Mango Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee

I am obsessed with the seasonal cheesecake flavours of Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee.

• Matcha Cheesecake last June 6
• Taro Cheesecake last June 26
• Mango Cheesecake today

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.

Baja's Food at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

It's Saturday, and it's also Pokemon GO Fest 2021 Day 1. We spent the whole day (10 AM to 6 PM) hanging out at the VSB Park for Pokemon and food.

Baja's Food is a happy surprise today. They share a food truck with Rosie's BBQ and Smokehouse, but their food is so delicious. I daresay even better than Dos Amigos Tex-Mex (although an unfair comparison since we tried different dishes).

I ordered Tacos de Guisado - beef, pork, and chicken. I love the beef and chicken. However, I found the pork too salty, but it could be my low salt tolerance. 

Tacos de Guisado
Top: Pork and Green Tomatillo Sauce
Middle: Chicken Tinga
Bottom: Beef Tinga

Chimichanga
Fried burrito (taco beef, refried beans, mozzarella cheese, wrapped in 12" flour tortilla) tossed in a ranchero sauce, drizzled with avocado crema and sour cream.

I also ordered the Chimichanga Burrito, and it's my first time trying Chimichanga, and I am filled with regret on why I haven't ordered this in the past. It's so good! The tortilla is so crunchy, yet the inside is chewy and soaked with sauce. It's perfect.

I can't believe how happy Baja's Food made me. It's such a perfect ending to a beautiful day.

Tornado Potato Poutine at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

It's Saturday, and it's also Pokemon GO Fest 2021 Day 1. We spent the whole day (10 AM to 6 PM) hanging out at the VSB Park for Pokemon and food.

At around 3:00 PM, I told hubby I'll order from Tornado Potato. I thought of getting the usual tornado potato, but the poutine caught my eye. It's something different!

Tornado Potato Poutine

The gravy is sweet, but it works well with the saltiness of the cheese curds. It's such a fun messy thing to eat and quite filling too.

Tornado Potato Poutine from Tornado Potato food truck

As much as I enjoy the gravy, I would have enjoyed it more if it was more savoury than sweet.

Rosie's BBQ and Smokehouse at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

It's Saturday, and it's also Pokemon GO Fest 2021 Day 1. We spent the whole day (10 AM to 6 PM) hanging out at the VSB Park for Pokemon and food.

For lunch today, we ordered from Rosie's BBQ and Smokehouse. As I mentioned in my previous post about Yo-Bones BBQ. I haven't tried many Southern-style BBQ, so I can't say what is good or not, but I can tell you which ones I liked the best based on what I've tried in Vancouver so far.

Since I ordered chicken and brisket sliders from Yo-Bones BBQ, I ordered the same from Rosie's.

Decatur Chicken Sandwich

Decatur Chicken Sandwich
Smoked BBQ chicken topped with famous Decatur White BBQ sauce, "Funions," house bun, mayo, sauce

The Decatur Chicken Sandwich is delicious! I dare to say I like it better than the one from Yo-Bones, and I already enjoyed that one so much. The chicken is just so flavourful, and I love the toasted bun with burnt edges. It's so crispy.

Smoked Brisket Sandwich

Smoked Brisket Sandwich
Smoked & chopped brisket, sweet onions, pickled, and Rosie's BBQ sauce

Unfortunately, the Smoked Brisket Sandwich is the opposite of its chicken counterpart. I ate the chicken first while hubby tried the brisket, then we switched. I was raving about the chicken sandwich, but hubby kept asking why I didn't get the pulled pork. Apparently, he didn't enjoy the brisket. My hubby enjoys food, and for him to tell me that he didn't enjoy a specific item is saying something.

I tried it, and the brisket is juicy, but you can only taste the fattiness of the pork and no other flavour. Thankfully, the bun is still toasted wonderfully, but it's not enough to save the sandwich even then.

Mac 'n Cheese Salad

This dish confused some of the Caucasian customers. While waiting for my order, I can hear them ask the food truck owners what's a Mac 'n Cheese Salad? In the Philippines, we have our own dessert version of macaroni salad which includes lots of mayonnaise, sweetened fruits, and condensed milk. It's popular in the province during fiesta and a staple in some households during the Christmas season.

Mac 'n Cheese Salad
Cheddar cheese, Duke's mayo, parmesan, and crispy onion

Banana Pudding

I enjoyed the Banana Pudding, although I regret not trying the Moon Pie. The pudding is delicious, but there's a powerful vanilla flavour and the scent coming from it, which can be a bit off-putting.

Banana Pudding
Donia Farms milk, banana, and homemade vanilla cookie

The perfect bit includes a cookie and banana.

Drinks: #37 Sweet Tea and Classic Lemonade

We ordered both drinks because why not? 😋 Hubby has been to Texas, and he said that the Sweet Tea reminds him of the unsweetened tea he had there. I enjoyed the Classic Lemonade. It's sweet and tangy - the perfect palate cleanser.

What will I order again?

I'll have the Decatur Chicken Sandwich again. I am also looking to try the Loaded Tater Tots, and maybe next time we'll try the Potato Bun Pulled Pork Sandwich.

Rosie's BBQ and Smokehouse food truck menu

Shameless Buns at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

Masayang Biyernes! Happy Friday!

Shameless Buns have a special place in our hearts. Hubby and I were born and raised in the Philippines, so a Filipino jeepney food truck specializing in flavours we are familiar with makes Shameless Buns special.

Filipino Spaghetti Lumpia

I saw the Spaghetti Lumpia in an Instagram video, and I couldn't believe/understand what I just saw. But, I knew I had to try it the next time I order from Shameless Buns.

Filipino-style spaghetti is sweet with ground meat, while lumpia is Filipino spring roll. Both are a staple in Filipino kids' birthday parties. However, I never thought of combining it this way! Instead, they serve a giant burrito-like spring roll with spaghetti inside. The spaghetti is delicious, and I'll be happy to eat it as is, but the lumpia wrap provides crunch. 

Spaghetti Lumpia
Crispy spring roll stuffed with Filipino spaghetti goodness, sriracha mayo, chipotle cheese sauce, and green onion.

Opening the Filipino Spaghetti Lumpia

Sir Spam A-Lot combo with Palabok Fries

The sandwich is, for me, a standard fair of spam sandwiches inside pandesal (Filipino brioche bun). It's something we occasionally eat for snacks after school. If you like spam, then this is worth the try.

I want to focus on the Palabok Fries. Their menu description says, "Think 'BBQ' Chips." It doesn't taste like barbeque. However, it does taste like palabok. Background: Palabok is a noodle dish in the Philippines. I am having a hard time describing its flavour. It's salty and a bit tangy, usually creamy from the sauce. Their Palabok Fries hit the flavour profile of a palabok, but you may not understand the flavour if you haven't had palabok in the past.

Sir Spam A-Lot (Crispy Fried Spam, atchara, banana ketchup, sexy egg, sriracha mayo, green onion, and fried garlic) with Palabok Fries (Think 'BBQ' Chips)

Overall, I will still recommend the Signature Sinigang Fries.

The Brownie Bakers at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

Happy Friday! I am so happy to see The Brownie Bakers at TGIF. They were here a month ago, but I was in Victoria, BC and couldn't get to try their brownies. Unfortunately, we went there after office hours, and they only have one brownie flavour left.

Cheesecake Swirl brownie

The brownie is more cake-like than other brownies I've tried, which is more crumbly. I am unsure how to describe it, but it was enjoyable.

The Brownie Bakers food truck

Filled Ring Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons

Happy Thursday! We have tried all the Dream Donuts Tim Hortons have released this year, so when they announced two new Filled Ring Dream Donuts we just have to try it.

• Dulce de Leche Dream Donut from early 2020
• Chocolate Hazelnut Éclair Dream and Sea Salted Caramel Dream Dream Donuts
• New York Cheesecake Dream Donut

Dinner and Desserts from Tim Hortons

Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Dream Donut

The strawberry shortcake filled ring dream donut is much better than the vanilla cream puff one. Although, both is so much better than the dry Dulce de Leche one from 2020. The donut itself is soft and I love the crunch from the cookie bark.

Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons
The Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Donut is a ring-shaped yeast donut filled with a strawberry and vanilla filling, dipped in a strawberry fondant, and then sprinkled with strawberry cookie bark.

What's inside the strawberry shortcake filled ring dream donuts?

Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring Dream Donut

It's nothing spectacular about this one. If you're going to try one of the dream donuts, get the strawberry shortcake.

Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons
The Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring Dream Donuts is a ring-shaped yeast donut filled with a vanilla filling and is topped with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a dusting of white donut sugar.

What's inside the Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring Dream Donuts?

Dinner

On top of the dream donuts, we also ordered my favourite things from Tim Hortons like the Potato Wedges and the Chili.

Chili and Potato Wedges from Tim Hortons

We also tried their Grilled Cheese with Bacon.

Bacon Grilled Cheese

Lastly, we ordered four muffins for snacks tomorrow.

Chocolate Chip and Blueberry Muffins

It's a happy food day!

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.

Beavertails at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

When the initial list of food trucks part of TGIF was released, I did a Google search to see what food each one offers, and Beavertails was just described as pastry, so being able to try it today - I realized it's essentially a flat donut.

You can put different toppings on top. They mostly have sweet Beavertails and only a couple savoury ones - poutine and hotdog. The hotdog one looks like a corndog but is wrapped with delicious fried pastry.

Beavertails

Triple Trip

The Classic

I tried The Classic just to understand what they're selling, and I don't regret it. It's so delicious! I highly recommend The Classic if it's your first time trying the Beavertails.

Yo-Bones BBQ at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

My experience with American-style BBQ (any BBQ originating from the US) is quite limited to Memphis Blues Barbeque House when they had a branch in West Broadway.

Today, we had the chance to try Southern-style BBQ from the Yo-Bones BBQ food truck. Unfortunately, we went at almost 2:00 PM, and they've already sold out of pulled pork. Such a shame.

If you're like me and you want to try almost everything on their menu, then I would recommend getting the BBQ Meat Sliders (3 pcs), and you'll be able to try all three meat - pulled pork, pulled chicken, and beef brisket. Then, you can order a 1/4 Rack of BBQ Ribs.

BBQ Beef Brisket Slider from Yo-Bones BBQ

However, since the BBQ Pulled Pork is already sold out, we opted for 2 sliders and 1 Side. So, we got both BBQ Pulled Chicken and BBQ Brisket, and for our side, they recommended that we get the Red Potato Salad since the sliders already include the Coleslaw inside. So, this way, we'll try more items from their menu. And because I am hungry, I also ordered the Mac and Cheese with BBQ Meat.

Mac and Cheese with BBQ Meat

The Mac and Cheese with BBQ Meat is a big serving! It's good for sharing, or you can bring it home and reheat it for the following day. However, it's not very cheesy, and after a while, the BBQ sauce is a bit much.

2 Slides 1 Side from Yo-Bones BBQ

I highly recommend the sliders - the brioche bun is so soft! It's the perfect vehicle for the BBQ. The BBQ Brisket is delicious, but I thought the BBQ Pulled Chicken is even better. The chicken just absorbed the BBQ sauce more while the Coleslaw provides crunch and creaminess. 

I'll definitely order their sliders again.

Ice Cream from Crema at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

After a happy lobster dinner from Salty's Lobster Shack, we grabbed ice cream from Crema. Hubby got the Matcha Berry which totally tastes like Matcha, and I got Cookie Monster which is the colour of Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. I don't know why I was expecting a typical cookie and cream ice cream. This is so much better.

However, the colour is very much confusing.

My blue Cookie Monster Ice Cream and hubby's green Matcha Ice Cream.

Cookie Monster looking gray than blue, which frustrated me because I kept taking pictures.

Matcha Ice Cream from Crema

Other than the confusion about my Cookie Monster ice cream colour, this is such a happy Friday.

Salty's Lobster Shack at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

I have a confession. This is my first time trying lobster. We eat crab in the Philippines a lot (my parents love seafood), but not lobster. When we migrated to Canada, I hear and see lobster on Food Network more often than I thought I would, but I never had the urge to try it.

That said, we want to try all food truck that's going to be part of TGIF. Today there are four food trucks when we went there - Shameless Buns, Crema, Dos Amigos Tex-Mex, and Salty's Lobster Shack. Salty's is the only one we haven't tried, so today is the day I tried lobster.

Maine Lobster Roll
Menu Description: Toasted garlic butter brushed brioche bun, Halifax lobster tossed in Old Bay Aioli, fresh diced celery, and dill.

We ordered Maine Lobster Roll, Crab Roll, and Lobster Bisque.

Crab Roll
Menu Description: Crab Roll - Chilean Rock Crab, Old Bay Aioli, Fresh Diced Celery, Garlic Butter Toasted Brioche Bun, Fresh Dill and a Wedge of Lemon

Salty's Lobster Shack at Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF)

I recommend the lobster roll over the crab roll. The lobster bisque is a must-try as well. The lobster is sweet and fresh.

Ice Cream from Say Hello Sweets at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

My hubby, siblings, and I ordered ice cream from Say Hello Sweets earlier today to enjoy during a warm summer day in Vancouver.

Coconut Ice Cream

Chocolate Ice Cream

Marshmallow Ice Cream

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

I highly recommend the Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream of all the flavours we tried today.