Holiday Cookies and Yule Log Cake from PICA Chef

I thought of ordering from Arts to Bakes or Kaye Bakes for our Christmas Eve dinner desserts, but since it's just hubby and me and we have a small fridge - it won't fit a big cake.

I checked PICA's website to see if I can pre-order any of their holiday cake like I did last year. Online shopping for cake led to me buying an Assorted Holiday Cookie Tin, which is more expensive than the cake.

Classic Chocolate Espresso Yule Log

Classic Chocolate Espresso Yule Log

I love the espresso buttercream on the yule log cake. It's so delicious! The size is also perfect for two people, and we'll be able to finish it in a couple to three days.

First "layer" of assorted cookies - Linzer, Sable, Crescent, Chocolate Dipped, and Christmas Tree Matcha Cookies

All our assorted cookies - Linzer, Sable, Crescent, Chocolate Dipped, and Christmas Tree Matcha Cookies

I surprisingly enjoyed all the cookies, even the Linzer! I was so sure I'll dislike the Linzer, but I liked it as well. The matcha does not have a strong matcha flavour but still enjoyable. The crescent is not overly sweet, while the sable and the chocolate-dipped cookie is perfect.

Assorted Holiday Cookie Tin

Yay for supporting PICA. Merry Christmas, Lily and team!

Surprise Steamed Buns from Bao Bakery

My parents, siblings, and I have a group chat. My sister just sent a menu of Chinese restaurants where they're going to order for their Christmas evening dinner. I responded with "Gusto ko ng siopao" (I want siopao).

Siopao is what we Filipino calls a pork (or chicken) steamed buns. My mom called so early in the morning asking if we want it. They'll drive all the way to Joyce Street (East Side of Vancouver) from Richmond and bring us a box of siopao (we live West Side of Vancouver). Parents are the best!

I have been craving it for months now and I can't believe it's here! Bao Bakery have delicious, freshly made steamed buns. 

Siopao, literally meaning "hot bun", is the Philippine cuisine indigenized version of the Cantonese steamed bun called cha siu bao. - Wikipedia

When I was younger, I love and would only eat asado siopao, but now I only eat bola-bola and find the asado too sweet. I am growing old! 

Half dozen of Chicken Deluxe (Bola-Bola) Steamed Buns

Bao Bakery

Yay for Siopao Friday!

Lunch from Mean Poutine

We ran errands in Downtown today. For lunch, I asked hubby if there's anything he would like; he said that since we're celebrating his third year in Canada, we should eat Canadian food. The only dish that came to mind is poutine. There are a handful of poutine places in Downtown; Smoke's Poutinerie is our usual go-to, but they were closed, so we decided to try Mean Poutine.

Mean Supreme

Mean Supreme - Crispy fries, brown gravy, fresh cheese curds, certified Angus roast beef, double smoked bacon, grilled onions & peppers and mushrooms

He picked Mean Supreme, while I had Philly Cheese Steak. The best part about both? The certified Angus roast beef. It's so good! The fries were crispy too; the gravy was a bit salty for my liking, though. However, the serving is huge!

Philly Cheese Steak - Crispy fries, brown gravy, fresh cheese curds, certified Angus roast beef, mushrooms, sautéed onion & peppers 

I am willing to give it another try - maybe order something else. However, between the two poutine, the Mean Supreme is better than the Philly Cheese Steak.

Ice Cream from Seaside Scoop

After a complete meal at Olive Garden, we drove to White Rock and walked around the pier. Before heading home, we decided to eat ice cream from Seaside Scoop.

I had my usual flavour, Cappuccino while hubby had pistachio.

My 1-scoop of cappuccino ice cream in a cup with a waffle cone on top

Hubby's 1-scoop pistachio ice cream in a cup with waffle cone on top

Yay for Saturday!

Lunch from Win Win Chick-N

I love fried chicken and I'm trying to decide for myself which one is the best in Metro Vancouver.

Today, I finally had a chance to try Win Win Chick-N from their branch in Steveston, Richmond BC.

Juicy and Crispy Fried Chicken from Win Win Chick-N

Look at all the black pepper in the chicken skin.

10-pc Fried Chicken from Win-Win Chick-N

We took it home to enjoy for snacks and dinner. The chicken was perfectly spiced and crispy. The breading is not as thick as Church's Chicken or KFC. It's delicious.

Win Win Chick-N Storefront

My number one favourite chicken is still LA Chicken, then Hi-Five Chicken. I'm still debating whether I like Win Win more than Juke. Hmmm.

What's your favourite source of fried chicken in Metro Vancouver?

Sweets from Outpost Mini Donut Company

Yay! A fantastic place to get mini donuts in Metro Vancouver is in Steveston, Richmond BC. It's freshly baked, soft, and delicious.

Assorted Mini Donuts from Outpost Mini Donut Company

Cute Donut Counter

Where do you get your mini donuts to fix?

Lunch from Pajo's at Garry Point Park

It's a long weekend! We're sleeping over at my parents, and we decided to spend a couple hours eating in Steveston.

We started our food trip to Steveston with fish and chips at the famous Pajo's.

One of Each Fish (Pacific Wild Cod, Pacific Wild Salmon, and Alaskan Wild Halibut) & Fries $26

Pacific Wild Salmon

Order Counter

It's such a beautiful day to be here!

Dinner from Sushivan Japanese Restaurant Vancouver

Happy Saturday! For dinner tonight, we went to pick up food from Sushivan Japanese Restaurant along Granville Street (at West Broadway).

Alien
Deep-fried asparagus, cream cheese, smoked salmon, unagi, crab meat, and massago

If you've been reading my post (or if you search for Sushivan in this blog), you will notice that I am going through their Special Roll. I have tried the Alaska special roll and Awesome special roll.

Ika Karage
Deep-fried squid

Beef Teriyaki Box with Miso Soup
Beef Teriyaki, 4 pieces California Roll, Appy Tempura, Salad, and Rice

Korean Style Ramen with Chicken

If you search my blog for "Sushivan", I always order Korean Style Ramen. When I crave for spicy Korean noodles I go to Sushivan.

Tim Hortons' Caramel Iced Capp and Starbucks' Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino®

It's Pokemon Go Fest 2020 weekend which means we're going to spend some hours out in our local park to enjoy the sun, catch Pokemon, and spin Pokestops.

Starbucks' Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappucino

Last Saturday (day 1 of Go Fest), we decided to grab a venti Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino® from Starbucks after staying in a nearby park for a couple hours.

Starbucks Counter

Inside Starbucks

Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino®

Tim Hortons' Caramel Iced Capp

Today (day 2 of Go Fest), we decided to grab a large Caramel Iced Capp from Tim Hortons and potato wedges. We enjoyed it in a nearby local park.

Tim Hortons Counter

Inside Starbucks

Caramel Iced Capp

Comparison

I like the one from Starbucks more and only because of the crunchy thing they put on top. You cannot go wrong with either drink because they're both essentially caramel shake.

Actually, Tim Hortons has a seasonal Salted Caramel Iced Capp which I last saw two years ago. They don't serve it during summer anymore.

Lunch from Vera's Burger Shack

After picking a spot and settling down at Kits Beach, my youngest sister, hubby, and I walked to look for a food source. We walked along Cornwall Avenue to see what's open. We decided to buy lunch from Vera's Burger Shack.

What to get from Vera' Burger Shack?

I got Vera's Burger. I didn't understand what the cashier was saying so I just asked him to put Vera's sauce in it, instead of everything (tomato, lettuce, etc.). #facepalm

Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Onion Rings, French Fries, and Chicken Strips

I love Romer's Burger, but the meat in Vera's Burger is so much better.

Hubby got the grilled chicken. I made a terrible choice of not putting anything in it. It's probably good for our "diet", but of course, without any sauce, it's dry. The chicken and bun are still delicious, but it could have been better if only I asked them to put everything in it.

Vera Burger

Vera Burger

My youngest sister picked chicken strips. It was surprisingly good. It's well-seasoned with great flavour.

We enjoyed our lunch near Kits Beach under a tree on a blanket. It was great!

Breakfast from COBS Bread Bakery

Sunday! I woke up to my mom's message that they'll pick us up so we can go to Kitsilano Beach. An hour later, we're heading to McDonald's along 4th Avenue (at Balsam Street). We really don't want to buy from McD's, instead, we saw the COBS Bread Bakery across the street and decided to quickly buy croissants from there.

I love this paper bag!

I got a couple Plain Croissants for my youngest sister, a Ham & Cheese Croissant and a Spinach & Feta Croissant for hubby and myself.

Ham and Cheese Croissant

Happy Sunday!

Dinner from Express Pho

Update: Express Pho and all the restaurants between West Broadway and Hemlock (west bound) are closed permanently, because that area will be the future location of the Granville Station.

Takeout Day is all about supporting restaurants as they try to survive and cope with the challenges of a pandemic.

I have ordered from most of my favourite neighbourhood joints, and Express Pho is the last one. I felt sad seeing how they're down to two people in the restaurant (I could be wrong, but they look like a mom and son duo).

If you have the means and if you live near West Broadway and Granville, please order from Express Pho. They're right across Jordan, the furniture store.

Support and Order from Express Pho

We ordered new dishes this time (this blog is useful in recalling what we had the last time we were here).

Dinner Tonight

Vietnamese Spring Roll (2 Rolls)

Curry Beef with Steamed Rice

I love the way Vietnamese cuisine cook their beef. They're always so tender.

Beef Balls, Chicken Balls in Soup (Rice Noodle is in a separate container)

Bean Sprouts and Rice Noodles

I hope this post gets more people ordering from Express Pho and that they don't close (like the Greek restaurant beside them, Bawan Greek). We took a peek in their window, and it's empty. Hopefully, it's just a temporary closure, but it doesn't look like it.

Lunch from Newly Renovated Beautiful PICA Blue Hat Bakery-Cafe

We had to run an errand around the area and thought it would be a great idea to visit the newly renovated and stunningly beautiful PICA Blue Hat Bakery-Cafe.

Blue Hat Bakery

Once I feel comfortable eating in a restaurant again, I want this spot right here! Look at the view from the window, it looks like a beautiful picture.

View from PICA Blue Hat Bakery-Cafe

Beautiful new counters from PICA Blue Hat Bakery-Cafe

Tuna Mediterranean Sandwich from PICA Blue Hat Bakery-Cafe

The food is still delicious. It's nice to see the faces of Christine and Lily and I'm glad they're back at work. Be sure to visit PICA and grab things to go or if you're feeling brave enjoy it either inside the cafe or outside in their elevated patio.

Canada Day lunch from Salmon n' Bannock

Happy Canada Day! How we usually celebrate Canada Day?

• 2016: Steveston Richmond, BC Salmon Festival and Canada Day Parade with sisters
• 2017: Steveston Richmond, BC Salmon Festival and Canada Day Parade with parents, sister, and brother
• 2018: Steveston Richmond, BC Salmon Festival and Canada Day Parade with hubby
• 2019: We were not in the country to celebrate. :(
• 2020: There's a pandemic.

Since there's still a pandemic, we decided to order lunch from Salmon n' Bannock. They are the only year-round Indigenous restaurant in Vancouver. They serve wild fish, free-range, grass-fed organic meat, Bannock made fresh daily and other culinary delights inspired by a variety of First Nations traditions. It seems fitting to support a First Nations business today.

How to order?

They are not open for dine-in service, but they're on Uber Eats, and I originally planned to order that way. However, I called yesterday to check if they are open today, and they said yes with a caveat that they're serving a July 1 BBQ special, and that's the only thing on the menu. I ordered two for pick-up at 1 PM, which is the time they open.

July 1 BBQ from Salmon n' Bannock

We walked there in the rain and picked up our food. It costs $21.00 each. What's included in the meal? Wild sockeye salmon, maple coleslaw, vegetables, signature bannock, and a baked potato.

Wild sockeye salmon, maple coleslaw, vegetables (steamed broccoli and buttered sweet potato), baked potato, and signature Bannock. Butter and sour cream on the side

Wild sockeye salmon, maple coleslaw, vegetables (steamed broccoli and buttered sweet potato), baked potato, and signature Bannock. Butter and sour cream on the side

My hubby and I are stuffed! Everything was so delicious. I love salmon, and it's cooked perfectly. The Bannock is good with the butter they provided. I can't wait to go back, hopefully, when they're ready for dine-in service.

Where is Salmon n' Bannock located? It's the same block as Toys R Us along West Broadway.

My only request, please serve salmon chowder. It's something I fell in love with last year when we had lunch at Thunderbird Cafe in Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler.

Dinner from Royal Seoul House

I love slow Saturdays like today. We went to Staples to send off a package to Nova Scotia. Then, we decided to order take out dinner from our favourite Korean restaurant, Royal Seoul House.

We're still not brave enough to eat in a restaurant. I'm willing to go in, pick up food, then go out, but outside our house and my parent's place, we haven't spent more than 30 minutes in other establishments. Oh, that's not entirely true, we attended Mass twice now.

Anyway, before heading to the restaurant, I called in with my selection. We walked around the neighbourhood and went in 20 minutes later. My order is ready, and I can't wait.

Royal Seoul House was empty. Although, patrons may be eating in the private space for physical distancing.

Favourite Korean Dishes

Unlike in the Philippines, Korean dishes are not as popular here in Canada. They're also not that many Korean restaurants, unlike Japanese cuisine, which is nearly everywhere. I ordered our favourite Korean dishes.

Banchan
I didn't expect our take out to come with banchan.

Goon Mandu

Mandu is a Korean dumpling. I love dumplings from all countries, and Mandu is definitely second on the list (right after Xiao Long Bao).

Goon Mandu (deep-fried beef dumplings)

Japchae

This is my mom's favourite, and we have learned to love.

Japchae (stir-fried potato noodle with assorted vegetables and beef)

Seafood Pancake

This is a recent (when we moved to Canada) discovery for me. Growing up in the Philippines means an abundance of seafood, and this dish perfectly encapsulated all the fantastic seafood.

Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake) (Flour pancake with green onion and assorted seafood)

I'm happy to buy from the Royal Seoul House and support local businesses in our neighbourhood. I can't wait to have the courage to dine in again and enjoy their BBQ.