Onion Rings
• Poutine 
• ✓ Sweet Potato Fries
• ✓ Garlic Parmesan Fries
• Pickle Chips
• ✓ Cajun Fries
• Cheesecake on a Stick

Limited Time Offer

• ✓ Chicken and Waffle
• ✓ Pizza Burger
• ✓ Chocolate Espresso Shake

Spicy Chicken McNuggets and Trying Li'l Donuts from McDonald's

Happy Saturday! I have wanted to try the Spicy Chicken McNuggets ever since it was released, but we only eat out once a week, and we usually have plans during the weekends, so for the first time in a while, we have a weekend with zero plans.

The only plan for this weekend is to be cozy at home (since it's raining outside) and order in.

Delivery from McDonald's

Is the Spicy Chicken McNuggets spicy?

A year ago, hubby and I ordered a lot (is way too much possible?) from McDonald's. We tried all three Spicy McChicken®, and only the Ghost Pepper had substantial heat to be a little painful.

The Spicy Chicken McNuggets have the same flavour as the non-spicy version, but when it reaches your throat, that's when you feel some heat. It's not painful spicy by any means, but definitely delicious.

What's up with the Li'l Donuts?

McDonald's Canada introduced the Li'l Donuts a couple months back. My brother said he liked it better than Tim Horton's donuts, so I am keen to try it. According to the website, there are six different Li'l Donuts flavours, but there were only three available when we placed the order in DoorDash.

McDonald's Li'l Donuts: Sprinkle Donuts, Crème Brûlée, and Boston Cream

The dough is a bit better than Tim Horton's donuts, for sure, but nothing will beat the freshly made donuts from your favourite neighbourhood shop.

BLT with Grilled Chicken Meal

As if the 10 pieces nuggets are not enough, I ordered a burger for hubby and me.

BLT with Grilled Chicken and Large French Fries

BLT with Grilled Chicken

Quarter Pounder BLT

This is hubby's order.

Quarter Pounder BLT

Quarter Pounder BLT

Aside from lunch/dinner (I ordered too much for two people), I also got 14 Monopoly stickers. In addition, I won a Li'l Donut and a cheeseburger.

October 21, 2021 Update

I think I "peaked" as an Instagram foodie. 🤣 McDonald's Canada's account sent me a direct message asking if they could use my picture. I don't mind, of course. I showed the screenshot of their message to our only brother who created the Instagram account for Smooch Food and he said you could ask for food next time. LOL My younger sister said I should have asked for free coffee for our dad who enjoys McD's coffee.

McDonald's Canada sharing my picture in their Instagram story.

Happy Thursday!