Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

🍜 Farewell Dinner: AFURI Ramen + Dumpling 📍 Location: AFURI Ramen + Dumpling (Main Street, Vancouver) 🍜 Featured Dishes: Yuzu Shio ($10.99) & Yuzu Shoyu ($10.99) 🥢 Final Sides: Tori Karaage ($11.00) & Takoyaki ($9.00) After spending nearly the whole day navigating our way through the urgent care clinic, we wrapped up our afternoon by attending Mass at 5:00 pm at St. Patrick's. By the time it finished, we were completely ready for a comforting dinner. We took a relaxing walk along the Main Street neighbourhood and happened to notice that it was the very last day of operation for AFURI Ramen + Dumpling. To mark their closing, their signature ramen bowls were heavil...

🍜 JINYA Taste Test: Tan Tan Ramen 📍 Venue: JINYA Ramen Bar 🍜 Dish Ordered: Tan Tan Ramen ($22.60) ✨ The Broth: Chicken soy broth with sesame essence & chili oil 💥 The Verdict: A bit too salty this time around It's Thursday, and you know exactly what that means: company-paid team lunch! The theme for this week's outing was comforting ramen. Thankfully, the sweltering weather we had recently (which shot up well above 25°C) dropped right back down to a crisp 16°C. It created the perfect weather for a hot, steaming bowl of soup. Naturally, we headed straight over to our trusted team go-to spot, JINYA Ramen Bar . While I usually have my ...

🍜 Bowl Breakdown: Cha Cha Cha 📍 Restaurant: JINYA Ramen Bar 🧄 Style: For Garlic Lovers ⭐ Smooch Verdict: An absolute umami bomb. Deep, delicious, beautifully intense broth paired with substantial, thick noodles. It is an instant favorite. If you have been following the blog for a while, you already know that I am no stranger to JINYA Ramen Bar . I have been to JINYA so many times over the years, treating it as a sanctuary whenever those noodle cravings hit. But during my latest visit, I tried a bowl that completely stole the show, and I can confidently say it will be my absolute go-to choice moving forward. Say hello to the magnificent Cha Cha Cha ramen. S...

Filing taxes is rarely something people look forward to, but for us, it has become a cherished annual tradition. We still head over to see a dear friend of my dad to get everything sorted. While I know we could easily file online, visiting Tito is simply more fun. In Filipino culture, we call family friends "Tito" or "Tita" even if we aren’t related by blood, and those connections make a standard errand feel more like a family visit. The best part of the day always comes afterward. Every year, we take a stroll along 41st Avenue toward Victoria Drive to find something delicious. With the exception of last year , our feet almost always lead us straight to Kokoro Izakaya Ramen Bar . The Main Event: Curry and Comfort Usually, I get a bowl of their ramen, but this time I could not say no to my absolute favourite dish: Japanese curry. I ordered the All in One Curry ($29) , which is a massive plate that includes chicken katsu, a shri...