Saturday, December 11, 2021

Caldereta and Lechong Paksiw from Pampanga's Cuisine | "Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!"

"Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!" is an annual Christmas Market organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver. It's my first time going with my husband, mom, and younger sister this year.

On the right of Mr. Siopao de Langley is Pampanga's Cuisine.

They have a combo of one rice and a choice of available viand. I selected calderetang baka while the hubby chose the lechong paksiw.

Lechon Paksiw
Roasted pork cooked in Lechon sauce.

Caldereta
A mild spicy beef stew is cooked in herbs, tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers.

Both are delicious, but the best part is that they sell balut. We haven't had it in a long time. Balut is a Philippine delicacy that we don't seek out, but when available, you occasionally have.

Bola Bola Siopao from Mr. Siopao de Langley | "Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!"

"Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!" is an annual Christmas Market organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver. It's my first time going with my husband, mom, and younger sister this year.

After going through the temperature and vaccine card check, the first food booth to welcome you is Mr. Siopao de Langley. I ordered five (one bag) of bola-bola siopao.

Mr. Siopao de Langley

I will update this post once we enjoy the siopao.

Bola-Bola Siopao Update

The Bola-Bola Siopao from Mr. Siopao de Langley tasted like something you will get from the Philippines. I wish I had some sauce to go with it though.

Bola-Bola Siopao

If you're in Langley, then this is definitely a good siopao place, but since I am in Vancouver I still love the Bola-Bola siopao from Bao Bakery.

Though, I did find The Bao Place in Burnaby near Metrotown. I'll definitely check them out and compare if they are any better than the Bao Bakery.

Puto Bumbong from Max's Restaurant | "Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!"

"Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!" is an annual Christmas Market organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver. It's my first time going this year, with my husband, mom, and younger sister.

The first food truck we saw outside was Max's Restaurant. You should see how giddy my sister was at the thought of Max's fried chicken.

Max's Restaurant Food Truck

Perusing the menu, I knew I would order the pork barbecue and palabok, then at the bottom of the menu was puto bumbong. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find puto bumbong in Vancouver? I ordered two of the purple rice cake.

It was delicious and nostalgic for Christmas back in the Philippines.

Puto Bumbong

Pork barbecue and palabok

The barbecue was thicker cut, and the palabok was okay as well. However, I prefer both dishes from elsewhere.

We had our Max's food-to-go and enjoyed it in our home with Mama and my younger sister.

Where to buy Puto Bumbong in Metro Vancouver?

Honestly, I have no idea. I am reviewing the Max's Restaurant menu in Vancouver and it seems like the puto bumbong we had is a one-time thing. I will update this post once I found a vendor.

Update:

I found a Facebook vendor selling Filipino snacks and rice cakes: KakaNinz! Her menu includes puto bumbong. I'll order from her, but she's pick-up only. I'll see what I can do.

Friday, December 10, 2021

Dinner from Salmon n' Bannock

As I continued my food coma day and first day as a Canadian Citizen, we ordered dinner from Salmon n' Bannock. I thought of using UberEats, but after our food coma lunch, I took a nap and woke up at 6:00 PM. I checked the app, and it says that Salmon n' Bannock has temporarily closed the store for delivery.

I called the restaurant to check if they were available for takeout orders. The wonderful person I spoke with said yes. I told her that we'd check the menu and call back with our choices for pick-up.

I looked at the Mains section of the takeout menu and realized we tried two of the five possible options last Canada Day, so I ordered the remaining three for tonight.

Salmon n' Bannock Dinner

Fiss n' Barley
Our Wild Sockeye Salmon is served on our barley. Served with Seasonal Vegetables and Signature Bannock.

The Fiss n' Barley was delicious. I love the grilled Brussels sprouts, perfectly cooked salmon, and flavourful rice (they didn't have barley). However, it didn't come with the signature bannock.

Bannock Tacos
Our signature bannock is covered in house chilli and topped with organic greens, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.

The person who took our order over the phone recommended we add bacon on top of the tacos, and oh boy, was that a fantastic suggestion. The flavour of tacos is all here, but it's on top of delicious Bannock instead of a tortilla.

Signature Bannock with House Chili (Vegetarian)

The chilli is excellent, and I wondered why I thought the one they serve at Tim Hortons is even close. Freshly cut tomatoes, black beans, melted cheese, and a bit of heat. It's perfect for this rainy evening.

We enjoyed our dinner while watching the Vancouver Canucks win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Poutine from La Belle Patate | First Meal as a Canadian Citizen

I just finished my Canadian Citizenship oath-taking, and for lunch, we decided to order poutine from La Belle Patate (The Beautiful Potato).

Canada was founded by three groups: the aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people), the French, and the British.

Our lunch today is an appreciation to the French people in Canada.

Left: Smoked Meat Poutine
Right: La Belle Poutine

The Poutine was delicious, but as expected food was coma-inducing. The gravy was good, not too salty, and the curds were melted. I enjoyed the smoked meat too.

Overall, it's good poutine. I think it's the best one I've had so far.

Breakfast and Penguin Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

As mentioned in my earlier TimBiebs post, I ordered breakfast today and included the Penguin Dream Donut.

If you have been following my blog (which I don't think anyone is, except maybe my mom - "Hi, Ma!"), you would know that hubby and I would try any available dream donut.

Today, I included the Penguin Dream Donut in my breakfast delivery alongside other Classic donuts because hubby asked if we tried them all, and I said no.