Taiwanese Pork Chop with Fried Rice for dinner from Typhoon Bubble Tea Cafe

Typhoon Bubble Tea Cafe is located in the Cambie Plaza strip mall in Richmond. I remember noticing them five years ago when I still live with my parents. Unfortunately, they are cash only, and I don't carry cash.

This is what I ordered for dinner from Typhoon Bubble Tea Cafe.

We visited my siblings in Richmond today, and our youngest sister requested that we order from Typhoon because she wants rice. So, of course, I am more than happy to oblige since I love Taiwanese cuisine, and as expected, I ordered a lot for my husband and me to share.

Typhoon House Special Chicken Nuggets

We ordered chicken nuggets for sharing, which was a good bite-size fried chicken.

Taiwanese Sausage with Rice and Sides

We love Taiwanese Sausage, but this one is not as sweet as I am used to when ordering from other Taiwanese restaurants.

Taiwanese Pork Chop with Fried Rice

The fried rice is exceptionally flavorful and delicious. It's the best thing tonight and works well with anything. I didn't expect the pork chop to be as it is. The flavour was good, but I expected it to have the same level of seasoning as the chicken nuggets. 

Taiwanese Style Plain Noodles with Bean Sprouts and Meat Sauce in Soup

Other than the fried rice, the best thing tonight is the soup. It's a warm, clean broth that's comforting to the soul. But, unfortunately, the delicious broth couldn't save the plain noodle and bean sprouts.

I can't wait to try the soup with beef. I bet it'll be delicious.

High Rise Pancakes for lunch at Eggspectation Richmond

Our youngest sister works at Eggspectation in Richmond, BC, so after practicing our civic duty in voting and participating in the local election. We went straight to Eggspectation for lunch.

I have a list of menu items we have and have not tried and picked based on that. My sister was the one who brought our food to the table, and she mentioned that she made sure they looked pretty for my picture.

High Rise Pancakes
Kick-start your day with a mighty stack of pancakes with sausages, bacon, and potatoes layered between them and top with a sunny-side-up egg.

Top-view of the High Rise Pancakes

Inside view of the High Rise Pancakes

I am surprised at how much I love the High Rise Pancakes from Eggspectation. With the syrup drizzled all over, it's the perfect sweet and savoury breakfast to kick start any day.

Classic Benedict
Two perfectly poached eggs on smoked ham and a toasted English muffin, topped with our famous hollandaise sauce and our Lyonnaise-style potatoes

I love eggs benny, and since I already tried the Smoked Salmon Benny (my go-to in any breakfast spot) and Montreal Benny (because it sounds interesting), I had to try the Classic. I am pleased to report that the egg is perfectly poached this time.

For drinks, we enjoyed their freshly squeezed orange juice, and yes, they are genuinely orange. My sister told us during her first week that one of the first things she has to learn is to squeeze orange to make their OJ.

Pho Name Bo Vien for dinner at Thai Hang in Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

We're back in Vancouver! As much as I was pleased to see the mountains, I fell in love with the hustle and bustle of Toronto. I never knew how much I missed the fast life until I went there. My sister was ready to disown me when I said it. 😂

When we landed in Vancouver, I told my husband that I wanted soup and/or rice, so we went to the airport's second floor (departure area, before security) and walked through the Food Hall at the Domestic Terminal. Unfortunately, there are no soup or rice, only sandwiches and burger.

We walked all the way to the International Terminal and spotted Thai Hang. It's a Vietnamese stall.

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken on Steamed Rice

I took a bite of the juicy grilled chicken and a spoonful of rice and felt comforted. Then, I slurped the beef broth from the Pho Nam Bo Vien, which was perfect.

The pho soup is the ultimate comfort meal after a flight. It just brings you back to earth without being greasy.

Pho Name Bo Vien
Beef brisket & beef meatballs with rice noodles in soup

Dac Biet Cha Gio Thit
Deep-fried spring rolls with pork

I don't recommend the spring roll, though.

The Reubenesque for lunch at Caplansky's Delicatessen in Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

We're going back to Vancouver! Before that, we grabbed lunch from Caplansky's Delicatessen. I remember Zane Caplansky when watching Guy's Big Project. I remember rooting for him to win.

When searching for places to eat in Toronto, I checked multiple sources like Anthony Bourdain, Michelin Guide, and Food Network shows like You Gotta Eat Here (YGEH) and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (DDD).

I had already ordered when I saw the DDD symbol on the menu. So hubby and I went for starred menu items, which indicates they are fan favourites.

The Reubenesque

I love a good Reuben sandwich, and it's something I use to eat at least once a week at PICA Blue Hat Cafe when I get free lunch from there, paid for by work.

The Reubenesque
Smoked meat, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, coleslaw, and grilled on rye

The smoked meat was delicious, but I wish there was more Russian dressing because it was a bit dry in some sections.

The Caplansky Burger
70% fresh ground beef and 30% smoked meat. Served with lettuce, tomato, onion, & pickle on an everything bagel bun

My husband went for The Caplansky Burger because it's the namesake. I thought the patty was dry, then realized it's 30% smoked meat. The tomato, lettuce, and sauce provided much-needed moisture to the burger.

The Caplansky Burger

I can't wait to come back to Toronto or have a transit through YYZ to try items with the YGEH and DDD symbols.

This was our last meal in Toronto, and it was such a fun, short, and food-filled vacation. I can't wait to travel again soon!

Peameal Bacon Sandwich from Carousel Bakery in St. Lawrence Market

I love the Vancouver Public Library, and in the recommended books I spotted, "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever. So I borrowed and perused Vancouver, the Philippines, and Toronto.

I want to see what they say about the Philippines because I grew up there. Then, I check out which restaurants in Vancouver they recommend because I live here. Lastly, I was planning to go on vacation in Toronto, so I had to see Anthony Bourdain's recommendation for good food in the city.

I can't remember everything he recommended except the one I know I can visit. The book suggested the Peameal Bacon Sandwich from Carousel Bakery in St. Lawrence Market. I wasn't sure what to expect because it was the first time I heard about peameal bacon.

Peameal Bacon Sandwich from Carousel Bakery in St Lawrence Market

First, the bun was soft, but the real winner was the bacon slabs they used. It's thin enough so you can easily bite into it but thick enough to retain all the bacon flavour. They also use fantastic mustard.

Anthony Bourdain also mentioned in passing how much he liked their butter tarts, so I ordered one.

Pecan Butter Tart from Carousel Bakery

The filling is standard sweet pecan, but the tart shell itself is so delicious. I can't believe the crust can steal the show from the filling, but this one just did. Yum!

St. Lawrence Market is two floors, and you can spend a day just eating your heart out with the different pasta, seafood, sandwiches, and desserts available. I pray to God that I have a chance to come back.

Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

As previously mentioned, I have a mild obsession with Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons. So taking a vacation in Toronto meant visiting a new branch and finding a unique Dream Donut flavour or design, this time supporting their hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

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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 Matcha Coconut Dream Donut

New York Cheesecake Dream Donut Penguin Dream Donut Pumpkin Spice Dream Donut Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dream Donut Sea Salted Caramel Dream Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut Vanilla Bean Dip Dream Donut Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring