Craveables from Tim Hortons

Happy Wednesday! Because there are new dream donuts from Tim Hortons, we also decided to order dinner. Perusing the lunch and dinner section of the menu, I realized that we hadn't tried the craveables sandwiches.

Roast Beef Craveables

Both sandwiches are surprisingly delicious, and I am surprised how much I would want to order them again. I don't think I've felt the same way with the other non-breakfast sandwich from Tims. It's such a revelation. I prefer the Roast Beef Craveables. If you're craving thinly sliced meat, this will satisfy your craving.

Roast Beef Craveables from Tim Hortons

Crispy Chicken Craveables

On the other hand, my husband preferred the Crispy Chicken Craveables. The sauce in this one is delicious and worked surprisingly well with the Telera Bread they used for both.

Crispy Chicken Craveables

Pumpkin Spiced Iced Capp from Tim Hortons

I also ordered my favourite Potato Wedges, and for drinks, we tried the new (or returning for the year) Pumpkin Spiced Iced Capp. The S'mores for the summer are way better. The Pumpkin Spiced Iced Capp is not something I'll order again.

Pumpkin Spiced Iced Capp

The only good thing about the Iced Capp is it was still cold when it arrived. It's perfect for such a humid and hot summer evening.

Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Happy Wednesday! I'm obsessed with Tim Hortons dream donuts, and I check their mobile app once a day to see if there's anything new.

I squealed in glee when I saw the two new Tim Hortons dream donuts, which I presume is for the fall season.

Pumpkin Spice Dream Donut

Pumpkin Spice is now the quintessential flavour of the fall season, so it makes sense that Tim Hortons has released a dream donut with this flavour.

Unfortunately, our order did not arrive with the Pumpkin Spice Dream Donut, and I will create a new post once I get to try it.

Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut

I love pecan (or any nuts for that matter), and combining it with maple flavour is a great idea. It's an alright donut. The flavours of Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dream Donut and Hershey's S'mores Dream Donut are so much better.

Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut from Tim Hortons Dipped in maple fondant, topped with praline pecans, and delicately drizzled with chocolate, each bite has a balance of crunchy texture along with a creamy interior filling.

A peek inside the filling of the Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut.

The Creamy Maple is sweet, which is expected of a donut, but that's about it. The pecan provided a crunch, but it just didn't work. My expectations may be unfairly high because I just enjoyed a delicious chocolate pecan pie last weekend.

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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 New York Cheesecake Dream Donut Penguin Dream Donut Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dream Donut Sea Salted Caramel Dream Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring

Brunch at Aphrodite's Cafe and Pie Shop

Happy Sunday! After the 9:00 AM Mass, we decided to walk west along West 4th Avenue to visit Jericho Beach for the first time.

We hadn't had breakfast yet and walked past a handful of breakfast spots with long lines, coffee shops, and even bakeries which smelled like freshly baked bread. We skipped all of those and found ourselves at the corner of Dunbar at Aphrodite's Cafe and Pie Shop.

We perused the menu, and I ordered my usual glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and one of Aphrodite's Special Benny. Meanwhile, my husband had a Caffe Latte and Aphrodite's Breakfast.

Aphrodite's Special Benny # 3
All Bennys are served with lemony hollandaise sauce, rosemary home fries, and garden greens.
#3 - BC Smoked Salmon, Golden Ear's Neufchatel, Baby Spinach, Capers, and Dill

Aphrodite's Special Benny

I started with the garden greens and absolutely loved the dressing. It was light yet flavourful, and I like the touch of pumpkin seed as a garnish to provide crunch to the fresh vegetables. I like the capers but would love more dill. Be sure to eat the home fries with the salty capers for a flavour explosion in your mouth.

Aphrodite's Breakfast
Three pastured eggs, served any style (hubby picked sunny-side-up), with strip bacon (you can choose from the list), home fries, multigrain toast, and garden green salad. 

The bacon is cooked perfectly, and I surprisingly enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of bacon (in general), so I am pleasantly surprised that I liked this one.

16oz of freshly squeezed orange juice

From the Pie Shop

After our food coma brunch, we crossed the street to grab a couple pie slices, which we enjoyed at Jericho Beach.

A Slice of Chocolate Pecan Pie
Large organic pecan halves are baked into a creamy sweet chocolate filling made from organic soft tofu and chocolate. Results in a velvet-like texture broken up by crunch pecans.

Key Lime Pie
A smooth, refreshing blend of organic coconut condensed milk, coconut cream, lime, lemon, and lime zest topped with an organic whipped coconut cream

Lunch from Ay! Mamacita at Thank Granville Its Food trucks

Happy Sunday! Do you know what makes me happy? Delicious food! And I am pleasantly surprised to enjoy what are the best tacos I've had from Ay! Mamacita food truck.

Lunch from Ay! Mamacita food truck

I'm not a fan of tacos in general just because they fall apart, and a burrito is usually my go-to because it's slightly less messy to eat. With that said, we ordered a rice bowl, three tacos, two Aguas Frescas, and a pudding from Ay! Mamacita, when we spotted them at Thank Granville Its Food trucks today.

Ay! Mamacita food truck

Aguas Frescas

They have two Aguas Frescas available and both summer inspired.

Aguas Frescas: Virgin Pina Colada and Watermelon Conga

Hubby and I agreed that the pina colada is the better of the two Aguas Frescas, so if you're going to choose one, go for that one. The Watermelon is refreshing too, but not as sweet as the Pina Colada.

Rice Bowls and Artisan Tacos

As mentioned earlier, I stay away from tacos because I find them messy to eat, so I chose the Beef Steak Asada Rice Bowl. I was surprised when Hubby said we should get three tacos. Apparently, he thought we were eating at home instead of in the park. I'm glad that he did because it's delicious!

Beef Steak Asada Rice Bowls
Saffron rice, beef steak Asada, roasted market vegetables, green pea cream, pickled red onion, pickled carrots, cilantro, and sprouts.

Mix and Match 3 Tacos
Chicken Alambre - bacon, roasted peppers, melted cheese, pickled onions, and salsa verde
Baja Garlic Prawns - cabbage, chipotle mayo, chunky tomato & corn salsa, scallions, and sprouts
Corn Truffle & Cheese - huitlacoche corn truffle, seared cheese, Arbol sauce, jade radish, pickled onions, and sprouts

First, only one of the three tacos fell apart. After taking my first bite of the Chicken Alambre, the tortilla broke, and most of the chicken fell into the container. Other than that, the Corn Truffle & Cheese and Baja Garlic Prawns tacos held well without falling apart.

All three tacos were excellent, but my favourite is the vegetarian Corn Truffle & Cheese. I can have more of that!

After enjoying the tacos, I took a bite from the Rice Bowl and was slightly disappointed because I expected it to be as flavourful. I realized my mistake. I should have mixed it a bit more. The green pea crema is fantastic, but it needs to cover as many ingredients as possible.

Matcha Tea Early Bird Pudding

Ay! Mamacita featured pudding from Early Bird Puddings, and I chose the Matcha Tea flavour and was mindblown at how delicious it is. My gosh! I wish more restaurants, food trucks, and even groceries would sell their puddings.

Matcha Tea Pudding from Early Bird Puddings

It's a happy lunch day!

Maple Bacon Breakfast Sandwich from Tim Hortons

As part of our Sunday routine, we had breakfast at Tim Hortons before heading to Mass.

For today, we tried the new Maple Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches. It comes with English Muffin by default which hubby enjoyed while I changed mine to Homestyle Biscuit.

Maple Bacon Breakfast Sandwich from Tim Hortons

Maple Bacon Breakfast Sandwich from Tim Hortons

As expected, the bacon is sweeter and works better with the English Muffin. But, overall, I want it to stay because it's definitely a level up to Tims existing default bacon.

Dinner from Fogg n' Suds

Happy Saturday! We spent most of today at my parent's place in Richmond. For dinner, we had food delivered from Fogg n' Suds. I was already feeling food coma from munching on chips all afternoon, so I wasn't sure what I wanted to eat.

Hubby and I went for Pasta but didn't finish it. So we can have the leftovers tomorrow.

Seafood Spaghetti
Sauteed shrimp, grilled salmon in creamy Cajun sauce garnished with parmesan and parsley.

Bacon and Prawn Farfalle
Sauteed bacon and prawns in creamy alfredo sauce garnished with parmesan and parsley.

Tiramisu Cheesecake
Decadent, triple-layered tiramisu-infused cheesecake drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce.

The dinner tonight reminded me why I don't like delivery because food from restaurants is always better at the location.

Breakfast at A&W

Happy Saturday! We're going to Richmond today to hang out with my siblings and parents. Before riding the train there, we had breakfast at A&W.

Orange Juice and Coffee

Pancakes with Syrup
Three light and fluffy pancakes topped with syrup

Classic Bacon and Eggs
Two freshly cracked eggs from hens fed a vegetarian diet served with three strips of naturally smoked bacon from pork raised without the use of antibiotics and two slices of warm toast.

The pancake was enjoyable, and I loved the orange juice.

Dessert from Stuffies Pastries inside Metropolis At Metrotown

After buying medicine and as we're walking on our way to the food court, I spot the adorable Stuffies Pastry Cafe. I told my husband that we should buy one after dinner.

Orient Express Stuffies Soft-Serve
Creamy, vegan vanilla soft-served with mochi skewer, read bean paste, and rice crispies  in a vegan fish-shaped waffle cone

Yes, it does look like a fish is eating our dessert. The waffle cone was delicious and was perfect with the red bean paste and soft-serve ice cream.

The pastry reminded me of Oishi Manju and Moshi Manju which we enjoyed from a mall stand near the arcade where our mom used to leave us while she goes shopping and running errands. I'll try more Stuffies next time.

Dinner from The Bake House in Metropolis at Metrotown food court

As if the dinner from Manchu Wok is insufficient we decided to try food the The Bake House since we haven't seen it in any of the food courts we've had the chance to visit.

It took as awhile to choose a dish, but settled on the Seafood Alfredo with a side of Croissant and Creamy Mushroom Soup.

Seafood Alfredo
Salmon, prawn, scallop, imitated crab meat, mushroom, and onion

The pasta is better than I imagined coming from a stand in the food court. It's not mind-blowing by any means, but delicious.

The same can be said about the Creamy Mushroom Soup and Croissant.

Dinner from Manchu Wok at Metropolis at Metrotown food court

I have an ear infection on my right ear and setup an appointment with our family doctor this afternoon. He looked at my ear and asked a bunch of questions and gave me a prescription for antibiotics.

After the appointment and buying medication, we went to the Metropolis at Metrotown food court for dinner. We looked at the available options and decided based on whether we've seen it in Pacific Center or Richmond Center food courts.

That's how I end up ordering from Manchu Wok. I'm in a lot of pain because of my ear and just want to shove food in my face. I also don't feel like writing in this blog which is sad because this is one of my happy place.

Dinner from Manchu Wok

I chose three items on top of fried rice. My three items were General Tso's Chicken, Salt & Pepper Fish, and BBQ Pork.

My favourite is the BBQ Pork. It's so fatty and delicious. What I ordered is too much for one person, so hubby and I shared it.

Frozen Fried Rice from T&T Supermarket

T&T Supermarket focuses on selling items imported from Asia. I like perusing their frozen aisle for new things to try. On our most recent trip to the grocery, I added to our cart three different frozen fried rice, primarily from South Korea.

King Prawn Fried Rice

It smells so delicious, but it doesn't have any flavour.

King Prawn Fried Rice packaging

King Prawn Fried Rice

Bulgogi Marinade Fried Rice

There's no visible beef, but the few mushrooms are tasty. Otherwise, not recommended.

Bulgogi Marinade Fried Rice packaging

Bulgogi Marinade Fried Rice

Japchae Fried Rice

It's delicious and the best of all the three frozen fried rice we tried.

Japchae Fried Rice

Japchae Fried Rice

Do you have a favourite frozen fried rice? Let me know below!

Dinner from Basil Pasta Bar

I haven't used a delivery app in two months. However, I'm experiencing dysmenorrhea today, so as much as I want to go out for dinner, staying home seems the wisest thing to do.

We ordered from Basil Pasta Bar.

Dinner from Basil Pasta Bar

I customized my pasta while hubby chose Lemon Chicken Fettuccine.

Lemon Chicken Fettuccine
Alfredo cream sauce with lemon juice, chicken, zucchini, & capers. Garnished with parmesan cheese & fresh basil

My "Build Your Own Pasta"

For my "Build Your Own Pasta," I selected Spaghetti with Pesto Cream Sauce. For protein, I went for smoked salmon and shrimp. Then, I chose all green vegetables (which should help with the pain): broccoli, spinach, peas, asparagus, and artichoke. Finally, for garnish, I decided on parsley.

It was delicious, but there's extra sauce afterwards, which we kept so I can use it with the pasta at home.

It's a happy night despite the pain. I'm so blessed to have a wonderful, caring husband.

Brunch at Paul’s Omelettery

Happy Sunday! After Mass today, we went to Paul’s Omelettery for brunch since I am craving pancakes.

Lumberjack
2 Pancakes, maple syrup, three cheese omelette, pan fries, fruit cup, and Oktoberfest sausage

Corned Beef Hash
Sautéed potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, bacon and corned beef topped with two free-run poached eggs, and shredded cheddar & Edam cheese

Pancake craving satisfied! I also love the ketchup and hot sauce combination. It’s spicy and tangy.

Guest Post: Lunch at Cactus Club Coal Harbour

This post is written by my husband.

I met up with a high school friend and batchmate today in Downtown Vancouver. He's now based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is on his way to pick up his family at the YVR Airport and he's got a few hours to spare. Plus, he asked if I can sign a copy of my book that he had bought.

We agreed to meet up at the Waterfront Station to make it easier for him to travel. It's his first time in Vancouver, so we walked to Canada Place then to the seawall to the Jack Poole Plaza. We ended up at the Cactus Club for lunch.

There was a line for walk-ins but we can see there are available tables inside and outside. The host still asked for my name and number to add to their waitlist app, then the app sent me a text message. There was no need to wait though as she referred us to another person who walked us to our table. I don't know what's the need for asking the name and number. This process was unnecessary and adding more time before guests can be seated. It's why there's a line outside, even after as we were going out, despite the number of available and clean tables.

I ordered the Four Mushroom steak for lunch. It was good but I think I would prefer their other steak options.

Four Mushroom Steak
8oz certified angus beef® sirloin, shiitake, portobello, button and crimini mushroom demi-glace, buttered mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus

For dessert, I ordered the Five Layer Coconut Cake (which is "New" according to the menu). It wasn't served vertically as the one on the menu so my enjoyment of it was decreased. They also labeled it as "made to share" but it was just the regular slice (which isn't even enough for me). It was good but I think the other desserts were better.

Five Layer Coconut Cake
cream cheese frosting, passion fruit mango purée, hand whipped cream

After lunch, we walked a bit to the Gastown Steam Clock and Vancouver Art Gallery before he went back to the Waterfront Station to return to the airport.