Plus de Cerises, Mon Chérie and My Fat Vegan Dream from The GOOD Chocolatier | 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival

Happy Sunday! For the first time, we're consciously visiting places participating in 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival. Our first stop for the hot chocolate season is The GOOD Chocolatier inside Greens Market along West Broadway.

The GOOD Chocolatier offers two flavours as part of the 2023 Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival

After the 9:00 AM Mass and Pancake Breakfast at Church, we ordered both available drink flavours from The GOOD Chocolatier a couple blocks away.

#73 Plus de Cerises, Mon Chérie

It's a beautiful cup of hot chocolate that took 5-10 minutes to prepare. It was lovingly handcrafted by the friendly person at the counter. It has a strong cherry flavour which reminds me of black forest cake.

#73 Plus de Cerises, Mon Chérie

Darling, why have only one cherry, if everything can be a cherry? A delightful cherry-hot chocolate, dark and rich. Served with whipped cream and house made chocolate sprinkles. Served with a Rum & Cherry Truffle.

- Source: Description on Hot Chocolate Festival website

#74 My Fat Vegan Dream

It's nutty, and I couldn't pinpoint which nuts I was tasting at first, then hubby pointed out that it's chestnut and coconut. The flavour profile of this hot chocolate is more "traditional," with hints and highlights of nutty flavour from the coconut and chestnut. It's also sweeter than the option above.

#74 My Fat Vegan Dream

It’s everything that vegan is not supposed to be, and more. Toasted Marshmallows, Vegan Milk Chocolate, Salted Caramel Fatso, Chestnut, Crunchy Coconut, whipping cream… can you still follow? No? Then you just gotta try. (contains peanuts and nuts). Served with a Big Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow.

- Source: Description on Hot Chocolate Festival website

Both flavours are takeout only and available from January 14 to February 12, 2023, on Friday - Sunday only.

Take advantage of the chance to try the delicious hot chocolate made from single-origin cacao from Ecuador at The GOOD Chocolatier. It's also their first time joining the Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival.

Chicken Wings and Chicken Strips from Costco Food Court

Costco Food Court in their Richmond, BC location offers Chicken Wings in 10 or 30 pieces. Unfortunately, the wings are unavailable in the Downtown Vancouver Costco branch.

Chicken Wings

It's good, perfectly fried chicken wings. Crispy skin and juicy chicken meat. It's suitable for parties.

Chicken Strips and French Fries 

We also ordered the Chicken Strips just to try them out. The meat was flavourful, but getting one of the dips would be advisable.

La Win Supermarket with Bakery is now open!

La Win Supermarket is a newly opened Asian grocery located at West Broadway corner Pine Street. It's a cause of celebration that we now have an Asian market within walking distance of our place! Imagine all the frozen dumplings, instant noodles, fresh produce, and meat.

We visited this evening on our way to Shoppers for our weekly grocery run. They're still at the soft opening stages since some aisle is still empty, and we can still see boxes that need to be unpacked.

With that said, we checked out their Bakery section for bread. Unfortunately, it's after work, so only a handful is left, and we got three salt bread.

Salt Bread from La Win Supermarket

We enjoyed Plain Salt Bread, Garlic Salt Bread, and Black Truffle Salt Bread with hot chocolate for dinner this evening. It started raining on our walk home, so a mug of warm cocoa was what we needed.

Plain Salt Bread

The plain one reminds me of pandesal but with a more buttery exterior.

My favourite would be garlic. It has a strong garlic flavour and is so buttery that you can feel your fingers feel slippery.

Garlic Salt Bread

My least favourite is the black truffle because I'm unsure what to expect. It smells like truffle, but I can't justify that it costs more than the other two.

Black Truffle Salt Bread

On our walk home, we discussed trying the different loaves of bread they have. There are matcha, chocolate, raisins, and other variants, and they're only half a loaf. The one thing stopping me from hoarding bread is calories. There needs to be nutritional information on the bread, which is not ideal for a dieting foodie like me.

McDonald's Canada Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe

Happy Boxing Day! Before heading to Millenium Karaoke for a family singing night, we grabbed dinner from McDonald's Canada and specifically ordered the Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe.

The McDonald's website described the sandwich as follows:

The Spicy Bacon Deluxe McCrispy is big on everything, including heat. With our southern-style fried chicken patty on a soft potato bun, topped with shredded lettuce, hickory-smoked bacon, tomato and our spicy Habanero sauce, this sandwich kicks crispy, juicy and tender up to the next level.

Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe from McDonald's Canada

The good news is the chicken was genuinely crispy and freshly made. It was hot when it arrived. Unfortunately, it was not spicy and did not have enough sauce.

Spicy McCrispy Bacon Deluxe Sandwich from McDonald's Canada

The tomato provided some juiciness, while the lettuce provided a different crunch. Lastly, the bacon is just there, but the taste could have been more pronounced. The flavourful crispy chicken was the dominant component both in size and flavour. I just wished there was more sauce!

Christmas Eve Dinner from Ukrainian Village

It's our family tradition to have Christmas Eve dinner (Noche Buena), and my younger sister usually picks a country where we should try the food.

In the past years, we've had the following:

• 2021 - Korean Food from H-Mart
• 2020 - Chinese Food from Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House
• 2019 - French food cooked by my sister
• 2018 - Spanish Food
• 2017 - Japanese Food
• 2016 and 2015 - Domino's Pizza and my mom's Filipino-style spaghetti

This year she chose Ukrainian food to support a Ukrainian business in Vancouver. It's our family's first time trying Ukrainian / Eastern European food. There are only a few Ukrainian restaurants in Vancouver, and we ordered from Ukrainian Village on Denman Street.

Our menu tonight includes the following:

Borsch Cabbage Roll Ukrainian Sausage Meatloaf

Kiev Cutlet Lamb Shanks Roasted Duck Beef Stroganoff

Schnitzel Chicken Schnitzel Pork Potato & Cheddar Cheese Perogies Potato & Fried Onion Perogies

Christmas Eve dinner from Ukrainian Village

The food was delicious. I love the kiev cutlet, beef stroganoff, both schnitzels, and cabbage rolls. I overate and was severely food coma during game night. 😅 It's nice to spend time with the family and sleep over at my parents' place.

Luncheon Meat Bun and Chicken Bun from Kam Do Bakery

For snack today, I reheated the Luncheon Meat Bun and Chicken Bun from Kam Do Bakery in the air fryer.

The Luncheon Meat Bun is like the Sausage Bun but with a slice of luncheon meat in the middle.

Luncheon Meat Bun from Kam Do Bakery

Meanwhile, the Chicken Bun tastes like a chicken pot pie but in a soft bun instead.

Chicken Bun from Kam Do Bakery

For future me, below is a list of items we have tried from Kam Do Bakery:

Beef Curry Bun Chicken Bun Cream Bun Luncheon Meat Bun Pork BBQ Bun Sausage Bun

Chinese Donuts Green Tea Red Bean Mochi Pastry Cake Pizza

Butter Cookies Coffee Flavour Butter Cookies Chocolate Flavour Butter Cookies

Pastry Cake from Kam Do Bakery

Kam Do Bakery calls this slice of bread Pastry Cake. The edge was surprisingly crunchy, and the middle was soft and not overly sweet.

Pastry Cake from Kam Do Bakery

A slice of Pastry Cake from Kam Do Bakery

I'll gladly have this Pastry Cake again. I don't think I've had a terrible bite from Kam Do Bakery.

Cream Bun from Kam Do Bakery

The Cream Bun from Kam Do Bakery is soft, not overly sweet, and there's a slight hint of coconut.

Cream Bun from Kam Do Bakery

Green Tea Red Bean Mochi from Kam Do Bakery

It was a happy day because I visited my favourite bakery: Kam Do Bakery near Richmond Centre. One of the things we purchased is the Green Tea Red Bean Mochi.

Green Tea Red Bean Mochi from Kam Do Bakery

Green Tea Red Bean Mochi from Kam Do Bakery

As soon as I opened the plastic, the smell of matcha filled the air. It smelled and tasted like a subtle green tea, and I have a bias for red beans, and it has a generous amount of filling.

A peek inside Green Tea Red Bean Mochi from Kam Do Bakery.

We purchased a lot of baked goodies from Kam Do Bakery, and the Green Tea Red Bean Mochi is a delicious way to start eating through our Kam Do haul.

A&W Canada sells KitKat Turnover

Happy Friday! After the Christmas Tree Lighting in Downtown Vancouver and trying the Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Nuggets from Burger King, we quickly grabbed a KitKat Turnover from A&W Canada.

KitKat Turnover from A&W

Chocolate Turnover made with KitKat from A&W
A deep-fried chocolate-flavoured turnover-style crust with a chocolate and KitKat bar filling.

The Chocolate Turnover was served warm, and it was delicious. However, it would be perfect with a scoop of soft vanilla serve. Does A&W have ice cream? Is this something we can pitch to them?

Burger King offers the Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Nuggets

Happy Friday! Hubby and I went to Downtown Vancouver for the Christmas Tree lighting in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

After the countdown and lighting, we dropped by Burger King to try the Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Nuggets. It feature bite-sized white meat chicken coated in a seasoned home-style breading with a cheesy and spicy flavour kick.

8-Pieces Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Nuggets from Burger King

Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken Nuggets from Burger King

It was too salty because of the processed cheddar cheese and had a subtle heat but not enough to get you grabbing a glass of water. Overall, this is a miss and not something I would want again.

Chinese Donuts, Buns, and Cookies from Kam Do Bakery

Kam Do!!!

Okay. That's what I usually exclaim when I see Kam Do Bakery. It is my favourite Asian bakery in Metro Vancouver.

Beautiful Exterior of Kam Do Bakery

When I first arrived in Canada, my mom would bring some of their baked goodies home, and I fell in love with the Chinese Donuts.

As I became more cashless, buying from Kam Do was too much of a hassle because they WERE cash only.

Today, as we were walking from Aberdeen Skytrain Station to Gang Nam Korean BBQ, we stopped by Kam Do, and I prayed that they now accept credit cards. Unfortunately, they still don't, but they now have debit! Yay! *Happy Dance*

My Kam Do Haul

There were only four Chinese Donuts left, and I grabbed them all. It's as good as I remember - fried dough dusted with sugar. The inside is also airy.

Four Chinese Donuts

A peek inside Chinese Donuts. Look at that airy pockets. Yum!

Walking around, I spotted the Sausage Buns. We usually get this from T&T, so I can compare the two. T&T uses better hotdogs, or maybe the one from Kam Do was just overcooked. Focusing on the bread portion - the Sausage Buns from T&T are sweeter than Kam Do.

Sausage Buns from Kam Do Bakery

 A peek inside the Sausage Buns after one bite.

I also ordered cookies, and they're perfect with coffee. They're not overly sweet, and they're pretty crumbly. I love it.

Butter Cookies and Coffee Flavour Butter Cookies from Kam Do Bakery

Butter Cookies from Kam Do Bakery

The last things we grabbed were the Beef Curry Buns and Pork BBQ Buns. This is my first time trying them, and I am uncertain of what to expect.

Beef Curry Bun and Pork BBQ Bun

I usually don't have any reason to go to this side of Richmond so visiting Kam Do is a rare happy occurrence. Thank God for the continuous provisions and for my husband, who constantly supports my food whims and adventures.

Double Chocolate Donut from Tim Hortons

Before heading home, we bought one Double Chocolate Donut from Tim Hortons, and I decided to reheat it for 30 seconds in the microwave. Since we first ate the Maple Dip Donut, the Double Chocolate turned out not as sweet as it usually is. However, I liked the chocolate cake donut, and I am uncertain if the glaze adds anything chocolate to it.

Double Chocolate Donut from Tim Hortons
Chocolate cake donut dipped in chocolate fondant.

Happy Halloween!

Maple Dip Donut from Tim Hortons

Before heading home, we bought one Maple Dip Donut from Tim Hortons, and I decided to reheat it for 30 seconds in the microwave. I love the soft dough, but the maple glaze became unbearably sweet. Thankfully, I only have to eat half of it since I share it with my husband.

Maple Dip Donut from Tim Hortons
Soft yeast donut dipped in rich maple fondant.

Happy Halloween!

Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

As previously mentioned, I have a mild obsession with Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons. So taking a vacation in Toronto meant visiting a new branch and finding a unique Dream Donut flavour or design, this time supporting their hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

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List of Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons

I arranged it alphabetically instead of chronologically.

Apple Pie Dream Donut Birthday Cake Confetti Dream Donut Black Forest Filled Ring Dream Donut Chocolate Hazelnut Eclair Dream Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut Dulce de Leche Easter Nest Dream Donut Hershey's S'mores Dream Donut Matcha Coconut Dream Donut

New York Cheesecake Dream Donut Penguin Dream Donut Pumpkin Spice Dream Donut Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dream Donut Sea Salted Caramel Dream Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut Vanilla Bean Dip Dream Donut Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring

Breakfast from King Blue Hotel Cafe

The cat is out of the bag. I now have to share that we stayed in the newly opened King Blue Hotel at the corner of King Street and Blue Jays Way. On the hotel's website, there's no mention of a restaurant or cafe, but they recently opened one on the ground floor.

On our penultimate date in Toronto, we decided to grab a savoury scone and one of the muffins to go. I wished the scone was reheated longer because the outside was perfect, but the middle was cold. The muffin was perfect the way it was.

Muffin

Scone

We hurriedly ate both on our way to Line 1 on our way to Casa Loma.

Assorted Butter Tarts from Tartistry Distillery District

After an hour or so in the CN Tower, we decided to ride a streetcar and head to the historic Distillery District. We walked around and learned about the past of the old brick buildings of the area. Afterwards, we decided to grab four butter tarts from Tartistry.

Four Different Tarts from Tartistry

Enjoying them in the tables available.

Plain Butter Tart

Pecan Tart

Maple Walnut Tart

All tarts have the same buttery crust, and the filling is the same sweet goodness. The main difference is the Pecan Tart has pecans, while the Maple Walnut Tart has walnuts. I prefer the Walnut one.

However, the best among them is the G-W Scotch Tart, an exclusive flavour in the Distillery District location of Tartistry.

G-W Scotch Tart

It has the same buttery crust and sweet filling, but an aftertaste cuts through the sweetness, allowing you to go for another bite. I love it!

Chimney Cake from Budapest Bakeshop

Our first stop on our Niagara Falls Day tour is almost an hour of exploring the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We walked along the beautiful street and stopped by Budapest Bakeshop because it smelled so lovely and had a lineup!

Original Chimney Cake

I had the Original Chimney Cake, which was crunchy and soft on the inside. It's like a giant donut. I love it! It's the perfect snack while walking around.

Nutella and Walnut Chimney Cake

Hubby had the exact soft chimney cake but filled with Nutella and walnut.

Tiropita for Breakfast from Aroma Espresso Bar

Happy Sunday! Good morning, Toronto! We're joining a Niagara Falls Day Tour today, but we grabbed breakfast from Amora Espresso Bar before leaving.

We chose the wrap-looking thing, but I think it's a Tiropita (feta cheese baked in filo pastry). It's filling to kick start the day.

Tiropita

I want to post things as close to real-time as possible, so I will publish this at 8:20 AM without the picture. 😅

Orange Sprinkle Donut from Tim Hortons

It's Friday, and it's Truth and Reconciliation Day. So we decided to buy the Orange Sprinkle Donut from Tim Hortons 100% of proceeds from every Orange Sprinkle Donut support Indigenous charities.

The sprinkle provided sweetness to the surprisingly moist donut. Overall, a delicious donut.

Orange Sprinkle Donut from Tim Hortons 

Two Orange Sprinkle Donuts from Tim Hortons 

More information on organization Tims support is available here.