Brunch at Yolks Broadway

Happy Saturday and Happy Halloween!

To start the Halloween weekend, we had our blood taken at LifeLabs as part of our initial visit to our family doctor. After that, we had to do 10-hour fasting. As a result, our last meal was at 9:00 PM the previous night, and our first meal was brunch at Yolks Broadway.

Food coma brunch at Yolks Broadway

Drinks

From the drinks menu, hubby ordered Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate while I had Greens & Almonds Smoothie.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Green & Almonds
Kale & spinach, banana, almond butter and fresh-pressed apple juice.

I enjoyed both drinks, but their drinks menu is so extensive I can't wait to try the others.

Perfectly Poached Bennies

I have two favourite breakfast items: Eggs Benedicts and Chicken & waffles. Unfortunately, the latter is not always readily available at breakfast spots, unlike the former. However, Yolks just made a dish combining the two! So I would like to introduce Buttermilk Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict served with 1/2 Belgian waffle. I even added double-smoked bacon.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Perfectly Poached Bennies

This is amazing! Two perfectly poached eggs on buttermilk fried chicken on 1/2 Belgian waffles with hollandaise sauce and crispy hashbrown patty. I even added extra double-smoked bacon. The fried chicken was surprisingly delicious. I remember having their Chicken and Waffle but thinking the chicken was too salty. This is perfect.

Classic

While I love and enjoy my Eggs Benedict, hubby ordered Croque Madame. We wanted to try this dish at a nearby French cafe, but it was too early for their brunch. So now, we can finally try Croque Madame.

Croque Madame
Menu Description: Maple-smoked ham, gruyere cheese, Mornay sauce, two perfectly poached eggs, Yolks-made Dijon on grilled artisan sourdough with a choice of on side (in this case, Truffle-Lemon Potatoes)

The Croque Madame was good as well, but I'm still so hyped with the fried chicken eggs benedict, it's hard for me to enjoy this. I liked the cheese and sauces especially dipping the truffle-lemon potatoes in it, but portions of the bread were burnt, and since I have no point of comparison, I'm not sure if that's part of the charm.

Sweets

To end our delicious brunch, we ordered Beignets. It's served with two dipping sauces. Hubby enjoyed the salted caramel dip while I loved lemon curd. The tartness emphasized the sweetness of the Beignets.

Beignets
Menu Description: French-style crispy and fluffy "donuts" served with salted caramel and lemon curd.

This is a lovely and happy meal for hubby and me since it has been a while since we had brunch at a breakfast spot.

Bola Bola Siopao from Bao Bakery | Best Siopao in Vancouver

I have been craving for Bola Bola Siopao for what feels like forever. Thank God that the office of our new family doctor is in Burnaby, and we could drop by Bao Bakery before heading home.

Bao Bakery

They have the best Filipino siopao ever! It's seven in the evening when we dropped by there, and I got half a dozen frozen Bola Bola Siopao and two of the already cooked ones. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of the ones we devoured inside the car.

I was saying my prayers quite loudly - thank God that I'm finally having a delicious siopao.

November 4, 2021 Update 

We microwaved for a couple minutes siopao, and it was great. Fortunately, I had it on the fridge (instead of the freezer) the night before I planned to enjoy it.

Tip: I recommend putting a wet paper towel on top of the siopao to create steam and not dry out the siopao bread.

Dinner from Wendy's

Happy Friday evening! We finally have a family doctor in Canada and tonight was our first appointment. After the doctor visit, we went to Wendy's to grab some quick dinner before heading home.

My mom has coupons (lots of it!) for Wendy's and other fast-food chains, and we could use them.

Spicy Chicken Burger Combo

Unfortunately, the burger wasn't spicy at all. Hubby said there's some heat, but not a lot. Somehow, Wendy's is lagging behind the Spicy Chicken Burger battle, which is unfortunate. However, the french fries were legit. I actually liked it more than I thought I would.

Dinner from The Poutinerie and Dawson's Hot Dogs at BC Place

Happy Wednesday! I wrote this as soon as we arrived home and while the adrenaline was still relatively high.

Why are we watching the Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Minnesota United FC?

We had no plans of watching the game tonight in person. On the other hand, my younger sister was planning to watch the Whitecaps for the first time in BC Place. However, there was a COVID scare at her workplace, and she had to get tested this morning.

She called me ten minutes before four in the afternoon explaining the situation and asked if I would like to buy her tickets instead since she's self-isolating. After discussing it with my husband, we said yes. Thankfully, there's modern technology, and she was quickly able to transfer her ticket to me via the Ticketmaster app. I sent her the payment, and off we go.

Back in BC Place again

The last time I watched the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in person was during their first and only MLS game last February 29, 2020; it was two weeks before the pandemic "started."

We arrived at BC Place ten minutes before six in the evening. The gates opened at six, and the first thing we did was buy dinner. #FoodPriority

The closest food vendor from our section was The Poutinerie. I ordered the Short Rib Poutine, fries, and refillable drinks.

Short Rib Poutine
Pulled short rib, cheese curds, red wine gravy, and green onion

While enjoying our food, the players were warming up. The game this evening is vital in the Whitecaps quest for a playoff spot. I was praying so hard during the first fifteen minutes of the game. I kept praying, "Lord, please help the Whitecaps win." over and over again. Finally, I calmed down and just started focusing on the game.

29 seconds before kick-off

The team scored less than a minute before the first half was over because of an own goal. Talk about a miracle! 😂

Michael Boxall opens his account for the 'Caps after 10 years!#VWFC #VANvMIN pic.twitter.com/PMUJ3gjkjb

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) October 28, 2021

During the break, we walked around and decided on getting a hot dog and nachos with cheese from Dawson's Hot Dogs. Unfortunately, my hot dog picture doesn't look good, so here's a picture of the nachos instead.

Nachos with Cheese

The game went on, and at the 60th minute, this happened:

Football is cruel https://t.co/6ByUQJRdrn pic.twitter.com/OSSjpE0uBf

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 28, 2021

My sister sent me a message asking how much I prayed for that goal to miss! It should have been a sure goal for Minnesota, but by some miracle (the post), it bounced out. Phew!

Then, at the 64th minute, Brian White scored a second goal for the Whitecaps. So it's Dajome to Gauld to White!

PICK UP THE PHONE GREGG 🇺🇸#VWFC #VANvMIN pic.twitter.com/9l2cB6QKOQ

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) October 28, 2021

There were substitutions, and I applauded each player that came off the pitch because this team deserved it tonight.

Unfortunately, it's not a clean sheet because Minnesota scored a goal in the 90th minute. I'm just glad the team was able to hang on through the additional three minutes. Thank God that the Whitecaps won! 

Post Game Joy

After the game was over, we stayed until the end of "Stand by Me," and I appreciated (more than I thought I would) how Vanni Sartini walked around the pitch, cheering with the supporters. And the team followed him around. My hands hurt from all the clapping, but my heart was filled with joy.

I am so happy and grateful that the Whitecaps won!

I already have tickets for the game against the Sounders on November 7. That was supposed to be my first time back in BC Place, but the universe has other plans, and I am glad that I was able to witness this critical game.

For reference, here's a Tweet I posted around the 30th-minute mark. 

I am more tense than usual since I'm watching in person. 🙏🙏🙏 Please please please win. #VWFC pic.twitter.com/vGUnumDdZf

— Smooch Food Vancouver 🇵🇭🇨🇦 (@smoochfood) October 28, 2021

Dinner Celebration at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

We're celebrating a special occasion today and decided to have dinner at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ.

We visited the Gyu-Kaku branch that's walking distance from our place. I called in yesterday to make a reservation since it's recommended. The lady over the phone advised that we should have our BC Vaccine Passport and an ID ready.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining

Since it's our first time at Gyu-Kaku, we ordered the Chef's Favourite BBQ Course for 2 people. It included the following items:

Starters

• 2x Miso Soup
• Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap
• 4 pcs Gyu-Sushi
• Napa Kimchi
• Gyu-Kaku Salad

BBQ Items

• Gyu-Kaku Kabli Short Rib
• Harami Skirt Steak
• Filet Mignon
• Umakara Ribeye
• Garlic Shio Cabbage
• Pork Belly
• Shrimp Garlic
• Broccoli with Cheese

Almost all Gyu-Kaku's Must-Try items are on the list above, so I am pleased with what we ordered. On top of the Chef's Favourite BBQ Course, we also ordered three items from the Small Plates section of the menu:

• Fried Chicken Karaage
• Takoyaki
• Fried Pork Gyoza Dumplings

Chef's Favourite BBQ Course

The first three items to arrive are the Miso Soup, Gyu-Kaku Salad, and Napa Kimchi.

The Miso Soup is your traditional miso soup. Meanwhile, the Napa Kimchi is super spicy and such a great palate cleanser. I enjoyed the Gyu-Kaku Salad too, but before we could finish it, more items arrived.

Napa Kimchi, Miso Soup, and Gyu-Kaku Salad

After the appetizers, three BBQ items and the Gyu-Sushi arrived. I enjoyed Filet Mignon the most. It melts in your mouth, and it's so delicious.

Gyu-Sushi, Filet Mignon, Harami Skirt Steak,  and Umakara Ribeye

After the meats, our three small plates arrived. I will order the fried chicken again. The takoyaki and gyoza are okay, but not something I'll order again.

Takoyaki, Fried Pork Gyoza Dumplings, Fried Chicken Karaage

After the three small plates, the Pork Belly, Broccoli with Cheese, and Garlic Shio Cabbage arrived. But I forgot to take a picture since I'm busy stuffing my face with delicious meat.

Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap

This is another must-get for me the next time we're back. Finally, the penultimate items to arrive on our table are the Shrimp Garlic and Gyu-Kaku Kabli Short Rib.

Shrimp Garlic and Gyu-Kaku Kalbi Short Rib

Gyu-Kaku Desserts

My husband has a sweet tooth, and we ordered three of the available desserts.

Matcha Tiramisu
White cake lady finers with matcha green tea cream

This is what all Matcha Tiramisu aspire to be. Not overly sweet and excellent matcha flavour.

Taiyaki with Matcha Ice Cream
A fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red beans. Deep-fried and served with a scoop of ice cream.

I enjoyed the Taiyaki more than I should. The deep-fried pastry should be enough to make me happy, but the matcha ice cream on the side made it over the top better.

S'mores
Classic campfire s'mores. Roast the marshmallows over the grill

I enjoyed roasting the s'mores, but it was so sticky and difficult to eat. I love it!

Note to future me, order the Matcha Tiramisu and Taiyaki with Ice Cream again. Next time, create your own course and choose the following items again.

• Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap
• Napa Kimchi
• Gyu-Kaku Salad
• Gyu-Kaku Kalbi Short Rib
• Harami Skirt Steak
• Filet Mignon
• Fried Chicken Karaage

Maybe try the following items:

• Okonomiyaki (hopefully, it won't be sold out)
• Seawood Soup
• Kobe Style Kalbi Short Rib (instead of Gyu-Kaku Kalbi Short Rib)
• Harami in Secret Pot (instead of Harami Skirt Steak)

I can't wait to come back!

Dinner delivery from Domino's Pizza

Happy Saturday! Every time the Vancouver Whitecaps has a Saturday game, we would almost always visit my parent's place so that we can enjoy the game with our only brother. It's always fun watching with him and recently (last Thanksgiving and today) my younger sister joined us.

Our youngest sister asked that we have Domino's for dinner because my mom kept ordering from Pizza Hut, and she missed Domino's cheesy bread.

We ordered more than enough food for five persons. I also realized that I haven't tried any Feast Pizza, so I'll order one every chance I get.

Domino's Pizza dinner delivery

14" Hand Tossed Chicken Taco
Menu Description: Whole Cheddar, White Processed Cheddar Cheese, Chicken, Green Pepper, Onions, Tomatoes

I enjoyed the Chicken Taco pizza more than I thought I would. If all the Feast Pizza is as good, then I am looking forward to ordering more flavours.

12" Hand Tossed Customized Pizza
Our customization: Whole Garlic Parmesan Sauce, No Pizza Sauce, Cheese Left Extra Pepperoni

My younger sister wanted to customize a pizza. Instead of pizza sauce, she said we should do one with whole garlic parmesan sauce, the normal amount of cheese, and extra pepperoni on one side of the pizza. The portion without the pepperoni was quite good, but the side with pepperoni was just too heavy and salty.

Chicken Carbonara
Menu Description: Alfredo Sauce, Bacon, Chicken, Mushrooms, Onions

My favourite item from the Domino's Pizza menu is the Chicken Carbonara. However, I hate how much I enjoy it and don't even want to share.

8-Piece Boneless Chicken

8-Piece Domino's Pizza Cheesy Bread

I told our youngest sister that Domino's now has other flavours of cheesy bread, but she didn't want to try the new items.

Marbled Cookie Brownie (12pc)

The dessert is requested by hubby. He has a sweet tooth, and these are good brownies.

It's always fun to hang out with my siblings.